The opening scene of "Quid Pro Quo," the fifth episode of Absentia season 3, finds Emily and Dawkins on a plane, with Dawkins inserting data into his laptop and requesting the encryption key—a trade that Emily stresses will only unlock once Nick is freed. Emily embarks on a perilous journey into the heart of the enemy's lair, a risk Dawkins warns could be her last. Nick's mental state deteriorates further, plagued by hallucinations of Alice, his past guilt haunting him in the grip of his torture.
Crown informs Cal that Emily and Dawkins are en route to Berlin, upset that Emily deliberately went off the grid. Crown dives deep into investigating a potential mole within Meridian, uncovering that an FBI agent is using a deceased person's access code to infiltrate the system. The pressure is high, and Crown's investigation doesn't spare even Julianne, who he's also looking into—a promising twist.
As Emily and Dawkins drive through Berlin, they're hijacked by a group of men, with Emily tossed into a car and Dawkins left behind. Meanwhile, Cal tells Julianne he can use unofficial channels to find Emily, and Julianne approves but cautions him to keep it low-key. Julianne also dives into Cal's past, which worries him. As it turns out, the hijacking was planned by Emily and her former FBI instructor, Rowena, with Emily needing the files to free Nick and Rowena needing the decryption key to access the cloud vault. The encounter between these two women is tense, with a history that feels unsettling.
At the midpoint of the episode, Nick thinks he's at home with Alice but is instead confronted by a woman in a white lab coat pretending to be her. She teases about Emily being in Berlin and asks for the decryption key. Nick stands up, telling her he should have been better for Alice and saying goodbye. The torture doesn't break Nick's spirit; instead, it becomes a testament to his mental toughness as the episode finds him confronting his demons in the most brutal way possible.
In Berlin, Cal's journey leads him to an encounter with an old friend, their conversation teeming with the weight of the past. His friend's words about the nightmares of the bodies are a testament to the depth of their shared history. Cal's concern for Emily is palpable, hinted at in the shadows of season 2, a tender care that simmers beneath the surface.
Rowena, a figure of mystery and power, provides Emily with a location and a means to an end, warning her not to mess with "these people." As she slowly circles behind Emily, Rowena's words hang heavy in the air, a promise of future reckoning that echoes with potential for the seasons to come.
Emily finds herself at a charity fundraiser thrown by Rowena, where the atmosphere is one of high society and hidden agendas. Dawkins is among the guests, and Emily's search for answers leads her to an office where a list with Jericho's name on it is found. Just as she prepares to confront a man feeding his cactus, an alarm sounds, signaling her need for swift retreat.
In the thrilling finale of "Quid Pro Quo," Nick pleads with the woman in the white lab coat for a way out, while Cal's friend provides him with valuable information on Meridian's operations, warning that this is as far as he can go. "I don't want to see you again," his words hint at a dangerous game of cat and mouse.
As Cal and Emily are reunited, their happiness is fleeting amidst the chaos of their mission. The episode plunges into the espionage thriller that Absentia excels at, but it also brings back the exhilarating prospect of Cal and Emily working together again, a prospect that evokes memories of their exciting moments from season 2.
