The hit Amazon thriller is over, with the recent third season serving as its conclusion.

Stana Katic broke the news on Twitter Friday, revealing that the plan was always for three seasons, but there was a possibility of more.

The former Castle actress said that “although we’ve danced with the idea of continuing the tale, Absentia was always meant to be only three seasons, and I couldn’t think of a better note to end on… for any person on this planet, but especially [Katic’s character] Emily and her loved ones.”

The series told the story of FBI special agent Emily Byrne who disappeared without a trace while hunting one of Boston's most notorious serial killers, and she is declared dead in absentia.

Six years later, she is found in a cabin in the woods, barely alive and with no memory of the years that she was missing.

She returns home to learn that her husband has remarried and her son is being raised by the new wife, and she soon finds herself implicated in a new series of murders

The cast also included Patrick Heusinger, Cara Theobold, Neil Jackson, Angel Bonanni, Bruno Bichir, Paul Freeman, Ralph Ineson, Patrick McAuley, and Richard Brake.

Absentia Season 3 launched back in July 2020, with fans left wondering what could be next for the series.

Here is Stana's full letter.

When they asked me in January 2017 if I was ready to spend 3 years in Bulgaria shooting a cable TV series, I had no idea what I was in for.

I could never have imagined the creative partnerships and the friendships that would form and enrich my life. Three Seasons was the perfect amount of space for a beautiful, complicated and wonderfully fulfilling journey. We took our protagonist on the path of victim to survivor to … empowered architect of her own future, which is a journey I hope we can all have after this confounding year.

And although we’ve danced with the idea of continuing the tale, ABSENTIA was always meant to be only 3 seasons, & I couldn’t think of a better note to end on… for any person on this planet, but especially Emily and her loved ones.

I’m proud of our team for bringing themselves to this project in order to bring life to Absentia. Thank you to Sony, Amazon, AXN, Showcase & all affiliates for your support of our special show.

A big shout-out to all of our stellar directors, to exec producer, Julie Glucksman, and to our showrunner Will Pascoe. You all led with heart and passion; and Will, I sincerely hope the studio will take you up on your offer to pen a graphic novel version of Absentia. 😉

To our audience, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for joining us on this special journey.

It is because of YOU that our show was a great success for its broadcasters. It’s because of YOU that we get to entertain you and be storytellers.

And whatever projects this tribe of rebel storytellers goes to next, I hope you’ll follow them all. Last but not least, to my cast and crew, it’s been an honor—you are all the best in the business.

And I mean that wholeheartedly. Here’s to the next time! xS

What are your thoughts on the news?

Hit the comments below.

Catch the first three seasons on Amazon Prime.

The post Absentia: No Season 4 for the Stana Katic Thriller! appeared first on TV Fanatic.

But we soon learned it wasn't just the criminal organization, Meridian, involved in the nefarious plans.

It was Kerlan Pharmaceuticals and Border Outreach, both run by Brigitte Kerlan. 

When we first met Brigitte during the fundraiser event on Absentia Season 3 Episode 5, it seemed a little too coincidental that she ran an organization to help refugees just down the road from a prison illegally experimenting on those same refugees.

In fact, they were running those refugee prisons on multiple continents all over the world. Was the group able to hide their actions because of their vast power and money, or did others know what was happening but were too fearful or apathetic to try and stop it?

Kai was killed trying to stop it. 

Nick was abducted and tortured while trying to stop it, and countless others, like Agent Thompson and Deputy Director Webb, lost their lives so that this nefarious secret could be kept. 

In the middle of it all, I was proud of Agent Derek Crowne for figuring out the identity of the real mole.

Crowne: It was all too easy. Webb was a smart guy. He was an FBI Special Agent in New York for decades, and what? We just catch him on the take, like that easily. Uh-uh. He was smarter than the evidence shook out, or at least he should have been.

_{🔗 permalink: It was all too easy. Webb was a smart guy. He was an FBI Special Agent in New York for…}

After Gunnarsen called him an idiot behind his back, there was something very satisfying about Crowne being the one to help Emily take her down. 

At that point, it was clear that Julianne's days were numbered. When she stormed into the room to stop Cal and Nick's interview with Brigitte Kerlan, it was merely confirmation of what they had all suspected; Julianne was protecting Kerlan. 

But Meridian and Kerlan weren't done yet. If they were willing to abduct an FBI agent from his home, there was no limit to what they'd do to shut down this investigation. 

That's when the picture on the window changed everything.

Flynn: You don’t have to worry about me anymore.

Emily: I’m always going to worry about you.

Flynn: Even when I’m grown up and living on my own?

Emily: Yup. Always and forever.

_{🔗 permalink: Yup. Always and forever.}

Emily and Flynn had some fantastic scenes in this episode. Flynn has grown up so much, and although I doubt, or even hope, that he'll ever be the warrior that Emily is, he's proven that he is capable of protecting himself. 

He's also not naive about the danger that surrounds his parents' lives. The kid has lost enough and survived enough to learn how to roll with the punches. 

When the house blew up, I knew exactly what had happened. Flynn was never going to be safe as long as Meridian and Kerlan believed he was alive. The organization would hunt him down to use him as leverage against Emily and Nick.

So Emily and Nick took him out of the game. 

Nick: I’ll keep him safe, Em, I promise.

Emily: I know you will.

Nick: And I think I’m going to need to be just a Dad for the first time in a long, long…it’s going to be…it’s going to be a nice change.

Emily: You’re a good man, Nick.

_{🔗 permalink: You’re a good man, Nick.}

Nick is a good man, and he could use a break. After Emily disappeared, it seemed like Nick dove into his work. Once he married Alice, it appeared that she picked up a lot of the parenting duties. 

Hopefully, Nick can spend some time being a dad to Flynn without it being overshadowed by grief or guilt. 

Even Jack and Emily had a brief moment to bond after what happened at the farmhouse…

Emily: Thank you for everything at the farm.

Jack: It was my turn to get shot.

_{🔗 permalink: It was my turn to get shot.}

If I had one issue with this final installment, it was that things with Julianne almost wrapped up too quickly.

I know we've been searching for the mole over several episodes, but the jump from Crowne suspecting it wasn't Webb to seeing Julianne in a prison jumpsuit felt like it went by at warp speed. 

However, I was appeased when Emily got to ask Julianne about Alice.

Julianne: You could have killed me on that rooftop. Why didn’t you?

Emily: I don’t know. Why did you kill Alice Durand?

Julianne: Rich and powerful people need someone to clean up their mess. The rest of us are disposable. Alice was stupid, soft. She would have sold us out in a minute.

_{🔗 permalink: Rich and powerful people need someone to clean up their mess. The rest of us are disposable….}

Julianne was correct. The only way they could have kept Alice from talking was to kill her or threaten Flynn, and killing her was easier and more permanent. 

Gunnarsen was so determined to be useful to the rich and powerful people in control, that she murdered many and helped a criminal organization torture and kill innocent people all over the world. 

Emily: You wanted to be just like them, live in a world of privilege, but in the end, you discovered that you were disposable too.

Julianne: Isn’t that, isn’t that what everything comes down to in the end? Just wanting to be special.

Emily: Not always. Sometimes it’s just about valuing human life.

_{🔗 permalink: Not always. Sometimes it’s just about valuing human life.}

The one extraneous scene I would have found interesting was Julianne meeting her ex at the prison. I can't imagine how Michelle might react upon learning that the woman she considered raising a child with was a murderer and traitor to her country. 

Michelle once said she hated all of the lies and secrets that took place at the FBI office, but perhaps it wasn't the office at all, maybe it was just Julianne.

Finally, we get to Emily and Cal.

Cal: I was trying to buy you more time to find Nick. I wanted to keep you safe.

Emily: I don’t need protection, Cal.

Cal: What do you need? Let me know.

_{🔗 permalink: What do you need? Let me know.}

Cal tried to explain that he never betrayed Emily, no matter what it may have looked like to her. But Emily's priority was to keep Flynn safe and take Meridian, Kerlan, and Julianne down, and Cal understood that.

Six months later, Emily was serving drinks from behind a bar somewhere in Europe, and she looked as healthy and serene as we've ever seen her. 

Of course, she wasn't just working as a bartender, she was actually trying to take down a black-market arms dealer. 

What organization she was working with was unclear, but what was unmistakable was that Emily had reached out and contacted Cal, and he was overjoyed that she had. 

It looks as though Emily has figured out what she wants, both professionally and personally. I don't think we've ever witnessed her with a happier expression than when she invited Cal to work with her and then slipped him her hotel room key. 

It was an uplifting end to what was a gripping, dramatic, and emotional season. Not only were the atrocities at the refugee camps uncovered, but Julianne was sent to prison, and Emily was left smiling.

This ending was so hopeful that it almost makes me worry about the possibility of an Absentia Season 4!

But it seems to me that there is still plenty of story to tell in the Absentia universe.

I would love to see Emily and Cal working as a team in the future, whether that's with the FBI or on their own.

Rowena made it clear that she'll be collecting that favor from Emily eventually and that saying no was not an option.

Will Nick ever fall in love again after his first wife was inaccurately declared dead, and his second one was ordered to marry him?

And what will Flynn choose for his future after having this incredibly strange childhood?

Who else out there wants to see more of Emily Byrne's story and is rooting for Absentia Season 4?

The post Absentia Season 3 Episode 10 Review: Iterum Nata appeared first on TV Fanatic.

It doesn't take much incentive to get Emily to fight but threaten her son, and the woman takes the term "mama bear" to a whole new level. 

By the time she was done, no gun was left loaded, no Meridian guard was left alive, and Elliot ended up being the victim of his own deadly serum. 

The message here was clear; if you want to live, don't mess with Emily's kid. 

It turned out that Flynn had learned to take care of himself in his mother's absence. 

Dawkins: I thought you’d be, you’d be more like your father. But oh no, you turn out to be more like your mother. I should have known. She’d be proud of you, boy. If only the outcome were different.

_{🔗 permalink: I thought you’d be, you’d be more like your father. But oh no, you turn out to be more like…}

There was little doubt that the bow and arrow would come in handy at some point, my only issue was that I kept wishing Flynn would allow Dawkins to get closer so he could get a better shot. 

And it was inevitable that the old well would come into play at some point. Why else do you not fix a death trap like that unless it's going to be used to take out a most dreaded villain?

But I was hoping that the wolf would make another appearance. Alas, two out of three isn't bad, and we've got one more installment to go, so we may see that magnificent creature once again. 

Jack's heroics gave Flynn just enough time to get to the barn, but I hope he survives his gunshot wound. Emily may have been furious with Jack for his affair with Alice, but she still needs her brother.

When Emily phoned Dawkins to call off the hit on her family, she was impressed to find that Flynn had it under control. Dawkins was dead, and an ambulance was on the way for Jack and Warren. 

I'm curious to see how this experience changes Flynn going forward. In the past, he was the child that needed comforting or rescuing. This time, he's the one who took care of his family. It's bound to change his outlook. 

Back in Europe, Nick singlehandedly freed the remaining refugees, including going back to find Rafiq's mother, proving once again that he's a brave man with a good heart. 

Cal hunted down Armstrong. Meridian's head thug would have gleefully killed Cal if he could have, and for a while, it looked like he had the upper hand. 

Cal has been waiting for this opportunity for years. He took every ounce of his guilt and rage out on the unrepentant sadist until there was nothing left. Good riddance. 

However, it was Elliot's final words that were the most alarming. 

Elliot: You’re too late, Emily. She already has the bio-agent.

_{🔗 permalink: You’re too late, Emily. She already has the bio-agent.}

What is the bio-agent Elliot spoke of, how does it spread, and what kind of havoc will it create?

Elliot felt no compassion for any of his victims; he only saw them as easy prey. Refugees were the perfect vulnerable population that could be used and thrown away. 

Elliot: You know as well as I do that we live in a broken world. Millions displaced by war and conflict and disease. In this chaos, I see opportunity.

_{🔗 permalink: You know as well as I do that we live in a broken world. Millions displaced by war and…}

Elliott said that the world didn't care what happened to those people, and unfortunately, in some ways, he's right. Displaced human beings have become the virtual hot potato in our society. No one wants to take on the responsibility or the expense of helping them. 

It's so much easier to turn a blind eye and say it's not our problem, which allows evil men like Elliot to treat defenseless human beings as though their existence means nothing. 

It's a situation where apathy and callousness breed disdain and cruelty. 

Elliot said he had multiple facilities like this one. How many people have disappeared into them, and no one has noticed or cared enough to stop it? 

Elliot's death was one small consolation in all of this. As he played with those prayer beads, I began to wonder if they might inspire a moment of Karma. When Elliot was injected with his own deadly serum, it felt like just that.

I had suspected this operation had to do with more than organ harvesting, as though that wasn't savage enough, but the bio-agent is a new and unwelcome twist. 

As is the "she" Elliot refers to. 

There have been a limited number of females thus far on Absentia Season 3. The Nurse is dead, so what are the other options? 

Elliot could have infected Rafiq's mother or one of the other refugees in the hopes of causing a contagious outbreak, but that seems too slow and not targeted enough for the mysterious Jericho.

Was the bio-agent somehow delivered to Julianne? She seemed broken up over Webb's suicide, but could that have been a setup? 

Gunnarsen: Fifty thousand dollars wired into his sister’s account hours after Thompson’s murder from an unknown, offshore account. His sister died three years ago.

Crowne: Shady bastard.

_{🔗 permalink: Shady bastard.}

Julianne's the one who uncovered the payment in Webb's deceased sister's account. Julianne's the one who kept Crowne at bay until they had more proof. Was it all a ploy to set Webb up and make him look like the traitor to cover her tracks?

The only other females that come to mind are Thompson's partner or Julianne's ex. Both seem like complete wild cards at this point. 

With only one more episode left, there are still so many unanswered questions!

How vast is Meridian's operation, and who is the mysterious Jericho? Can the other facilities be found, and those refugees saved?

Does the bio-agent already have a cure, as Elliot made it sound like the goal of this nefarious plot was to profit from it by marketing a vaccine? 

Will Emily trust Cal again? Will Cal forgive Emily for turning on him just hours after they slept together? Do these two have a future as a couple?

When will Emily and Nick make it back home to their family?

And most importantly, will Emily Byrne ever find peace?

Hit the BIG, BLUE, SHOW COMMENTS BUTTON down below to share your theories and answer our questions, then let's head on to Absentia Season 3 Episode 10 for what is sure to be a stunning conclusion. 

The post Absentia Season 3 Episode 9 Review: Tenebris appeared first on TV Fanatic.

After everything he's been through up to Absentia Season 3 Episode 8, you would think he'd be begging to get back home.

But despite being physically and psychologically tortured, Nick wasn't thinking about himself. 

He was thinking about those kids trying to survive in the woods because their parents had been abducted and thrown into what was supposed to be a refugee camp. 

Nick knew that some of their parents were likely already dead and that the fate of the others was to have their bodies cut open and their organs sold off to the highest bidder. 

Nick couldn't just go home and live his life and turn his back on that. Not even after getting to talk to Flynn to tell him he loved him. 

Emily: I promised Flynn I would bring you home.

Nick: I know but if it was Flynn, if it was Flynn out here, I’d hope someone would do the same for him.

_{🔗 permalink: I know but if it was Flynn, if it was Flynn out here, I’d hope someone would do the same for…}

Nick's reaction to hearing his son's voice was almost as powerful as his sobs when he realized that Emily had come to save him. 

But can Nick and Emily save those prisoners by themselves? 

I have to believe that Cal is on their side, whether Emily believes it or not. 

Cal didn't expect to end up impersonating a guard at that prison camp. When Emily ditched him on the side of the road without a weapon but wearing that uniform, Cal had little choice but to make the best of it. 

His only goal at the prison seemed to be to take out Armstrong, but with Emily unconscious, I'm hoping Cal's plans have changed. 

Elliot, aka the Gardner, is a horror show. I think Dawkins possesses more of a soul than Elliot does. He didn't give a damn about the nurse, and most scientists probably exhibit more empathy towards lab mice than he does towards those refugees. 

Elliott: I’d like to say I’m sorry for this but that would be a lie.

_{🔗 permalink: I’d like to say I’m sorry for this but that would be a lie.}

However, I am curious to disover the nature of Meridian's experiments, as it seems it may have to do with more than organ harvesting. 

When Emily and Nick stumbled upon that mass grave, I wondered how many of those kids' parents were dumped into it and how many more mass graves are out there. 

At least they know the FBI and Interpol are sending a team, but with Meridian already moving and killing the prisoners, will it be too late?

It was interesting that Emily chose Crowne as the one person she trusted to call at the FBI, but with Nick and Cal gone, I suppose that makes some sense. 

And thank goodness they decided to make that call because if they hadn't, help would have never arrived. 

Crowne was stunned to hear Nick's voice on the other end of the line, and even more shocked to learn that he had spoken with Agent Thompson the previous night. 

It didn't take long for Crowne to figure out who was in the office when Nick and Emily's files were accessed, and who was there when Thompson got that phone call. 

Gunnarsen was absolutely right. You don't accuse someone as high up as Director Webb of being a traitor unless you have irrefutable proof, and the coincidence of him being in the office at the right time isn't enough. 

How will they investigate Webb when he's the one in charge? It wouldn't surprise me if Julianne will have to use her personal connection with him to lay a trap.

This being a show that frequently throws us curve balls, I have to wonder if either Crowne or Gunnarsen could be setting Webb up to look like the traitor when it's really one of them.

Gunnarsen: Off the top of your head, any suspects come to mind?

Crowne: Who isn’t one at this point?

_{🔗 permalink: Who isn’t one at this point?}

Back out at the farmhouse, Flynn worried about his grandfather and called Jack. As much as I understood why he did that, and why Jack drove out to check on them, I knew it spelled their doom.

Warren, as a retired cop, is adept at spotting and evading a tail, but Jack surely isn't, especially one as cagey as Dawkins. 

But what is Dawkins' plan? To grab Flynn and then go and try to find Emily, or to sit and wait until she calls? 

I'm hoping that Flynn, Warren, and Jack can somehow defeat Dawkins before Emily even knows he's at the farmhouse because she and Nick have enough to handle right now. 

I'm also rooting for Dawkins' demise to involve a bow and arrow, the wolf, and that old well, but we'll have to wait and see. As a side note, why wasn't that well properly marked and capped years ago? An old, open, well is a huge safety hazard. 

So what do you think, Absentia fans? 

Will Cal eventually team up with Nick and Emily to free those refugees and takedown Meridian?

Are Elliot's experiments about organ harvesting, or is there something even more sinister going on here?

Will Flynn, Jack, and Warren be able to save themselves without Emily and Nick's help?

And is Director Webb the mole, and if so, can Crowne and Gunnarsen expose him and take him down without ruining their careers or losing their lives?

Only two more episodes to go!

Before we head on to Absentia Season 3 Episode 9, hit that BIG, BLUE, SHOW COMMENTS BUTTON down below to share your answers for the mystery of Absentia.

The post Absentia Season 3 Episode 8 Review: Veritas Aequitas appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Perhaps it was inevitable.

Cal wasn't completely honest with either Gunnarson or Emily, and it was bound to come back to bite him. 

I just didn't expect it to come to a head so soon, or for Emily to dump him on the side of the road in the middle of a foreign country with Meridian's henchmen around every turn. 

Emily has been burned so many times in the past that it's a small miracle she's able to believe in anyone, but she trusted Cal both professionally and personally.

But all of his questions concerning Kai's files could easily be viewed with suspicion, and once that tattoo sparked her wariness, she began to question everything Nick had said and done since this case began.

Add to that the text from Gunnarson, and Emily assumed the worst. 

Emily: I don’t know what to believe! I don’t have time to figure out if I can fucking trust you!

_{🔗 permalink: I don’t know what to believe! I don’t have time to figure out if I can fucking trust you!}

Although pulling a gun on Cal and stranding him may appear harsh at first, it's also understandable. If he is working against her, he could easily stop her from rescuing Nick, and Emily couldn't risk that. 

I have to believe that Cal simply got himself in a bad position by trying to placate Gunnarson to help Emily. Or do I just want to believe that Cal is innocent when he's not?

He could have told Emily about his communications with Gunnarson. Emily would have understood why he'd have to keep Gunnarson in the loop in order to have access to FBI resources if they needed them. 

So why hide it from her?

Emily: I’m going to ask you a question and I need you to tell me the truth. That guard that we took out, the one in the storage room, he had the same tattoo as you. Why is that?

Cal: Yeah, we worked for the same outfit.

Emily: And the guard in the corridor?

Cal: It was Armstrong. He was my superior. The one who ordered me to kill the kid.

_{🔗 permalink: It was Armstrong. He was my superior. The one who ordered me to kill the kid.}

Cal has his secrets, but it appears he's come clean with the worst of them or has he? Is there more to his association with Meridian than he's saying?

I sincerely hope that this is all a big misunderstanding between Cal and Emily because they could make a great couple. 

They both comprehend why the other is damaged, and it's not going to scare either of them off. When Emily began having a panic attack in the freezer, I knew Cal would understand why and be able to help her through it. 

The look on Cal's face when she turned on him was painful. As they has just taken this huge step in their personal relationship, it must have hurt to have Emily turn on him like that…if he is innocent.

As a more immediate concern, Emily could probably use Cal's help to get Nick out of the country. 

Speaking of Nick, his plan to switch places with another prisoner paid off! 

His jump from the truck was harrowing, but I was shocked that no one else woke up and followed him. Maybe the other prisoners were more drugged than he was. 

All of those kids living in the woods were Syrian refugees whose parents were stolen by Meridian to likely be used for parts.

That's horrifying and made me wonder how often that's happening in real life. Much like homeless drug addicts, refugees are people who could go missing without much notice. 

When Nick finally got to the phone, I wondered who he'd call. I was a little surprised he didn't leave some sort of a message for Emily, so she'd at least know he was still alive. 

Calling the FBI was his second-best option, but when Agent Thompson picked up the phone, I knew it wasn't going to end well.

First, I still wondered if Thompson could have been the mole. Her quirky, somewhat naive answers to Crown and Gunnarson could mean she was beyond suspicion, or it could mean she was brilliantly playing a role to throw her superiors off track.

Julianne: The most common motivations for betraying one’s country are greed, ego, and patriotism.

Thompson: Mine would be money.

Derek: Come again?

Thompson: Crushing student loans. Everyone has a breaking point.

Derek: Remind me to keep you on my list.

_{🔗 permalink: Remind me to keep you on my list.}

When she didn't show up for her meeting with Crowne the next morning, I knew she was dead. 

Now the big question is, who came up behind her at the office? She obviously knew them, and he or she is likely the traitor and a murderer.

But it could be almost anyone! Not even Gunnarson or Crown are off the list. Julianne is so closed off that it always feels as though she's hiding something, and even Crowne's shock at finding Thompson could have been an act. 

But why would either of them be at the office so late? 

Could it be Director Webb? If he's working for Meridian, then the best way to hide it may be to put himself in charge of the case.

Right now, there's no obvious answer, and almost everyone is still a suspect. 

Back to Nick's rescue…

I'm relieved that Emily found him because I'm not sure I could have taken any more scenes of Nick being tortured. 

However, it was heartbreaking when Nick opened his eyes, saw Emily, and began to sob. I'm sure he must have thought the odds were stacked against him, and he'd likely die and never see his family again. 

I'm sure he had hoped that the FBI was coming for him, but in the end, the one person he could count on is Emily. 

So what do you think Absentia fans, who killed Agent Thompson?

Could the mole be someone close to Emily and Nick? 

Did Cal betray Emily, or did Emily let her paranoia get the better of her? And if Cal did nothing wrong, can their personal relationship survive?

Finally, can Emily and Nick make it back to the U.S., and is there any way to stop Meridian from using vulnerable human beings for spare parts?

Hit that BIG, BLUE, SHOW COMMENTS BUTTON down below to share your answers, and then let's head on to Absentia Season 3 Episode 8 for more!

The post Absentia Season 3 Episode 7 Review: Liberavit appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Will they all survive and end up back together again?

Although Warren and Flynn seemed safest, I was concerned that Warren didn't have Flynn shut off his cell phone until after they got to the farmhouse.

Isn't that a little too late? If they were being tracked before he shut it down, wouldn't that phone have led them to this location?

I hope I'm wrong because the one thing that would destroy Emily is losing Flynn. 

I was proud of Flynn when he said guns weren't his thing. Most teenage boys would be eager to pick up a firearm and learn how to use it.

But Flynn's life has been marred by violence for years, so a weapon doesn't hold the cool factor it might for a more naive kid. 

Flynn: I just don’t want to be scared anymore.

Warren: The world can be a scary place. Sometimes you just have to confront it head-on. I have, your mom has, someday you will too. You’re a part of this tribe, Flynn. Don’t ever doubt that, or yourself.

_{🔗 permalink: The world can be a scary place. Sometimes you just have to confront it head-on. I have, your…}

But after seeing his Mom's prowess with the bow and arrow in those photos, Flynn may have found his niche.

I'm sure Warren will be thrilled to teach him and, given the prevalence of threats in their lives, there's little doubt that the skill will eventually come in handy.

As long as Flynn doesn't have to use it on that wolf.  

The wolf watching Flynn was probably as surprised to see the teen as Flynn was to see him. It appears no one has lived on that property for years, and the animal probably crosses it frequently and never sees a soul. 

It looked as though he was watching Flynn with curiosity instead of viewing him as a threat or prey. 

Or since Emily is such a lone wolf, maybe this was a representation of her spirit animal keeping watch over her son. 

Speaking of Emily, she's found a partner in more ways than one. 

When Cal shared his story about killing the teen in the Middle East, he clearly trusted Emily with the worst parts of himself.

Cal: We did a lot of bad things that year and when I came home I couldn’t relate to the real world. All these people with normal lives. I was like this alien monster who had done horrible things that no one knew about. So I made a choice; live like an outsider for the rest of my life, or try and connect with humanity even though I’d lost my own.

Emily: How did you do that?

Cal: By recognizing that everyone has a monster inside them but not everyone gets to see theirs. I got a good look at mine and I put a wall around it. I locked that monster away.

_{🔗 permalink: By recognizing that everyone has a monster inside them but not everyone gets to see theirs. I…}

Emily feels as though she's found a kindred, broken spirit in Cal. When she initiated their physical relationship, I assumed it was just sex, simply a release for all of their pain.

But then Emily whispered to Cal that she loved him and I was blown away. 

Thankfully, Emily seems more emotionally stable than when she was with Tommy, and she and Cal feel as though they are on more equal footing. 

Emily and Cal work well together, but it's unclear how that will transfer over to their personal lives. Emily quitting the FBI may make things easier for them personally, although I have no idea what Emily will do next professionally. 

Also, I don't see how she can date Cal and still live with her ex-husband. That seems awkward! 

But all of that is assuming Cal survives their latest mission, and that Cal isn't the mole. 

When Cal asked Emily if she had Kai's files, my heart sunk. Yes, it makes sense that he'd ask now that they're more closely working together, but it still left me with a sick feeling in my stomach.

Because if Cal ends up being a traitor, I don't know how Emily will be able to trust another human soul ever again. 

Trust was in short supply back at the FBI too.

Michelle: God, I hate that place. All those people and their secrets. You should have left when I asked you to.

Julianne: If I could go back there’s a lot of things I’d do differently. I’m sorry. Thank you for being so loyal. I didn’t appreciate that enough when I had the chance.

_{🔗 permalink: If I could go back there’s a lot of things I’d do differently. I’m sorry. Thank you for being…}

Michelle was quick to run to Julianne after her run-in with Crowne, and it does show her loyalty to her ex-girlfriend. 

When Michelle chastized Crowne for no one at the office knowing about Julianne's mother's death, I desperately wanted to point out that it was Gunnarson's decision not to share that with anyone. 

It's wrong to blame people for not caring if you never give them the chance to do so. 

I'm still unsure about Julianne. Being the one in charge can be a delicate line to walk, and I understood the impulse to lash out at Crowne for digging into her personal life. 

But was she really as contrite as she tried to sound when she later apologized? I hope so, but I'm not convinced. 

And throughout all of this, Nick's captors changed tactics from psychological to physical torture. 

Has it ever occurred to them that Nick might not have Kai's files or know how to access them? Or is it better for Nick that they still believe he's holding out?

If they think Nick knows nothing, they could strip his body for organs and dump him in some corner of the world where he might never be found. 

Will Nick switching places with another prisoner increase his chances of survival or make them worse? 

Emily and Cal were so close to finding Nick, but if the complex had been fully manned, could they have gotten Nick out and gotten away? That would have been a serious challenge, even for them. 

But with the prisoners moved, will they be able to track Nick, espeically since his own captors may not know where he's heading after his impromptu line swap?

It's anyone's guess as we move onto Absentia Season 3 Episode 7!

First, tell me, do Emily and Cal have what it takes to be a long-term couple, or are they doomed?

Will Nick's move help or hurt his chances of escape?

And are Warren and Flynn sitting ducks out on the farm? 

Hit that BIG, BLUE, SHOW COMMENTS BUTTON  down bellow 

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At least in his own head.

Nick blames himself for not continuing to search for Emily when everyone thought she was dead. He fears he only fell in love with Alice to erase the pain of losing Emily.

On top of all that, Nick hates himself for both not seeing who Alice truly was, and not being able to save her. 

Nurse (as Alice): You make promises, you break them. You did it to Emily. You did it to me. You’ll do it to Kai too.

_{🔗 permalink: You make promises, you break them. You did it to Emily. You did it to me. You’ll do it to Kai…}

That's a lot of self-recrimination for one man, and it's given Nick's captors plenty to torture him with. 

Despite all of that, it was good to see Alice again, even if she was only a drug-induced hallucination. 

Alice loved Nick and Flynn as best as she was able to while being implanted in their lives for another purpose, but she always felt second best to Emily Byrne. 

When Emily returned, it changed everything, and Nick was doomed no matter what he did.

He'd sworn to love two women for the rest of his life, but his first wife was irrevocably changed after being held captive for six years, and his new wife had secrets that would make real love impossible.

Nick internalized the blame for much of this, but in reality, he had little control over any of it. 

Right now, the only control he has is to attempt to survive this torment until someone can help him escape.

And that someone is Emily. 

Emily's alliance with Rowena was intriguing. They went through Quantico training together, and at some point, it appears Rowena went rogue. 

There's obviously a lot more to this story, and how it involves Emily Byrne. I'm guessing we'll learn all about it when Rowena calls in that favor. 

Rowena: You owe me, Emily, and I will call it in one day. And when I do I expect you to show up.

_{🔗 permalink: You owe me, Emily, and I will call it in one day. And when I do I expect you to show up.}

There appeared to be an undercurrent of intimidation between Rowena and Emily, and there aren't a lot of people in the world who intimidate Byrne. 

The way that Rowena got so physically close to Emily after her shower and whispered in her ear made me question the foundation of their relationship, but again, we'll have to wait to get those answers too. 

Emily being able to ditch Dawkins was a relief. He's not the one in charge, simply the hired fixer, and his odd demeanor was beginning to wear on me. 

As for the fundraiser, every season of Absentia should have a party scene just so we can see Stana Katic decked out in an incredible dress. 

Did anyone else have a bad feeling about Border Outreach?

When Brigitte said the organization was involved in reducing the population of homeless refugees in the E.U., I couldn't help but wonder if that meant they were stealing their organs, killing them, and dumping their bodies in other parts of the world. 

Back at the FBI, Julianne made it clear she doesn't trust the agents she works with, especially Crowne, who she called an idiot. 

But Crowne appears smart enough not to put his trust in anyone easily, including Julianne. Let's just hope his trust in Agent Thompson isn't misplaced.

Thompson: Special Agent Crown, thank you.

Crowne: For what?

Thompson: For trusting me.

Crowne: You were literally the only option.

Thompson: Oh.

_{🔗 permalink: You were literally the only option.}

The way Thompson's face fell when Crowne explained why he was trusting her was a little heartbreaking, but if she's smart, and not the mole, she'll make the most of this opportunity. 

Julianne doesn't particularly trust Cal either as she threatened to use his questionable past with Meridian to strong-arm him into keeping her updated.

Gunnarson needs to learn that bullying and intimidation will only get her so far, and that true loyalty is earned.

And Cal's loyalty lies with Emily.

Cal's conversation with his old friend was enlightening. The man said he still has nightmares about the bodies. It's clear that his dealings with Meridian and what they "made us do" still haunt him. 

He's also absolutely terrified that helping Cal will put him and his family in danger. That said, he still chose to help Cal, which shows how strong their bond still is. 

Dawkins had compared himself and Emily to werewolves that were forced to roam alone, but that's not the case for Emily because she has Cal.

Cal and Emily appear to be kindred spirits as chaos seems to follow them both, even when they try to live somewhat normal lives.

It was such a relief when Cal showed up.

Emily: Why are you here?

Cal: I had vacation days. I thought it would be a good time of the year to see Berlin.

_{🔗 permalink: I had vacation days. I thought it would be a good time of the year to see Berlin.}

I know Emily is more than capable, but getting to Nick won't be easy. He's locked in a prison with cameras everywhere, and Emily has Dawkins and Meridian on her tail determined to get to Kai's files. 

As long as Cal isn't a traitor, and maybe it's wishful thinking, but I don't believe he is, Cal and Emily make a great team. The odds of successfully rescuing Nick and getting him back to the U.S. have to be better if these two are working together. 

So what did you think, Absentia fans? Were Gunnarson's threats useful in getting Cal to comply, or shortsighted and counterproductive?

Is Crowne the idiot that Julianne believes him to be, or will he figure out who the mole is in the FBI?

Can Agent Thompson be trusted, or is she the biggest wild card of all?

Will Nick be overwhelmed by his guilt, or can he hang onto his sanity until Emily can save him?

And am I right to suspect Border Outreach of being behind the organ harvesting ring?

Hit that BIG, BLUE, SHOW COMMENTS BUTTON down below to share your thoughts, and then let's check out Absentia Season 3 Episode 6!

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Is it a risky plan? Yes.

Is there a better one on the horizon? Not that I can see.  

Emily: I just keep pulling people into this chaos and in the end, no one’s going to be left standing.

_{🔗 permalink: I just keep pulling people into this chaos and in the end, no one’s going to be left standing.}

Emily felt guilty for Kai's death, but it wasn't her fault.

She didn't drag Kai into this. Kai came to Nick with her information and then refused FBI protection. Kai's belief that Meridian had sources in the FBI may have been correct, but again, that has nothing to do with Emily.

If anything, this is chaos that Kai brought into Nick's life, but Emily is the one who will have to dive into it headfirst in order to save her family. 

Emily was assuming that there's a person within the FBI who is feeding information to Meridian, and that may be correct, but I have another theory. 

What if Meridian has hacked into the FBI's communication systems? That also could have given them access to Nick's home address, Emily's file from Quantico, and once Crowne ordered a team to the mall, it could have led them to Kai. 

Perhaps the mole is an insidious computer virus and not an actual person. 

Or perhaps that's wishful thinking because I don't want to believe that Cal or Derek is a traitor. I don't even want to believe it's Julianne. 

Julianne's conversation with her girlfriend–or was it ex-girlfriend–was telling. She considers Emily all "guts and instinct," and that bothers her. Julianne is so emotionally closed off that she finds Emily difficult to relate to. 

Julianne: Now we should be working together on this, and yet here we are, two steps behind you, and I want to know why.

Emily: Because I don’t work with people I can’t trust.

_{🔗 permalink: Because I don’t work with people I can’t trust.}

It was ironic that Gunnarson seemed to be chastizing Emily for not working with the FBI when she told Emily she was still suspended and wasn't allowed on the case. 

Emily has never completedly trusted Julianne because I don't think Emily is capable of trusting anyone outside of her immediate family. She's been burned, badly, too many times in the past.

Emily will never forgive Gunnarson for killing Alice, but I can see both sides. Julianne saw Alice holding a gun on one of her agent, and she fired. I understand why the incident was considered justified.

But the flip side is that she didn't even try to gain Alice's attention or talk her down. Julianne shot and killed Alice, and Emily has always wondered if she did it purposefully to hide something.

It can be challenging to read Julianne and decipher her motivations, maybe because she compartmentalizes her emotions so well. 

When Gunnarson threw Emily's psychological evaluation in her face, I knew it wasn't going to go well, but I didn't expect Emily to punch her in the face. 

And a hell of a punch that was! 

Emily: My future here was over the day that you killed Nick’s wife.

_{🔗 permalink: My future here was over the day that you killed Nick’s wife.}

Emily's career with the FBI appears to be over, but Cal continues to treat her like a partner and even encourage her when things look bleak.

Cal: Never fear to deliberately walk through dark places for that is how we reach the light on the other side.

_{🔗 permalink: Never fear to deliberately walk through dark places for that is how we reach the light on the…}

Is that because he's loyal to Emily and wants to find Nick, or is he somehow hip-deep in this mess? 

The tone of Cal's voice sounded strange when he asked Emily what was in the files. It was somehow both hesitant and over-eager at the same time. 

Cal knows more about Meridian than he's letting on, but is it classified information he's not allowed to share or is he secretly a part of the criminal enterprise?

I found it shocking that Emily didn't realize that Dawkins would go after Flynn next. Anyone who would abduct an FBI agent and transport him out of the country would have no qualms about going after her son to get what they wanted.

She was lucky that Flynn has inherited his mother's genes for detecting danger. It's not just anyone who can avoid a trained killer like Dawkins.

Sometimes I forget that Warren is a retired cop, and I did just that here until he mentioned knowing how to get rid of a tail. Hopefully, Warren and Flynn have gotten away quietly enough to keep them both safe. 

I don't think Emily could survive losing Flynn.

When Emily made that mysterious phone call, I had no idea to whom she was talking, and I was surprised when she got into the car with Dawkins.

But other than believing that Nick may have been transported to Berlin, Germany, Emily has no idea how to find him, and Dawkins is her only link to his location.

Will Dawkins buy that the cloned files are real? Will Emily ever figure out Kai's password to open them? 

And even if Dawkins does accept the files, is there any chance he'll actually return Nick or lead Emily to him?

Poor Nick is being physically and psychologically tortured by people who appear to have information about every detail of his personal and professional life. 

The woman with the scarred face who looked mildly receptive to Nick's offer of FBI help didn't look the least bit open to the idea now, which drove home how hopeless Nick's current situation is. 

Even if Nick was willing to tell them what they want, does he even know where Kai kept the files? 

What do you think, Absentia fans? Was Julianne out of line in bringing up Emily's psychological evaluation? 

Will Emily regret punching her? 

And is a person feeding Meridian their information, or is a hacker or virus stealing it for them?

Let's head on to Absentia Season 3 Episode 5, but first, hit that BIG, BLUE, SHOW COMMENTS BUTTON down below to give us your opinions on Absentia!

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That's the advice given in the title of Absentia Season 3 Episode 3, and Emily is going to have to learn about this new adversary quickly if she wants to save Nick. 

When Kai told Emily that Meridan had sources everywhere, she wasn't kidding. 

Dawkins was ready for Emily's plan at the mall. It was as though he knew what she was up to before he sat down in that chair.

The man he sent to hunt down Kai was huge! When you compared him to Kai, who is quite small, it really drove home her sense of helplessness as she attempted to fight him off. 

I kept hoping that Kai would scream and draw attention to herself, but I'm not sure a crowd of people would have scared the guy off. He may have ended up killing any good samaritans in order to get to Kai.

The moment I realized that Kai was being chased through one of the mall's upper levels, I knew that she was going to get tossed over the railing.

The only surprise was that she was somehow still alive and conscious as she lay bleeding down below, but I fear her chances of survival aren't very good. 

Even if Kai manages to survive the fall, I can't imagine that Meridan won't kill her in the hospital, especially considering how easy Dawkins found it to kill Kristophe. 

Does Emily have any way of getting the files that Kai has been hiding? 

Those files lead me to wonder if Meridian sent that big, angry, brute to kill Kai or capture her. Abducting her makes more sense because then they'd likely torture her for the information. 

But with injuries that will likely include multiple broken bones, internal bleeding, and traumatic brain damage, even if Kai lives, will she remember where she hid the information or be able to communicate it to anyone?

Kai: None of this would have happened if I hadn’t come to your house. I put your family in danger. Nick’s one of the good guys, that’s why I went to him for help in the first place. Emily, please. Let me fix what I started.

_{🔗 permalink: None of this would have happened if I hadn’t come to your house. I put your family in danger….}

Curiously, Kai somehow assessed that Nick was one of the good guys. How? Had they worked together before? She was so sure that being brought into the FBI wasn't safe because Meridian has sources everywhere, but she trusted Nick.

Does that mean Kai knows there's a mole inside the FBI? If she does, why not tell Nick or Emily? 

Kai silence leaves us trying to figure that out for ourselves. 

As Crowne said, Julianne Gunnarson is a bureaucrat. She wasn't about to allow Emily to help on this case. First, she's still on suspension, second, it involves her ex-husband, and third, she was just stabbed! 

I may not trust Gunnarson, but I can't fault her logic. 

As for Derek Crown himself, I'd be shocked if he turns out to be a mole for Meridian. I just don't feel that vibe off of him. 

Emily: So, what, you’re Gunnarson’s lapdog now, Derek?

Crowne: No, I jumped through hoops for you, not her, and it cost me everything.

Emily: And what did it cost me? I’m not going in, Derek.

_{🔗 permalink: And what did it cost me? I’m not going in, Derek.}

Sending in those other agents to tail Emily was a combination of him doing his job and trying to protect Emily. 

Do I think Derek can be trusted completely? He's loyal to his fellow FBI agents to a point, but he'll protect himself and his career over anyone else in the end.  

And then there's Nick.

The beating Nick took was savage, and then they stripped him, duct-taped him, and transporting him in a coffin…

To Europe!

I know Kai had to work fast to track down that video feed, and knowing that Nick is no longer in the country is a help, but not by much.

Having an entire continent to search is daunting. 

Wherever Nick is being held, it seems to specialize in human suffering as even Nick's caretaker/guard had severe burn scars on her face. The woman gave Nick a look that said she might like to help him and take advantage of  being aided by the FBI, but with cameras everywhere, it's unlikely. 

I was shocked that Nick made it as far as he did during his attempted escape. He's injured, and in the middle of nowhere, so he's going to need some assistance to get out.

I just hope they don't torture him again because that's not something I want to watch. 

As for Emily, she's not much of a team player. but I don't see how she gets to Nick without help, but will Julianne let her in or lock her up? 

Cal is willing to help, and we know he'll put everyting on the line to help Emily, but what is his connection to Meridian?

Emily trusts Cal and they're good partners. If it turns out even Cal is betraying her, well, I don't even want to think about that. 

I've got to give a quick shout out to the Boston P.D. officers mentioning the late Detective Tommy Gibbs. 

Like Emily, I miss Tommy. If I could magically bring back one of the many characters who have been killed on this series, Tommy would be it. 

So what do you think of this season's mystery so far, Absentia fans? 

Will Kai live? Will Emily work with the FBI or will she go completely rogue? And will Cal be there to help?

Before we move on to Abesentia Season 3 Episode 4, hit that BIG, BLUE, SHOW COMMENTS button down below and share your thoughts about "Nosce Inimicum."

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