True Lies (Season 1), Episode 9: The newest episode of True Lies confronts Helen with a dilemma about her marriage. Helen has been conflicted ever since she learned about Harry’s secret life. She has been troubled ever since she herself became a part of the operation. That beckons the question: is it prudent to keep one’s significant other in the shadows in such a profession? That notion is fodder for thought as we see Helen’s reaction to a retired operative guiding her about life lessons.
In this recap of True Lies episode 9, titled “Bitter Sweethearts,” we go through the entire story again. We also explain in detail the ending of the episode and what it means for our characters moving forward.
True Lies (Season 1), Episode 9 Recap:
“Bitter Sweethearts”
The episode starts with a person, later identified as Cal Haskin, practicing at a firing range. He is a retired Omega operative. Cal returns to his home just to be fired by a missile aimed at him, resulting in his death. The Taskers are at their home, where Helen explains to Harry how their work life has been affecting their relationship and that she needs him to spend more time with her. In the morning, they plan to spend time together after Dana leaves for school. But they are interrupted by an emergency text directing them to meet at Counterintelligence.
At Counterintel HQ, Luther arrives with Gib and asks about Gib’s breakup with Eva. Down to the meeting hall, they meet Eva, who seems to be still angry with Gib. In the meeting hall, Luther inadvertently spills coffee on Maria, and the sequence highlights their inability to handle a situation together. Harry and Helen arrive, and so does Rex Kelly, head of Counterintel. Rex briefly introduces himself to Helen, whom he meets for the first time.
What is the Omega team’s mission in this episode?
Rex informs them that in the past two weeks, two retired Omega operatives, Cal Haskin and Lance Dale, have been murdered. Both were members of the same team that was disbanded 15 years ago. The mission of Team Omega is to find and secure the other two members of the team, Arnie Orwig and Sharon Heinz, and to provide intel for the case.
As the team reaches Arnie’s house, Harry and Helen approach his doorstep to greet him. But in his yard, Arnie has installed traps. Looking at the shabby condition of the house, Helen exclaims and mentions to Harry what he had said about being secure and not worrying after they retire. Suddenly, Arnie, hiding in one of his traps, emerges and points a gun at them. They explain why they were at his house and that he is in danger. He invites them in, and they discuss the case with him. Luther and Maria are guarding the house.
They are discussing the disbandment of the team. Maria tells Luther about a report that mentioned that the team was disbanded because they were out of sync. Post this, they both discuss if their miscoordination in the morning could be a sign of being “out of sync.”
Why are the murders of retired Omega operatives being committed?
In the house, Arnie says he hasn’t spoken to any of his team members in the last fifteen years. Harry and Helen ask Arnie to come with them to secure him and the other retired operative, Sharon, who was previously in a relationship with Arnie. He refuses to see Sharon and tries running off from the back door. He is apprehended, and they take him along to Sharon’s place. During the journey, Arnie discovers that Harry and Helen are together. He tells them that being in Omega and dating is not advisable.
He mentions his past with Sharon and how she left his house ’empty.’ Maria and Luther are traveling in another vehicle, where they discuss their coordination once again. While apprehending Arnie, they run into each other and fall. Maria tells Luther that it might be due to him being distracted by his girlfriend, Quinn. To this, Luther tells Maria that it is she who is distracted by Cavalar, a dog recently recruited in the Omega team.
Why is Arnie refusing to meet Sharon? What was their relationship like?
They reach Sharon’s house, and she welcomes them at the door. She also greets Arnie with a quick punch to his nose which results in bleeding. After entering the house, they have separate discussions regarding the case caused by the quarreling between Arnie and Sharon. Arnie informs Harry about Cal and Lance, the kind of spies they were, and their specialties. He also says that Lance liked to research and that his house was filled with files and file cabinets. Harry finds it strange because Cal was killed at his houseboat, which didn’t have any files.
What is Sharon’s advice to Helen about marriage?
Helen and Sharon are sitting in another room and are discussing the case. Sharon learns that Helen and Harry have been married for seventeen years and have children. She tells Helen that it is difficult being a spy couple and managing Omega and the love. Continuing their discussion, Sharon tells Helen that just before the team broke off, Lance had a theory about a shadow organization called Krypsys.
This organization was after Omega, but they couldn’t find anything substantial about Lance’s theory and told him to let go. Gibs researches the residences nearby Lance’s houseboat, and they find a suspicious neighbor named John Jay, whom Lance had once mentioned while researching Krypsys. After they have actionable intel, they leave for the place, but not before Sharon and Arnie argue over their past. Sharon also gives Arnie his gun that she had kept with her in an urn. This evokes emotion in Arnie as well as Sharon as they travel to the intended location.
True Lies (Season 1), Episode 9 Ending, Explained:
What is the organization Krypsys and is it still active?
They arrive at the location, and they find a planned plan consisting of Omega operatives being targeted, including Harry and Helen. Cal’s photo has been crossed, suggesting that he was eliminated according to this plan. The plan also has a sign which belongs to Krypsys. Maria and Luther, who are guarding outside, find active cameras and tracking sensors, suggesting that somebody is still keeping track of the activity even after Lance’s death. Considering the intel, Harry concludes that Lance is alive and is working for Krypsys to target Omega operatives.
If Lance is alive, did he fake his death?
When they are about to leave, they are fired at by a force outside. They take refuge in the house while Gib coordinates their escape from the van. Arnie tells them it is Lance because cloaking was his specialty, so the armed units could not be scanned. Lance connects with Sharon and Arnie over the radio phone. He informs them that his team abandoned him to die, following which he joined Krypsys. Now he is targeting the operatives of Omega, both active and retired. They are surrounded from all sides.
During this time, Sharon and Arnie are shown to have found their lost emotion of love, and they kiss. Also, Gib is shown sending what seemed a goodbye text to Eva. Another vehicle arrives with hand missiles. They intend to blow up the house and kill the Omega operatives inside. Harry and others block the windows with furniture so that there is smoke and they can counterattack the Krypsys army. Sharon and Arnie try to fire upon the missile stock kept. It results in an explosion, and it is clear that Sharon and Arnie are in its proximity.
Later, during the meeting at Counterintel HQ, it is known that there were no bodies found of Arnie or Sharon, suggesting they escaped alive. Also, it is shown that Gib meets Eva, and they reconcile. During the episode, Helen follows the love that Arnie and Sharon had as a spy couple and compares it with her relationship with Harry. It is to wonder whether it would have been different if Helen wouldn’t know about Harry being a spy. Or their working as spies brings out the best in their love.
