The opening of Absentia season 3, episode 1, “Tabula Rasa,” commences with a haunting image of Julianne seemingly firing a shot at Emily, the bullet piercing her chest in a shocking point-blank encounter. The camera then ascends to the upper floor as Nick inquires, "Did you sleep okay?" Just as the tension mounts, Flynn's voice cuts in, and the house suddenly explodes in a blaze of chaos. But it's all a bad dream as Emily wakes up to a new dawn, a new life.
As Emily rises for breakfast, Nick inquires about her restful slumber. She reminds Flynn of his swim practice, highlighting the changes that have taken place since Alice's passing. This scene presents them as an unconventional nuclear family, a stark contrast to the dynamics of Season 1. As Emily drops Flynn off, she delves into researching the new swim coach, Mr. Rizzo, ensuring Flynn's safety amidst her own lingering PTSD-induced flashbacks of Flynn trapped in a tank.
Nick's anxiety is palpable as he receives a call about a car dumping yard where a body has been discovered. Upon returning home, Flynn expresses his longing for his mother (Alice) and wonders why Nick never speaks of her. When Nick leaves the room, Emily urges him to tell Flynn the whole truth, fearing that keeping him in the dark will only lead to more trouble down the line.
Emily's late-night investigation takes a drunken turn as she slinks through Mr. Rizzo's apartment, only to find the swim coach returning home, necessitating a hasty escape. This scene underscores Emily's unsettled state since Season 2's events, revealing her deep-seated brokenness and paranoia.
As Julianne enters the workplace the next day, her mind is set on having a heart-to-heart with Nick, who has fallen behind on his mandatory counseling sessions. Meanwhile, Jack is struggling to cope with the loss of Alice, his emotions raw as he snoops through her belongings in the cloakroom, his tears a haunting reminder of the unspoken pain. Emily, ever the observant one, catches him in the act and a truth that has been kept buried for too long begins to surface. The question is asked: is it true? The answer comes in the form of a slap that echoes through the air, a plea for Flynn's sake that silences Jack once and for all.
The episode "Tabula Rasa" finds the family on edge, their secrets and unspoken words a constant source of tension. Outside their home, a spy is watching, a source for Nick's investigation into the bodies. The girl's whispered words of "happening tonight" set the stage for a midnight mission that sees Nick and Emily confronting a car garage filled with dead bodies and a group of surgeons turning into attackers. Emily, bravely leaping onto a moving car, forces a crash that leaves the driver running for his life. Nick's words of "organ harvesting ring" paint a grim picture of the reality they're up against.
The next day at work, Julianne's confrontation with Nick sets the stage for more drama as she informs him of Emily's suspension and her spying ways. It's season 3, and yet Emily remains on the wrong side of the FBI - one wonders if she'll ever find her way back to the right side of things.
The episode ends with Nick asking Emily if her spying is true, only to be met with a determined Emily who doesn't want to return to the FBI. As she heads down to the basement, mapping out her next move with information linked to Julianne, it's clear that the web of deceit around Alice's death is only deepening. The informant, spooked by her own danger, runs off in a bar while Emily is hitting a boxing bag, preparing for what's to come. Nick's call about his own attack at home and Emily's subsequent call to Cal for help signify that the danger is far from over. Emily returns home to find herself attacked once again, but with a strength born from determination, she manages to wrestle her attacker to the ground before being stabbed and left to face the unknown.
This thrilling opening episode of season 3 of "Absentia" sets the tone for a journey that promises to keep viewers on the edge of their seats as the new family dynamics and intricate investigation into the organ harvesting ring unfold before our eyes.
