BWW Recap: INTRUDERS Hits Where it Hurts

If you're still reeling from the revelation that Amy, Jack's once-loving wife, is Rose, the head honcho calling all the shots for Qui Reverti, you're not alone. INTRUDERS dropped that bombshell on us at the end of last week's episode and hasn't looked back since. There hasn't yet been an episode this emotionally intense. Relationships are tested, bonds are broken, drama runs rampant, and you can't help but be drawn in and feel every little thing right alongside the characters.

There's no opening scene to ease us into the episode; we pick up right where we left off and I, for one, can't be more curious. Jack spies on Rose's room - appropriately draped in red - from across the hall, but we get an insider's point of view as we enter Rose's lair (it's basically a lair, right?) with Richard. Rose, in her typically creepy manner, reveals to Richard that Amy has "gone to sleep." Richard seems completely unfazed by this, just as he is unfazed by pretty much everything. He gets right down to business: he tells Rose that other Shepherds are out looking for Frank's killer, and that Frank told him about her side project before he died. Richard expresses interest in picking up where Frank left off regarding this project, whatever it may be, because he has a past with her. Rose quickly corrects him, though: his past is with Amy, not Rose. She explains that since Cranfield has gone to "the adjourned" (AKA, Land of the Mummies), she now has complete power. She's never quite clear, though, about the nature of her power. One second she says she's in charge, and the next second, she explains that the job Frank was completing for her was prevented by Qui Reverti and that they'd be killed if the Reverti ever found out.

Sound familiar? It does to Richard, too. Rose wants to bring someone back, off the books, from her previous life - just like Richard did with Marcus. He talks this plan out, claiming that, despite Rose's power, she's about to become a member of The Nine and therefore cannot undertake this risky plan on her own. In the end, she accepts his help, reveals her target, and sends Richard on his way. The whole operation is very underhanded and stealthy. Does Richard have other reasons for helping Rose? We know why he helped Marcus come back off the books, but why help Rose if you're against Qui Reverti's practice of guarding the secrets to immortality? So many questions! I love it!

Poor Jack doesn't love it, though. His entire life has been turned upside down. After leaving Le Soleil, he goes home and calls Amy to ask where she is. He's trying to catch her in a lie, and boy does he. He claims to be out with Gary, and Amy says she's at home, lonely without him. He goes along with the lie and says he'll be home soon, so what he does next, he must do quickly. Surely Amy will be making her way back, too, so she doesn't get caught lying. Jack grabs his gun and ransacks the house, looking for...well, we're not really sure what he's looking for, and I'm not sure he knows, either. But what he finds changes everything. He searches Amy's desk and finds a huge stack of papers: she's filing for divorce. He pauses, but only for a moment, before resuming his search. In Amy's safe, he sees not one, but two Qui Reverti books, just like the one Marcus has. Under the books, he finds a pen, a rock, a trumpet's mouthpiece, nail polish, and a coin. Jack has no clue what these random items are (or, more importantly, why the heck they're guarded by a locked safe), but he knows they're important. As for us, we know they're triggers. But who do they trigger?

Jack panics and assumes full LAPD attack mode when he sees a shadowy figure coming toward the house. Is it Amy? Is he going to shoot Amy?! No, it's not Amy. It's only Brud and Bobbi, the neighbors and owners of the local bookstore, coming to check on the house after hearing a strange noise. Something seems off about them, though, but Jack can't quite put his finger on it.

Meanwhile, in Chinatown, Rose and Richard are getting down to business. Richard sits down in a restaurant (who knew he could speak Chinese!) and starts conversing with his waiter, Peter. Evidently, Peter is important to Rose. But who is he? We get a clue when Richard plays jazz music - the same that Amy's been obsessively listening to since episode one - and Peter begins to sweat. He's nervous. He knows he's been discovered. Richard calls Rose to confirm his identity, and Richard looks very satisfied with himself.

Brud and Bobbi don't seem as satisfied. Sure, Jack's put his gun down, but according to them, he's not understanding. Understanding what, though? Jack's confused, and rightfully so. Brud and Bobbi don't directly answer anything. They answer in riddle-like phrases, suggesting that Jack is lucky and "she" is appreciative for all he did for Amy. When Brud pulls out his gun and tells Jack that he needs to leave, things heat up. Jack, once again channeling his inner cop, gathers his things and makes small talk with Mr. and Mrs. Creep, who follow silently behind him the entire time. Jack's about to make a move when Amy shows up and dismisses Brud and Bobbi, who obey her commands and go home without a fight.

The thunderstorm outside perfectly reflects the tense relationship between Jack and the woman who was once his wife. Jack is done. He calls Amy out on everything: on the books, the ceremony he witnessed with Gary, the items from the safe, everything. Rose demands the triggers, but Jack demands answers. Rose explains everything in a disturbingly calm manner, but Jack can't handle it. When Rose suggests that since Amy has been gone for so long, Jack was perhaps in love with Rose, not Amy, Jack snaps. Just as the divorce papers suggested, any relationship Jack though he could salvage is clearly destroyed. In a moment of desperation, he kisses Rose. He wants more than anything to prove to himself that Amy is still in there, deep down, but when Rose claims to have fought against the baby (remember Amy's miscarriage?), Jack loses it completely. He holds her by her neck against the wall, stone faced as she struggles to breathe. He can't bring himself to totally suffocate the woman he still believes is his wife and he releases his grip. Before leaving, Rose speaks about burying the baby and leaves her ring behind, as a trigger for Jack in his next life.

A bomb has been dropped on Jack's life. He's never suffered like he's suffering now. He's alone with no one to lean on, and he's starting to question everything his wife has ever said or done. He has flashbacks to the events surrounding Amy's miscarriage and starts noticing irregularities in Amy's behavior. He's disgusted when he realizes that Rose has, in fact, been around for a lot longer than he thought. In a moment of revelation, Jack discovers that his baby, who Amy (or was it Rose?) said was cremated, is actually buried in the woods behind their house.

Now that she's done with Jack, Rose has bigger concerns to tend to. Richard explains the risks of bringing somebody back off the books (he would know), but Rose wants to push forward. To her, bringing her love back is worth risking immortality. Richard and Rose visit Peter at his apartment and begin preparing him for his return back to this world.

The concluding scene of this episode is heart-wrenchingly beautiful. The Seattle detective interviews Madison's mother at the scene of Marcus' crime, but she can't bring herself to speak of anything but how she's failed Madison as a mother. Her interview plays as a voice over as Jack runs to the woods, finds his son's grave, and holds his baby's body for the first time. We leave Jack, sobbing, curled up in the fetal position, cradling his baby next to his grave.

John Simm's performance was devastating and haunting and beautiful, all at the same time. The final image perfectly sums up every emotion that runs rampant throughout this episode, leaving viewers feeling just as confused, angry, and sad beyond belief, right alongside the protagonists. There are only two more episodes left this season, and if tonight's episode was any indicator, they're going to be so, so good.

What did you think about tonight's episode? Did you feel all the feels, too? Let us know in the comments below so we can all commiserate together.

Photo Credit: BBC America

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