The Company You Keep Season 1 Episode 5 Review: The Spy Who Loved Me
In what is quickly becoming a theme, The Company You Keep Season 1 Episode 5, “The Spy Who Loved Me,” reveals multiple secrets that have widespread consequences.
In a shocking ending, we see Charlie coming clean to Emma — he’s working for Daphne. He was the guy in the mask.
And also, he loves her.
It’s hard to say if something viewers already felt so sure of — that Charlie and Emma love each other — can genuinely be shocking, but did I still gasp at each admission? Absolutely.
Charlie’s admission of love is a little delayed and painful for it on the heels of Emma’s declaration, but they’re both so honestly and beautifully portrayed.
The radiant, open way Emma tells Charlie she loves him, and then the soul-crushing silence that envelops them when he doesn’t immediately say it back might be the most real this show has ever felt.
It hurts, and it immediately shifts their dynamic.
FELISHA TERRELL
But none of these revelations are new information. The way it’s all revealed — in a gush of vulnerability from Emma and the throes of protection from Charlie — makes it almost feel like new information, which is a true testament to the writing and the acting.
Catherine Haena Kim, in particular, shines in this episode. She’s, in turn, determined and vulnerable, and the look of subtle betrayal on her face the moment Emma finds out is award-worthy.
Here’s the thing, though: I wish the show had allowed her to put it all together herself.
She’s been so close all season, this episode especially, and she deserves a win — a sense of satisfaction amid her evident heartbreak.
The writing is so sharp and enticing that her forced moment of clarity works, even if not in the way we might want.
Even though we do not see her putting all the clues together first, she is on the right track. In the future, we’ll likely see her struggle with how close she was, how this could have been avoided, and her feelings spared if she’d put the clues together sooner.
Much like when she asked Charlie if he ever thought about what might have been if they hadn’t met in that bar, would she have wanted to avoid it all if she had the chance? Will she have regrets?
(Likely, yes, and watching it play out will continue to hurt.)
We’re halfway through the season now, and while Emma and Charlie’s dynamic will surely change going forward, this episode introduced a possible new couple to watch.
David Hill briefly met Jennifer West on The Company You Keep Season 1 Episode 4, “All In,” but now, the chemistry is immediate.
The quiet, relaxed moment they share in the Hill kitchen is an excellent example of what these actors and this show do exceedingly well: they introduce characters we should have reservations about and make them compelling to watch.
We want to root for them even as secrets pile up, even as we know there is more to the story we should be wary of.
Joe Hill might be wary enough for all of us, though. Because Jennifer was brought in by Claire Fox, who we still know very little about — but it’s evident in his worry that there is more to learn.
Will the secrets impact David’s campaign? Will they further the pretty obvious divide between Emma and her parents?
They’ll have an impact, one way or another. However, the sibling relationships between Emma and David and Charlie and Birdie don’t seem to be permanently impacted.
SARAH WAYNE CALLIES, MILO VENTIMIGLIA
In visually stunning scenes — sunrise check-ins when David and Birdie are surprised to see their sibling home — both pairs of siblings shine this episode.
These scenes are typically the calmest moments in each episode, deservedly so. David and Birdie offer Emma and Charlie (and vice versa) the ability to pause and reflect on their deeper emotions on each episode.
It’s rare in a drama series to see siblings who genuinely care for one another. They may bicker (the Nicoletti siblings) and be newer to opening up to each other (the Hills), but they do so without any ulterior motive.
It’s refreshing, just like this series and this episode in particular. The Company You Keep has kept us guessing from the very beginning.
WILLIAM FICHTNER
This episode seems poised to shift the entire rest of the season — because where do you possibly go when all of your big secrets are revealed so soon?
With any luck, we’ll see the characters delve even deeper into the emotional ramifications of their secrets.
Given this show has a deep wealth, both in terms of storytelling and acting, it’s safe to say the remainder of the season will be just as full of secrets and surprises.
Stray Thoughts:
- “The woman always pays the price.” This, and the knowledge that Simon, her ex/Ollie’s dad, is still calling, means that Birdie will emotionally rip my heart out soon, right?
- Destroying the hotel room before the fixer showed up looked ridiculously fun. This show has so many scenes that look like a blast to shoot.
- Daphne was a sorority girl?! I would never have guessed, but it also somehow makes perfect sense. She’s an enigma, and I want to know everything. Felisha Terrell is a joy to watch.
- Mason truly steals every scene she’s in, doesn’t she?
- Jon Huertas should direct more episodes. The entire library scene was so adrenalin-packed I needed to look away but couldn’t.
- “What? You never stood in line at the grocery store?” Leo being a tabloid reader, is too good. He is comedic gold even in tense scenes like being held at gunpoint.
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What did you think of this episode of The Company You Keep? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Company You Keep airs Sundays at 10/9c on ABC.
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