Victor
We begin episode 6 of Undercover Season 2 ten years ago with JP meeting a group of Saudis and driving a hard bargain. He promises to cover their administration costs and even goes so far as to give them transportation funds too. Promising the first shipment in 2 weeks, they agree to do business together. On the back of this, JP tries to convince his partner (who we later find out is called Victor) to stay with him that evening but he’s having none of it. As the elevator doors open, police stand waiting to arrest him. Victor has sold him out. This cuts us back to the present with Bob and Bouman face to face in prison. He tells Ferry to stop but he’s not happy with John’s death. With his trial starting next week, Bouman gives Bob two choices; either get him out or he’s pulling Bob down with him. It’s a tough choice but one that sees Ferry using Bob’s family as collateral damage if he doesn’t play ball. Eventually Bob concedes and tells him the only way to get him out is through using Danielle. Given her affair with Kim at the camp-site, she’s the only one who could acquit him. His smile soon disappears though as he realizes Bob may well be telling the truth. On the back of this, Bob phones Nick back and confirms he’s found out who Victor is. He’s an Armenian ad also the man responsible for ratting JP out in the past. Nick decides to use this to their advantage. Given Victor continued to do business after JP was in prison, there’s no love lost between the two. As Victor touches down in Belgium, the police decide to make sure he intentionally misses his flight and ends up in the same hotel as JP. Unfortunately everything threatens to come undone by that bug installed in Bob’s car. His conversation with Nathalie is faint but still overheard by Vinnie, who scribbles down Nathalie’s name. Just before JP heads out, Vinnie shows off the audio clips surrounding Bob. JP believes that this is Nathalie’s voice but his train of thought moves to the pair having an affair. Eventually JP decides to drop it and not tell Laurent what’s happening. Meanwhile, Laurent hands over a paternity form to Nathalie and tells her to sign it. He’s fed up with being kept in the shadows and wants to get to know Jackson properly; no matter what, this is happening. With the hotel bugged, the plan with JP finally gets underway. Lo and behold, JP spies Victor entering through the front door and talking to Enrico at the front desk. Believing they’re working together, JP watches incredulously as they walk away together. He takes the bait. JP scrambles to phone Laurent, telling him the deal is a go. However, he also mentions that Steve is fraternizing with Nathalie… which looks pretty suspect. Everything blows up in their faces when Bob realizes he’s being bugged. Even worse, their conversation also picked up the faint glimmers of Victor’s name too. This means a target is painted on her back, a target which JP may well be striking toward now. Bob immediately phones Nathalie and lets her know about the bug. He tells her not to panic and if Laurent mentions an affair, just to go with it. Laurent instead approaches Jackson and reveals the truth about him being his Father. Nathalie shows up and begrudgingly admits the truth to Jackson. The attention then turn to her alleged affair – which she obviously denies. JP eventually catches up with Victor and learns that all of this was a big set-up, especially given the police picked Victor up and brought him to the hotel. Bob worries that their plan could be over but has one more trump card to play. Bob’s plan comes in the form of talking to Victor at the bar later that evening. All of this is recorded; a way of reinforcing Bob’s Steve persona and that he’s not a cop. It seems to work too, as JP hears the recording and speaks to his brother, agreeing they should pursue the Enrico deal. Meanwhile, Nathalie speaks to Bob on the phone and mentions how Laurent is going to go to prison soon. Only, Jackson happens to overhear this. When Laurent shows up, Jackson tells him exactly what he heard. Oh no. Immediately scrambling to check her phone, Laurent phones through and realizes Bob is on the other end of the line. Angry and upset, he heads out to speak to her and demands to know the truth. Plunging her head in the trough, Nathalie eventually breaks and admits that Bob is a cop. As he chokes her out, she smacks Laurent in the head and knocks him out, blood spattered across the ground.
The Episode Review
With more of JP’s past revealed, this episode does well to flesh out more of his past while throwing him in the midst of this undercover operation. However, there’s a constant issue with the pacing in this one which feels a little too slow and doesn’t quite have the same urgency the first season had. There’s a constant feel of Bob’s cover being blown but it never is and it’s used so much that it’s starting to lose its effectiveness here. However, there’s still time for this one to turn it around and hopefully a dramatic third act can quell any doubts with this one.
