Sumith Prasad
The fifth episode of FX’s thriller series ‘The Old Man’ season 2, titled ‘XII,’ follows the aftermath of Faraz Hamzad and Morgan Bote’s deaths. Emily Chase/Angela Adams/Parwana remains with her family and community to battle the Taliban forces. Dan Chase and Zoe McDonald join Harold Harper and seek refuge in his house, leaving the latter’s wife, Cheryl Harper, with more questions than answers. Emily faces an unexpected enemy in Afghanistan, leaving her two adoptive fathers helpless. While they try to cope with the tragedy, Harper focuses on his mentor’s unrevealed last words. Chase interrogates the assassin of the “old man” and discovers that it is time to embark on a new journey! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Harper and Chase Confront Emily/Angela’s Possible Death
‘XII’ begins with Faraz Hamzad’s funeral. Even though Tarik leaves Afghanistan, Emily/Angela/Parwana remains in the country to look after her family and community. Meanwhile, Harold Harper leads Dan Chase and Zoe McDonald to his house. The former CIA operative calls his daughter and learns that her community is being attacked. Realizing that she is confronting death at a short distance, she says her possible last words to her two adoptive fathers. She also adds to Harper that she doesn’t blame him for “doing what he did,” which leaves Cheryl confused. Before she can give clarity regarding her present state to her fathers, the call gets disconnected.
Chase hesitates to believe that Emily is dead, but Zoe thinks that her companion’s daughter hasn’t survived the attack. The former CIA operative demands clarity or answers regarding his child from Harper, who is shocked by the turn of events. Chase reveals that the men who attacked Emily and her people spoke Russian rather than Afghan languages, such as Dari or Pashto, indicating that Suleyman Pavlovic’s men are behind the ambush. If Emily’s enemy is the Taliban, her death is, more or less, guaranteed, especially considering that the conflict between the government and Hamzad begins because of her. However, that is not the case here.
Pavlovic has nothing to gain and a lot to lose from Emily’s death, which makes the possibility of her being alive significant. If his sole focus is Hamzad’s lithium deposit, he doesn’t need to kill the entire community to lay his hands on the same. Instead, he can defeat them in combat and make them retreat to the mountains. Through the hitman he hired to kill Morgan Bote, the episode establishes that the Russian crime lord wants Chase and Zoe dead. He can lure the former CIA agent to his fort using the latter’s daughter, which indicates that he may haven’t killed her already.
Suleyman Pavlovic Wants Chase and Zoe Dead
Chase and Harper interrogate Morgan Bote’s unnamed assassin in the basement of the assistant FBI director’s house. The hitman then reveals that Suleyman Pavlovic’s targets also include Henry and Marcia Dixon, the aliases Chase and Zoe use while they are in Los Angeles and Morocco. The Russian crime lord wants them dead because of a secret they know or because he believes they know a secret they actually don’t. The same may concern their meeting with him in Morocco, which reveals his partnership with Faraz Hamzad. In other words, his three targets are people who are well aware of his relationship with the Afghan militant leader.
Pavlovic must have targeted Bote, Chase, and Zoe to hide his dealings with Hamzad. The revelation of the well-kept secret may have severe consequences, limiting him from exploiting the Afghan militant leader’s lithium deposit. He may not want the couple to interfere with his plans, which can help him become a supreme power in the global crime scene, especially considering that lithium can be used to make nuclear weapons. Therefore, his motive can be tied to Chase and Zoe’s ability to form an alliance that can prevent him from laying his hands on a valuable and consequential mineral.
Chase and Zoe understand that the key to solving the mystery behind the hit on them is Nina Kruger, Faraz Hamzad’s lawyer. They prepare to leave for London to meet the attorney and discover why Pavlovic is after them. Since Kruger appears in Morocco when Chase meets the Russian crime lord, she can be the mediator between the latter and her boss. If that’s the case, she may know all about this unholy partnership and its secrets, which can shed light on the couple’s predicament.
Harper Buys Time From Cheryl
Harper’s relationship with Cheryl is affected when he leaves for Morocco and Afghanistan. His prolonged absence from her life leads the wife to consider their separation. Even though he returns to her in this episode, he does it the worst way possible, dragging Chase and Zoe to their home without any answers to offer to his partner. He then urges her to seek safety in a hotel where his enemies cannot reach and hurt her. Before she leaves, Harper asks Cheryl for time to complete his mission, rebuild their relationship, and reconnect with her for good. Even though she hesitates at first, she promises to wait for him.
Harper knows that his togetherness with Cheryl is under threat. However, he is fighting a war he cannot abandon easily. Morgan Bote’s death makes it clear that none of them is safe. When Chase observes that Emily’s attackers are Russians, he realizes that Suleyman Pavlovic has grown into a parasite in the lives of everyone he cares for. Therefore, he prioritizes unraveling the mystery behind the Russian’s actions over getting back together with his wife. His first step is finding his mentor’s last words and their recipient. After listening to Emily’s possible last words, he realizes that the “old man” must have shared something similar with someone significant.
Even though Harper does not share who that “someone” is, the recipient most likely is Julian Carson, Bote’s trusted general and preferred hitman. Apart from Chase and the assistant FBI director, the old man hasn’t been particularly close with anyone except for Julian. Therefore, while the former CIA operative and Zoe find Kruger, Harper may bring the assassin back from his reclusion.
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