Intelligence 1.08 "Delta Force" Review: Negotiating the Mine Field

    This week’s episode of Intelligence, “Delta Force,” was written by the team of Aaron Ginsburg and Wade McIntyre and directed by David Von Ancken. Ginsberg and McIntyre also wrote the season’s second episode “Red X.” Among Von Ancken’s many credits are Cold Case, CSI:NY, Californication, and Hell on Wheels.

    The episode begins with an assassination. But the assassin only kills the target. If he was really an out of control psychotic killer, you’d think he would have also killed the prostitute. Somewhat predictably, the assassin turns out to be Gabriel’s (Josh Holloway) former best friend, Norris (Matt Gerald). We immediately draw a contrast between Gabriel and Norris when Gabriel tells Riley (Meghan Ory) that he’d been Norris’ conscience – a conscience he didn’t want. In point of fact, this is the only overt indication that Norris is a bad guy, though he doesn’t come off really well in the flashbacks. Norris is a great foil for Gabriel.

    We see Gabriel and Riley practicing at the shooting range. I love their banter and the competitiveness between them. Neither will admit the other is good – in true buddy fashion. Riley boasts that she “threaded the needle” with her shots but there’s a great reaction shot of Ory where you can tell that the one bullet that is just outside the cluster really bothered her. When Gabriel has one shot wide, she teases they should probably put out an APB for it, and he blames her for distracting him.

    This scene gets even more interesting when Jameson (Michael Rady) shows up for some shooting practice. He shows up in his suit in contrast to Gabriel and Riley’s more casual field attire. Gabriel teases him that he’s been too busy shooting off memos to visit the shooting range regularly. Jameson then precision shoots two of the targets down by hitting where they’re bolted to the ceiling. I loved the look of complete surprise on Holloway’s face! Then Riley teases Gabriel – “That’s how you shoot off a memo – no strays!” It was a nice way for her to support her fellow secret service agent too. Gabriel clearly feels a bit of a rivalry with the other arm of the service. It was also a nice touch for Jameson’s character – he is clearly a competent agent in every way – a good shot, not just a valuable asset in the command center. It also shows that Jameson has some surprises under that cool exterior.

    It was great to see more of Rady in this episode. Once again we don’t see John Billingsley (Shenendoah) or J.P. Byrne (Nelson) in the episode. It’s a nice way to change up having a tech-heavy command centered episode with a more action-oriented  one. Jameson proves himself to be a competent leader and even takes a bullet for the team. It’s nice to see that even the agents stuck in the command center are top notch. Riley, of course, is not pleased when she has to stay to take over from Jameson and look after him, but it’s necessary to allow Gabriel to go after Norris. Riley does confide in Jameson that she worries about Gabriel because he acts without thinking – something secret service agents are trained not to do.

    When Riley asks Gabriel about Norris, she clearly has little use for special forces soldiers. Gabriel tries to explain the toll that combat can take on those soldiers – that the rush of combat is addictive. In flashbacks, we see Norris saving Gabriel’s life after he’s been wounded on the battlefield. We also hear Norris and Gabriel echo the words Gabriel used in 1.04 “Secrets of the Secret Service”: the first rule of Delta is everybody goes home. The flashbacks make us think that Norris is going to do something unconscionable to the women, yet he never does. The flashbacks also show that in the end, Gabriel puts basic human values ahead of any other code (pun intended). When he stops Norris from killing the mother and daughter, he tells him to remember what they are fighting for – basic human values, which for Gabriel include saving innocents.

    The mission once again forces CyberCom to work with the other agencies. Weatherly (Tomas Arana) brings Lillian (Marg Helgenberger) in to work with Tetazoo (Lance Reddick) of the CIA again. Lillian once again holds her own against Tetazoo, but it’s a fun moment when we see they might not be entirely dissimilar as administrative leaders. Tetazoo comments that he doesn’t like Gabriel’s manner of speaking to his superiors. Lillian comments that “You get used to it. Sort of.” It’s Gabriel’s special forces background that helps make him an asset and sets him apart from the other agents, even Riley. But it’s Gabriel’s basic humanity that also sets him apart from Norris.

    Lillian is clearly trying to prove herself in front of Tetazoo. Remember that he’s been brought into the loop on CyberCom because her leadership has been questioned. She completely dehumanizes Gabriel when he asks if he’s just an assassin now – that all she has to do is push a button. She answers yes. There’s a nice moment when we get a close up of Riddick’s face and the barest of smiles passes over his face as Lillian says this. Clearly, he sees her as a kindred spirit in that moment. When he says they might become friends after all, she responds, “Unlikely.” Unlike Tetazoo, Lillian does what she must, but she doesn’t relish treating her people in the way that he does – as expendable tools. Lillian does tip her hand somewhat at the end when Tetazoo wants her to trust him that he didn’t even know about Norris and that his agent misunderstood his orders. Lillian doesn’t fall for it. After all, we’ve seen time and again how precisely Tetazoo delivers orders and expects them to be followed. Lillian refuses to buy it.

    My favorite part of the episode might have been when Gabriel and Riley are going after the CIA agent – the one Tetazoo said was the only operative he had in the country – and they argue about who is going to go first. “You get behind me!” “No! You get behind me!” Riley and Lillian, who can hold their own easily, are two big reasons why I hope this show gets picked back up.  Even though Marcela (Iris Almario) turns out to be the “bad guy,” I loved that she takes the gun from Javier (Yancey Arias), pointing out that she’s the one who served in the military. Rather than being simply annoyed at her, he is clearly convinced that she is the one who should have the gun. The television landscape needs roles like this for women.

    Riley is the one to realize that Norris didn’t kill them when he had the chance. It’s nice symbolism to have Norris end up in the mine field and need Gabriel to help him out. This is a nice nod to Gabriel being Norris’s conscience, needing him to negotiate the dangers of combat. Riley suggests that combat changes you, but Gabriel tells her that it “reveals you.” It is telling that even though they are on different sides, Norris still trusts Gabriel to get him out of the mine field. Norris also knows Gabriel well enough to know that something is up with him. Norris maintains that he’s still acting like a soldier – just following orders. He also avoids killing people he hasn’t been directly ordered to kill, however, a nicety that he likely owes to Gabriel. Gabriel tells Norris it might be time to come home now. Norris wants to know what they’ve done to Gabriel. He says they didn’t do anything to him, they did it for him. He’s changed and is more than just a soldier. They’ve also given Gabriel a family, of sorts, to come home to.

    The cross purposes of the different agencies are a mine field as well. Norris reveals he’s working for the CIA and thought that Gabriel was working against him. Norris is the one who knows about the wife and brother being the danger. Javier isn’t Norris’ target as Gabriel and the team assume. Just as Javier is at risk from his own family members, CyberCom is at risk from other government agencies – the CIA – in their own family.

    My biggest quibble with this episode? It is stupid that Gabriel turns off his satellite connection – and then never turns it back on. It would have been very easy for Gabriel to fill in Riley and Jameson without having to run back to the safe house. That said, check out the picture here - this would seem to be a check in scene after capturing Norris that didn't make the final cut of the episode. Too bad. Seems it was a necessary scene. However, the final scene with Gabriel and Riley as she tucks him in for the night is another nice moment. When Gabriel says that at one point there’d been no one better than Norris, Riley tells him, there is someone better – meaning Gabriel. It’s a nice indication of how far they’ve come that we see him think about it and then smile to himself after she’s gone. Riley is probably the person whose opinion he values the most at this point. For her own part, Riley has gained an appreciation for Gabriel not simply following orders and following his heart – acting before thinking. I love the way they’ve built the trust between the two.

    What did you think of the episode? Were you fooled by Norris? How much trouble do you think Tetazoo is going to be going forward? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.