Scenes from a man watching a soccer game played by young boys are cut with scenes of Annie playing soccer. The dusty street is a strong counterpoint to the beautifully manicured field. The man approaches another and asks who is winning, only to be told that the government always wins. More men block his escape. A man pulls a gun on him and he nearly escapes before being overtaken and garroted. The instrument used to kill him is his very own necklace, which makes an appearance later in the episode.
After the soccer game is over, a handsome man named Diego flirts with Annie, first in English and then in Spanish. He thinks she works at the Smithsonian and is surprised when Annie asks him to help her connect with his sister Julia.
Julia is the mistress to a man named Victor Ponce. A banker, she has access to funds and has helped to skim many millions of dollars from US oil interests. It is believed that Ponce is attempting to destabilize the region. Annie needs Diego’s help to convince his sister to help them get more information. Diego’s future in America is at high risk, and if he refuses to help, he’ll be sent home permanently.
Annie is to be Diego’s escort. When they arrive in Venezuela, she’ll hand him over to the field agent there. A Smithsonian ID is created for Annie, as well as a fake reason for her to be in Venezuela. She is to procure a letter President James Monroe wrote to Simon Bolivar. The carefully laid plans all unravel when it is revealed that their contact has not been heard from.
Annie is faced with frustrations and dangers on all levels. Julia is very suspicious of Annie’s motives, branding her a cougar and accusing her of distracting her brother. She sees right through Annie’s motives. With Auggie and Joan helping her work out the logistics and providing advice from home, Annie faces the task of convincing Julia to help them.
Even when Julia is faced with the truth of Victor, she is resistant to hearing anything but the best from her boyfriend. She is convinced that Victor will find out what she’s done and even the promise of an American passport and relocation doesn’t sway her. She has responsibilities to her homeland, her family, the neighborhood children. And she is in love with Victor and refuses to be swayed.
Auggie is frustrated by the wait for information and even Joan’s gentle words can’t pull him out of his funk. When Annie gets in touch with Auggie, she explains that there is a sophisticated security system of passwords that changes every minute. Auggie is familiar with the technology. All bank managers have this technology, which means Julia possesses an item just like it.
Annie devises a plan to switch Julia’s and Victor’s security key devices and uses the knowledge from Diego to arrange a get together. Victor is very friendly to Annie and expresses a wish to go with her as she collects the Monroe letter. While Annie and Diego are dining with Julia and Victor, a local operative sees Julia wearing a necklace that their missing operative owned. It is revealed that his body has been found in several pieces.
Has Annie been made? The domestic security folks scramble to determine if Annie’s identity has been compromised, but they agree that she does not fit the physical profile of a foreign operative. Furthermore, their data and intel doesn’t show that she has been made. They have agents surrounding her, and she should be safe at lunch—for the moment.
Annie and Julia split off to go to the power room and Annie questions Julia about her necklace. Julia is surprised by Annie’s determination and claims she has said nothing to compromise Annie’s identity. Annie reminds her of the time of their flight and Julia says that it is Annie’s flight and not hers. She has no intention of leaving.
Victor postures by driving at incredibly high speeds, quizzing her about her relationship with Diego. His conversation is laden with sexual innuendo. Victor offers to let Annie drive and she complies after laughingly sayings he can’t drive. She jams the gears a bit. When she is starting to get up to speed, Victor opens up the glove compartment and pulls out a book on Monroe. He’s had his minions search her car and has discovered her brand new Smithsonian ID as well. With Victor’s encouragement, Annie drives faster and exposes her skills.
It is then that Victor pulls a gun on Annie, ordering her out of the car. He calls his men and tells them where to pick Annie up. With some great hand to hand and driving techniques, she manages to dump him—bruised and bleeding—at the side of the road.
Annie contacts Auggie, who tells her Diego and Julia are at the bank and the CIA has a man just outside. Annie strides into the bank and tells Julia she has to act now. Julia is worried about Victor, but Annie assures her that he is alive. She uses the security info Annie has provided and gets the information up, where the CIA can access it.
Victor and his minions arrive at the bank and Diego watches them advance toward his sister and Annie. Julia and Annie flee out a side door of the bank, tripping the alarm. A CIA operative screeches to a halt beside them, but Julia hesitates for a few moments, torn between her love and the belief that Victor is innocent. Diego makes his way to the front of the bank and the CIA man there.
Annie and Diego have a chat about Julia and his future. He tells Annie that they’ll be relocated tomorrow and that his sister isn’t doing particularly well. Annie and Auggie chat about being field agents. The way Julia looks arouses suspicion in Annie and she and Auggie look up Julia’s bank accounts. They discover that the accounts were partially funded by Victor, who has allowed her to skim off some of the profits to help the neighborhood children.
Julia and Diego settle into the safe house with their agent and Julia takes his cell phone from him when his back is turned. Annie heads for the safe house just as Victor clears US Immigration. She says she is going to get some coffee and waves off the agent’s suggestion that he accompany her. Diego and their agent can’t find her and have searched in and around the buildings.
The CIA tracks Julia to East Potomac Park via taxi records and the agent hops out, gun drawn. Annie and Diego are to wait for him, but Diego jumps out of the car and starts racing to find his sister.
Julia and Victor have a reunion where he assures her he doesn’t blame her. They have a flight in an hour, he tells her, and escorts her to a car. As she spies Diego running toward her, Victor calmly tells her there is no going back, and one of his minions begins garroting her with her own chain. She manages to fight him off long enough for the agent to get some shots into the car. Victor starts driving, aiming for Diego and Annie, who dive out of the way just in time. Julia is found sobbing over Victor’s body, jumps out of the car, and hang on to her brother for dear life.
At the end of the episode, Annie stares at the bracelet her lover gave her and places it on a picture frame.
This was a rather complex episode that suffered by being far too predictable. From the opening moments of meeting Julia, I had her story arc figured out. While the twists and turns were done well, the episode lost significant impact because I knew they were coming
Lana Parrilla plays Julia with aplomb and ease, and I’m reminded of what a talented actress she is. I’d love to see her in a show with some staying power. She managed to convey Julia’s anguish well without overacting, and was the highlight of the episode.
While I appreciated that Annie was doing a foreign op, I found my need for believability stretched a bit. I’d like to know more about why the newcomer is being given such plumb assignments so soon. I don’t feel that has been adequately covered yet.
While this was an interesting episode, "South Bound Suarez" wasn’t a favorite for me.
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