Summary
There’s fun to be had with the polygraph tests and watching Owen navigate all these tricky situations, but it is still very repetitive in nature. The series also relies too heavily on complex jargon and financial spiel that ruins the show’s overall momentum.
We recap the Netflix series The Recruit season 1, episode 6, “I.C.I.N.C.,” which contains spoilers.
It wouldn’t be a spy thriller without some double-crossing and at least one polygraph hook-up. In “I.C.I.N.C.” the agency has a little fun with these lie detector tests as both Meladze (Laura Haddock) and Owen (Noah Centineo) come under scrutiny. No one can trust anyone in this world and Owen’s busy lifestyle finally comes back to haunt him. As Meladze is vetted at the agency, Owen finds himself in a similar situation, as his private life and unusual relationship with Meladze are brought to the forefront.
The Recruit season 1, episode 6 recap
Following on from the last episode, Owen is taken to the negotiation, with a bag over his head. They meet at a train yard, where Owen negotiates the terms of Meladze’s agreement. Seven million for Meladze’s business and she will personally give them an inroad to her operations in Eastern Europe too. The cartel boss begrudgingly agrees. Owen and Meladze are then picked up by the criminal’s new case worker Dawn Gilbane. Today Meladze will be vetted as a new asset and placed back in the system again.
Before the tests begin, Owen has time to apologize to Hannah. He meets with Terence and the gang at a bar. Owen sincerely apologizes to his ex and opens up about his antics with Meladze. He says that he’s made many mistakes, but hurting Hannah was the worst of them all. Hannah seems to buy the apology and admits that she is still trying to fix Owen herself. Before they can fully make up though, the Secret Service is back to take Owen away.
Kevin Mills aka Not Bob speaks with Owen in private, while he nurses a pina colada. The Chief of Staff wants to know what Owen found out. But Owen needs to use some leverage of his own first. He asks for the subpoena to be dropped, something that Kevin is happy to sort out. Owen name-checks Xander as the one who blabbed, explaining how it rings true as he was attacked after meeting Xander in Vienna. Kevin says he will handle this Xander character, then he tests Owen’s loyalty. The rookie lawyer passes the quick test, impressing Kevin in the process.
Meladze’s day kicks off with some questions, followed by a psychologist’s analysis and a polygraph test. Owen knows that if any of these tests go wrong then they are all in serious trouble. This causes him great anxiety throughout the day, showing the consequences of his hectic first few weeks on the job. It has certainly taken its toll on Owen’s mental health. He talks with the psychologist Dr. Hirsch and then tries to sweet talk the polygrapher Dustin Hatch.
After passing the psychologist’s test, Meladze takes the polygraph test. She has secretly downed some energy drinks to mess with her heart rate and her initial baseline is twitchy. Dustin asks her how she was recruited and we are invited on a flashback to Minsk, twelve years earlier. Of course, Dawn Gilbane is the woman who greets her and takes her in, after Meladze killed her husband and took his place in the Russian Mafia.
Owen doesn’t trust Gilbane and believes that she is compromised. So, she tells Nyland that Owen is compromised, a little tit for tat. Nyland then has Owen placed under great scrutiny and he is forced to take his own polygraph test. Owen argues with Dustin as he is asked personal questions. He’s forced to admit to seeing Meladze naked but says he didn’t sleep with her. Amelia oversees the test and brings it to a close before Owen says something he may regret.
After the test, Amelia breaks up with Owen. She isn’t annoyed that he saw Meladze naked, but thinks his naivety highlights how much of a wildcard he is. Before leaving, she tells Owen that he has passed the test and so did Meladze. Owen and Gilbane argue about their distrust for one another back at the office and Meladze splits them up. She needs millions of dollars to bribe her way back into Belarus. She suggests getting her accounts unsanctioned first. A problem that Owen is tasked with solving.
Ending Explained
Owen returns to his apartment and asks Terence some financial questions. Terence hooks him up with Linus, who can lift the sanctions for one hour only. In return, he wants to go on a date with Terence. Then the rookie lawyer is brought into Nyland’s office, for one last interrogation. He aced the test but was pulled up on one question, Meladze lied during the test. Owen states that she lied about having no children. Nyland wants to use this as leverage. Owen then verbalizes his distrust for Gilbane. Nyland sends him to keep an eye on her and to hopefully prove that she is compromised. Just to be safe, Nyland is sending Lester and Violet in secret to spy on Owen too, who may also be compromised. It’s all very confusing in the espionage world.
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