Blindspot Review: The Quantico Affair (Season 4 Episode 3)
Sometimes a procedural show takes a step back and tries a different storytelling structure. That’s exactly what Blindspot Season 4 Episode 3, “The Quantico Affair” does. Instead of following the action, viewers stay in New York Field Office with Patterson and Rich Dotcom.
There is no denying that both Patterson and Rich Dotcom have a unique relationship on the show, previously defined as Rich being Patterson’s “work wife,” but “The Quantico Affair” really explores that partnership beyond just a simple exchange. gives us the chance to see some office politics and at the same time, get a peripheral view of what’s going on in the field.
It also gives us the chance to see some office politics and at the same time, get a peripheral view of what’s going on in the field. The structure is risky, but since “The Quantico Affair” can replace heavy action shots with some compelling visuals, it doesn’t feel like anything is missing.
Viewers see is a facsimile of what Patterson and Rich do on a daily basis, with their conflicting styles constantly butting up against each other. We are so used to Patterson breaking down her exact solve that it’s shocking when Rich explains what he found in just a couple of sentences, and The Book of Secrets comes up again.
The penultimate scene lends itself well to this format with Kurt and Jane on the train. With the team radioing in, Patterson and Rich give them instructions for how to disarm the bomb.
The fact that viewers are blind to what’s going on in the field; is what makes the scene suspenseful in a different way. When Rich is joking, we can hear Jane deliver her own smart-alecky retorts from on top of the train.
RICH: How well do you know the Lynx operating system?
JANE: (over the radio) I don’t! That’s your job!
The rapid-fire pacing of the scene culminates with a moment of silence at the end, when Patterson and Rich and the Quantico recruits hold their breath because they aren’t sure Jane’s diffused the bomb. When Jane comes back over the radio she makes another joke, giving this scene the mix of tension and humor that has become a trademark of Blindspot.
JANE: (over the radio) Next time, Reade goes on the roof and I give the boost.
However, “The Quantico Affair” isn’t just an exercise in storytelling. It also advances the narrative with Remi. Blindspot Season 4 Episode 2, “My Art Project” left off with Remi mixing up a potassium chloride cocktail that she intended to use to kill Kurt.
Her lie about wanting an out for when she gets worse is both ingenious on her part, and sad. It’s also really relevant, considering we don’t really know what the progression of ZIP poisoning will look like.
From Patterson’s analysis in the season premiere, it doesn’t sound like a pleasant end, and I could see Remi wanting that option. It does, however, seem a little out of character for Jane, and I wonder if that’s part of what’s tipping Kurt off.
Patterson also gets a new storyline on this episode. Lincoln is a one night stand that Patterson hooks up with who then ends up showing up as a Quantico trainee.
The scenario feels a little in line with the pilot episode of Grey’s Anatomy, but its hard not to want something to work out for Patterson. Her string of boyfriends has led to heartbreak and pain. She’s due for a truly good guy.
However, things are complicated when she finds out Lincoln is FBI Director Weitz’s nephew. The link to the command structure does allow for Lincoln to be whisked away to the Los Angeles office, but judging by their chemistry in this episode, that may not be the last we’ve seen of him.
Zapata also makes a bookend appearance in this episode as well, and with each appearance she gets a little harder to read, however, I am convinced that we will likely see her coming back to the FBI this season.
In past seasons, Tasha’s character seemed a little uneven, and I think the writers and Audrey Esparza are hitting their stride with her now, and she’s set up for a very compelling narrative.
Stray Thoughts:
- I maintain that Madeline Burke is the scariest bad guy this show’s had. She waltzed right into the FBI, gave them a file, and then made herself untouchable. It’s a pretty ingenious plan.
- When Patterson says her name is Lisa, I don’t buy it for one second. The way she reacted last season when her dad was about to say her name, I swear it has to be like a chemical element or something from a star, or maybe even something Klingon, I don’t know. Lisa just didn’t fit the mold.
- I have been waiting for Zapata’s gambling debts from Season 1 to come back into play! I thought that was a thread that we were going to be missing.
- I simultaneously love and hate Weitz. I also don’t know that I trust him given that previous directors of the FBI seem to always end up doing something sketchy.
- The one Quantico trainee who says she wants to go into the field after seeing the days case and Rich’s reaction is priceless and perfectly encapsulates the conversation Rich and Patterson had about where the real work happens.
- I want to know exactly how much fun it was to get into costume when Reade, Jane, and Kurt were getting ready to come out of the elevator covered in feathers and paint. This is the one action scene I think may have been funny to see play out, but that reveal was amazing and Madeline Burke’s reaction was priceless.
What did you think of this episode of Blindspot? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Blindspot airs Fridays at 8/7 on NBC.
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Lauren Busser
Lauren Busser is an Associate Editor at Tell-Tale TV. She is a writer of fiction and nonfiction whose work has appeared in Bitch Media, Popshot Quarterly, Brain Mill Press Voices, and The Hartford Courant.