Turn: Washington's Spies Season 3 Episode 9 Review: Blade on the Feather
Megan King
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Damn, JJ Feild is a good actor.
At five different times in Turn: Washington's Spies Season 3 Episode 9, his Major John Andre suddenly realizes that he knows nothing and is completely shocked by pretty much everyone with whom he comes in contact.
You would think when his former lover Philomena told him that she’s pregnant, at least his eyes would register a bit of surprise. Nope. He didn’t even flinch!
What would have been an unnerving revelation for most men (past or present) turned out to be the least shocking part of Andre’s day.
Shock No. 1: Major Hewlett barges in (in the most polite way possible, of course. Miss you already, Major!) to reveal to Andre the identity of the real Culper, and to remind him that the Rebel Spy Abe Woodhull was being entertained by Andre himself a few months back.
(btw, I love how polite Hewlett is even after Andre calls him by the wrong name and the way he delivers his deadpan “God save the King”)
Shock No. 2: During their rendezvous over a “truce flag” in the cabin, Gen. Arnold tells Andre that General George Washington is currently at West Point and would be passing through again. This one had him literally staggering.
Written all over his face were two questions: “Could the end be near? Could I be the one who ends this bloody war?”
Shock No. 3: Still in the cabin, Andre receives a bit of personal news. Miss Shippen is now Mrs. Arnold! It was his best stunned face of the episode, as it looked like someone had punched him in the gut.
I think the news and his desperation to get Peggy back definitely clouded his judgment, because for some reason he agreed to Arnold’s clumsy plan to walk back to British territory. Really, Benedict, that’s your plan?
Shock No. 4: While walking in civilian clothes, Andre gets a literal punch in the gut and is bewildered again to discover that Robert Rogers is the one who orchestrated the ambush. He tries to reason with the skinners and negotiate a payment for passage, but Rogers sends him away.
Shock No. 5: While playing draughts with a clueless Col. Jameson, Andre’s back is to the entrance of the hut. Tallmadge enters and announces himself to the Colonel. Andre knows exactly who he is and his facial expression shows that he cannot believe that he is about to face his counterpart from the Continental Army.
They greet each other with a lie:
Andre: A misunderstanding.
Ben: Of course.
Sorry, John Andre, head of British Intelligence, you’ll have to come up with a better spy name than "John Anderson." For that, you deserved to get caught.
When Arnold realizes that Andre has been captured, he says to his wife:
We are undone.
Benedict Arnold
Arnold then made a beeline for the nearest boat out of West Point.
His sloppy attempt at betraying America was exposed by Rogers (who has the local skinners do his dirty work), Caleb Brewster (who gives Abigail/Anna’s intel to Washington) and Major Tallmadge (who figures it out after facing Andre).
When Tallmadge finds him floating away in full salute, I think Arnold expected to be shot on that boat. Do you think Tallmadge missed on purpose?
Anna appeared only briefly in this episode, but she breathlessly delivered the line of the series so far:
Benedict Arnold is a traitor
Anna
Back on Long Island, Simcoe was busy tormenting the good people of Setauket (again). He still thinks there are conspirators in town who work for Rogers and his unhinged cruelty has led Abe to try to inspire a revolt.
Abe once again showed why he was cut out of spy ring. Because he’s a terrible spy!
He really should have consulted his wife first on how to keep a plan from Simcoe. Then he probably wouldn’t have been caught. Now Simcoe is ready to let him hang from the gallows.
At least Abe got in one good punch before being tackled! I’ve been waiting for someone to do that since the first season.
Will Mary save her man in next week’s season finale? How does Arnold get away? Will Peggy join him on the run?
Don’t forget you can always watch Turn: Washington's Spies online. See you next week!
OTHER NOTES:
- Anyone else notice the Redcoats trying to get the drunk homeless guy to move along outside Major Andre’s house? Don’t ever change, New York!
- Best Quote that didn’t make the review was Simcoe’s description of Setauket: “Sodom on the sea”
- Now that “old Robbie Rogers from Massachusetts” has his revenge, can he take a bath, please?
- Alexander Hamilton is finally on the scene! He must be BFF with GW, because he tells Ben to check out the other side of the river because he knew that's what “the old man” would want.
- Hope Philomena wasn’t really pregnant, because her baby daddy is not coming back “tomorrow,” as he’d planned.
- I guess it doesn’t matter now, but was Peggy included in their final deal?
- Benedict Arnold’s betrayal was worth 20,000 pounds to him. That’s almost $600,000 in today’s money (according to www.davemanuel.com) Just from an economic standpoint, that’s still a bad deal, Benedict! He should have consulted Peggy.
Megan King is a staff writer for TV Fanatic.
