The one thing about The Endgame that I am really over – in a way – is that it’s always a story. We already know that we’re looking at a story, but her analogies are well… over that part.
But that’s the beauty of television. We can like parts of television and not like others parts. We can be over it and yet we can still love it. And Elena’s stories, her manipulations of everything to make it sound like a fairytale is quite annoying. But there is a point.
It just seems that the only person getting the clues is Val. Everyone else is oblivious and all the dudes in this sphere seem to want to play the my dick is bigger than yours game. Especially Doak.
He’s just straight up annoying.
We’re dealing with a new story, a story about a bullet.
We’ve been waiting a long time (4 whole episodes) to figure out any connection between all of Elena’s targets. And finally we’re getting them.
We’re also getting to see Doak almost crap his pants and well, that brought me joy because that man is a male chauvinist pig and treats Val like the scum of the earth. He’s so willing to let any woman suffer to get ahead.
The team is at bank one and we’ve got some action going on. The bank robbers have been pounding through a wall, to get to a tunnel that will get them out. They’re almost done, which is a good thing for them. After all, the FBI is going to storm banks eventually.
Doak is a man on a mission, but he’s also the worlds biggest douchebag, so there is that.
But we should start with the story.
Val is trying to figure out what is on the drive that Owen left. Legitimately, I understand that people aren’t just going to be like here’s the crime and here’s all the answers. But lordy, the cryptic shit – I am like how are we supposed to understand that?
I thought for a second that the drive that Owen left was him taking her side, and that he was a double agent, working to take Elena down. I should be smarter than that, because nope. Elena had him leave the drive for her to find at the “perfect” time. One has to wonder what would have happened had she found it sooner.
Val and Elena have their usual story, but first one has to laugh because Elena is giving her advice on her husband. Maybe it’s not such a bad thing that Owen lied to her? Wait… what? Elena, we’re supposed to buy that? Honesty is always the best policy, right?
Everything leads back to Gambia, where Elena first saw her. You know, for a criminal Elena is – well, she’s kinda okay. Do I condone her moving weapons? No. But I mean she seems to live by a code and when she sees Val and her team going into save the NGO workers, she purposely shoots to deter her from going the way that she’ll get ambushed.
When we flash back to Gambia we get to see the whole situation, with Elena and Louie sitting in a van, watching the whole thing.
I think that it’s important for us to all see the moments that Elena was trying to save Val, because all these moments where she’s trying to do the right thing, it humanizes Elena. And well, I am guessing that we need that to see whatever she is doing isn’t as shitty as it seems.
Do I understand for any amount of time why she’s zeroed in on Val? No. But I also don’t understand why it is that Val seems to know everything about Elena. For real though. Like she knows everything. I guess it is the FBI and they will figure out everything about you – but sometimes, it’s a lot to see Val seem to know everything. Like for real, she could be a Jeopardy champion.
Back at the bank, Doak tells Anthony to extend the perimeter two blocks and they are going to storm the bank. Doak is determined to get ahead of Elena, but one has to wonder when this man will put his ego aside and realize that isn’t possible. It’s proven minutes later, when the team goes to storm the bank and the hostages come spilling out.
As the robbers get away, the team is trying to figure out why this bank. Two diamonds are found and then, as they’re going through gathering evidence, Doak accidentally trips a wire, enclosing him and two others behind lasers.
I am fully aware that it’s fucked up to see him squirm, but I don’t mind that he is. He’s such an asshole that it’s important he get smacked down to reality. The FBI expert says that the only person that can turn off the lasers is the person that turned them on.
One has to wonder, is Doak the latest person on Elenas hit list? What did he do? But it’s always bigger than that and he’s a twat.
With this show though, you need to realize that everything is a clue. Moustaka is the banks owner. Val has to go find the laser dude, but she really knows that Moustaka is a clue. She and Anthony head out to find more about the diamonds, following orders.
There is legitimately nothing that they can’t figure out. There is only one person who sells diamonds in bulk and Val confirms with him that it’s Louie that purchased the diamonds. But we also quickly learn that Louie bought an engagement ring also. Anything that people can learn about each other is important, it gives insight.
And that insight helps Val and Anthony when they realize where Louie probably is – escaping the city by water. So they head to the marina, where they do find Louie.
Louie ain’t playing. I have yet to understand anyones blind faith in Elena, but her team sure as fuck has it. When Val and Anthony approach him, he throws a phone and then we realize Louie has a grenade in his hand.
We should give Elena many accolades for the blind faith she is able to bring out of people. Everyone loves her. They are loyal to her. Whatever she wants they will do. Louie will only stand down for one person – Elena.
Val calls the Director, who is with Elena, and communicates that Louie will only stand down for one person – Elena. The Director ain’t playing with her, since his people are trapped behind lasers, he tells Val to have the team blow Louies brains out.
I choked right there. Didn’t see that coming. But I also didn’t see Elena reading his lips and telling them no, stop. The loyalty that people have for her, she has for all of them.
She’s not going to just let her team be hurt. I have to admit that I admire that loyalty and her wanting to be there for her team. There will always be a part of me that wonders if it’s part of her bigger plan, but regardless, I still love it about her.
The best part of this entire episode was finding out that the lasers aren’t going to do anything, but Doak not knowing that and thinking that he’s about to meet his maker. When the lasers are right up on them, he squints and purses his lips and you see a sigh of relief when he survives. Also instantly, he’s irate.
Val is able to take Louie into custody.
What I find so weird about all of Elena’s plans, is that all of her people seem to know exactly what to say. All the time. Louie asks her about the drive and if she’s figured it out. But also, he tells her he’s seen her before – in Gambia.
At the bank, Doak has found a safe that the banks owner, Moustaka, says he hasn’t seen. But here’s the thing Moustaka, you are gonna get caught. Especially when Val finds a picture of you on the wall with all of the other people who Elena has targeted on your wall.
But also – Val has realized that the thumb drive – what she was listening for was the sounds of the shots. The guns are American and Elena has never trafficked in American guns. In that safe is proof that Moustaka was the one who had sold the guns and trafficked them to Gambia.
Val ain’t happy.
But the picture – seeing all of Elena’s targets together and finally seeing a connection was a moment, but one that I am a little concerned about. Because the truth is I am not sure if this show is going to take a turn into a place that I didn’t see it going.
But there is a possibility. There is always one.
All of Elena’s targets served under the previous President’s administration. So what else does that administration have to hide. What is the endgame?
OTHER THOUGHTS
- The FBI Director has told Doak that he needs to take orders from Val, that if he had listened to her in the first place, a lot of this could be avoided. I truly believe that Doak has issues listening to women, but also doesn’t like the fact that he’s not the one in control.
- Sergey and the guy who recognizes him. First dude is stupid for trying to fuck with Sergey. But Sergey is lucky to have Owen there to keep him from doing something stupid. Eye drops in the water though? That shit is painful. But like hey, better than Sergey offing him and ruining everything.
- Wait – they only have 6 days left? What happens in 6 days?
The Endgame airs Mondays on NBC.