Fall is here. The sweaters have found their way out of the back of the closet. The pumpkin lattes are back in your favorite coffee shop. So why is Covert Affairs back on your TV? Because the nice folks as USA Network decided we shouldn’t have to wait until Summer to finish out Season 2! Send them thank you notes.

covert affairs the wake up bomb

Before we get to the trials and tribulations of Annie, let’s check in with Jai who is not so happy over in the DPD and looking to do something about it. He heads to an old Frat buddy who is in charge of the investigation on the DPD about the leak. I worry I’m not allowed to like Jai now! Why does this always happen with Sendhil Ramamurthy?? Anyway, Henry is not happy partly because he thinks Jai is ruining his career by asking to be deposed and partly because he is afraid Jai will sell him out. He’s very mean.  But Jai is shirtless during that the whole conversation so it all works out.

When Jai is heading to the deposition, he gets called into the office of the Director of National Intelligence. His frat buddy is more than a little upset that Jai is a no show. And Jai’s upset that the fact he was going to talk was leaked. Later we see him somberly packing up his cubicle, and being led out of Joan’s division…. and right into his brand spanking new spacious office! Henry pulled all of the strings and got Jai and big fat promotion as guy in charge of special things. (I don’t know.. it literally said “special projects” on his door. What is that? I assume holiday festivities at the CIA, but I could be wrong.) Then we learned this whole thing was a ruse put on by Jai. Pretend he’s going to get deposed so that Henry will freak and get him out from Arthur’s thumb. Well played, you sexy man, you.  Dad was so proud as well.

But let’s get to the main stuff. As cheery as I am to have Annie and Auggie back on my TV, it’s sad to see Annie doing so miserably. Although, to be honest, she is still a relative rookie at the CIA, so this seems like a more accurate portrayal. Just don’t tell her I said so. Annie could probably kick my ass, even if she is a fictional character. Anyway, things are tough – she messed up a mission, got hurt in the process, Jai and Danielle are both barely talking to her and Joan’s asked her to get some rest. Instead she moves in to a new place since Danielle kicked her out. Cue the “Annie with power tools” move-in montage!

In order to deal with her woes, Annie heads to a Spanish restaurant – Etxarte – where she flirts it up with the hot chef, Zavier. And then a couple cocktails (mixed with the painkillers Annie is taking for her injury) later, she wakes up in his apartment with an adorable dog staring at her. Also Zavier made her an omelet. But don’t get too attached because when Annie gets to work Joan has surveillance of them leaving the restaurant together. The Spanish are following him because he is a Basque separatist who they still believe is still in contact with terrorists. Oh Annie, you sure can pick ‘em!

Zavier and his younger brother, Gorka, have been part of the separatist movement since they were teenagers. Gorka went to prison on conspiracy to commit murder and was just released. Oh, and that super nice restaurant that Zavier just opened a month ago – it’s 2 blocks away from the Spanish Embassy. Red alert! Red Alert! Annie’s mission – stick close to Zavier. She points out to Joan his only free time as a chef is late at night, so he’s going to assume Annie wants to sleep with him. Joan says, “yeah, do whatcha gotta.” That may not be a direct quote, but it was the gist of it.

Off Annie goes to flirt with Zavier at 1am at the restaurant. But mid-flirting he goes to see someone over by the bar. It’s Gorka, who introduces himself as Juan, an old friend of Zavier’s. When Annie tries to leave them – looking at the crates and duffle bag Gorka brought along with a bit of wariness – Gorka insists she stays. But she still wants to leave, and Zavier agrees, especially when Gorka acts as if he may be interested in her if Zavier isn’t.

Next morning Auggie tells Annie that Gorka and some other unidentified Spanish men were casing the Embassy. Annie asks if he had the duffle bag, and when Auggie says no she heads over to Zavier’s apartment to check it out. She tells the doorman she left her wedding ring inside. Classy.  Annie goes through the bag and takes pics of documents, but when she goes to leave who walks in – Gorka! Thanks to that adorable dog getting all mean, and a timely entrance by the doorman, Gorka’s suspicions of Annie don’t get in the way and she gets out.

The pictures Annie took showed that the vice consulate at the Spanish Embassy appeared to be the target. Gorka is in the wind and there is no sign that Zavier is actually involved. Annie wants to read him in, but Joan’s handed it all over to the FBI. Annie takes it personally. Joan says she needs to take a pill because she’s overreacting to everything after telling Danielle she’s a spy.  Again, I may be paraphrasing.

Annie goes to see Zavier anyway. She tells him she needs to find Gorka. Zavier is, understandably, a little upset to find out his new flirting friend is not who he thought she was. He throws her out but as Annie is leaving, Auggie calls to tell her there was evidence in the safe house that Gorka was building a bomb. So she goes back in to Etxarte and finds the bomb, about to explode in the crate she saw Gorka had earlier.  They get out just in time, but Zavier runs before she can get herself up from the shock of the explosion.

On the way back to her new safe house, Annie gets cornered by Gorka and his guys. They take her hostage. He is upset to hear Zavier was in the restaurant… but not too upset. The restaurant was the target. Punishment for Zavier turning on him and now supporting the Spanish at the embassy. I love that Annie rolls her eyes at this little speech. Because honestly, get over yourself Gorka. Before he can Big Bad Rant even more, Zavier pulls up alongside them and drives them off the road. While Annie is still tied up, Zavier takes Gorka and starts beating on him. He tells his brother he would never have turned on him. Heartwarming. Before he can beat him too bad, Annie calls out and stops him.

Annie then goes to get her stuff from her place at Danielle’s. She FINALLY apologizes for all the lies, which is enough to break Danielle a little bit. She tells Annie not to rush getting the stuff out – the whole “getting a tenant” thing she had mentioned earlier isn’t as urgent as she made it seem. I just want these two to be BFFs again!

What did everyone think of the premiere? Happy to have it back? I am. If only because I find little things like Auggie giving Annie a bottle opener as a housewarming present super adorable.  I’m also excited because a lot of my favorites will be back this season, like Oded Fehr as Israeli Agent Eyal (swoon) and a lot more of Annie’s adventures are shot on location. I love pretty places.

Written by Melissa Miller. Find her on Twitter @serrae

Tagged: , , ,