Counterpart season 2, episode 9 recap: You to You

Counterpart’s second season is almost over. Indigo’s plot to level the playing field is enacted in “You to You.” Will anyone be able to stop them? Let’s recap.

“You to You” was written by Counterpart architect Gianna Sobel (Extant) and directed by Charlotte Brändström (The Man in the High Castle). The teaser is as about as creepy as it gets. The last Indigo cell is outside. They’re sitting around inoculating themselves against the München Flu Prime that they are about to unleash on Dimension One.

It’s like a scene from one of the early Friday the 13th films. But, instead of young, attractive people being hunted by a reanimated corpse in a hockey mask, these young folks are about to kill hundreds of millions of people. Revenge is a crazy endeavor.

Ethel (Fanny Altenburger) laments that she’s never been kissed before. When another cell member kisses her, she’s not impressed. As the others get up to leave, Ethel anxiously mentions that she’s not been given a vaccine. She is told that there are much bigger plans in store for her. That can’t be good.

Emily Meets Emily

Emily Alpha (Olivia Williams) sets up a meet for Emily Prime in the Office of Interchange’s off-book interchange room. The site of Emily Alpha clearly upsets Emily Prime. The realizations on both their parts over the last few weeks make that easy to understand.

Emily Prime point blank asks Emily Alpha how she could essentially borrow her daughter from time to time. Emily Alpha shoots right back by telling her that her daughter needed someone. Emily Prime was absent so much, even when she was around, that it was easy to step in and serve as the mother Anna needed.

Counterpart-Emily-Courtesy of STARZ

Throughout the whole conversation, Emily Alpha is very serene and in control. The revelation from “Into the Cold” that she had been living with Howard Prime (J.K. Simmons) instead of Howard Alpha seems to have brought things into focus for her. While she still admits that she’s groggy, she remembers something very important.

It was Emily Alpha’s investigation that had found evidence of Dimension One having played a part in the development and deployment of the München Flu Alpha. When she reported this to Management, they told her to forget it. In the typical Management style, they promoted Emily Alpha. She took the title and money.

But Mira (Christiane Paul) had found the report and used it to radicalize an entire generation of Dimension Two. Emily Alpha has warned Management Alpha of a retaliatory plot. This meeting serves to warn Management Prime. A condition of this meet is that Howard Alpha is returned to Dimension One with no stipulations or requirements that he spies on anyone.

At The Crossing, Howard Alpha looks back at Emily Prime. This is likely the Emily he belongs with, but after a quick, passionate kiss, he says farewell and walks to the Dimension One entrance where Emily Alpha is waiting.

Temple and Company

At the end of “In from the Cold,” Quayle Alpha (Harry Lloyd), Clare Prime (Nazanin Boniadi), and baby girl Spencer show up hat in hand at Naya Temple’s (Betty Gabriel) door. They drop the bombshell about Clare Prime being Shadow.

The next morning, we get to meet Naya Temple’s husband and son. Her son’s little pout about his mom always working was one of the most adorable things I’ve seen on television in a minute. Naya Temple hatches a plan that involves Clare Prime getting grown-up boy Spencer (Ken Duken) to admit to Indigo and flesh out the plot on tape. That’s right. Clare Prime will have to wear a wire.

At this point, it should become clear that the saddest storyline in Counterpart is Clare Primes. It was set up to be the Howard’s. But Clare had her parents killed so that she could join Indigo. She had all friends and relations cut off. Clare Prime had to kill her other. Then she had to lose her virginity to some dude in a bar so that she would match her other prior to marriage. The only family she really has is her daughter, Spencer. And she’s constantly threatened.

Clare Prime contacts boy Spencer. He works at the address that Emily Alpha and Howard Prime had worked out last week. Clare Prime’s motive is transparent and Spencer tries to kill her in his office. She gets away but is apprehended by an Indigo operator. But he’s promptly shot by Baldwin (Sara Serraiocco). When Clare Prime steps in front of Spencer to protect him from being killed, Howard Prime emerges. He says to Clare Prime, “Friend of yours? Fine. We’ll take them both.”

The Dynamic Duo

How did Baldwin and Howard Prime become partners? Howard Prime showed up at Baldwin’s lair with the clip out of the gun. Baldwin apologized for killing all of his people in “Point of Departure.” She said that because they really didn’t deserve it, it was harder for her to get over. Baldwin doesn’t want to kill, anymore. But, over cereal, Howard Prime tells her that Indigo is going to make that really hard for them. Besides, killing people is what they do. Both are no completely free agents.

Yanek Does the Heavy Lifting

Emily Alpha’s warning is partially heeded. Both Offices of Interchange are evacuated. But all of Management still meets in Dimension Two. When Mira and Yanek (James Cromwell) allow themselves to be taken into custody, Mira is placed under the supervision of Ian (Nicholas Pinnock). Yanek is sent to meet Management.

Counterpart-Yanek Alpha-Courtesy of STARZ

Like nothing had changed in 30 years, Yanek makes the same impassioned argument that he did at the end of “Twin Cities.” The Crossing should be closed. He knows that he is the one that started the concept of the weaponized flu. Yanek cannot believe that Dimension Two did not close The Crossing after the München Flu Alpha. Like some version of selfish Greek gods, Dimension Two Management says that it would not be fair to prohibit knowledge and scientific gain due to folly. That’s one huge folly, bro.

Meanwhile, Mira admits to Ian that she knew she’d never be let in to see Management alone. Ian gets a call. Nomi (Krissi Bohn) is being held at gunpoint. Mira coldly tells Ian that she couldn’t imagine what it would be like to lose the same person twice.

Cut to Mira walking in on Management. She kills all of them. A horrified Yanek is told that someone is waiting for him in his precious Dimension One.

Mira Alpha is alive, has kids, and lives in the home she grew up in so many years ago. She takes one comm case from each dimension and walks out of the room. Yanek is free, but he just sits down.

Mira opens each case, turns it on, and announces that she has an important announcement. The table is set for one epic season finale of Counterpart next week.

Did you enjoy “You to You?’ How do you think Counterpart’s second season will end next week. Let’s discuss in the comments.