The Irrational 1×11 “Reciprocity” wraps up the first season in a really satisfying way. We get answers about the biggest arc of the season, see some emotional closure to our favorite characters, and are even treated to a dramatic cliffhanger to carry us through the hiatus.
This season finale doesn’t waste any time. And we shouldn’t either. Let’s get straight to it.
Personal Stakes
“Reciprocity” opens with Jace’s (Brian King) funeral. I’ll be honest. This one took me a little by surprise. Sure, we saw Marisa (Maahra Hill) find her partner in some pretty dire straits last episode. He’d been shot in the chest, and things weren’t looking good. But I really wasn’t expecting them to kill him off. I’d just really started to like him as a character! Marisa was just starting to get comfortable in this new phase of their relationship. I genuinely expected he would pull through this one.
But, no! He didn’t make it, and now Marisa has even more of a personal stake in getting answers about the church bombing. As if the fact that it scarred ex-husband and love-of-her-life Alec (Jesse L. Martin) wasn’t enough. This woman is dealing with a lot, and the hits just keep coming this episode.
There’s no question that Jace’s murder is tied to the church bombing investigation. But if the perpetrator thought killing Jace would deter Marisa from her investigation for ten seconds, they don’t know her very well. Which is weird, because the killer (known by the name Matthias) is actually her mentor, Bob (Garry Chalk).
It explains a lot about the mystery. How he was able to track down Wes Banning’s (Ben Cotton) daughter so quickly. How he’s managed to stay one step ahead of the investigation at all times. Even how he managed to cover his tracks so well. He is in intelligence, after all. (Though one would think the F.B.I. would have more covert bugging systems than the one put in Marisa’s closet.)
But, of course, he wasn’t working on his own. He was acting on behalf of Senator Sanford (James Tupper). And bringing him down? Well, that takes a bit more work.
Open Wounds
This is such a personal case for Alec – and rightly so. It’s therefore no surprise that he takes it so personally when everyone he loves is endangered by the investigation. Marisa loses her partner – which is a not-so-subtle threat against her own life, if she continues the case. Kylie (Travina Springer) is given a literal warning shot. Everyone’s risking a lot by not dropping the investigation, and they know it.
But because the stakes are so high, it probably makes it even more frustrating for them that the answer to the mystery is so…absurd. (One might even say illogical.) Yes, the senator is behind the bombing, after all. The bombing was used to cover up the death of a staffer, who had died from a drug he’d slipped them.
Just think about that. How many people died to cover up the accidental (though he’s totally still culpable) death of one person? Of course the show presents a psychological phenomenon to explain it. Alec explains how suspending morality for one crime makes it easier to do the same on a grander scale. But still. Imagine how Alec and Marisa (and everyone else involved in the investigation) must feel. All of this. Just to cover up that one event. And, worst of all, to know it was perpetrated by a friend.
Martin’s acting is understated and powerful in the end, as Alec processes the enormity of the loss, his complicated feelings, and the resolution to the mystery. However, it really only serves to drive home the point that answers may bring a certain measure of closure, but they don’t necessarily bring peace. They don’t make the scars or the pain go away. They just give you the relief of having answers.
Moving On Up
The church bombing wasn’t the only storyline resolved in the finale. We also finally got to see Kylie find her direction in life. She’s going to work for the F.B.I. It’s somewhat of an unusual choice for her, given her stance on cops earlier in the season. Even being reluctant to go on a date with one. But it also absolutely makes sense for her skill set. She’s been more or less willing to assist Alec’s investigations in an unofficial capacity. Joining the team in an official capacity is a natural fit.
We also saw Phoebe (Molly Kunz) take a little break from her role with Alec’s team, much to Rizwan’s (Arash DeMaxi) chagrin. Of course, the show presented it as her deciding to take a different job entirely. But I suspect she’ll be back next season. They keep giving too many tiny “will they/won’t they” hints to think her departure is forever. Though if anyone needs a good mental health break…
Actually, they could all use a mental health break. I personally hope the second season opens with the whole lot of them relaxing on a beach some well. Sipping from colorful drinks with tiny umbrellas in them. Heaven knows they could use the break from stress.
Except…well, I suppose we know how the next season will open. Rose (Karen David) has been kidnapped. We don’t know who has her or why, but there’s no question that Alec and the team will stop at nothing to get her back.
Final Thoughts
- Alec’s an intelligent man, but he doesn’t know when to stop analyzing people. You’d think being married to Marisa for so long would have taught him when to keep his mouth shut, unless he wants to be used for target practice.
- There’s no question that Alec is supportive of Kylie’s new career. But I’m not sure he’s quite processed what it means, that his sister and his ex-wife will be working so closely together. There’s a train coming straight for that man, and he doesn’t even know it.
- On that note, is it just me, or was Marisa just a little TOO “I’m totally okay with the fact that you’re blowing me off for a date with Rose” at the end of the episode? Yeah, Marisa. We see you. You aren’t as okay with it as you want us to believe.
This show is so good. The Irrational 1×11 “Reciprocity” gave us the perfect balance between closure and setup for next season. I can’t wait for the fall already.
But who sang “Amazing Grace”. It was a terrific Acapella performance.