Episode Report Card Pablo G: B- | 2 USERS: A- YOU GRADE IT The Mask of Zorrow
By Pablo G | Season 2 | Episode 18 | Aired on 03.31.2013
Aiden leads Trask into a dark room at gunpoint. Fluorescent lights flicker on. Trask asks why Aiden cares about Padma. When the lights fully come on, Padma can be seen lying motionless on a slab. Trask taunts Aiden that she's now with her father like she wanted. They killed her this morning. Aiden demands to know why they kept her alive until now. Coyly, Trask says Aiden will find out in due time and that the police have just been alerted to their whereabouts by motion trackers in the room. Aiden says he won't shoot Trask, uncocks his gun, and then suddenly takes Trask up in a chokehold. He lets Trask know that this is for Padma, their fathers and Colleen before violently snapping his neck. Sirens can be heard in the background.
The masquerade gets its grand introductory speech from the Queen. She and Conrad stand at the head of a staircase in a dimly lit ballroom. Victoria invites their guests to enjoy a night of masked intrigue, and is sure to mention this is all courtesy of their future governor and first lady. She instructs everyone to put on their masks to let the party commence. Victoria immediately ventures downstairs to scope out if her son is anywhere to be found. She thinks she spots the black rose in a man's pocket, but she's mistaken. It's just some random guy's pocket square. While looking around, she spots Emanda, who smugly walks up to her to rub it in that she's there despite not being invited. She explains to Victoria that she's Daniel's date, advises that the Queen just pretend Emily Thorne was left at the door, puts on her mask and then walks away. That's good passive-aggression.
Ems finds a masked Nolan at the party. She thanks him for helping out Jack and taking the initiative to corner Conrad into a campaign promise in favor of David Clarke. Nolan's modest about it, but Emanda insists on thanking him in earnest. They spot the Porter brothers and Nolan goes off with Declan to get some food, leaving Ems and Jack alone to talk. They share a brief moment where Emanda asks Jack if he's OK after his ordeal today, but it gets interrupted by Daniel whisking her away. Always with the whisking away.
Elsewhere at the party, Conrad electioneers on the phone, assuring someone that David Clarke wouldn't even be a first term concern. He spots Ashley after his phone call and complains that he's spending the party having to reassure potential voters after what happened today. Ashley goes over the suspects for the setup -- Kenny, Jack or the campaign manager Evan. Conrad thinks Ashley sounds exactly like she did when she protested too much after the Mothers and Daughters United fiasco. Ash doesn't take kindly to the accusation. She challenges Conrad to fire her, then. He'll do just that after he's elected, he says before walking away. From around the corner, Jack heard this entire conversation.