Welcome to the first recap of ABC’s new drama series The Company You Keep. This week we meet Charlie Nicoletti and Emma Hill, a con man and a CIA agent who develop an intense attraction and have no idea their professional lives are about to collide.
Please note this recap contains spoilers for season 1, episode 1 “Pilot”
Charlie Nicoletti (Milo Ventimiglia) is practicing sleight of hand tricks making a playing card appear and disappear in an instant. He’s a con man and boy does that look good on him.
Charlie meets with Patrick McGuire and his team at a warehouse near the docks. They’re about to make a deal on the building, but McGuire’s assistant is suspicious and pulls McGuire aside. He’s going to sell it to them at a discount and for crypto, not cash? Unbeknownst to them, Charlie’s sister (Sarah Wayne Callies) is watching the exchange and keeping her brother clued into what he can’t see. He starts to leave, but McGuire completes the deal. Charlie’s sister confirms the transfer of funds, just as the FBI shows up! Was it a set up?? The feds cuff Charlie as McGuire gets away. But it turns out the FBI is actually…Charlie’s parents and fiancée (William Fichtner Polly Draper). He tells the group they need to clear out before the buyer learns they sold a warehouse they don’t own.
Emma Hill (Catherine Haena Kim) makes her way into the offices of Pattern Logistics which is actually a cover for the CIA. Emma visits with a co-worker and boss, catching up on a recent lead. The global drug trafficking ring she’s been following is making a push into the U.S. They know the what and how, but not the who. Just then she gets a notification on her phone and leaves. She goes to confront her boyfriend who’s been seeing another woman. He admits it’s been going on for a few months. “You’re not honestly in love with me,” he says.
Charlie and his fiancée are packing up at the warehouse and take a moment to discuss their evening plans. He’s booked them a suite at the Langston hotel. She smiles and says, “the best part of ‘happily ever after’ is you don’t know what comes next.”
Back home at their bar, the Nicoletti family celebrates their latest successful con. Birdie says she’s unsettled by this big of a job. She asks Charlie for the cold wallet from earlier, but it’s gone. His girlfriend’s diamond ring is there instead. He flashes back to earlier as Birdie raises her voice. “Call her!” Charlie dials the number, but it’s no longer in service. She’s split.
(ABC/Eric McCandless)
Emma is at the Langston’s lobby bar and gets hit on. She immediately reads the guy and calls him out. He excuses himself, clearing a space between Emma and Charlie. They strike up a conversation revealing that both of them have just been dumped. A few drinks later they’re feeling good and telling each other what they do for a living. Both are clearing lying and loving it. She says, “tell me something true.” Charlie admits, “I'm a criminal.” Emma says, “I’m CIA.” They pause, then laugh some more at these ridiculous stories. Charlie leaves the bar and heads up to the suite. A few minutes later Emma shows up, she says she saw his room number on the bar receipt. He invites her in. They kiss, then order room service. The next morning they’re about to part, but the energy between them is charged and they spend the day together getting frisky and enjoying the hotel’s many amenities. As they lie in bed, Emma says, “fantasy is one thing, reality is another.”
The following day, Charlie meets with a prostitute friend and he asks for leads on a quick job. She tells him about a televangelist who has a Mega Church in Arlington. She’d been at a party he hosted and noticed he was carrying a lot of cash. He thanks her for the tip.
After being AWOL for 36 hours, Charlie comes back to the bar where his family, and Birdie’s deaf daughter Ollie, have been waiting for him. Birdie sends Ollie to her room and stresses that she didn’t want to do a job this big. They’re out $10 million and now broke. Charlie apologies and says he has something lined up. Birdie leaves, and Charlie and his dad talk about the breakup and how his fiancée pulled one over on them. Charlie tells his dad they’ve been using the same pin code on their account since Ollie was born.
Pastor Earl is the next target. As the family scopes out the church, Charlie waits for info in their van. He pulls out his phone and looks at pictures of Emma. Birdie interrupts his thoughts as she hacks into the Church’s financial data. They’re laundering money but from where? The Nicolettis discover that Pastor Earl gets a new burner phone each week and devise a public distraction to get their hands on the phone for a few moments. They learn Pastor Earl is going to attend a gala event in DC and the whole family has their roles to play.
(ABC/Eric McCandless)
It turns out Emma and her family (Freda Foh Shen, James Saito, and Tim Chiou) have been invited to the same gala. Her father is a former Governor and her brother is running for Senate. The Hills don’t know what their daughter’s actual job is and wish she'd support them more instead of focusing so much on her logistics career. She steps away from the conversation and Charlie follows her to the bar. She’s happy to see him and they dance. Meanwhile Birdie has her eyes on the Pastor who’s just met with his contact.
Caught up in the moment with Emma, Charlie tells her his family owns a bar in Baltimore. He admits who he is wrapped up in his family and it’s hard to see past that. Emma says she’s been defining herself against her family for a long time. Birdie picks up on his distraction and reminds him why they’re there. Emma asks him for a date, but Charlie turns her down. She’s surprised and asks him to say he didn’t think about her or feel their connection. He coldly says he didn’t think about her.
(ABC/Eric McCandless)
After the gala, Pastor Earl gets a text reading “Cover Blown” Clean House Tonight” He empties his safe, putting all the cash into a suitcase. The next message says his contact is sending in a fixer and to be on the lookout for a Gray SUV. A disguised Charlie and Birdie arrive in the car and take the cash.
At work, Emma gets briefed that Patrick McGuire seems to be their link to the global drug ring. He’s the same man who bought the warehouse.
Back home, Charlie and his family count money and Birdie mentions Emma. Charlies says it's over, he’s not pursuing her. He’s good at the family business. His parents say they’re not ok with Charlie staying here and falling on his sword for the family. He did it once before, and he’s had to stick around because of their decisions. They’re not walking away and leaving him holding the bag. “We’re all out or all in.”
In a joint operation with the FBI, Emma watches McGuire and his team who are about to board a private jet. His assistant lingers and Emma says to wait for the whole crew to board. But they don’t. The FBI moves in, the assistant runs, and Emma chases after her in a car. Emma is T-boned by another vehicle and hurts her wrist. The assistant gets away, but they’re able to ID her. The woman is Daphne Finch (Felisha Terrell), and Emma realizes she’s the brains behind the operation, McGuire is nothing. They won the battle but not the war.
The next day Charlie comes to her house to explain his behavior at the gala. His life is complicated. He wants to take her on that date. He hasn’t stopped thinking about her.
Charlie tells his family he wants one last big score to get them out of this business for good. They agree. Then Daphne Finch comes to the bar. She knows he didn’t own the building and says he owes them the $10 million plus another $5 million to get McGuire out of jail. She says it’s going to take him time which she doesn’t have. “Get to stealing, you can’t lie your way out of this one.”
Thoughts/Predictions:
I’m not sure I’m feeling a “crime of the week” series, but seeing how the Nicoletti family works together to pull off their cons should be fun. The cast is fun to watch, but the intensity and drama could be better. I think I know how this will end, but hopefully some well planned twists can create surprise and tension.
The Company You Keep airs on ABC Sundays at 10pm ET/PT and next day on Hulu.