Quantico – The Terrorist From Quantico Who Framed Alex?
After surviving a terrorist attack at Grand Central Terminal, Alex Parrish is arrested and charged with treason. She believes someone from her FBI Academy class framed her.
Back at Quantico, a new group of NATs arrives. During their training, Alex and Ryan have an intimate moment. Nimah and Raina have a heart-to-heart about their families.
Liam’s plan
After a season of suspecting everyone, the terrorist was finally revealed in this episode. Liam O’Connor, the FBI recruiter who taught the NATs everything they know about being agents, was the mastermind behind the bombing at Grand Central Station. He had a plan to frame Alex and had the NATs turn on each other in order to carry it out.
In flashbacks, we see Alex training with the other NATs at Quantico, including Ryan Booth who turns out to be an undercover FBI agent. He was instructed by O’Connor to surveil Alex and report anything she did.
After he finds out that she is in a relationship with Caleb, he starts to sabotage her at work. This leads to her getting fired for exposing Liam’s cover up.
The bombing
The show wastes no time in letting us know that Alex is on thin ice as the top suspect in the Grand Central bombing. It’s only her second episode, and the FBI has already accused her of being a terrorist.
Liam framed Alex for the attack by using her intel from a past timeline to plant explosives in specific locations within Grand Central Terminal. He also blackmailed her into telling his story about being in the building when the bombs exploded.
To prove her innocence, Alex and the NATs spend New Year’s Eve together at Quantico. She and Ryan get assigned case handlers. Caleb tries to make things work with Shelby, while Nimah and Raina help Alex out with her relationship with Simon. He is resentful of his parents for not supporting him.
The worm
Alex’s first escape was orchestrated by her trainer Miranda Shaw, who believes she is innocent and feels someone from her class framed her. In flashbacks, we learn that many of her fellow recruits at Quantico had their own secret motivations. From Shelby Wyatt, a golden girl with a tragic family history, to Simon Asher, a disillusioned former Israeli Defence Forces veteran who lied about his homosexuality to get into the FBI, there was no shortage of suspicious trainees.
During an exercise, Alex’s team is sent to infiltrate Sistemics with one simple task: to pose as employees and meet the CEO. She meets Ryan Booth, who is revealed to be her case handler. Alex and Ryan become romantically involved. Nimah and Raina have their own relationships with other trainees, including Caleb.
The bomb test
In an episode brimming with tomfoolery, Alex is framed as a terrorist by a terrorist who claims she bombed Grand Central. Alex calls Ryan, who tells her he has heard the call and tries to convince her she is not responsible.
But Ryan isn’t exactly who he appears. He’s a jaded FBI agent who begrudgingly trains the new recruits at Quantico but has secretly been running his own side operation.
Also, it turns out that Simon – a Jewish lad from a vehemently pro-Israeli family who travelled to Gaza and lived among the Palestinians for some time – isn’t quite what he appears either, as he is actually an undercover FBI operative for Clayton. He and Raina try to keep their cover intact. But it’s not easy as the NATs gather for their New Year’s Eve party at the Trump hotel.
The treason trial
Alex is questioned by FBI agents after she’s found in the ruins of Grand Central Terminal. She’s a top suspect for the bombing and is arrested.
At Quantico, Alex befriends her fellow new agent trainees: Nimah Amin, Dayana Mampasi, Shelby Wyatt and Raina Nazarian. She also meets Ryan Booth and starts a romantic relationship with him. They first met on a plane and had a quick fling but it soon becomes clear that he’s not a trainee but a full-fledged FBI agent.
He’s actually been posing as a recruit to get close to her. He reveals this to her before they head back to Washington. They are tasked with helping to vet the next batch of recruits. Liam warns them that someone in their group is a sleeper terrorist.