The last we saw the lovely couple, a successful mission ended in a fraught exchange of words. Long-suppressed feelings about their relationship bubbled to the surface. The episode, guest starring a lovely Sarah Paulson, has one of the most dramatic acting scenes in the series thus far, as John and Jane bare all.
A series of mishaps bring the Smiths to the home of a couples therapist to sort out their differences. These strains have always been present, but are manifesting more in the way John and Jane see each other. It all started with their very opposite perspectives on having children. John wants kids, but Jane feels bringing children into their current situation would not be healthy. This transforms into a revelation that John sees Jane as controlling, and he references a recent situation at work as an example.
Viewers are taken back to a mission in the city, where John elects to take the lead. Jane questions his stance and whether he can “close the deal” with these clients. The questioning of his skills has struck a nerve. As Jane monitors from afar, John infiltrates a seemingly harmless card game among three African American men. It’s safe to assume they are involved in some criminal activity.
Back at the therapy session, John explained how he felt Jane was upset that he was “doing well without her.” The conversation soon transitions to the subject of race, the second time in the series, as John says Jane hated that he was bonding with Black people. Jane objects to this allegation, explaining how she disliked how John was performing with these men, telling sexist and racist jokes at her expense. As a result, Jane calls herself expediting the mission, killing two of the assailants from her perch on a roof. In haste, John is forced to kill the last target. John complains she almost got him killed, and touts how he wants to help her to be less anxious. Jane accepts this olive branch.
Fast forward to another appointment, the couple is no longer having sex as they explain a recent workplace hiccup. We see the two chasing a man down the block and into an office building. Jane corners him into an elevator while John, who has asthma, is forced to follow them up the stairs. As Jane fights the assailant, she’s communicating which floor they’re passing to John, who is tirelessly climbing each flight. They finally reach the roof, where Jane completes the mission: she tosses the guy off the roof, but not before declaring “Die, motherfucker,” which sends John into a fit of laughter.
Jane didn’t see the humor in his reaction, although he displays that if the tables were turned, she would have chuckled at him. But beneath the humor, they argue that Jane doesn’t validate his feelings. John reveals he feels at the start of their courtship, Jane looked up to him, and now he feels somewhat of a hindrance. He’s afraid he’s holding her back. Jane pushes back on this sentiment.
We then push forward to a third session, and the couple is sitting far apart on the sofa. They reference a mission that has them on a wilderness stakeout. John’s relaxed and patient approach to the mission gets under Jane’s skin, as she feels he’s condescending to her throughout the mission. By nightfall, an argument erupts once it’s revealed John never read The Prophet, Jane’s favorite book they both claimed to have loved in the first episode.
John doesn’t see the big deal but Jane is hurt that he lied to her. The exchange gets heated when Jane takes a dig at his relationship with his mother, making John’s feelings for her some sort of liability. John lets the chopper sing, assaulting Jane for not having any feelings, citing the failed relationship with her father following her mother’s death. It’s a heartwrenching scene that presses Glover and Erskine to the edge.
Back in therapy, the therapist recommends some deeper work for the two, and before they depart, hands them a small flash drive. On it: a recording of every session. John and Jane learn that hidden microphones and cameras have captured every moment in this woman’s home. Even the private moments when they openly discussed their actual occupations. In a hilarious closer, Paulson’s therapist relaxes with a joint when her son exclaims the house is on fire. John and Jane race to their car as evidence of who they work for burns to a crisp.
The episode continues this fun, unexpected ride, even with the serious tone of the latter half. Being familiar with Glover’s previous work, the balance of humor and drama isn’t new and works to great effect. Paulson is a treat whenever she’s on screen. The writing for the card scene was top-notch, with some underrated performances. And Erskine holds her own in the elevator scene with believable fight choreography.
Rating: 9/10