Daphne Finch is keeping the Nicoletti family on a tight leash and it looks like it’ll be a while before they can get out of the con game. Today they’re chasing down a diamond necklace. For the Hill family, David’s campaign is the main focus and he asks Emma to lend her expertise. In their down time, Charlie and Emma manage to sneak in a date or two.
(ABC/Christopher Willard)
Please note this recap contains spoilers for season 1, episode 2 “A Sparkling Reputation”
The Nicolettis are onto their next con job, attempting to steal a Black Diamond necklace. The prized jewelry item is up for auction and the family is there in various roles. Charlie (Milo Ventimiglia) is disguised as a server and his mom, Fran (Polly Draper) is there to bid on the goods. Charlie gets a text from Emma about their plans for the evening and this puts him in a good mood. But back to business, Charlie approaches one of the tech guys saying a boss wants to see him. He gets access to the computer. Bidding starts on the necklace which ultimately goes to the Ambassador to Russia for a whopping $500 thousand. The Nicolettis realize that the Buyer and Seller are the same person. But why?
Daphne Finch (Felisha Terrell) visits her employer, McGuire, in prison. She threatens to call in his son Connor who’s currently managing the business overseas.
At the CIA, Emma (Catherine Haena Kim) talks to her boss about Daphne and asks to have her hotel room bugged. He agrees.
(ABC/Raymond Liu)
That night, Emma is sitting alone at a restaurant, and observing other patrons, telling the server that the couple across the way is breaking up. She gets up to leave, but Charlie appears. Finally! They sit down for a few minutes and talk about how mixing family and business can be difficult. She tells him she’s a data analyst and he says didn't go to college. They both want to get out of there and sneak off to his car. As they’re kissing Emma looks out the rear window and sees her brother’s face on a city bus promoting his campaign for Senate. Charlie gets a text telling him he’s needed at home.
Daphne shows up at the Nicolettis’ bar and sits down, ordering a mojito. Birdie (Sarah Wayne Callies) says they don't serve mojitos. Daphne calmly uses American Sign Language (ASL) to ask about Birdie’s daughter Ollie. She’s instantly uncomfortable. Charlie shows up and Daphne tells him “get me my money by the end of week or I’m calling Connor.”
With Charlie gone, Emma heads to her parents home which is also campaign headquarters. Her brother’s campaign manager doesn’t recognize her, but David (Tim Chiou) steps in announcing she’s his sister. She asks how it’s going and they admit polling numbers could be better.
After Daphne leaves, the family discusses the schematics of the Ambassador’s house and the safe where they’re keeping the $500 thousand Black Diamond. Unfortunately the safe is biometric locked. The Nicoletti’s ponder how to get the ambassador to take the necklace out. Leo (William Fichtner) suggests an old classic, “Milosh” but Fran doesn’t love it. It’s risky but Charlie says it’s good for this job.
Things have quieted down at the Hill house and Emma's parents ask her to be part of the family photos for David’s campaign. She declines saying she doesn’t want to be a prop. Her mom, Grace (Freda Foh Shen), says they’re all props in politics. Emma offers her assistance by looking over her brother’s numbers. She says David doesn’t have a suburban problem, then points out that all of the zip codes where he’s struggling are predominantly Asian American. David is shocked, “they don’t think I’m Asian enough?!”
The next day at the Nicolettis, Birdie tells Charlie she doesn’t like the job, but she’s not bailing. They talk about love and relationships. Ollie (Shaylee Mansfield) comes in and nabs Charlie’s wallet. When Birdie catches her, she signs that Grandpa taught her the trick! Birdie gives Charlies the address to Daphne’s hotel telling him, “I followed her home. No one messes with my kid.”
(ABC/Scott Everett White)
Fran and Leo aka “Milosh” head to a trendy salon where the ambassador’s wife, Mrs. Ellsworth (Kristin Carey) is having her hair done. Milosh and mom loudly discuss how friends canceled on them and they need a stylish home to stage their photo shoot. Mrs. Ellsworth turns around and offers them the use of her home.
Charlie and Birdie head to Daphne’s hotel and he gets to work posing as maintenance. He breaks in and tells Birdie via headset that the place is spotless, even though Daphne checked in a week ago. Out in the hall a woman in stylish boots is walking down the hall. Is it Daphne? Charlie finds a picture of a pregnant woman and snaps a photo with his phone, sending it to Birdie. They think the picture is of Daphne’s mom.
The boots lady enters the room and it’s Emma who’s there to plant the bug. Charlie hides in the bathroom and tells Birdie, Daphne’s returned. She heads upstairs. He almost knocks a bottle off the vanity, but catches it in time. As Emma is planting the bug, she hears the noise but doesn’t find Charlie. Birdie tells him to get to the adjoining room door and pulls him out of Daphne’s with seconds to spare.
That night, Emma’s out in the town and talking with her assistant (Courtney Taylor) on the phone. She insists that she and Charlie are not in a relationship. Charlie walks up and she smiles then hangs up the phone. The duo heads to Charlie’s car for their secret rendezvous. They talk a little bit about family and Emma says they’re both emotionally unavailable people with strong physical connection. What do you do when you meet the right person at the wrong time?
The next day, the whole Nicoletti clan heads to the Ellsworth’s for a photo shoot of their stylish home. Birdie will take care of Mrs. Ellsworth’s makeup and hair and will swap out the real Black Diamond for a fake. But they insist no one touches the necklace.
Daphne returns to her practically untouched hotel room. She steps into the bathroom and sees that the bottles in the vanity are not how she placed them. She knows someone was in the room.
Even though Emma successfully installed the camera, she’s disappointed that absolutely nothing is happening in Daphne’s room. She doesn’t get it. Her boss interrupts to say she has “code green” meaning her brother is in the lobby. She goes down to see David and he asks her if she’d want to join his campaign. Emma says she’ll think about it.
Back at the Ellsworths the family quickly rallies and moves onto Plan B. They “notice something” on Mr. Ellsworth’s (Michael Reilly Burke) hand and clean it off, getting a thumbprint for the safe. “Milosh” is loving the photo shoot, but the necklace is outshining Mrs. Ellsworth. She removes the necklace and the Ellsworths quickly put it away. Charlie makes an adjustment to the photo equipment and “accidently” blows the power. He heads off to find the breaker box, then slips into Mr. Ellsworth’s office to open the safe. But things are all smooth sailing. The family dog Dutchess starts barking! He’s about to get caught. Charlie and the family make their exit with “Milosh” acting frustrated and Mrs. Ellsworth apologizing for her husband. Charlie goes around the side of the house and calls for the Dutchess, who’s wearing the necklace!
Emma goes home and has David great conversation with David. She suggests that present himself as the candidate he is instead of the candidate who polls well. Emma gets quiet then tells him she works for a government agency. That’s why she keeps so manything private. He’s surprised at the reveal but understands.
The Nicolettis take a brief moment to celebrate a successful mission, but as they look into it they learn the diamond in the necklace is stolen. It’s Hindu and is a plundered cultural artifact. They know they can’t sell it. Charlie decides to approach Mr. Ellsworth. He goes back to the house offering to sell back the necklace and admits he knows its history. He won’t reveal the truth, but in an effort to save face, Ellsworth will. Charlie leaves with $500 thousand.
(ABC/Christopher Willard)
Emma and Charlie get together again and she apologizes about her harsh words from the last time. She says she’s not good at letting people in. Then she admits that it feels like Charlie can see through her and that’s scary. “You might be the only person in the world who does.”
Daphne comes to the bar to collect the cash. She tells them it’s a good start but they have a long way to go. $14.5 million to be exact. Birdie tells Daphne they’re now serving mojitos then says, “please leave my daughter alone.” Daphne tells her, “the only thing more dangerous than a man with nothing to lose is a single mom with something to prove.”
Thinking they have a lead on what Daphne’s up to, Emma and the team go to the docks and intercept a shipping container. But when they open it, it’s empty. “She played us,” someone says. Emma corrects them, “No she made us.”
It turns out that the picture Charlie found in Daphne’s room was of her mother and it was taken in Ireland…Daphne’s not just an employee of McGuire, but she’s also his daughter!
Daphne knows that Emma is after her. After the recent string of events, she calls McGuire (her father) and asks, “do you believe I have what it takes to run this organization?”
Thoughts/Predictions:
It looks like we’ll indeed be dealing with a “con of the week” as the Nicolettis work to pay back Daphne and retire from the business. While $500 thousand is still a solid chunk of cash, it’s so small for what they’re trying to do. I think they’ll attempt some bigger scores, but those will present a greater risk of getting caught. Also, and I know this is really early, I’m guessing that Emma will learn about Charlie first, right after discovering she’s pregnant.
The Company You Keep airs on ABC Sundays at 10pm ET/PT and next day on Hulu.