Berlin Station Season 2 Episode 4 Review: Do The Right Thing
Carissa Pavlica
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The origin of BB's beginnings as a station whisperer was explored on Berlin Station Season 2 Episode 4, and it was a lot more personal than expected.
She's a woman who feels deeply and passionately, and after a horrendous accident took away the man she loved, she threw herself into her work.
What better way to remain solitary than to burst into a station, clean up a mess, make enemies in the process and blow back out of town just as quickly as you arrived?
But for what would seem to be a first for BB, she's opening up again.
Even though she coldly brushed off Robert both personally and somewhat professionally when he asked for her help with Noah, working closely with him and then finding her way to his bed had a far more profound effect on BB than she expected.
She spent the better part of a day whisked back to her past in memories she found very difficult to recall, and they weren't brought up because of similarities to the case they are working.
No, the feeling she is recalling is how well she worked with a partner, someone who understood her and on whose level she worked so well her work and private life felt as one entity. All I can see is working with Robert is having that same effect on her.
Even though they haven't been together long, they understand and support each other with a high degree of trust. It's a natural relationship, and those don't come often in jobs like they have.
Meeting Steven Frost and feeling his desperation (yes, I said it again and will continue to say it) at wanting back into the game, so much so that he'd support whatever Ambassador Haynes wanted to do even if it meant seeing his former second in command shipped away if BB failed, clarified Robert's position to her.
He might have had something special with Steven, but even Steven didn't have the confidence in Robert that BB has in him in such a short amount of time.
BB's refusal to speak in front of a civilian about CIA business tickled me, and her chat with Steven to stay out of business he not only has no right any longer to be in but not enough information to weigh in with any amount of understanding also pleased me.
Stop trying to play the good guy. You don't do it nearly as good as you think.
BB
Steven is only standing on Haynes coattails because he wants to be relevant again, not because he cares about what's happening or the people who are currently fighting the battle. That was evident in the way he flippantly told Robert to ask his boss why he wouldn't be taking her place if she got shipped back to Langley.
His attempt to rip holes in their relationship didn't work, though.
The way Daniel and Hector are working Lena and Otto is admirable.
Daniel: Your father doesn't teach you? He keeps a weapon but doesn't teach you how to use it. He plans an attack but doesn't let you in on the target. Your father doesn't trust you.
Lena: You don't know what you're talking about.
Daniel had a feeling Lena wouldn't be able to hurt anyone with a gun she didn't even know how to use, but for a second there, I had visions of things going horribly wrong when she had the defunct gun aimed at a guy. If he'd lunged at her, she could have found out the hard way how worthless a gun could be.
But Daniel is a good judge of character and bet correctly. He saved her from herself, let the guy walk, and gained a bit more trust in Lena along the way.
Lena was incredibly confused. She didn't feel she had the trust of her father but still wanted to know the plan. Daniel was tearing her in two directions. You don't want to be a part of this, but damn, your dad is cruel for not telling you about his plans.
Otto was getting similar treatment from Hector, who called him out on his treatment of Lena as a not only a non-trusted source but no better than a dog. I was wondering what the hell was going on with Otto, too, but apparently, he just wanted to save his girl the grief of knowing ahead of time death was coming.
It's an odd state for a man ready to kill so many to think so kindly about his daughter, so thoughts like that never cross my mind. But having those thoughts and being so close to Lena makes for a far more complex villain and one more interesting than a one-note character and killing machine.
With the news delivered that the first and second blasts would be delivered by way of a bomb on a bridge that would kill everyone on it (from what I could gather), Daniel and Hector had enough news to report back to BB.
And BB, finally, could stop lying about what they were doing and let Haynes in on their operation. He could have been pissed, but BB handled it well. Hey, dude, you said we couldn't touch the election. What was I supposed to think? Or something along those lines.
She was right. Maybe the right back home wanted the right in Germany to do whatever it took to get the job done. BB even left making a move to stop the bombings in Haynes' hands. By this point, he's letting her hold it in hers. If it all falls apart, she's out of there sooner rather than later.
BB had already come to her conclusions about Robert and let him back into her world. She stopped giving him the cold shoulder after they slept together and even met his son as Robert's boss, making things much easier between Robert and Noah.
So when Haynes gleefully said if it all fell apart BB would be on the first plane back to Langley, she said Robert is off the table. I need a gif of her spinning on her heel and walking away instead of shaking his outstretched hand to seal the deal.
I'm not numb to the fact Valerie went off book to shred Emmerich's file and get a little closer to the man, but I think it's to keep him on a short leash. They don't know for sure he's clear of the action based on what April learned, nor do they know he won't be a key figure going forward.
He's into Valerie, and well, Emmerich is an attractive man who isn't afraid to treat Valerie well while she's on the case. Is it wrong to get so involved? Yes. But I'm not ready to slap her hand away quite yet. Not until I see it going too far.
What do you guys think of everything that went down? Were you surprised to see it was love that drove BB to her station whisperer reputation? Is Valerie in trouble? Will Otto successfully plant the first two bombs before they stop him?
Hit me up in the comments!
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.
