‘The Company You Keep’ Episode 5 Recap: Does Emma Discover Charlie’s Secret in ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’?
ABC‘s The Company You Keep surprised us in episode 4 when Charlie learned that his girlfriend Emma wasn’t a data analyst at a logistics firm but a secret CIA agent. Given that he’s a criminal that comes from a family of cons, Charlie wasn’t too thrilled with this new information. And we were shocked that he learned Emma’s secret so early in the show. So it’s only a matter of time before Emma discovers the truth about Charlie, but did that revelation come in The Company You Keep Season 1 Episode 5?
[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from The Company You Keep Season 1 Episode 5, “The Spy Who Loved Me.”]
Does Emma already know Charlie’s secret in ‘The Company You Keep’ Episode 5?
Perhaps Emma already knows Charlie is a criminal in The Company You Keep Season 1 Episode 5. As fans recall, even though he wore a ski mask, she saw him with Connor Maguire in episode 4. Emma never confronted Charlie about it, so we’re meant to assume she didn’t recognize him.
Perhaps she’s playing the long game? Only time will tell, but if you ask us, her behavior with Charlie at the beginning of “The Spy Who Loved Me” suggests that Emma might know more than she’s letting on. Emma’s comment about the crossword — “I finally figured it out” — and her (possibly intentionally) letting Charlie overhear her conversation with Mason about their “mystery man” and a “partial plate” might be her messing with her boyfriend.
Elsewhere, Daphne Finch tries to repair her relationships with gang leaders following Connor’s reign of terror in episode 4. And to take off some of the heat from the feds, she promises to move their product out of shipping containers and back on the streets.
Daphne meets with one of her college friends, who happens to be the chief of staff to the House Majority Whip. And she points her toward John Baylor, former MI6 who is now a DC fixer. She also informs Daphne that Baylor has a book full of blackmail on big players in DC. Of course, that piques Daphne’s interest.
At the CIA, Emma and Mason try to identify Daphne’s new revenue stream (so we were wrong — she hasn’t made Charlie). They get the plates of Charlie’s car from security cameras near his run-in with Connor. But it’s a stolen vehicle (Charlie isn’t sloppy, after all). Emma’s smart, too, so she and Mason look into salvage yards. And meanwhile, Charlie calls his man at the salvage yard, Otto, to ensure he’s crushing the car.
Daphne arrives at the bar and enlists the Nicolettis’ help conning Baylor and stealing his book. The family argues that their debt is settled even though Connor stole the $10 million from their last job. And given that Charlie informed Connor of Daphne’s business deals, she claims they still owe her. Plus, Daphne promises to protect them from Connor, who wants the Nicolettis dead. So they agree to help Daphne in The Company You Keep Season 1 Episode 5.
Can the Nicolettis con a spy?
Birdie discovers that Baylor was “allegedly” an MI6 agent (aka British spy) posing as a college professor in The Company You Keep Season 1 Episode 5. Unfortunately, the dean blew his cover, and MI6 abandoned him. And Charlie figures out that hiring Baylor is the best way to get close to him.
They stage a mess made by Ray Tipton Jr., the son of a former vice president, to lure him in. And after he arrives to fix it, Birdie gives Baylor a phone with dirt on RTJ (and malware that would provide access to the former spy’s files). Unfortunately, Baylor takes pictures of the incriminating photos of RTJ on an old-school spy camera and then destroys the phone. But Birdie improvises and convinces Baylor to give her a ride.
During the con, Otto calls Charlie and informs him that Emma and Mason are at the salvage yard. And he didn’t get around to destroying the car yet. So Charlie leaves to ensure they don’t find the vehicle while Otto distracts them. Charlie changes the license plate, and he’s seemingly in the clear. But then border patrol later finds the plate abandoned outside of El Paso. And since Connor is in Mexico, the CIA believes their mystery man is tied to the cartel, and Emma’s boss wants her to oversee the operation.
The family, minus Fran (where is she?), reconvene at the bar. And Birdie tells Charlie and Leo about a key she noticed in Baylor’s car. They reckon Baylor’s black book is physical and in a locker opened by the key. And while Birdie and Leo work on finding the safe, Charlie and Emma have a “staycation” at a hotel.
Emma asks Charlie to come with her to Mexico, and she confesses that she loves him. But when he hesitates, she abruptly leaves, thinking that he doesn’t love her back.
On the campaign front, Jennifer West helps David with his lack of support from Gen Z by suggesting he engages more on social media. But Joseph isn’t thrilled with his son becoming an “influencer.” And he certainly isn’t happy when he discovers that David hired Jennifer as a favor to Claire Fox.
Joseph’s concerns go out the window, though, when Jennifer helps David with filming a cooking video for his social media. Sparks fly between the two, and they connect over wondering if they deserve their jobs, knowing that their family helped them along the way. David makes Jennifer his social media director in The Company You Keep Season 1 Episode 5, much to Joseph’s dismay.
Charlie comes clean to Emma in ‘The Company You Keep’ Episode 5
The next day, Birdie confronts Charlie about him lying to her in The Company You Keep Season 1 Episode 5. He reveals that he doesn’t think his relationship with Emma will work out. And during their talk, a light bulb goes over Birdie’s head, and she discovers the location of Baylor’s black book — the college where he previously taught.
However, when Charlie and Birdie pick the lock to the locker at the college library, the book is full of microfiche. So it will take a while to copy it, and since Baylor’s locker has sensors, the former spy is aware that someone broke into it. He arrives at the library, and Charlie distracts Baylor while Birdie finishes copying the files and replaces the black book.
Leo pulls the fire alarm, letting Birdie escape, but Baylor grabs Leo and holds a gun to his head. Back in her van, Birdie discovers that other books in Baylor’s locker were written by Katherine Moss, the wife of the dean who blew the former spy’s cover. They were having an affair. Birdie informs Charlie, and he uses Katherine as leverage to make a deal with Baylor. As long as they leave each other alone, the Nicolettis will keep Baylor’s affection for Katherine a secret.
Charlie hands the copies to Daphne, who sheds $2 million of the family’s debt. Daphne also promises that the blackmail will get the feds off both of their backs. Basically, she wants to threaten Emma’s family, and Charlie’s not OK with that.
Charlie finds Emma and informs her of Daphne’s plans. He also comes clean that he’s working for Daphne, and Emma realizes that Charlie is the mystery man they’ve been searching for. When Emma asks why he told her, Charlie confesses that it’s because he loves her, too. Dun, dun, dun!
New episodes of The Company You Keep air Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.
For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s YouTube channel.
