I’m pretty sure that one of the demands from the USA Network, in terms of keeping Covert Affairs on the air, is a mandatory episode, every season, with Auggie getting as naked as possible.  If it’s at all some kind of secret “quid pro quo” arrangement, the producers certainly banked some goodwill after this episode, because I don’t think we’ve seen this much of Auggie in a long time.

 

Not that this was all about Auggie, his love life, and how that was complicating the already uncomfortable tension between him and Annie this season.  There was also quite a bit for the Annie Walker fans to appreciate, from that slinky dress that she wore while trying to get into the bank to her expert use of feminine wiles with the Russian gun enthusiast (and terrorist suspect).  I wouldn’t necessarily say that the producers are intentionally dialing up the sexual quotient this season, but it was apparent in this episode that the hints it would factor prominently into the character arcs were far from deceptive.

 

One thing I liked was the return of one of Auggie’s past relationships.  Natasha wasn’t the kind of character that one typically expects to return, given that she seemed to be a one-off character from the earlier seasons, when the show was still finding its footing.  But why not?  Auggie has had to work through a lot of raw deals when it comes to his love life, and Annie is actually just the latest and most obvious example.

 

So it’s a little ironic that as Joan chews out Calder for giving in to the temptation of problematic emotional ties, she cites the close partnership between Annie and Auggie as one of their strengths.  Hasn’t Joan seen for herself, especially in terms of recent career impediments, how these sorts of working relationships can cut both ways?

 

Just focusing on the Auggie side of the equation, he’s a bit compromised.  I think everyone was already mightily suspicious of Hayley, and that situation hasn’t changed one bit.  If she is playing Auggie and working for The Postman, then pissing her off by getting into a romance with a former flame with a highly questionable past is not going to help at all.  It’s a little weird that Annie would try to make things better with Auggie by overlooking the potential for trouble, since she knows on some level that he’s with someone else at the moment.

 

It may all be wrapped up in the awkwardness of their current status quo, which again speaks to why Joan’s comments made her look unobservant.  Auggie may have been speaking out of anger and resentment, but what he said to Annie was justified.  She has come back from her “death” a changed person, shut down emotionally in a lot of ways, and she’s not really reciprocating the level of personal loyalty that Auggie has over the years.  It’s a delicate balance, since Auggie’s decision to put Annie first is actually not a good thing in a lot of situations (where it trumps their mission of national security), but Annie’s decision to use Auggie’s willingness to see to her interests is a valid concern.  If trust continues to erode between them, it will not end well.