Previously, in Episode 2 of “The Recruit,” we saw Owen learn about Max Meladze’s case officer, who was in Vienna. Owen traveled to Vienna to meet with him, but soon he learned that Max wasn’t just a regular asset; she also used to handle other assets, meaning she had knowledge of the CIA’s other Russian and Belarusian spies, making this case a critical one. Two assassins attacked him once he got back from the embassy, so he dove into the lake to escape them.
Spoilers Ahead
Who Was Kelly’s Father?
“The Recruit” Episode 3 opens with Owen swimming in the lake and climbing up on the shore. He came across a group of spies who were counterintelligence agents and had been monitoring Owen since he had arrived in Vienna. Owen did not inform them that he was about to be killed but rather that he had been robbed. He even retained his cover by claiming to them that he was merely a legal attaché, but those spies didn’t believe him since they knew that someone had tried to assassinate him. One of those spies advised him not to return to the hotel since doing so would offer those people another opportunity to assassinate him. But Owen was adamant, and he moved back to the hotel. Unfortunately, Owen’s suit was damaged again, and he had to go to a shopping center to put together an outfit. He went into an employee’s room and contacted Max from there, and she said that she didn’t wish to be sent to another jail, but she did want freedom, and if he didn’t assist her with that, she would start revealing names. Owen returned to Langley in a sweatshirt and track pants and met with Nyland in the general counsel’s office to inform him of the case’s progress and that Max had some serious information regarding the CIA’s spies in Belarus and Russia and that if she leaked the news in any way, almost all of the CIA’s intelligence collecting capabilities in that region would be lost.
Owen became paranoid since he didn’t trust anyone, not his employees or anyone else. He met Lester, who informed him that he couldn’t trust anyone here and that if the CIA ever searched his room, he wouldn’t even know about it. Owen went home to find his household items scattered, but he quickly discovered that no one had searched his house; rather, it was a hectic morning when Hannah and Terence had to leave for work, and they didn’t have time to organize things. Owen recalled that he needed to settle the subpoena issue, and Terence told him that he would assist him in contacting Sarah Okonjo, his acquaintance, in discussing how to resolve the subpoena issue. Lester and Violet learned that Owen had been to Vienna to meet with Officer Xander and based on their conversation; it appeared that those counterintelligence agents were dispatched by these two in order to keep an eye on Owen. Meanwhile, Max was driven to court for the hearing, and Owen arrived. However, he found Kelly, whom he met at the hotel in Arizona, and learned of her father’s death; finally, his deceased father was revealed to be the one slain by Max. The hearing began, and the judge announced that Max would be sent to federal prison, which enraged Kelly because she would no longer be able to provide her father with the justice he deserved. While she was weeping, Max reminded her that her father was not a decent guy, which sparked Kelly’s rage, but the officers grabbed her, preventing her from attacking Max. Violet contacted Amelia and told her that she didn’t trust Owen, so since she had assisted her in forming a relationship with him, Amelia felt obligated to repay her favor by providing her with facts about Owen that Violet might use against him.
Why Was Max Arrested?
Max was given a roommate in federal prison. She wondered where she might obtain a phone, so her roommate told her to contact Cora, who turned out to be her former roommate when she fled Belarus to live in the United States. She informed Cora that they couldn’t order meals and that she shouldn’t even feel like she was in her own home. Cora was also stranded in the United States, sharing a room with Max, but Max was not attempting to be her friend. But, as they began to bond, a disaster happened, resulting in Max’s incarceration. Max had added a week to Cora’s stay as per her request, but later, he discovered a middle-aged man had arrived to see her. She warned them right away that she didn’t welcome visitors, so she advised them to leave before taking a pistol inside. When she returned, Cora had been brutally battered to death and was bleeding profusely. In order to find Salvatore Kwitny, the person who brutally attacked Cora, she might have called the hospital to take her. She discovered that the man was carrying a suitcase and talking on the phone. She thrashed him but managed to keep him alive, but when he attacked her from behind, Max was obliged to murder him in order to protect herself. The bag, which actually belonged to Talco and was filled with cash, was taken by Max. This indicates that Salvatore formerly worked for Talco and was not only a truck driver but also not a good person. After the incident, Max may have been apprehended by the police and jailed, but it was not immediately obvious why Cora had ended up in prison.
Why Were Owen And Lester Sent to Beirut?
Owen had to go on a dinner date with Amelia since he needed her assistance. She had him dressed in a Gucci suit and took him to a restaurant, where Owen discovered Hannah had also come with a guy. Owen had a strange sensation after seeing Hannah with a guy, and he continued gazing at her, but Amelia didn’t think it was appropriate, so she encouraged her to focus on her. Rather than focusing on her, Owen was curious as to how he would be able to dismiss accusations against Max, so Amelia advised him to call the attorney general of the justice department. Owen apologized to Amelia as they exited the restaurant, explaining that he couldn’t bring her home because he needed to meet a friend at a club. He met Terence in a club and introduced him to Sarah, whom Owen had already met. Sarah informed him that the only way to remove the subpoena on him was to provide information about Nyland to Smoot; otherwise, the subpoena would not be withdrawn, and in addition, Owen would have to inform the Senate about the classified information that he was working on, and if there was any trouble, they would reveal the case on live media, meaning that Owen was in serious danger with no way out because it was difficult to obtain confidential information about his boss. Just as he was getting his act together, Nyland called him right away and told him to go to Beirut.
Owen called Max to inquire how he would traverse Lebanon because he had already been a target of assassination attempts everywhere he went and wanted accurate knowledge about the region this time. So, Max told him to give her the name of her case officer in return. She confirmed her assumption that it must be the case officer who wanted Owen assassinated in Vienna. Yes, it was Xander who wanted Owen dead since his interaction with Max Meladze would be revealed, putting him in danger. So, Owen had to reveal the identity of the case officer to Max in order to protect himself from further assassination in Lebanon, but because he couldn’t give her the name, he gave her a description of his appearance, and Max recognized him as Xander, who loved to eat pastries. But when he got to the General Counsel’s office, Lester was there to talk to Nyland, who was lecturing him for not taking care of an agent called Dave’s wife, who was grey mailing the agency, threatening to leak confidential material if they didn’t help her receive child support from Dave. So, Nyland wants to send Owen to Beirut with Lester to have Dave sign a contract ensuring that he will pay child support to her wife. When Owen and Lester boarded the plane for Beirut, Lester told him that Dave was the hitman who was usually hired for killing. He also informed him about Xander Goi’s ambition to obtain the Moscow station and how he was very ambitious, willing to go to any length to achieve his goals, making him exceedingly dangerous. They landed in Beirut and went to their hotel room, where Dave and his men were already waiting for them. Dave appeared to be affable and easygoing, but Lester’s look indicated that what Dave was displaying was not who he was. Owen asked him to sign the document, and Dave consented, which shocked Lester that it was so simple to persuade him to do it.
Later, in a bar, we learn via a conversation between Owen and Lester that Violet was his longtime acquaintance who used to work at the Judge Advocate General’s Office and that in Germany, she met Lester and urged him to work as a lawyer at the CIA’s general counsel office. When they returned to their room, they discovered that Dave had not signed the paper but had instead thrown it outside their room. Owen and Lester arrived at Saysoug’s camp to inform him that if he did not sign the document immediately, he would be blacklisted by the CIA, making him sign it right away. Owen and Lester returned to the general counsel’s office and discovered that the attorney general had already arrived and was waiting for Owen at his office. Owen dashed out the door to persuade him to dismiss the case of Max Meladze, who was formerly imprisoned in Arizona. The attorney general was hesitant, but Owen warned him of the risk she may place the CIA in by releasing classified information, which helped the attorney grasp the case scenario and agree to take the case. In the closing scene of “The Recruit” Episode 3, we see Max cunningly obtaining information on their everyday customer Xander Goi from a bakery in Vienna and sending him a message stating that she had finally found him, increasing Xander’s concern to save himself. The reasons Max was detained in Arizona and how she was connected to Talco were both made obvious in “The Recruit” Episode 3, but how Cora became involved in this case is still unclear, and we expect to learn more about it in episode 4.
