Whiskey Cavalier Season 1 Episode 2 Review: The Czech List
Jasmine Blu
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Are we in agreement that the chemistry of this team is the absolute best?
The covert squad had their first mission on Whiskey Cavalier Season 1 Episode 2, and for the most part, it went off without a hitch.
We also got a scandalous reunion with Scandal alum, Bellamy Young, reuniting with Foley and playing a sympathetic baddie who caused quite a stir among Fiery Whiskey.
The hour wasted no time throwing the team together and into a mission. At some point in time, the team members dropped their former lives, settled into NYC, and jumped into their cover of being a group of friends who own a bar together.
I'm trying to avoid making comparisons to the late, great Leverage, but some of them jump out at you. Come on; their cover is a bar!
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Also, Edgar is the witty, lovable hacker who lives at home with his mom. He's similar enough to Alec Hardison that it warms my heart. Nevertheless, despite the series feeling like spy Leverage in the most delightful of ways, the show should stand on its own, and it does.
Frankie: Just lock the door, Standish.
Edgar: Yeah, sure. Four years at MIT. Three years at the NSA, and I have been reduced to "lock the door, Standish."
If you were under the impression the disappointing Ray bit the bullet after his former boss shot him in the gut, then the hour dispelled that misperception with Ray's arrival.
Ray is similar to a rash that won't go away. No one wanted to be the liaison to the covert team, so he got a special assignment in addition to the shiny medal he received on the team's behalf for taking down Alex.
Will forced to work with the guy who played a role in breaking his heart is prime entertainment. Will is a decent guy, but he wasn't above giving Ray the cold shoulder. The friction between them didn't interfere with this investigation, but at some point, it's bound to cause some issues.
While it was annoying that the others questioned his emotional state and whether he could be professional, the consensus of the group based on their body language and more was that Ray would not be welcome into the new team's inner circle.
One, it's sweet that they have already formed a close enough bond to be united against including Ray when they don't need to do so, and two, it led to a protective Frankie, and after most of her behavior throughout the hour, we needed to see her protective of Will.
Frankie respects Will, and the whole show is about their conflicting styles and personalities. However, sometimes Frankie comes off mean to him for no reason. Most of the joking and banter is fun, but on occasion, it's irritating.
Frankie: Can I give you some free advice?
Will: No.
Frankie: You're too nice.
Will: Weird burn.
Frankie: I mean for a spy. You're too emotionally available.
Will: I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you over the wall of mistrust you built around yourself; it's so big.
Will does become the butt of the joke while with the team, and most of that is a result of him being too sensitive and emotional. It has its amusing moments, but they also tend to handle him with kid gloves too.
Frankie brings it up so often it's as if she fails to consider that Will is a competent agent who is as excellent at his job as she is when it comes to hers. She second-guesses his capabilities all of the time.
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He's not a green agent, and he has a reputation that precedes him. He's spent years going undercover and handling marks or extracting ledgers and more. Why must his skillset come into question at every turn, and how often does he need to be made fun of for being a human being with feelings?
Her word of advice and observations about him while they were hiding in the bodybag were insulting and condescending. She also tends to make these sweeping statements and generalizations unprompted.
If his emotions made him a liability to the agency as often as she makes it seem, then he wouldn't be part of the agency let alone part of their covert task force. He's there because of his skill set and what he can offer that she cannot.
She can acknowledge that Will's sensitivity doesn't make him terrible and that there is nothing wrong with him being emotional and different than her. Frankie even admitted that she's jealous of him; it's something she struggles with, and she knows it.
Frankie: Who the hell was that?
Will: I was going to ask you
Frankie: I don't know every assassin. I like her hair though.
When push comes to shove, Frankie can acknowledge all of this, so Frankie riding him about it so often can at times be overkill. She was so insistent that Will's ability to empathize and him liking Karen would screw up the whole mission, but none of them caught on that Karen was shady either, so that wasn't on Will alone.
Will takes most of this teasing in stride, but it seemed he let it get to him a bit more than usual. That is the only reason Will, an attractive and seasoned agent, barely pulling off a honeypot made any sense.
Although, everyone in his ear suggesting ways to pick up Karen was hilarious. If you had endless chatter in your ear like that, you would want to take the comms out too.
It's quite amusing that Will has zero game whatsoever. He's a natural charmer, but he can't seem to pull off appealing to a woman when it's part of the mission.
While it wasn't his fault that the mission almost went pear-shaped, and it was annoying that Frankie had little faith in his abilities, it did seem Will developed feelings for Karen.
He sympathized with her, and he did like her. It hurt him when she took advantage of his kind nature, but it also seemed that his shmoozing and seduction worked. Karen was serving up heart eyes when Will saved her from killing herself.
Will: We need to find Karen.
Frankie: She burned the ledger.
Will: She has a photographic memory. She is the ledger.
She believed they could have a happily ever after. Did that mean her kiss with Hannah meant nothing?
Hannah was a badass mercenary, and one of the funniest parts of the hour was how Frankie had a professional respect for the woman even though they were going after her.
She made their mission difficult at every turn, from killing Stavros in front of their eyes to joining forces with Karen and locking Will and Frankie in the vault after retrieving and burning the ledger.
Was there any real background on why Karen was working with Hannah? She knew about her husband's business dealings; you could tell that much.
It must have been one of the people whom he was smuggling for who hired Hannah and wanted to make sure that the names in that ledger never got out. It's odd that in the years or however long that Karen and Stavros were distant from one another, he didn't update the protocol.
The different dynamics of the team are falling into place, and they are the absolute best. I can't decide which interactions I enjoy the most. For the most part, we bypassed any bumps and hiccups with the different personalities matching up.
It already feels as though they have been working with each other for a while now. The different personalities are coming out, and it makes the various interactions the most exciting part of the hour.
Edgar continues to be a standout character. He has almost all the best lines, and the guy is a total scene-stealer at all times. During the premiere, there was a hint of a potential Edgar and Will bromance, and it came to fruition here.
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Edgar is the one who supported and had Will's back. He backed Will going into the mission and flirting with Karen. One of these days, Will and Edgar will high-five. Will needs to stop fighting it and embrace the fraternal bond.
Susan: Standish, I know it's an asset for the team, but the enthusiasm of which you're able to lie is almost at a sociopathic level.
Edgar: Thank you.
However, it was the Edgar and Susan interactions that were the strongest for his character. Susan likes to study people, and Edgar is a fascinating study.
It turns out that Edgar's skills are more than hacking and being hilarious. He's an exceptional liar as well. His performance at the morgue was top-notch and one of the best scenes; Susan's reaction to how he effortlessly spun a story off the dome was priceless.
What makes this insight into his character so refreshing is it guarantees he'll have more to do in the field. The series won't relegate Edgar to computer screens and making funny quips. He's capable of going undercover, grifting, and God only knows what else.
I like Edgar, and he has hangups as everyone else does. I wonder what it is about the women on this team where they feel compelled to read and judge the guys to the degree that they do?
Sure, Susan was trying to understand her teammate better, but what did she care if he lied about what he did (something they all have to do anyway) to pick up a girl? Isn't it a bit too soon to jump into someone's headspace and read the hell out of them?
She was imposing in that sense, and Edgar handled it better than most would. In a similar fashion as Frankie and Will, Edgar minded his business and was being himself, and Susan came in hot trying to dissect him and break him down with little prompting.
Susan: So, you're not only using your lying for good, you use it for evil, too.
Edgar: You're disappointed in me?
Susan: No. But she will be when she finds out you're not a powerlifting surgeon.
Edgar: I'm sorry, I was saving her number. What was that?
Edgar turned it into a game once he realized what she was doing, and understandably so. In the end, Susan got the upper hand. I loved that she wasn't embarrassed about Edgar getting over on her or her falling for his lies.
She's confident in her abilities, and she knows that she's exceptional, so none of that fazed her in the least bit. Susan gave him a quick reading in the end that left him speechless and carried on her with her day.
It was a fantastic moment for her, but it also only got to that point because of her random observations and prying that Edgar didn't invite.
I love that we had more Susan during this installment, and so far, her chemistry with Foley and Williams is enthralling. It has been well established that she and Will are best friends, but the potential friendship the dynamic between Edgar and Susan has a different vibe that is intriguing.
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Susan's strong presence compared to the premiere was needed and appreciated. It's going to be even better when her psychoanalysis is put to use in the field on a mission rather than directed at her teammates.
So far, the Mind Hunter's biggest job is being the Will whisperer. She's such a supportive, adorable friend though. The contrast between the two sets of besties adds another layer to this new group dynamic.
Susan and Will are so open to one another. At the moment, it's Susan being the supportive figure and friend to him, but Will is such a caring, loving person that even if we haven't seen it yet, there are no doubts that he returns in kind.
Meanwhile, Frankie and Jai probably work best because of their lack of talking unless Jai gives her a reality check. You can tell he understands her best and accepts her.
The relationship between those two is another one to watch. He has the most insight into an emotionally closed off Frankie, and I would love to know how they became so close.
Susan: Jai is playing with his toy car.
Jai: This is a custom built miniature assault vehicle. It is not a toy car. [plays with it and laughs] OK it's a toy car.
Jai is so cool, smooth, and suave, but he's such a geek. You gotta love boys and their toys, and he has the best toys.
This time he presented Will with a watch filled with explosives that he didn't give him a heads up about until it was needed to get Will and Frankie out of a jam.
Frankie's "he just does that" in response to Will wondering how Jai could give him an exploding watch and not tell him that detail was a true laugh out loud moment.
Jai as the stylish tea drinking, shade throwing, weapons master is something of which I will never stop adoring.
Other Notes:
- Will is a sweets man as if I didn't love him enough already. He charmed the heck out of the B&B lady, whose hair was fabulous by the way.
- This shows cinematography is gorgeous, and it's a service to the show that it films in Europe. It makes the story come to life in new ways.
- "We aren't here to talk about who did or didn't cut your brakes, Ray." Is she flawed? Yes. Do I still adore Frankie? Also, yes.
- Everything Edgar says is comedic gold. I wonder how many takes are required for certain scenes? I would laugh uncontrollably.
- Does it a retinal scan work when the eyeball was plucked out? Is that a real thing?
- The fight scenes on this series are fun, and if every episode includes at least one scene of Will and/or Frankie kicking butt, it's all the better. Bonus points Frankie rides motorcycle again. Yes girl!
- Can Jai be my best friend? He appreciates tea like a proper gentleman and between exploding tampons and watches with explosives, he has the best gadgets.
Did you love the Scandal reunion? Should Frankie lay off of Will about him being too sensitive to be a competent agent? Did Susan overstep with Edgar or do you enjoy their vibe? Hit the comments below!
If you're looking to escape into pure fun and entertainment, you can watch Whiskey Cavalier online here via TV Fanatic!
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You'll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.
