This case was a tough one for OA.
He spent a lot of the time the workforce was searching a killer drug vendor debating whether or not he might be a superb agent and a religious Muslim on FBI Season 5 Episode 22.
OA has needed to get comfy with the concept of compromising his religion whereas on the job, particularly when he was working undercover.
What led to his disaster of conscience? OA discovered he was a mannequin for a youthful however extra trustworthy Muslim agent who believed being religious was extra necessary than being an efficient agent.
Even worse, OA did not even acknowledge Val, who was working undercover at an Albanian drug lord’s bar.
The rationale was Val was impressed to enter regulation enforcement after a chat at his faculty by OA about being a Muslim agent.
This made OA really feel accountable for Val. And he felt a bit of responsible about being a versatile Muslim, munching away on a snack throughout Ramadan.
OA will get the calls for of his work, particularly when undercover. Certainly being within the army in all probability made him extra lifelike about what elements of being a Muslim he might nonetheless embrace and which of them he could not whereas working.
Is that this OA making excuses for himself? No. It is extra like situational ethics. It is simple to be religious when undercover in a jihadist sect. It is not really easy while you’re portraying a gunrunner.
Val already had one strike towards him, being a younger agent who does not perceive what he does not know.
However being undercover at a bar and refusing to drink is problematic. That inhibits him from gaining the belief of these round him who’re there to drink or pour drinks.
Later, he refused to plant a digicam in an imam’s condo. So OA needed to plant it, and he would have been caught if Val hadn’t stalled Hyka.
In between, Val screwed up an effort to promote Tony, certainly one of Shabini’s thugs, on a gun deal when he mentioned contradictory issues concerning the potential purchaser. Scola was in peril from Tony earlier than Brittany shot him as a result of Val could not carry himself to shoot.
OA talked with Val to verify he had his head on straight. He emphasised how he would wish to do issues that went towards Islam to turn into an efficient agent. Val nonetheless naively believed he might put his religion first.
Val’s fervor did trigger OA to query how he performed his enterprise. When he needed to intercept the imam, OA requested about a number of the contradictions with which he had been wrestling. He obtained no pleasure from the strict imam on that entrance, no “say three Hail Marys and do not sin once more.”
Val did come by OA, capturing Shabini to maintain him from killing OA.
However afterward, Val paid him the backhanded praise of claiming he wished he might compromise his religion in addition to OA did.
Val is not prone to stay in regulation enforcement for lengthy. Perhaps he ought to contemplate a place in non-public safety, the place the stakes aren’t as excessive, and he might apply his religion in keeping with his conscience.
Assembly Val served to drive OA again to his mosque as he prayed on changing into a greater Muslim.
Happily, OA’s inner debate did not sluggish the squad from trying to find the vendor supplying the high-powered fentanyl spinoff that killed seven teenagers (together with the one which supplied the drugs).
Maggie and OA bungled into the center of one other investigation, which was working to ascertain a RICO case. For the reason that public was extra involved with youngsters overdosing on medication, Isobel put the opposite operation on maintain because the workforce hustled to get the medication off the road.
She did get Val out of the deal since he was already in place with Shabini, the seemingly drug vendor.
She and OA found later what a blended blessing that was. They made headway extra usually regardless of Val than due to him.
Val deserves credit score for returning to Shabini’s place after the Tony debacle. After dropping the digicam, he did handle to get it planted, permitting the squad to observe Shabini’s actions.
Later, the digicam OA was compelled to position after Val’s refusal (he admitted he scored low at being sneaky) did get them to the assembly warehouse in time to cease the drug deal from taking place. Additionally, Scola shutting down the drug lab saved that neighborhood from going up in flames. In order that’s a plus.
Val’s capturing Shabini made that RICO case pretty moot. However the entire case was extra difficult than it needed to be for Val’s involvement.
It was useful to delve into OA’s precarious stability between being an agent and a Muslim.
By Val, this episode additionally confirmed a distinct strategy to that very same conundrum and prompt the proper reply lay someplace between these two.
The draw back was that the remainder of the workforce light into the background, permitting for the interaction between OA and Val.
To the detriment of the investigation and the storyline, Maggie wanted to have a “come to Allah” speak with OA to get him again on observe, which by no means occurred.
To observe OA’s journey, watch FBI on-line.
Does the job require OA to make compromises?
How unrealistic was Val for desirous to be a religious Muslim and an agent?
Did their non secular debate intervene with the investigation?
Remark under.
Dale McGarrigle is a employees author for TV Fanatic. Observe him on Twitter.
