In the latest mysterious television show from ABC–which is shockingly not produced, directed, or written by Shonda Rhimes–a new class of recruits arrives at the famed FBI training ground, Quantico. Several months later, New York City’s Grand Central Station lies in ruins and recruit Alex Parrish (Priyanka Chopra) wakes up amidst them, completely unaware of how she got there. Taken into custody, Parrish is cross-examined about her classmates, but it’s clear that her interrogator believes she was responsible for the explosion.
While it’s unclear who exactly we’re rooting for – except for Parrish (I think?) – it’s very obvious that none of our newbie agents is completely truthful about why they are there. Parrish lies about how her father died and we find out why she was motivated to deceive her mother and join the federal agents. One of her peers will commit suicide by the end of the pilot episode; another fakes a gay relationship to build a back story; a third is actually both the third and fourth agents because Yasmine al Masri is playing twins. Back stories? Everyone has more than one.
While we’re completely in the dark about who people really are, it’s clear that one of the greatest attacks on American soil is the predominant driving tension in the show. Who did it? Why did it happen? What was the motivation? This is the current realistic reality of our country, and Quantico is counting on our fear and uncertainty.
While the overarching mythos will be unpacking that bombing attack, I’m always most fascinated by people who are trying to figure out their identity. Is Parrish a reliable narrator? Can we trust that she is a good guy? Why does she play centrally in the investigation?
It appears that to get to the bottom of the conspiracy, Parrish will have to figure out who she is and remember what happened on the days leading up to the attack. Either way, the show’s creators have guaranteed that I’ll be watching.
Quantico airs at 10 p.m. on Sunday nights on ABC.