Citadel (Season 1), Episode 4 Recap & Ending Explained: The latest episode of Citadel focuses on Abby’s long-hidden identity. The show, at this point, also takes us to the intricate web of past entanglements between Mason, Nadia, and Celeste, exposing a horrible decision that continues to haunt them to this day.
While we move back and forth as the plot thickens, we also see the tension peak as Nadia and Mason touch down at the heavily fortified Manticore compound to rescue their captured comrade, Carter.
Citadel continues to create a heightened atmosphere of suspense, danger, and heart-wrenching revelations. Our protagonists are pushed to their limits, forcing them to confront the ghosts of their past and make impossible choices. The thin line between friend and foe blurs, alliances crumble, and the ultimate truth stands at the ridge of discovery, waiting to shatter their world again.
As the web of lies untangles and the consequences of their actions become clear, Nadia, Mason and their allies face their darkest fears and fight for a future where justice and honor prevail.
*Spoiler Alert*
Citadel (Season 1), Episode 4 Recap:
“Tell Her Everything”
The new episode of Citadel begins with Nadia and Mason infiltrating the Manticore Black Site in Morocco. They kill a bunch of criminals and mercenaries who are guarding the site before they reach Carter. Upon seeing Mason and Nadia, trying to save him, Carter is more scared than relieved. The opening ends with Carter stating that Mason is responsible for everything. Much like the previous episode, which framed Nadia as a double agent, this episode would look into Mason’s double life.
We go back ten years to the day when Mason and Nadia hooked up for the first time in Paris. Nadia introduces that she has acquired a new tier-one agent into their team, and her name is Celeste Graham. When we meet the new agent at Citadel, HQ, we realize that it is Abby (Mason’s wife/Brielle – Andres’ girlfriend).
The three of them go over their latest mission which is to find out about the Silje brothers (Davick and Andres, the twins) who plan to take over Amsterdam with what they are currently calling the “Oz key.” Celeste is supposed to go undercover and shadow the twins in order to get to their plan. Her mission includes getting too close to Andres and possibly falling in love with him.
When Mason is unable to get through to Celeste, who is currently undercover, he starts doubting her intentions. Since there are no callbacks for over three months, he assumes that Celeste has either joined the twins or is planning to sell the Oz key to get rid of her own twin brother David’s debt. Mason decides to send an ops team to find out what Celeste is up to in spite of Nadia’s disapproval.
Back in Amsterdam, Celeste steals the Oz key, but Davik finds out and has an altercation with her just when the ops team infiltrates their base. However, the ops team is unable to trace the Oz key, which makes Mason furious. Just then, Mason receives a confidential message stating that “she took the case” and “Don’t say a word about this ever.”
Upon receiving the message, Mason sets up an interrogation with Celeste prodding her to tell him about the Oz key that he assumes she has plans to sell. Putting her brother David on target, he tries to get the truth out of her, but Nadia steps in to stop him.
Meanwhile, Andres, who was unconscious due to the ops attack, wakes up, and Nadia decides to question while Mason and Grace decide upon Celeste’s complete removal from the mission since she is now a liability.
Upon Nadia going out of the room, Mason suggests that they backstop Celeste because she knows too much and may be bad for Citadel. Carter and Grace are shocked by this suggestion as the backstop (the process of erasing a person’s memory) process is a little too new for spy agencies, and they might not get authority from the command.
This is when Mason suggests that they do it off-site just to remain safe. Even though Grace is not entirely convinced, and we can sense something wrong about Mason’s need to do this, she gives him her approval.
He then lies to Celeste by telling her that the best way to go forward for her without getting caught or getting involved in more mess with the twins is to go under the “witness protection” procedure that will take place in Mexico City after she is transferred to a safe house right away.
Convinced that Celeste is a mole and threat to Citadel, Mason even requests Bernard (who is arranging the offsite backstop process) to destroy her vial permanently. Not knowing about Mason’s ulterior motives with Celeste, Nadia thanks him for relocating her to Oregon (the place where she now lives as Abby – Mason’s wife).
Citadel (Season 1), Episode 4 Ending, Explained:
Why did Mason order to backstop Celeste?
Later, at the Citadel headquarters, we see Carter and Mason talking about the Oz key, which is still nowhere to be found.
Carter, who has access to all of Citadel’s encrypted communications, withholds Mason for acting out of character and backstopping Celeste. He says that he is aware that Mason did all of it to protect Nadia, who was the one responsible for the ops team infiltration at the twin’s base and possibly getting to the Oz Key.
We get to know that Mason let Celeste take the fall by framing her as a mole when it was Nadia who was possibly the culprit. We can clearly assume that he did it out of affection for Nadia, as he has developed real feelings for her.
Who is the mole in Citadel?
The ending of Citadel Episode 4 takes us to the present time when Carter, who in the opening scene was seen blaming Mason for everything, backtracks and blames Nadia for being the mole.
Is Nadia really the mole? Is she the one responsible for Citadel’s fall? Are there more things that Mason kept a secret? Let’s wait for episode 5 to find out.
