Time has passed since we last saw John and Jane. In episode two, the pair reached a new level in their relationship, succumbing to sexual tension. Episode three, entitled “First Vacation,” our two agents are a full-blown couple. Love is in the air as their next mission takes them out of NYC’s concert jungle to the romantic slopes of the Italian Dolomites. Their mission: observe and report on the couple lodging next to them, tag their cellphones, and listen to a call at 5 p.m.
[Spoilers ahead for episode three throughout]
The couple, played by guest stars Billy Campbell (Parker) and Sharon Horgan (Gavol), are in the throes of love and marriage. Their once-happy union is full of bitter arguments and resentment, all playing out in front of their son. John and Jane observe they have been to therapy to work out their issues, and immediately take sides.
Juxtaposing the Smiths’ relationship with this couple illustrates the different stages of a relationship. John and Jane’s is still brand new. So new that they have yet to spend an entire night in the same bed. This is comically illustrated when Jane attempts to disguise nightly flatulence as an errant noise outside their window. She has fallen hard, which explains her tough exterior. In comparison, Gavol and Parker are beyond the first budding of love and are contemplating if there’s anything left to nurture.
The next day, the Smiths take a big step in their relationship: sharing their location on their phones. As each monitors their target separately, they can be aware of the other’s exact whereabouts. Just then, John gets a text but rides it off as spam.
The two continue their monitoring at breakfast when John strikes up a random conversation with a lovely couple. Soon Gavol and Parker exit the dining room, much to the disdain of Jane. Annoyed, she hurries John along ending his impromptu dialogue with the couple. Jane explains vacation friends are the antithesis of going on vacation in the first place. Another hint at Jane’s anti-social tendencies.
After hilariously finding out John cannot ski, he receives a phone call while on the ski lift. He proceeds to answer the call to Jane’s shock. It’s revealed he’s been in contact with his mother for the duration of their employment, the opposite of the no-contact rule mandate. Jane is furious that he’s been lying to her and explains how the no-contact rule is to keep their family safe. John explains he’s the only family his mom has and he can’t abandon her. The seed of discontent has been planted in their garden of love.
They evade the vacation friends again and find their subjects. An argument regarding Gavol working during the day erupts, finally splitting the couple apart. The wife seeks to relax at the spa as the father and son go to have lunch. Still upset with each other, John follows the wife as Jane follows Parker.
John and Jane learn about the couple’s love story. It appears Parker married up with Gavol, which explains the hours she’s away at the office. Parker admits he’s been trying to find that first feeling within their marriage again. Gavol, while she hasn’t cheated, admits to lying about little things to avoid being around him. They could be falling out of love with each other. In the meantime, John and Jane cleverly obtain possession of each individual’s phone to place the bug. Mission accomplished.
The two are supposed to rendevous at 5 p.m. when John intercepts Gavol’s attempted kidnapping. Ignoring Jane’s calls and no longer sharing his location, he plays hero in the wintry slopes. Jane receives news of the kidnapping via Parker’s phone as armed men seek a ransom for Gavol’s life. Parker hesitates before declining the ransom offer, prioritizing his son’s well-being over her. Soon John is busy fighting these masked gunmen, sending Jane into panic mode. After sending a flurry of texts, John’s location is shared. Jane steals a snowmobile and finds him bloodied and bruised, but alive. Soon, the anger and argument have dissipated as love has trumped any other emotion.
This episode directed by Karena Evans does a marvelous job of portraying the endurance of love. Stretched to incredible lengths, against impossible odds, the love of Gavol and Parker bloomed in the face of adversity. The temporary anger between Jane and John disappeared at the thought of losing the other. Proving the mission of love is not for the faint of heart.
Rating: 9/10