Turn: Washington’s Spies season 4 episode 8 review: Brewster’s redemption
Yet, Woodhull had a chance to get the vengeance that he’d long sought, and to do to Simcoe what he’d long dreamed of. Yet, he didn’t pull the final trigger as his adversary’s bloody body was attended to by his men. He thought more of the long game than the short-term peril of him being on the run, having to hide from the remainder of the British who would be right on his tail the moment they heard the gunshot. (Granted, you have to presume that Simcoe, alive and well, will still throw a target on his back, but letting him live buys him a little bit of time.)
The person who pulled the trigger on Simcoe in the first place was Brewster, who fired from afar after arriving to battle. Earlier this season he’d let Simcoe’s torture of him almost define him as a person, but in heading to the battlefields in Virginia, he took more of his own personal power back. He found a way to free himself from the Albatross around his neck and get more involved in the battle, securing both his personal sovereignty and helping Abe in the process. (It took a powerful scene between Ben and Mary to ensure Caleb would go in the first place.)
With Simcoe still alive, though, nobody within the Culper Ring is out of the woods and there is still a substantial amount of work still to be done. The story for Abe ended with him running from the British, only to find himself at gunpoint and forced to convince his new captors that he was Samuel Culper and needed to pass along all of the evidence that he’d acquired in his time with the British Army. Another new challenge for the final episodes of the season.
Townsend’s cut loose
He knew that he was risking everything with his work and sending out messages, but determined that in the end, what he was doing was worth it. Alas, he was caught by James Rivington in the midst of his latest effort, and was forced to sign over much of everything he had in return for his silence. The good news? Well, at least he was allowed to finish some of his work before taking off. You have to think that the information that he’s acquired is valuable enough — he’s done his work and fulfilled his purpose; the final episodes for him will only shape that legacy further.
Mary’s big reveal
In a conversation at the end of the episode, she revealed that Ann Bates had been working alone, and her contact was General Clinton. Mary as a result of knowing this information found herself the go-between between her and Anna Strong, and she was ready to use that status in order to pass along any sort of information that she could — true or not. Certainly a step forward in potentially masking the Culper Ring enough to ensure some final moves.
Overall Take
Even though Simcoe is still alive, it’s hard to dispute the awesomeness and the effectiveness of the battle sequence that we saw tonight. The show was at its finest through this episode — smart, subtle, and allowing its story to come to a slow boil. Grade: A-.
Where are we going to see the story go from here?
If you are interested in reading further news regarding Turn: Washington’s Spies, we suggest heading over to the link here! We will have a further preview of the penultimate episode of the series next week. (Photo: AMC.)