"The Spy Who Really Liked Me"
Writer: Mark Wilding
Director: David Straiton
Air Date: 11.19.2003

Review
This episode feels a little odd, coming on the heels of "Whiskey - Tango - Foxtrot" where Jake seemed to have actually learned some of his lessons regarding following orders. However, props to the writers for having both Lou and Kyle not excuse Jake's lapses in judgement and flagrant disregard for the orders he was given. It good to see them stick to their guns. Unfortunately, by allowing Jake to get away with his behaviour (he blackmailed the NSA, for pete's sake!), the episode undermines this lesson. The structure of the episode is engaging—however the actual Angela plot leaves a bit to be desired. Angela's mission of revenge is played to make her sympathetic, but the truth is, she was still a rogue CIA agent taking the law into her own hands. The episode actually suffers from the parallels between Angela and the Wolf Pack—both of whom felt betrayed by their governments and planned to take revenge using a deadly weapon. Jake shows more sympathy for Angela because she's a beautiful woman who seduced him, and one wishes one could take Jake aside and tell him to stop letting Little Jake make his decisions for him. Or watch Lou do it, potentially backing that up with some more judo throws, so it sinks in. On the up side, Kyle and Jake's double-date, as well as Jake's scenes with Diane, are vastly entertaining. The entire sweeps-fuelled sex subplot is actually more engaging than the by-the-numbers spy plot. And the arrival of the NSA brass, and Warner's agenda, leaves the viewer hungry for more. The episode does do a great job of showing Jake's priorities as being with the people he works with—not necessarily the government agency they work for. "The Spy Who Really Liked Me" seems to have cemented team solidarity, and the hero shot of the cast walking down the hallway together and triumphant may have been a cheap thrill—but it was still a thrill.

Quotes of the Week:

Jake: "Hey. I got here as fast as I could. What do you need?"
Kyle: "You."

Jake: "I have a hard enough time talking to girls I actually know!"

Jake: "What did Kyle tell you?"
Diane: "Nothing. Just that she came on a little strong."
Jake: "I've had people shooting at me, and been less afraid."

Jake: "You know, it's funny. I've never had a female doctor before."
Diane: "Do you have a rash?"

Jake: "Is it safe?"
Diane: "You mean, um... Well, yeah. If you use a condom."

Diane: "Well, based on research, I can say with some degree of certainty that the possibility of transference-slash-infection is statistically low enough to be considered virtually non-existent."
Jake: "Uh-huh. So, I you're telling me I can have sex, right?"
Diane: "I should do some tests, just to make sure."

Jake: "Oh, I'm not thirsty, thanks."
Diane gestures with the cup to Jake's nether regions
Jake: "Oh."

Kyle: "What's Jake up to?"

Diane: "I got your test results back and you are good to go."
Jake: "You mean I...?"
Diane: "I mean that you can have sexual relations without fear of intra-hominid cross-transference."
Jake does a happy dance of "yay sex yay!"

Diane: "Of course, it's important to find the right girl, right? I mean, not in the strictly scientific sense of the word 'important.' But it's important."
Jake: "Yeah. yeah. Sure. Absolutely. It's not like I'm gonna—gonna run out of here and pick up the first girl I see."

Jake (to two pretty girls in bar): "Buonas noches."
(The girls walk away.)
Jake: "Adios."

Jake: "I'm in my room. With a woman."
Kyle: "Well, good for you!"

Angel: "I'm an Intelligence officer. What did you expect? I'm sure your real name isn't Jake Foley."
Jake: " Of course not."

Diane: "I need some tea, or something stronger. Are we allowed to drink on duty?"
Lou: "No, but we're gonna start."

Warner: "Did you see the way he stood up to us? That's a soldier."
Skerrit: "You like him?"
Warner: "Oh my God, I hate and fear him. But a man like that, bent to your will? Could accomplish anything."
Skerrit: "I don't believe he's bent to anyone's will."
Warner: "No. That's a problem. One I intend to rectify."