Allegiance Episode 2 Review: If Rainman Was A FBI Agent With Russian Spy Parents

UPDATE: As of 3/6/15 NBC has canceled "Allegiance" after five episodes.

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At the end of the series premiere, Alex had confronted his parents about Mikhail (who was executed by the SVR as a traitor). Episode 2 "Teamwork" picks up right where we left off. Boy Wonder can quote all his mother's lies back to when he was a young child. No she wasnt at that medical conference back in 1986 (there was no conference that year). Man that guy would be irritating to live with. Does he have Aspergers or is he an autistic savant? Obviously he is high functioning enough to pass the FBI background check and hold down a job.

Alex wants answers from his parents or he will go to his bosses at the FBI. We hear the entire conversation because the O'Connor house is bugged by the Russians. Meanwhile a SVR hit team is outside waiting to kill the whole family if necessary. Katya thinks fast and says she was having an affair. Mark feigns being upset. That gets Alex off their backs for now and keeps them all from being shot.

The FBI/CIA is still looking for Mikhail's files (which contain a list of all the Russian agents including the O'Connors). We meet a few more characters on the team. We have CIA New York Bureau Chief Sam Luttrell (who we met last week). Alex is also paired with Agent Michelle Prado.

Natalie Might Be The Break Out Character On This Show. She's Much More Interesting Than Boy Wonder.

Alex confides to sister Natalie about his conversation with their parents. Natalie tells him everyone knew their mother was having an affair. And yes the whole family agrees that Katya was not a good mother when the children were younger. She was gone more than she was home. Katya is listening in on their conversation so I'm sure that was hard to hear. Natalie helps Alex buy some new shirts. Unbeknownst to him, the buttons contain transmitters so he can be spied on.

Yep I'm A Bad Ass

The team gets a lead after they spot a suspicious cab driver. He gets away. Of course Alex still uncovers vital info from his glasses and some glass shards. The cabbie is Georgian (as in the country, not the state) and installs fiberglass optics. Luckily there is only one Georgian IT consulting firm in the tri state area.

My Mommy Better Show Up Soon And Save Me

Alex and Michelle go to meet the cabbie (his name is Vasso). It was Vasso who stole the files and not Mikhail. Something about Operation Black Dagger... I dont know. Vasso says the Kremlin is not behind the attempt to cause catastrophic damage to the US. Its a rogue element of the SVR. Regardless of who is behind it, those files could start WWIII. Vasso tells them that the files are on a laptop. The contents will be erased in 48 hours if they dont access it. Meanwhile the SVR shows up at the shipyard to kill Vasso. He is wounded. A Russian sniper has orders to finish them off. Just then mama bear Katya shows up and kills the guy from behind.

Also on a related note, Victor (Natalie's beau) get a warning from the SVR to keep the O'Connors in line or he too could be sleeping with the fishes.

Grade: 3 3/4 Monsters (out of 5). I initally thought this show was a one trick pony but so far I'm still enjoying it. I cant say I'll review it every week but will check back on occasion (if it's not canceled). One of my chief complaints about the show is Alex. He just blabs out random facts that solve each week's case. It kinda makes me want to punch him in his face. That's never a good thought to have about a main character (that you're supposed to relate to). I'm much more interested in the parents and Natalie than in Alex.