Recap: The Assassin "Episode 2"

 

A secret comes to light as Julie faces off against an old friend. Here's a recap and review of The Assassin, Episode 2.

The action picks up immediately as Julie, Edward, and Luka reach Kayla's yacht and swiftly leave the island. Just as they dry off and change, Sean, Julie's ex-boyfriend and a professional assassin, boards the boat. Their reunion turns deadly when Sean reveals he was offered a contract to kill Julie. The confrontation ends badly for him when he is killed, and his factual, lethal background is shown to the others.

Julie finally comes clean, revealing to Kayla that she was initially sent to kill her. She asks Kayla why someone wants both of them dead, leading them to agree to travel to Damien's (Julie's contact) last known location in Albania.

Kayla confesses a major secret to Edward: Jasper, the former IT manager for her family business, who is now imprisoned in Libya, emailed her weeks ago. He mentioned information on "Chantaines," which could destroy the company unless brought to light. While Julie suspects Kayla's brother, Ezra, is involved due to his shady behavior, he later reveals his only goal is to remove his sister's charitable foundation from the family company. Adding to the intrigue, Edward, who is an investigative journalist, is secretly working on a story about the Cross family.

Meanwhile, Jasper, still in prison, is being extracted by a guard after his fingers are cut off. He narrowly flees just as Cross's men arrive to kill him.

At the beginning and end of the episode, we are introduced to Marie, a woman attending an art class. By the end, she asks pointed questions about her drawing, revealing an intense interest in Edward's parentage.

"Episode 2" was fun and enjoyable, especially watching Edward try to dance around his mother's lies to Kayla. Julie and Sean's first encounter on the yacht, complete with the thrilling kitchen fight scene, was a real highlight. While the central plot, a business owner trying to prevent "Chantaines" from falling into the wrong hands, feels a bit weak, the expanding web of secrets is captivating.

It will be interesting to see how Julie and Edward's collaboration evolves, since they are both now secretly working the same case. Their working together makes perfect sense. Once again, Keeley Hawes delivers another solid performance as the composed, secretly lethal Julie. Overall, I give this episode an 8/10.

What did you think of episode 2? What do you think "Chantaines" is, and how will Marie's interest in Edward's parentage affect the investigation? Leave a comment.

You can catch The Assassin streaming on AMC+ on Thursdays.