Opening the door to "Veritas Aequitas," the eighth episode of Season 3 of Absentia, we find Cal, standing alone, tracing the van that Emily bravely faced down. As a vehicle pulls up, Cal seizes the opportunity, donning the guise of a Meridian guard and eavesdropping on the mention of Armstrong, drawing him into their midst. With a newfound purpose—vengeance and a cleansing of his past demons—Cal's journey now takes on a sinister charm.
As Flynn receives a phone call from his father, Nick's voice is laden with relief. Though the emotion threatens to overwhelm him, he manages to hold it together, offering Flynn a glimmer of hope. The mission to bring Nick home is not yet complete, and Emily's hesitation is understandable—the quest for her father's return has been a long and arduous journey.
Emily and Cal approach the imposing walls of the refugee prison camp, their path illuminated by the many armed guards. Emily spots "Elliot," a familiar face from their Berlin sojourn. As they near the woods, a large burial mound stands as a somber reminder of the horrors within. Nick's call to Crown updates Julianne with their location, her relief tinged with concern for Cal's safety. Nick explains to Emily that they need a diversion to breach the prison's defenses, and Emily offers a bold strategy—to strike at the heart of their foe, "Cut the head off the snake."
Flynn continues his archery practice with unwavering focus, until a car pulls up to the house, causing concern among his family. It's Jack, whom Flynn had called earlier. But as another car approaches in the distance, the grandad takes action, reaching for his shotgun. The family scurries inside, their hearts racing with anticipation.
At the midpoint of Absentia's third season, episode 8, "Veritas Aequitas," Crown unearths a potential mole by linking the building access to the time agent Thompson's demise—Director Foster. Julianne urges Crown to be spot-on with this revelation, assuring him that he needs more, something concrete. A sense of unease looms; it feels like the script is teasing a twist, and sure enough, there's a 100% chance of a shocking turn in the narrative. It's an air of intrigue.
With the aid of the refugee children, Emily and Cal make their way into the camp, their plan abetted by the children's clever diversions through explosions. Meanwhile, Armstrong is alerted to one of the dead guards, indicating an unexpected guest in the camp. Elliot, on the other hand, desires the rapid demise of the refugees by having them all injected.
Jack and Flynn realize that grandad hasn't returned from the barn and hasn't made any calls—prompting Jack to grab a shotgun as he senses something amiss. Dawkins, who has been absent for quite a while, now holds a gun to grandad's head and demands that Jack put down his weapon. Jack complies but is swiftly disarmed by Dawkins when he tries to punch him. It's easy to forget about Dawkins in this moment, but his return sets the stage for a new development.
Back at the refugee camp, Emily and Nick make their way inside as the alarms begin to sound. Elliot and his team, however, are destroying all evidence of their presence. Emily points a gun at Elliot, only to be shocked by Cal's sudden appearance behind him. Cal gives Emily a subtle shake of the head, almost like a silent signal, before one of the guards knocks her to the ground. Cal's intent was likely to avoid revealing their mutual knowledge to Elliot.
