When I say things are heating up in The Irrational 1×10 “Bombshell,” I mean things are heating up. Although it seemed last week like the team might have hit a dead end in their church bombing investigation, everything takes a huge step forward this week. And then hits another brick wall, but what can you do. We are catapulting toward the end of the season, folks, and I’m on the edge of my seat.
Frame Job
If there’s one thing that seemed straightforward in this entire bombing affair, it’s that Wes (Ben Cotton) was a bad guy. He made the bomb that exploded and killed over a dozen people. He’s the reason Alec (Jesse L. Martin) is scarred over half his body. He may not be the only bad guy. But surely in the annals of Big Badness, he’s gotta be listed. Right?
Well, maybe not. His hands aren’t entirely clean, but “Bombshell” made it clear that the situation is much less black-and-white than anyone had ever believed. And that includes Alec and Marisa (Maahra Hill). Sure, he built the bomb. But it was under duress at best.
He built a bomb to save his daughter – who is, in his mind, the one good thing he ever did. He didn’t intend for anyone to die. He didn’t even know that it wouldn’t be used to explode an empty building. Morally speaking, I’m not saying he doesn’t hold some culpability for the deaths he carries on his conscience. But he’s hardly the scheming, unfeeling monster we might have otherwise believed.
It’s an unusual episode, when you find yourself rooting for the bomber who was responsible for so many deaths. Even if inadvertently. And started the episode by taking some of our favorite characters hostage. (As a bonus, however, it did give us a chance to see Rizwan (Arash DeMaxi) try to comfort Phoebe (Molly Kunz) out of a panic attack with some very misguided guitar playing. Honey, you’re cute, but that guitar solo is comforting nobody.
On the up side, however? Kylie (Travina Springer) may be on the verge of finding the calling she’s been searching for all season. And I’m here for it.
Truth At A Cost
Wes is also Alec’s best lead to get to the real mastermind behind the bombing. So of course he doesn’t make it out of the episode alive. Given everything we learn about his character this week, it’s not even a surprise when he sacrifices his life to save his daughter. And, one way or another, that really was the plan all along.
What wasn’t in the plan? Alec (as well as his team and the FBI) knows a little more today than he did yesterday. Bringing him one step closer to the truth. And that’s one threat the villain shouldn’t underestimate.
Though I will say, I was at odds with Alec at one point in this episode. Wes was all-in on killing the man who’d been pulling his strings, condemning him to a lifetime behind bars. Alec tried to warn him against revenge, but come on, man. All those people dead already – and who knows how many more casualties do and will come at his hands? Sometimes I have zero problems with a character taking a little much-deserved revenge. In the fictional world, at least. But I guess Alec is a better person than I am.
Close to Home
But Wes isn’t the only one paying a price this week. While it seemed like things were maybe getting a little rocky between Marisa and Jace (Brian King) last week, they seemed back on course. She’s totally comfortable with him taking up some room in her closet and her toothbrush holder. She’s even okay with his favorite mug occupying space in her cabinet. (As an aside, who has cabinets that empty? Who? Adding a mug to my kitchen cabinets would require a Ph.D. in Jenga to avoid a catastrophe!)
At any rate, it seems the team is getting a little too close for comfort, because Marisa get a call that Jace thinks he’s onto something. What is he onto? He doesn’t say. So, of course, when she comes home, she finds him…dying? Dead? Injured, at the very least. His fate for now remains up in the air.
I wrote in last week’s review that I’m feeling somewhat torn on the ship of the show. On the one hand, I love the way Alec and Marisa’s relationship has been developed at present. On the other hand, I kinda want them to get back together. That said, while Jace hadn’t really registered too much on my radar until last week, I found myself really feeling bad for him when it seemed Marisa was on the verge of pushing him away. I continued to root for him – just a little bit – this episode.
It may be that The Irrational 1×10 “Bombshell” solves my conundrum (in part) in ways that are outside of my control, if Jace in fact doesn’t pull through. It looks like a shot to the chest, so…there have been more optimistic signs. At any rate, I am stressing out over the increasing level of danger against my favorite characters, so next week’s episode? Can’t get here soon enough.