False Truths
Episode 4 of Pieces of Her begins with a protest outside a government building. Nick, the man in charge of this operation, tasks one of his associates with keeping up pretenses as a Professor of Economics. All of this is an elaborate ploy to kill a guy called Martin Queller, which this group intend to do with a bomb. Back in the present, Andy – under the disguise of Sheila Scott – manages to bag her way into prison and meet with Paula. Only, the minute Paula enters, she knows that Andy isn’t her. Andy doesn’t hide it and claims she’s a reporter instead. Under the pretense of getting whatever she needs from the commissary, Andy is given 2 minutes to speak her case. She mentions Laura and speaking her name, but Paula claims she doesn’t know her. However, when she sees the old photo of her mum from the past, this gets her riled up. Paula mentions Jane, and how she’s checking up on her. This is, of course, Laura’s alias that we heard from the last episode. Anyway, Paula is outraged and eventually taken away. Given Paula mentioned the name Queller, it gives Andy her next point of contact. Specifically she finds Jasper Queller and begins searching through his book for clues. Interestingly, there are passages in there regarding Jane vanishing after the death of her father. There’s also mention of someone called Andrew suddenly dying and Jasper being the “last Queller left standing.” Photos reinforce what you may be thinking, showing a young Laura presumably part of the Queller family in the past. However, Andy is followed by Jack, leading to her outsmarting him down an alleyway and managing to hold a gun up to him. She wants answers, and after taking his gun, learns that he’s a cop. Specifically, he’s a US Marshall known as Michael Vargas. And he also works in witness protection. As they sit at a diner, Andy questions Michael’s story while still holding a gun up to him. The thing is, not one person bats an eyelid to him being at gunpoint, regardless of how well hidden it is under the table and to his back. Anyway, Michael admits she’s been in witness protection her whole life. Andy tries to bargain with him, wanting to get in to Jasper Queller’s fundraiser. He mentions someone working in security, who could help get her through the front door. For now, Andy and Michael are forced to share a room. Both of them are pretty cagey, with Andy refusing to open up. In the middle of the night, Michael phones his contact, revealing that Andy is still asleep and asking what to do. When he returns, a strange guy shows up and begins choking Andy out. Michael saves her though, thwarting the guy’s threat… as Andy then kisses Michael. Um, okay them. With a threat to her life, Charlie sits down with Laura and reveals the grim truth. The threat level is too high and she’s going to have to relocate again. Laura is incredulous to this as Charlie brings up Nick’s threat. The US Attorney’s office believe he’s still around but Laura is convinced he’s long gone. After all, she’d be dead if he was still there… right? However, the officers hand over a list of different suspects, those who have entered the country recently. Among those pictures, she mentions one that could well be Nick. Laura shrugs it off and decides to leave the witness protection program instead. Flashbacks reveal more about what’s going on, and specifically how Laura (Jane) managed to organize a meet with Nick, who didn’t fit in with the other graduates at university. She was immediately drawn to him. When we jump back to the present, Laura signs her forms and releases herself from witness protection. She also receives her old ID card, re assuming the identity of Jane. At Queller’s conference, Andy shows up wanting to talk. In private, Andy learns that she’s been named after Andrew Queller. While the two have a touching reunion, Michael notices one of the thugs from earlier breaking in backstage and immediately follows him. Unfortunately, he loses Michael’s tail and worse, Andy’s taken away with Queller; her phone still on the sofa. Andy is taken out the front and into the car with Queller whom she just willingly trusts.
The Episode Review
While Pieces of Her is enjoyable, it’s also a show riddled with plot holes and contrivances. The whole prison gig is one such example. This whole plan is based on Sheila not noticing her wallet and ID have gone missing for over 24 hours, and then making sure there are no officers who recognize Andy when she heads inside as Sheila. But then hilariously, Sheila recognizes she’s not Paula instantly. It’s these sort of niggling issues that prevent this show from being more gripping. Speaking of which, the kiss between Michael and Andy at the end came out of left-field and definitely wasn’t needed at all — not to mention how Andy is just willingly trusting this Queller guy whom she knows nothing about. With Laura freeing herself from witness protection and presumably going after those who responsible for what happened to her, the second half of this show looks set to kick into high gear. It’s just a pity that this one is so full of contrivances and holes
