Just when things don’t get easier, another matter approaches that changes the course of events that may or may not have dramatic effect. Langdon deciphers the code using Dürer’s magic square and receives a message on his phone. Nuñez suspects the janitor’s wife has something to do with Trish’s death. Bellamy and Sato make a decision on where their loyalty lie, and that puts them in a tight spot. Mal’akh reveals his true motive for possessing the portal, presses Langdon to find the portal, and reminds him that Peter’s life is on the line, including his own.
Sato’s and Bellamy’s decisions reveal a shifting pattern of their characters. In previous episodes, Sato’s order was to find the portal, not Peter anymore. Bellamy was to protect the Leviathan secret regardless of the consequences. In this episode, they begin to move into an unknown direction. They come to a crossroad where they have to make a choice. They have to be true to their values of right and wrong, regardless of what comes their way. As a result, they go up against unethical individuals in higher positions as a way of standing up to right from wrong.
The struggling and shooting, along with a new piece of information, are presented. The antagonists get the upper hand even though the sense of uncertainty of them getting away is low even when there’s a moment that the protagonists have the upper hand. It’s expected that they will escape, capture, or kill the good guys. An example is the scene in the parking lot. Sato is hiding at the back of the car ready to capture Mal’ahk, and Adamu is ready to rescue Peter. Abruptly, Sato receives messages on her phone from an unknown number that could throw her off the course. She pauses for a moment and focuses back on her mission. Adamu points a gun at the janitor who has Peter and Sato points a gun at Mal’akh. She pressures him to describe the meaning of the message. He doesn’t say anything. He just stands where he is pondering his next move. Suddenly, everything starts to break loose as the CIA armed agent appears. Mal’akh captures Langdon heading towards the van where the janitor holds Peter hostage and drives off.
The closing scene shows that Mal’akh has Peter and Langdon and that he has the upper hand. His dialogue and motive sound plausible given his background story in previous episodes. Langdon, on the other hand, is experiencing an unpleasant psychological state. He’s now in Mal’akh’s world. He and Mal’akh are in a sunless room facing each other. Mal’akh is looking down on him, who is sitting on a chair with a horrifying look on his face.
Episode 5 is fairly okay. There’s more action than researching or solving the mystery. The action scenes aren’t exciting, but the chain of events and consequences raise questions of what’s going to happen next.
Rating: 4.7/10
