As quickly as things came together for Emily and Cal, they fell completely apart during Absentia Season 3 Episode 7.
Perhaps it was inevitable.
Cal wasn’t completely honest with either Gunnarson or Emily, and it was bound to come back to bite him.
I just didn’t expect it to come to a head so soon, or for Emily to dump him on the side of the road in the middle of a foreign country with Meridian’s henchmen around every turn.
Emily has been burned so many times in the past that it’s a small miracle she’s able to believe in anyone, but she trusted Cal both professionally and personally.
But all of his questions concerning Kai’s files could easily be viewed with suspicion, and once that tattoo sparked her wariness, she began to question everything Nick had said and done since this case began.
Add to that the text from Gunnarson, and Emily assumed the worst.
I don’t know what to believe! I don’t have time to figure out if I can fucking trust you!
Emily
Although pulling a gun on Cal and stranding him may appear harsh at first, it’s also understandable. If he is working against her, he could easily stop her from rescuing Nick, and Emily couldn’t risk that.
I have to believe that Cal simply got himself in a bad position by trying to placate Gunnarson to help Emily. Or do I just want to believe that Cal is innocent when he’s not?
He could have told Emily about his communications with Gunnarson. Emily would have understood why he’d have to keep Gunnarson in the loop in order to have access to FBI resources if they needed them.
So why hide it from her?
Emily: I’m going to ask you a question and I need you to tell me the truth. That guard that we took out, the one in the storage room, he had the same tattoo as you. Why is that?
Cal: Yeah, we worked for the same outfit.
Emily: And the guard in the corridor?
Cal: It was Armstrong. He was my superior. The one who ordered me to kill the kid.
Cal has his secrets, but it appears he’s come clean with the worst of them or has he? Is there more to his association with Meridian than he’s saying?
I sincerely hope that this is all a big misunderstanding between Cal and Emily because they could make a great couple.
They both comprehend why the other is damaged, and it’s not going to scare either of them off. When Emily began having a panic attack in the freezer, I knew Cal would understand why and be able to help her through it.
The look on Cal’s face when she turned on him was painful. As they has just taken this huge step in their personal relationship, it must have hurt to have Emily turn on him like that…if he is innocent.
As a more immediate concern, Emily could probably use Cal’s help to get Nick out of the country.
Speaking of Nick, his plan to switch places with another prisoner paid off!
His jump from the truck was harrowing, but I was shocked that no one else woke up and followed him. Maybe the other prisoners were more drugged than he was.
All of those kids living in the woods were Syrian refugees whose parents were stolen by Meridian to likely be used for parts.
That’s horrifying and made me wonder how often that’s happening in real life. Much like homeless drug addicts, refugees are people who could go missing without much notice.
When Nick finally got to the phone, I wondered who he’d call. I was a little surprised he didn’t leave some sort of a message for Emily, so she’d at least know he was still alive.
Calling the FBI was his second-best option, but when Agent Thompson picked up the phone, I knew it wasn’t going to end well.
First, I still wondered if Thompson could have been the mole. Her quirky, somewhat naive answers to Crown and Gunnarson could mean she was beyond suspicion, or it could mean she was brilliantly playing a role to throw her superiors off track.
Julianne: The most common motivations for betraying one’s country are greed, ego, and patriotism.
Thompson: Mine would be money.
Derek: Come again?
Thompson: Crushing student loans. Everyone has a breaking point.
Derek: Remind me to keep you on my list.
When she didn’t show up for her meeting with Crowne the next morning, I knew she was dead.
Now the big question is, who came up behind her at the office? She obviously knew them, and he or she is likely the traitor and a murderer.
But it could be almost anyone! Not even Gunnarson or Crown are off the list. Julianne is so closed off that it always feels as though she’s hiding something, and even Crowne’s shock at finding Thompson could have been an act.
But why would either of them be at the office so late?
Could it be Director Webb? If he’s working for Meridian, then the best way to hide it may be to put himself in charge of the case.
Right now, there’s no obvious answer, and almost everyone is still a suspect.
Back to Nick’s rescue…
I’m relieved that Emily found him because I’m not sure I could have taken any more scenes of Nick being tortured.
However, it was heartbreaking when Nick opened his eyes, saw Emily, and began to sob. I’m sure he must have thought the odds were stacked against him, and he’d likely die and never see his family again.
I’m sure he had hoped that the FBI was coming for him, but in the end, the one person he could count on is Emily.
So what do you think Absentia fans, who killed Agent Thompson?
Could the mole be someone close to Emily and Nick?
Did Cal betray Emily, or did Emily let her paranoia get the better of her? And if Cal did nothing wrong, can their personal relationship survive?
Finally, can Emily and Nick make it back to the U.S., and is there any way to stop Meridian from using vulnerable human beings for spare parts?
Hit that BIG, BLUE, SHOW COMMENTS BUTTON down below to share your answers, and then let’s head on to Absentia Season 3 Episode 8 for more!
C. Orlando is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.