What Is Burning – The show begins with a man greeting people. He gets into a scuffle with another man, throwing him off the roof before he is gunned down.

A young man, riding a commuter bus tells a black man to get out of his country. They get into a shoving match, prompting another man to join in. When the bus stops, the young man takes off running, with three men in tow. A woman approaches a mother, stabbing her in the side before abducting her baby. Another woman approaches from behind, body slamming her. A struggle ensues.

Rebecca “Becca” Leah Franklin (Lydia Fleming) calls her dad to alert him of their arrival in Madrid. Becca is with her mother, Jenny Franklin (Margarita Levieva) on their way to the motel. Jenny gets excited when she looks out the window. Upon their arrival at the hotel, she addresses Becca as “baby.”  She immediately responds, saying none of the baby stuff, mom. Jenny describes it as a term of endearment before ordering her to get out of the car. Becca relents, calling her a monster.

Becca and Jenny meet Maddie Davis (Lola Mae Loughran) and Ladonna Davis (Amanda Bright) on their way into the hotel. Becca warns Maddie to not laugh at her. She understands her mother is overly protective. Jenny and Ladonna discuss the struggles of raising teenage girls. The girls are excited to see a US Figure Skating poster in the hotel lobby. Jenny struggles with her Spanish, with Ladonna’s help, she gets them all checked into the hotel. They are all impressed with their rooms. Becca sits on the bed while Jenny goes out on the balcony for fresh air. She joins Becca on the bed to apologize for earlier, contributing her behavior to being tired. Becca admits to not being in the best mood because of her menstrual cycle. She is still trying to adjust to Jenny being there. Jenny thought Becca was okay with her caring for Claire Reed (Anna Jobarteh) instead of her mother. Becca thought it would be different.

Becca accepts Jenny’s offer of Motrin when she returns from the toilet. Jenny takes this opportunity to look through Becca’s. Family photos make her emotional. Becca asks from the toilet if she has tampons. She says it was an oversight, with everything else, agreeing to go to a nearby store. A man tosses a smoke bomb in the elevator with Jenny. She frantically pushes the buttons as the elevator drops, the screen goes black.

Jenny wakes up on a sofa to see her surrounded by a group of people in black. She frantically reminds Chauncey (Cillian O’Sullivan) it’s against the law to abduct Americans off the street. He agrees, but they’re there, so it is possible. Chauncey taps on a chair for her to sit before they all remove their “Tom Cruise” sunglasses group remove their sunglasses. Jenny is confused as to why she is there, asking if they are with the CIA. Chauncey finds doodling helpful, going on a rant about NYC in the 90s when five powerful people were killed by a woman deemed “The Whisper.” Jenny gasps at the murder scene pictures, quickly turning away. There were never any sightings of the woman reported, leaving others “holding the bag.” Jenny rubs her chest, removing her sweater.

When Russia’s economy tanked, the CIA almost collapsed, allowing The Whisper to escape to freedom. Rumors suggest she joined a Bolivian revolution or the Mossad. Chauncey believes she capitalized on the opportunity to get a new identity. So, she could have a family. She looks distressed when he reveals her real name as Anya Petrova. He flips his notepad around, revealing a sketch of Anya.

Back at the hotel, the girls discuss money as Becca enters the room. Shocked all the girls are present, she goes on a rant about tampons and her mom getting lost. A girl questions if she is still talking, raising a giggle among the crowd. Another suggests taking a bottle of water from the refrigerator, instead of paying for it, they will refill it with water. Becca suggests utilizing a straw. They like the idea.

Jenny asks Chauncey if he thinks she is a Russian spy. He calls her Anya, agreeing to give her one chance to come clean. Bending over the table, she denies being Anya, identifying herself as Jenny Franklin. She recalls her last fight, which she lost in 8^th Grade to Susie Heyser. Refusing to believe her, Chauncey dons his sunglasses and orders his people to kill Jenny. She hysterically repeats her story about being a single mother, pleading with them to not kill her. When a man points his gun at her, she immediately squats, knocking the gun out of his hand and kicking his shins. A struggle ensues. She fights her way through the apartment until she jumps out a window onto an inflatable platform below. She slowly gets up, looking around the room, where a man is filming. As she proceeds to escape through an open door, Chauncey whistles to get her attention. He welcomes her back, referring to her as Anya. A man approaches from behind, knocking her out cold.

The show reverts back to Moscow in 1994, with Anya (Stasya Miloslavskaya) with a woman dancing through a crowded club. She greets SuYin (Jeremy Ang Jones) to ask about Lao Tzu who she is supposed to meet. He denies being Lao Tzu, complimenting his own good looks. She tells him her name as he kisses her hand. Faina Orlov (Anastasia Martin) is not happy with his response, calling him a dweeb. She points at Anya, claiming she doesn’t like men. He responds by calling her a “mean drunk.” Anya says her astrology sign is a Virgo, a Chinese monkey. She looks at the girl, agreeing she is into women before gulping an alcoholic beverage. She hits the dance floor, with Faina and SuYin in tow.

Jenny is lying on the hotel bed. Becca calls her multiple times before she wakes up, grabbing her around the waist. Becca asks if she is okay and where she went, assuming the store was in close proximity to the hotel. When the store was closed, she got lost while looking for another one. Jenny is happy to hear Becca say she will spend some time with Maddie and the other girls. Becca thinks it was Maddie’s idea, not the others. Jenny lays back on the bed, flinching in pain.

As the girls exit the hotel, Maddie realizes she forgot her phone in the room. Claire Reed (Anna Jobarteh) reminds her about their reservation. She shrugs it off, telling the girls to go on without her and Becca, they will catch up later. The girls head to the restaurant as Maddie and Becca take the opposite direction.

Jenny examines her bruised body in the mirror when Chauncy appears in the mirror. He assures her there is no need to make this difficult. She asks what he wants. He says you, at your best. If she refuses to work with the CIA, she will be charged with espionage, spending the rest of her life behind bars. Becca will suffer the consequences of her being a Russian spy. The first thing she will notice is her college acceptance letters will be revoked. She gives him her opinion of him, which doesn’t faze him in the least.

 

Chauncy escorts her across the hall to another motel room. He starts by introducing himself as CIA agent Chauncy Lew and Christopher “Chris” Clarke (Charles Brice), his technical support. Chris describes Jenny’s grip as “tight-ass.” He explains how three Spanish citizens ruined their reputation through shockingly bad behavior, described as uncharacteristic. One of the people died while the other two survived, with one locked in a padded room and the other in a coma. She suggests their behavior may be linked to mass hysteria. Chauncy doesn’t agree, believing it may be espionage through drugs or a mask of disguise. Pacing the room, she refuses to divulge her secrets.  The victims were placed in a position that left them no options but to get killed or commit suicide. She denies being involved, claiming to have been in the United States until the past 48 hours. The CIA believes someone may be replicating her Whisper MO.

The three individuals have been linked to Yannick Mair, a gunrunner from Austria. Mair is currently a patient at a military hospital in Spain. Chris adds that he found a vulnerability in the hospital’s surveillance system. Tiago Vento (Roberto Garcia) is a frequent patron at the El Pirata Loco, a local pub, where bikers like to hang. Vento visits the bar every night before his shift at the hospital. Chauncy recommends she meet Vento at the El Pirato Loco. She questions if he expects her to come out of retirement to get involved in a “honey trip.” She reminds him of her being older and a mother, suggesting he take one up the gloryhole for Uncle Sam. He reminds her she is the one who got caught. She isn’t thrilled with what they are asking her to do.

Chris explains how they will replicate Tiago’s eye, utilizing a cellphone-compatible device. She is worried about not pulling it off. Chauncey unsympathetic to Anya tells her to do what she needs to get the job done. She reminds him, Anya is dead.

Becca and Maddie discuss how long they wanted to compete in the US Figure Skating Competition. Maddie tells about an embarrassing incident when she was still wearing braces.  They practice figure skating. Becca entered the competition after one of the members was injured. The girls are only concerned about Claire. Maddie asks Becca about her parent’s divorce. They assume her father was away from home all the time, which led to infidelity. Becca says her mom probably let it happen without intervening.

Jenny tries to talk herself into following through with the CIA’s plan. Relenting, she empties the hotel’s complimentary minibar while getting dressed. She cries while chopping off her hair, leaving her wedding ring behind. She has a flashback of being with Faina who lives at the Chinese Embassy with her father, a paper pusher. SuYin’s father is the Chinese ambassador, they reside at the Chinese Embassy as well. Faina recalls her family always eking by. Anya questions how living in the Chinese Embassy can be boring. Faina gently removes something from Anya’s face, asking her if she can hold her hand. She learned Mandarin when she lived in an apartment above a Chinese laundry service operated by Mr. Fu. Mrs. Fu kept her belly full of wontons in exchange for working.

Faina asks if wontons were the way to her heart. Throw in some shrimp with lobster sauce and she is hers. Faina doesn’t believe her story. Three men tease them about holding hands, calling them perverts. Anya tries to convince Faina into walking away, but instead encourages the guys to show them her penis. She approaches the men with their penises hanging out. As one of the men reaches out to touch her, she hits him and another man. The last man is spooked.

Jenny stays in contact with Chauncy and Chris as she heads to El Pirata Loco. Chauncy admits she is growing on him. Chris suggests they focus to ensure she is in full Whisper mode. Tiago Vento’s motorcycle is parked in front of the bar. One push with her foot sends the motorcycles into a domino effect. She opens the door and yells for Tiago, pointing at the motorcycles. Raising his voice, he asks if she saw who did it. She tells him two Spanish men, pointing in the direction of the staircase. As he punches the man in the face, Jenny tases him in the neck. She scans Tiago’s eye with Chris’s device. She compliments him on his mannerisms, which he contributes to his mother before leaving the scene.

Faina gently kisses Anya on the lips appears in a flashback. Anya feels bad for SuYin. She says but I like you. Anya reminds her that she doesn’t even know her. She suggests they change that by meeting tomorrow night at the same place before taking her leave. Artur Orlov (Juris Zagars) scolds Faina for causing him to worry as Anya watches from a short distance away.

Chris inserts contact lenses in Jenny’s eyes. She describes the experience as feeling like a hot poker. He says that is a sign the contact lenses are working. Chauncey shows her a blueprint of the military hospital. The mission begins at the maintenance entrance, continuing through the corridor until she reaches a utility door. Chris will get her through the main access. Chris is not a CIA agent, but a hacker, which he does not like to be called. Jenny knew a CIA salary would support Chris’s expensive watch. Her job is to find Mair and get all the information about his three previous victims. The CIA do not know Mair’s exact location. Chris asks if something is wrong when spots her looking at her phone. She informs him Becca will trip out if she returns to the motel, with her gone. Chauncey guarantees her it will not take an hour to complete the job.

Chris pulls out a red metal box containing a Kevlar suit. She initially refuses to wear it but changes her mind when Chris says it will help guarantee she returns to Becca.

Anya inspects a necklace, she found in the subway when a woman shoves her against the wall. The woman demands to know if she recognized Faina. She acknowledges Artur is a biophysicist involved in getting the Yaroslav Program out of Russia. The woman is irate because she did not kidnap Faina.

Jenny arrives at the military hospital, which she describes as looking like an industrial park. She complains the suit is comfortable. She gains immediate access into the building through the maintenance entrance, thanks to Mair’s fake lens. Chris assures her he has her back.

Becca thanks Maddie for inviting her to the skating rink for practice. They enter a shop to help Maddie find inspiration for their figure skating outfits.

Chris leads Jenny to the utility door, ordering her to wait for a distraction. She questions his distraction comment until the light switches on, showing an entire room filled with men. He alerts her of hostiles nearby as she stares out at the men.  She takes off running, with a dozen men in tow. Chris leads her to a locker room, saying she is lucky to have a bit of time.

Becca arrives at the hotel to find her mom missing.

The men knock down the barrier, entering the locker room one at a time. Becca tries to call Jenny with no luck. Jenny enters a restroom, which turns out to believe a dead end. When she enters a stall, she says I can’t believe I have to do this. Chris is confused by her comment, before losing her biometrics. Chauncey remains quiet.

Becca finds where Jenny cut her hair. Jenny transitions into a man. Chris demands to know what is going on as the episode comes to an end.

 

In From The Cold Review

The first and most notable issue is the pace, which will complicate character development for most viewers. The fast pace doesn’t provide the brain enough time to process the details. It also causes confusion in some sense due to information bombardment in such a short period of time.

In the beginning, the show is a bit confusing. Viewers are introduced to three characters doing things out of the ordinary. It isn’t until about the halfway point that the writer discloses why the characters are behaving so strangely. I honestly didn’t think I would make it past this point, but I’m glad I did.

It is unfortunate, previous viewers were so quick to rate the show before finishing the first episode in its entirety. I must admit, I am not a big fan of spy flicks, but I was not completely dissatisfied. However, I would recommend watching the entire episode before flipping the channel.

The episode deserves a 6. Get more In From The Cold recaps here. Support ReelMockery by clicking here.