SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for CIA Season 1, Episode 10.
If any CBS viewers are still asking why CIA exists, Season 1, Episode 10 is a good example of what the FBI spinoff can do that its parent show can’t. In “Rare Earth,” the series does a very good job of balancing FBI procedure with the more grey-area tactics of the CIA. It also ventures into some more obscure plot territory about rare earth mining, hence the title. Yet there’s one thing that is an unfortunate letdown: there’s not enough of guest star Aaron Stanford.
“Rare Earth” is well-paced, steadily unspooling its plot to keep the audience interested. It’s certainly got one heck of a pre-credits scene, as nobody will have “being hit by a garbage truck” on their CIA bingo card. And there’s a very interesting discussion underneath the whodunit about countries, and the drug cartels in those countries, trying to control natural resources. It’s the kind of big-picture geopolitical stuff that CIA can dig into, making its plots separate from FBI so that both shows offer something different with the same level of quality.
Having said that, this is equally about how Bill Goodman and Colin Glass have finally learned to work as a team. It’s likely not a coincidence that in the same episode as they agree to partner up on the ongoing mole hunt, they also work more smoothly together in the field. Bill has a particular scene in which he encourages Colin to take the lead on interrogating their suspect, even though he doesn’t seem to actually know what that means (and note that neither Nikki nor Gina correct him). Both characters have memorable moments in the episode, well before Colin lets Bill in on the secret mole hunt room he’s built at his place.
Ellis has one scene that will give Lucifer fans some flashbacks. When Colin does interrogate a suspect, it feels exactly like Ellis is channeling his former role, right down to Colin asking the other man what he really wants. From his tone to the look in his eyes, he’s doing the Lucifer bit—and it works just as well here as it did on that show. It kind of explains how Tom Ellis got cast as Colin Glass, in a way, because it proves he can play that “dark side” that the viewer is constantly reminded that the CIA characters inhabit. He’s not just all witty banter; one of the things the show does need to work on is that sometimes it’s easy to fall into the banter between Colin and Bill, or Colin and anyone, and it goes on a bit too long. The interrogation scene is a few minutes of showing a chilling (no pun intended) side of Colin, to remind the audience he does have an intense side, particularly when he describes himself as a sociopath—although to be fair, he’s quoting his therapist when he says that.
The arrival of Aaron Stanford also continues CIA‘s excellent run of guest stars. Stanford portrays Robert Davis, an NSA agent who is compromised when the drug cartel kidnaps his family. This is a tried-and-true plot, and Stanford is excellent playing the anxious victim on the verge of panic. But given the actor’s previous credits, it’s hard not to want more. Stanford spent years in the spy world when he starred in The CW’s Nikita remake, and he’s well-versed in action from SyFy’s 12 Monkeys after that. He’s incredibly talented, but Robert’s space in the plot doesn’t allow him to do much more than emote. And that feels like a waste given that his experience would fit in perfectly in the world of CIA. The way “Rare Earth” ends, it’s highly unlikely that the character is ever seen again, but it would be fantastic for the creative team to find an excuse to bring Robert Davis back and let Aaron Stanford truly flex his acting muscles.
Speaking of the mole hunt subplot, there’s movement on that front as well, aside from Colin and Bill officially being on the same side. Gina notices that someone has used her computer to access files on Red Lodge, Montana, and Nikki immediately identifies Colin as the likely culprit. One of the last scenes then involves her asking Jubal Valentine about the same city. (One hopes FBI star Jeremy Sisto is getting some recognition for how many times he keeps popping up on the spinoff.) Obviously, this is designed to do two things: get the audience asking what’s in Montana, and hint that Nikki is at least suspecting that Jubal is poking around her office. It’s a very clear step forward to the end of CIA Season 1, because everyone knows that the first season will end with the mole being exposed. (And if it’s Toni, somehow not actually dead, look out.)
“Rare Earth” tells an interesting story about a relatively obscure subject, and does so in an efficient manner. It doesn’t get bogged down in explaining the mining details, or too many specifics about the technology used. Instead, it’s a fast-paced adventure that keeps moving the train down the tracks toward the finale. If it had carved out more room for its welcome guest star, it would’ve been even better. But this one serves its purposes of being both entertaining and continuing to build CIA‘s mythology.
CIA airs Mondays at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. Photo Credit: Courtesy of CBS.
Article content is (c)2020-2026 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.
