Adelle is certain that Echo is hiding something, and begins rigorously testing her. But with every test coming back normal, and a repeat client requesting Echo's services, Adelle finally relents and allows her back into the field, even as Langton and Ballard bring Topher into their confidence regarding Echo's evolving nature.
What none of them are counting on is that the engagement is a set up. The client is dead, carefully posed in a chair for Echo, Ballard, and Langton to find. With the body is a note, addressed to Echo. Alpha has returned, and is leaving in his wake a trail of bodies - all of them repeat clients of Echo!
CHARACTERS
Echo: As we saw in the last episode, she can switch between her imprints at will. That doesn't stop her from fully being her imprints when they take control. When she assumes the role of Rebecca in her interactions with Joel (Patton Oswalt), she is Rebecca, and her love for Joel is quite genuine. When, in the guise of another imprint, she discovers the body Alpha left for her, she is inconsolable in her grief. It is only when Langton and Ballard begin picking apart the crime scene that "Echo" reasserts herself.
The Ice Queen: Has never been icier. The brutal coldness Adelle displayed at the end of Meet Jane Doe remains in place here. As she bluntly tells Alpha, she has "moved past chivalry," and is now solely concerned with self-preservation. I suspect this is going to be temporary, the character hitting her moral bottom after the demoralizing experience of being Harding's lackey for three long months. But in the meantime, she is unwittingly putting her best people in opposition to her. And despite Echo's actions aiding her in this episode, the final look she gives as the episode ends suggests that Adelle is far from done with doing damage.
The Security Chief: Langton hates seeing Echo so brutally tested every bit as much as Ballard does. As he sharply reminds Ballard, he was Echo's handler long before Echo ever met the former FBI agent. He has dedicated himself to protecting her throughout the series. What he recognizes, that Ballard does not, is that sometimes protection means staying still. He tells Ballard to "man up" and stop showing his agitation around Adelle. Langton almost acts as a mentor, or at least an older brother, figure to Ballard in this episode - a nice relationship to see between these two characters. A shame it's only evolved to that point this late in the series.
The Genius: Seeing what Echo has become, Topher reacts in a perfectly sensible and rational manner: He freaks out. He doesn't know what Echo's current state means, he doesn't know if she's going to lash out murderously the way Alpha did. He is keenly aware that at least one of Echo's imprints is a serial killer, and isn't reassured at the thought that she's "only a little bit" a serial killer. For all of that, Topher trusts Langton, and his previous trust in Adelle has been shattered. As little as one episode earlier, he would probably have gone to Adelle. Now, he keeps Echo's true state secret even before he talks to Langton.
The (Ex-) FBI Agent: Ballard's obsession with Echo is commented on by several people in the episode: Adelle, Langton, even Alpha. But he is also focused on stopping Alpha from killing any more clients. He deals very effectively with Joel, and he shows resolve in the face of Alpha's interrogation of him.
THOUGHTS
And yet another step toward Epitaph One, as we are introduced to the device that turns the wiped into violent zombies with ninja skills (which sounds like the setup for a pretty cool "B" movie, come to think of it). This leads to an action-heavy last Act of an already really good episode. A tightly-paced, fun-to-watch hour of television.
It almost goes without saying that the most noteworthy element of the episode is the return of Alpha. Alan Tudyk remains terrific, utterly chilling in his scenes opposite Ballard and Adelle. His character has also gained a new wrinkle since we saw him last. He's become a dandy, dressing himself in tailored suits, and preening at the effects of "a little splash of color." Oddly, this makes him even creepier. This is particularly true in the episode's best scene - a confrontation between Alpha and Adelle, which largely consists of Alpha mocking her as she tries to bargain for her life.
It's all extremely well-directed, with both the detective story that makes up the first two-thirds and the action climax effectively shot and edited. Performances are all at their usual level, with Olivia Williams perhaps even slightly above her usual (already excellent) average. All told, a terrifically watchable outing.
Rating: 8/10.
Previous Episode: Meet Jane Doe
Next Episode: Stop-Loss
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