‘The Company You Keep’: Emma Learned Charlie’s Secret Too Early in the ABC Show
ABC‘s The Company You Keep got off to a blazing start when Charlie Nicoletti and Emma Hill, played by Milo Ventimiglia and Catherine Haena Kim, first locked eyes at a hotel bar. They shared insane chemistry, and their Romeo and Juliet-esque romance hooked us from the beginning. Unfortunately, the following episodes of The Company You Keep felt off, and we no longer feel passionate about Emma and Charlie as a couple in the show.
[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from The Company You Keep Season 1 Episode 6, “The Real Thing.”]
Charlie told Emma the truth in ‘The Company You Keep’ Season 1 Episode 5
At the end of episode 3, a group of masked men took Charlie, and The Company You Keep fans learned in the show’s fourth episode that the CIA was behind the kidnapping. Since Emma filled out a relationship form, the agency ran a background check on Charlie, and red flags popped up. So they grabbed him, hooked him up to a lie detector, and questioned him.
During the interrogation, they asked Charlie if he knew Emma was in the CIA. He was obviously shocked, but the cat was out of the bag (at least, on Emma’s end). The CIA cleared Charlie, but finding out that Emma worked in law enforcement sent him reeling.
Meanwhile, Emma was happy that she didn’t have to lie to Charlie anymore. And in episode 5, she told him that she loved him. Charlie hesitated in saying it back because she still didn’t know he was a criminal. So Emma stormed out, seemingly ending their relationship.
But at the end of episode 5, Charlie learned that Daphne Finch planned on blackmailing Emma and her family. So, because he loved her, Charlie ran to Emma and informed her of Daphne’s plans. And in doing so, he revealed that he was working for Daphne.
While Emma didn’t arrest him on the spot, she warned Charlie that she wouldn’t save him if he were caught in the crosshairs when she took down Daphne. So even though she had just declared her love for him, Emma was done with Charlie. That was until she needed him to help her defeat Daphne. And Charlie agreed to be Emma’s man on the inside in The Company You Keep Season 1 Episode 6, but they are still broken up in the show.
The show’s pacing has been off since ‘The Company You Keep’ Season 1 Episode 5
It’s always hit or miss when a television show begins with an established couple, but we were ready to get on board the Charlie and Emma train after the premiere of The Company You Keep. They have great chemistry, and the premise of them being on opposite sides of the law intrigued us. However, Charlie and Emma’s relationship moved a tad bit too fast for our liking.
Most television fans agree that the buildup of a romantic relationship is the best part. There’s so much tension and excitement that the audience can’t help but fall in love with their love. Plus, a slow burn allows a relationship to develop, meaning the couple has a solid foundation, and we believe they should be together. But when a romance moves at the speed of light, it’s easy for viewers to turn away from the pairing. And that is exactly what has happened to Charlie and Emma in The Company You Keep.
Our jaws hit the floor when Emma told Charlie she loved him in episode 5. When did their romance jump from lust to love? They haven’t spent enough time together as a couple (onscreen) to warrant a love confession. And the declaration immediately made us question how serious their relationship is because, right now, they seem to be caught in the whirlwind of puppy love.
Knowing that they are supposedly in love made what came next so confusing. Emma immediately shut Charlie out once she learned he was a criminal. If they have such strong feelings for one another, we thought they would at least have an open conversation about this revelation.
Also, we can all agree that Emma discovered Charlie’s secret too soon. The tension that The Company You Keep writers crafted so beautifully early on came to a staggering halt in the show’s fifth episode. So now, the pacing feels strange with the combination of Charlie and Emma’s strange development and the series’ most sacred secret out in the open. And we’re only six episodes into the first season.
What’s next for Charlie and Emma?
The Company You Keep is the complete opposite of a slow burn, and we’re unsure where the show goes from here. Yes, Charlie and Emma aren’t together anymore, but they are working together. So it’s likely only a matter of time before they rekindle their romance. But we hope the writers take their time in bringing them back together. There’s no reason to rush everything!
Unfortunately, we know that Emma will feel some type of way when Charlie gets closer to Daphne in The Company You Keep Season 1 Episode 7, “Company Man.” (Is it wrong that we’re sort of rooting for Charlie and Daphne to hook up? There’s evident chemistry there that is hard to ignore).
The synopsis for “Company Man” reads, “Charlie becomes Emma’s new CIA asset and is tasked with spying on Daphne while they attend the event together, causing Emma to feel jealous. Later, Leo reveals to Birdie the real reason Simon abandoned her and Ollie.”
The Company You Keep Season 1 Episode 7 airs Sunday, April 9, at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.
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