Ben Mercer showed back up in Annie’s life on Covert Affairs this week…
… within minutes of the episode “What Is and What Should Never Be” airing. This took me by surprise. When the show first set up this over-arching arc, I would have guessed that the final scene of the season would have been this reunion.
Instead, the series appears to be using Ben less as a player in Annie’s personal life than as a cause for her to distrust the CIA and question those around her at work. That was the focus of this episode, far more than Annie’s actual feelings for Ben.
It’s a welcome change. Covert Affairs loses momentum any time Annie and Jai do more than flirt at work – was anyone really hoping they’d go home together after the barbecue? – as I prefer it as an action-based, light-hearted spy drama. Here’s to hoping it steers away from any real romance.
After all, if viewers are to believe Annie as a legitimate operative, she can’t be all doe-eyed over a man she’s known for three weeks. I’m all for sweet love stories, but come on: faced with whether you trust a man who you’ve known for less than a month (and who mysteriously abandoned you) versus long-time, decorated bosses at the CIA, it shouldn’t be a difficult decision.
But this episode did continue the theme that not every mission Annie is sent on results in black and white consequences. It would be a great twist if Ben truly is evil, but my assumption is that the answer is far more grey – and Annie may soon have to decide if she wants a job that requires such moral flexibility at times.
That’s where Covert Affairs really shines: take a gorgeous, initially naive rookie agent; thrust her into the challenging real world; watch her accomplish what is asked of her; and then also watch her wrestle with the implications.
I applaud this installment for leaning in that direction. I don’t know when we’ll see Ben again, but I hope the result is more questions for Annie at work, not in her heart.
What did you think?
