State of Affairs Season 1 Episode 13 Review: Deadcheck
Carissa Pavlica
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To be perfectly honest, considering the many twists and turns I've come to expect from State of Affairs, the lack of them on the season finale was somewhat surprising.
That doesn't mean State of Affairs Season 1 Episode 13 didn't deliver a satisfying conclusion to the Bellerophon terrorist operation and an overall sense of unease as the credits rolled, because it most certainly did.
Instead of hitting viewers with countless misdirects, the writing was far more direct for the finale and missions were completed. There was a sense of satisfaction at what the team achieved together, even if President Constance Peyton didn't turn out to be their biggest fan.
Before we launch into the nuts and bolts, there isn't any word on State of Affairs Season 2, but Executive Producer, Director and Writer, Joe Canahan spoke with EW, making it clear he had no intentions of allowing it to go silently into the night. If it will not live on at NBC, it will be shopped around. He, and the others who work alongside him on the series, have faith it can and should continue.
If a second season is on the horizon, there is a potential for a lot of change.
The Ar Rissallah story is over, for all intents and purposes, or it should be. Despite my greatest fear at the end of State of Affairs Season 1 Episode 12 coming true – POTUS going live with a self-congratulatory speech about killing Sheikh Hakam when there was no such man – in the end, Charlie killed Fatah after going in with a hail of bullets flying and shutting down his attempt to lay all the blame for his terrorist activities at her feet.
It's easier for you, isn't it, if you believe that? Then your betrayal becomes my problem! Omar! I f*cking trusted you! I gave you all of my trust and you gave me nothing in return! Nothing! Now people I loved that trusted me are dead because of you. You have killed hundreds of innocents. You will keep killing. So, now, when one can act [shoots twice] one should act as a liberator [shoots again].
Charlie
With Charlie's help, the team back in Washington tracked down all of the Ar Risallah Pegasus vest bombers and stopped them. Kurt walked away from Gantry and rejoined the team.
David, who has slowly drifted farther and farther away from POTUS, fell about as far away as he could get as he resigned his position after Burke made him question exactly where he wanted to be standing when the dust settled.
I think you should have somebody as Chief of Staff who is like minded, and after a lot of soul searching, I don't think that's me.
David
But the biggest outlier here was POTUS herself. David wasn't wrong in thinking they were no longer of like minds. POTUS is skating on her own pond. From wanting Burke arrested to making a deal with Gantry, nothing she did was making a lot of sense.
In the scene in which Marshall told his wife he was heading back to their family home (she had to ask exactly what was resting at his destination, as if she had completely forgotten where them came from), Constance was fidgety and uncomfortable; hardly the woman in power Marshall felt he needed to escape. He is one person who can set her on edge and, given her discussion with Gantry, there are others.
Whether it was the fear of her name being sullied as a result of the announcement about Sheikh Hakam or a lack of faith in Charlie, we may never know, but when Gantry offered to her a way to put an end to their mutual problems, it appeared she took it and sent fighter jets to take out Fatah – and Charlie right along with him.
I say it appeared because of those twists we never see coming that are always just around the corner. Perhaps they weren't in the finale as they're awaiting the first installment of season 2.
What's up in the air besides those fighter jets?
Gantry knew exactly where Fatah was. My guess is Syd planted a tracer on Charlie when they said goodbye. That could also mean Gantry knew she had Fatah dead to rights and just wanted to rid the world of her for his own reasons. But what was POTUS' reason for turning on Charlie? Does she still blame her for Aaron's death? With as antsy as POTUS was, she seemed ripe for suggestion. It would be a hard sell, however, for Charlie to forgive her lack of faith.
Someone other than Charlie was there, at Fatah's camp. The multiple mirror flashes have to mean Gantry and TKG had men on the ground. Was it Syd? Nick, alive, working with TKG? By the way, I'd still like to know if Dawkins tagged Nick's body.
Someone was riding into camp via the dirt road at the end. My heart wanted it to be Nick, but from what I could see, it looked like he was sporting a military cap and it would more likely be Dawkins. Charlie had to tell someone where she was going. She wouldn't blow up her car in the middle of nowhere without an escape plan.
There are surely a lot more questions left unanswered. Would President Peyton remain in office if the show returned? Would we see a President Burke in office with David as his chief of staff? Who is alive? Who is dead? Was there anything else to the murder of Aaron of was that all she wrote?
State of Affairs started a little slow out of the gate and was wrapped with some bad press and unrelated reports about Katherine Heigl dating back to her days on Grey's Anatomy. It's a real shame that a show that was ultimately as well-written and enjoyable as this was tainted early on by rumors and innuendo.
I sincerely hope we get to see more, as I'm sure the team has many other unique tales to tell. It would be a pleasure to continue watching, no matter where the show lands. If you haven't seen it, don't be afraid. It stands on it's own and Heigl looks really badass wielding a machine gun. Take the time and watch State of Affairs online; you won't regret it!
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
