Whiskey Cavalier Season 1 Episode 9 Review: Hearts & Minds
Jasmine Blu
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When dad is held captive, then mom steps up to the plate and gets the kiddies in line for a rescue mission.
Frankie had to the earn her stripes as leader of the quirky spy gang during Whiskey Cavalier Season 1 Episode 9, when the more established leader of the crew, Will, was a little tied up, well, tied down.
The gang is accustom to Will running point on missions, and so are we, but Frankie did alright.
You have to appreciate the way this series starts off every installment with the gang in the middle of a mission.
That often leaves you wondering how exactly they got there in the first place.
How exactly did they end up on a mission in Hong Kong where they all posed as a not-at-all suspicious or indiscreet multi-racial maintenance crew in uniforms which looked like spacesuits?
Were those uniforms Jai's idea, otherwise, what was the resident fashionisto promised to be caught dead in such an abomination?
Related: Whiskey Cavalier Season 1 Episode 8 Review: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
The takeaway from the mission as with all of the others is Will runs point and Frankie runs rogue.
She also still has some kinks to work out when it comes to working with a team.
They came out during a high-stress situation such as Will being missing and on the brink of being killed.
Frankie [to Standish]: Use what you're good at deception, screaming, and surprise.
Susan: You're doing so good.
Frankie: I don't want to talk about it.
As usual, Standish faced the brunt of Frankie's fear and concern for Will's safety in the form of snarky and snide comments.
Will's kidnapping was a painful reminder to Frankie (and Jai) as to why they don't like to get attached to anyone in their line of work.
Jai made some decent points about the short life expectancy of a spy and how he would rather not have the responsibility of relaying terrible news to his colleague's families or things of that nature.
Jai, much like Frankie, has also wavered back and forth with fully embracing the team and the ups and downs of working with one. He was as thrown off by Will's kidnapping as Frankie.
The problem is Frankie has always considered herself the co-leader of the team, but she's also the woman who doesn't come up with nor follow plans.
In Will's absence, she had to assume some of the roles he usually takes with the team.
That included reassuring their teammates, particularly the more emotional and fragile ones like Standish, and coming up with a way to rescue Will.
They were all looking to her to come up with something, but she was able to lean on Susan to not just talk her through being a leader but talk her through being an effective one.
Susan: You have an idea. Is this an idea face?
Frankie: It's an idea face.
Susan: I love idea face.
It kept her in line when she snapped at Standish as often as she did, and she was able to give him the pep talks he needed and bring out the best of his abilities.
It was something of which she was incapable of doing during their fight training exercises, which while it was hilarious when she pummeled the poor kid, it was still a bit cringeworthy too.
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Fortunately, she found a way to lead the team while staying true to who she is, and she put together a solid plan to rescue Will.
Of course, it involved Standish's cover of a rich, obnoxious man in need of a heart.
Standish's covers are always funny; Frankie was right about his skills of deception. Standish commits to his aliases.
Will is badass enough where he contributed a great deal to orchestrating his rescue, and once they knew the location, Standish, Susan, and Frankie could get to Michael's organ harvesting operation in the creepy hospital looking place.
From there, all they had to do was find Will and save the other people were locked away.
The rescue gave us so many kickbutt moments for most of the gang.
Frankie and Susan were killing it and killing people during their rescue mission. Even Standish got in on the action when Michael was trying to escape.
However, Will was impressive. He withstood mild torture, and a paralytic drug was administered to him. Will's The Princess Bride reference/routine was classic.
The funniest parts of Will's saga were his attempts to get closer to Jai. He focuses on a specific person, and he makes it his mission to pester them into a friendship.
Jai was on a roll, and he was hands down stealing the hour with the quips and mannerisms.
I lost count of how often I laughed at his remarks. His nicknames for the places he presumed Will grew up were hilarious.
I'm sure you're from some nice place called Caucasian Corners or WASPington.
Jai
Who would ever imagine one being grateful for Jai's utter disregard for his teammate's privacy by bugging them without their knowledge?
Thanks to the bug, they were able to track Will down, but it also meant he was stuck listening to Will drone on about his life story and his parents.
Will comes from such a mundane background; it's hard to believe he got into the world of espionage. His family sounds so wholesome and sweet.
Jai spent a lot of time avoiding getting close to Will and deflecting, but he was affected by Will's endless chatter.
It was bothering him when he heard his friend was in pain on trying to make arrangments for his family in case he didn't survive the ordeal.
Jai likes to keep his feelings close to the vest.
Sometimes, based on how the installments are structured, it makes you wonder if they were switched around because of how Jai (and Frankie too) go back and forth on how they are opening up to the group.
Standish: Move Bitch!
Susan and Frankie: Get out the way!
Jai was the first one to embark on a high-speed chase to track Will down though, and he was the one out of the car and ready to shoot one of the henchman to rescue Will.
He doesn't like to show how much he cares, but he does. Jai's retaliation was hilarious!
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He would be the person to give Will a taste of his medicine by returning the favor and giving Will everything he thought he wanted: Jai's life story and all the facts there is to know about him.
They're supposed to be spies, and they prove they are more than capable at their jobs, but they act like children.
I love it!
Other Tidbits:
- Jai's delivery of Caucasian Corners and Waspington was way too damn funny, and Vir Das stole the hour.
- Bless his heart, Ray tries so hard. He and Will's movie is "You've Got Mail," and I don't know if the movie choice is funny or the fact that Will chose to force Frankie to watch it with him was funnier.
- Why is Standish so extra with his wardrobe when he goes undercover? It's absurd, but it's so freaking funny too.
- The sismance between Susan and Frankie is the cutest.
- Whoever came up with Ludacris "Move Bitch, Get Out the Way" traffic scene with Standish, Frankie, and Susan deserves a freaking raise and has my eternal gratitude and admiration. I laughed so hard I may have cried.
Over to you Whiskey Fanatics!
Did Jai make you giggle too?
What do you think about Frankie running point?
Hit the comments below with your thoughts!
You can always 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.
