The Enemy Within episode 8 video: Tal, Shepherd, and the start

If you are curious in getting a taste of The Enemy Within episode 8, let’s kick things off by saying this — it’s the origin story you crave. It’s a chance to actually learn about how Erica Shepherd found herself in her present-day position in the first place — locked up, separate from the rest of her family, and working with federal law enforcement.

What side is Shepherd really on? After watching the promo below, you may be wondering that more so than at any other point in the show’s run. If you think back to the premiere episode, the implication way back when was that Shepherd’s deadly decision was the result of her choosing her daughter over the lives of some other people. It seemed at the point that it was a human decision, an impossible position for any person to be in.

Yet, as it turns out, there was something larger behind that plan, something that stemmed back from Shepherd’s early days at the agency. Everything in his career, in one way or another, was orchestrated by Tal. He got her on the path to lead to her arrest, and apparently, from the beginning he was planning for there to be something larger in the aftermath of that. With Shepherd reaching out to Tal in the closing minutes of this past episode, that may have been a part of the larger plan.

At some point, we really are hoping that Erica’s allegiance is truly made clear — think by the end of the season. That’s the perfect time to try and shape the next chapter of this story and give us a better sense of where her life is like now. We want to believe that Shepherd has been playing Tal this whole time, mostly because we want to think the best of her. We want to think that she’s always been on the good side, but this entire show is meant to oscillate her back and forth. Maybe at this point, she doesn’t even fully know what her precise moral alignment is. It’s probably hard to when you’ve served time and been without your daughter, the sort of person who means the most to her.

Is there a way for Shepherd to save herself?

We think that it goes beyond just helping to take down Tal — it’s about forming connections with the people around her and realizing that these people are not her enemies — instead, they are there to potentially help her. She just may not realize it just yet; it’s hard in that position.

For some more news regarding The Enemy Within episode 8…

Be sure to visit the link here! That’s where you can also check out our piece about the show’s season 2 chances over at NBC. We’ll be back tomorrow with a whole lot of content all about this latest episode.

What do you want to see when it comes to The Enemy Within episode 8? Be sure to share right now in the comments. (Photo: NBC.)