Summer Finale Watch: Covert Affairs “I Can’t Quit You, Baby” and “When the Levee Breaks” 

Somehow I managed to fall quite a few episodes behind and I found myself marathoning the last 6 episodes all at once. I found it highly enjoyable.

What were some of the highlights of the episodes I watched before I got to the finale?

• Auggie and Liza Hearn. This is not a relationship I expected but it was nice to see Christopher Gorham without his shirt on. Yep, I said it. I didn’t love that he was using her but there was some nice closure when it was all said and done. Auggie says he started seeing Liza to find out who her source is but it’s a mission he didn’t run by Joan first. My favorite moment between these two is right after Natasha gets away from Auggie. When Liza touches him – and he thinks just for a second it’s Natasha – it totally broke my heart. Wow. That Christopher Gorham is good.

• Ben Mercer coming back into play and face-to-face with Annie. We’ve known for a while that the agency hired Annie as a lure for Ben but she only recently learned that information. When the agency reaches out to his old contact Sophie, Ben gives Annie the information she needs to bring her in. The only problem is that Annie can’t protect her. When Annie discovers an address Ben left for her inside a matchbook, she hopes it’s Ben current address and goes there in search of him. But she goes without backup and almost gets herself killed when someone other than Ben is there.

• Annie learns that Jai Wilcox was Ben’s contact. She remembers seeing him at the market in Sri Lanka as well as on the beach the night before Ben leaves his cryptic note and abandons her. She’s not pleased Jai didn’t come clean with her.

• Arthur and Joan have grown on me. What seemed to start out as a cheating husband/wronged wife story that held almost no interest for me turned into a harmonious union where each is looking to protect the other from fallout and danger at work. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that I love Peter Gallagher and Kari Matchett.

In part one of the finale, Annie must goes deep cover in London. She’s a mark and she’s looking to be recruited as a diamond mule by state department employee Vivian Long. When Annie loses $30K at the craps table, she’s approached and a meet and greet with Alara Common is arranged in Hyde Park. Vivian won’t be Annie’s contact though. In fact, Annie eavesdrops on Alara’s phone conversation and learns that Vivian will be eliminated. Although she has no backup, Annie storms into the warehouse where she knows Vivian is having a meeting. Jai and some other members of the agency get them out and assasinate Alara before she can take Vivian or Annie out. They then turn Vivian into an asset. Vivian admits she’s glad she never got into the agency. She can’t imagine all that lying and deception. That’s meant for you, Jai.

In part two of the finale, Ben Mercer approaches a whole lot of heavily armed men and declares he’d like to come in from the cold. Annie watches part of his debrief before they start taking about things above her pay grade. Ben has a personal interest in chemist Anton Sabine. He wants to make sure the scientist isn’t forced to work for a terrorist and he needs the resources of the agency. Annie is assigned as his handler – over the objects of both Joan and Auggie – and they head back to Sri Lanka. After Ben’s contact is poisoned Ben and Annie return to the beach where they fell in love. It’s out of the way and they’ll be safe there. After a heart-to-heart they spend the night together but when Annie wakes up alone she thinks she’s been abandoned again. Heavy artillery shows up the next morning. It’s the troops, led by Jai; he was worried. Ben gives them the slip but Auggie tracks him to a nearby construction site. Jai gets the clearance to shoot Ben but Annie’s still willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Ben actually is on their side but gets shot in the back twice for his trouble.

Back at the ranch, Auggie asks Liza Hearn to sit on a piece about Arthur. Joan is approached as a possible replacement for Arthur, which she admits to him even though she’s committing an act of treason by even talking to Arthur. He wants Joan to take the job but she wants to fight this. Together.

And just who is Liza’s source? Ex-director Henry Wilcox. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t see that coming. Personally, I would love to see Henry Wilcox force his way back into the agency but without pushing Arthur or Joan out. Talk about conflict. That would make for a wonderfully tense workplace and I love Gregory Itzin.

Random Thoughts:

Why do you think they’re pushing so hard for a love (or lust) match between Jai and Annie? I would much rather see her with Auggie or with her FBI nemesis Agent Rossabi. If Ben survives after his two gunshot wounds I might want to see those crazy kids give it another try. I’m not holding my breath though.

Anne Dudek is woefully underused. I remember from back in her Bones days and I loved her then. I think she’s done her most impressive and memorable work on House and I’d love to see her in that type of role again – maybe when she’s on hiatus from Covert Affairs. In the meantime, please let us see more of Danielle next season.

I’ll definitely be back for more new episodes in 2011. Will you?