If you’re a spy, compartmentalizing your work and home lives is not only recommended, it may be necessary to survive. In True Lies 1×03 “Separate Pairs,” Helen learns about the necessity to compartmentalize. By people who are absolutely terrible at it, almost without exception.
Work/Life Balance
For the entire course of their marriage, Henry (Steve Howey) has been a pro at compartmentalization. Until the disastrous trip to Paris in the Pilot, he had managed to separate his spy life from his home life with Helen (Ginger Gonzaga). Maybe a little too well, since she thought he might be having an affair.
He takes it upon himself, therefore, to teach his wife about the importance of compartmentalization, now that she’s joined him in the spy game. After all, you can’t focus on catching an arm’s dealer if you’re worried about whether your kids have finished their homework. You can’t stop a nuclear bomb if you’re distracted by you ongoing plumbing problems. And you can’t interrogate a potential subject if you’re worked up over the contradictory politics of your PTA.
The only problem with this plan? All of his compartmentalization skills evaporated the second his wife crossed the rubicon and was launched into her new career against her will. Not that he can entirely be blamed. When you know the person who’ll be at your side the next time you disarm a bomb may be your spouse, it’s going to be a little hard to separate your feelings.
But for someone who managed to keep his other life under wraps for almost two decades, now that Helen is in on the truth, Henry is playing a little fast and loose with his secret. Granted, I’m not an expert on this whole “compartmentalization” thing. But I’m pretty sure talking about your secret spy organization in the middle of your kitchen isn’t a shining example of how to do it.
I’m not joking. He’s just so bad at compartmentalization. It’s both hilarious and endearing how bad he is at it. This man actually stood in a puddle in his kitchen and tried to teach his wife how to separate work and home lives like, “You can’t bring work home with you, honey! Because we’re spies. We are SUPER SECRET spies! Working at this TOP SECRET organization. Their offices are at 123 Baker Street, and that’s where you have to keep the work stuff because it’s work and this is home. And don’t forget the TOP SECRET files for our TOP SECRET organization are located on the third floor, behind a security system that only Nicolas Cage and his group of ragtag historians would be able to crack! Because, again, we’re spies and should definitely keep that spy life and the puddle rapidly growing in our kitchen completely separate!”
I can only hope they have some solid anti-electronic monitoring systems in place. Oh, what am I thinking? I’m sure Mrs. Myers (Deneen Tyler) is on it.
Quite the Team
As bad as Henry is at that whole separation of personal and professional lives, other members of his team may actually be worse. (And, again, that’s saying something.) This episode gave us a little bit more insight into the characters of Luther (Mike O’Gorman) and Maria (Erica Hernandez). I’m still not entirely clear what their specialties are, but I also don’t entirely care. They’re spies. They spy. I can roll with that.
They also were lovers, once upon a time. Until the murder of fellow compatriot from MI6 caused Maria to bail on the relationship faster than a Bond girl bails on breathing once she’s given in to James Bond‘s often dubious charms. The timing of the breakup makes it fairly obvious why she ended the relationship. Still, Luther can’t get over the heartbreak. (While claiming he totally can, you guys! He’s not obsessing, you are!)
Throughout the entire mission, Luther keeps trying to get one thing from his erstwhile girlfriend. He doesn’t want her back. Which is honestly a good thing. As romantic as television shows and movies often try to portray that “can’t take no for an answer” it’s actually pretty creepy most of the time. I mean, he’d like her to give them another shot, but that’s not what he’s asking for. He just wants her to tell him they were a good team. He’s never going to understand why she left. He just wants to know he didn’t totally misread her feelings during the course of their relationship.
Is there anything inherently wrong with wanting closure? No. But you’ve gotta pick your moments to pursue it. And when you’re tracking down a nuclear bomb or hanging off a rooftop? All I’m saying is, there are more opportune moments.
In the end of True Lies 1×03 “Separate Pairs,” Maria spills the truth. To the audience, at least. It’s a fairly common trope, having one person confess their super secret feelings to the other without realizing the other person has fallen asleep. But it always makes me think of Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. So I’m not complaining.
And what about Gib (Omar Benson Miller)? He’s either the only one of the team who’s actually good at compartmentalization, or he’s overheard too much nonsense over the mic like he’s got front row tickets to a reality show (Big Brother: Spy Style!) and wants no part of it. Either way, I respect it.
