In the fifth episode of “The Company You Keep,” Charlie had stolen information from the black book kept by John Baylor. As soon as Charlie handed the conspicuous book of information to Daphne, she divulged that she would be using it to threaten Emma to get her to back off. Charlie, stressed and having just broken up with Emma, immediately set off to inform her about the impending blackmail attempt Daphne was about to send her. While confessing to Emma, he also answered her confession. He dropped the “l” word on her, which he had been silent on during their staycation.
Spoilers Ahead
Did Emma Find Out About The Blackmail Material Daphne Withheld?
Charlie had confessed to Emma about Daphne’s plan of targeting her family, the Hills. He told Emma about his working for Daphne and informed her that Daphne was McGuire’s daughter and that Connor and she were involved in a fight for the title of heir. He had come clean about his job; Emma had deemed him a criminal and warned him to stay away from Daphne when the time came to arrest her, as Emma would not be able to guarantee an arrest-free getaway for him then. With Emma’s warning and a heavy heart, Charlie returned to inform his family about the recent events. He told them about Emma being a CIA agent and how her department targets transnational organized crime syndicates. He told them about her keeping track of Daphne’s movements and that she is actively working on bringing her and her family down. With the Nicolettis aware of them being tracked by the Feds, Charlie confesses to Birdie about Emma’s adamant refusal to acknowledge anything between them.
Meanwhile, Emma returns to her home with a broken heart and gets consoled by her father as she tells him that he had been right to be wary of Charlie. However, the next morning, she finds out about the reason behind her father’s reluctance to engage with Claire Fox. Emma receives an envelope containing images of her father’s sordid affair with Claire. Joseph comes clean and admits to making a mistake during a rough patch with his wife. Claire had them tailed by John Baylor as he took pictures during the entirety of their affair. Claire then kept the pictures to blackmail him into supporting a government contract for her client, and he had to comply. Emma is put in a tight spot, and Joseph figures out that she might not work for a logistics company after all if someone is threatening her with the pictures of the past. The pictures also came with an address and a time. Emma later meets up with Daphne at the aforementioned place and time and has a conversation with her, during which Daphne suggests that she back off while she keeps the sordid past of her father away from the media. Emma counters with information on Daphne’s illegitimate status. Daphne leaves her with a threat and a bill as Emma mulls over the predicament she finds herself in.
Who Is Daphne’s New Target?
Daphne’s new target is a Russian art collector, Gregori Abramov, who is in possession of a painting by Erin Blenner, valued at $2 million. Daphne calls Charlie in after his disastrous meeting with Emma at the beginning of “The Company You Keep” Episode 6. He was tasked with acquiring the painting before he went back home to inform his family about Emma. Charlie agrees to complete it on his own terms and conditions, which makes Daphne take a shine to him. He later sits down and makes plans with his family on how to successfully steal the painting “A Scarlet Introduction” by Erin Blenner. Here, Birdie reveals a glimpse into her past with Simon, as they both had been famous in the art scene 10 years ago before Simon had left her to raise Ollie alone due to his addiction. She agrees to use her built-in cover as an art history major and her connection to Simon, albeit reluctantly, to get to the painting.
Once they had successfully roped in the painting from one of Abramov’s secret warehouses with high-end security, Charlie discovered Daphne’s real target. He took note of the address written on a note stuck inside the box holding the real painting right after he had finished exchanging it with the counterfeit. He checked up on that address the next day, only to find out about the weapons business Daphne would be dipping her toes in. Meanwhile, Mason, Emma’s assistant, had found out all about Abramov and the mysterious customer he was selling the painting to during her stakeout in front of the warehouse holding the paintings. Ever ambitious, Daphne’s target had been a man named Brad Wilford, who worked for American Armory. He had a side hustle with Abramov, who used art as his cover to deal in high-end weapons for the Russians, and Daphne wanted in on it. She had pursued Abramov for a deal only to be declined each time. Thus she acquired the black book to get some information on both Emma and Abramov to smooth her entrance into the market for weapons.
Will Simon Make A Comeback In Ollie’s Life?
Simon had begun contacting Birdie after he had remained sober for a whole two years later to prove to her that he had, in fact, changed. He had been willing to risk everything to reconcile with Birdie and to also raise their child, Ollie, together. Birdie, having been burned once, hesitantly reinstated communication with Simon at Charlie’s request so as to help with the heist. Simon agreed to help immediately, as he had been in contact with Abramov. He secured them invites to Abramov’s high-end party, where the paintings would be displayed for the folks to enjoy. Birdie secured information on this trip, and Simon agreed to help her and Charlie get into the warehouse where Abramov had kept the real painting to make amends. He helped them with the heist with no conditions attached, as he simply wanted to reconnect with Birdie. Simon leaving Birdie had a lot to do with Leo, as he admitted when Birdie asked him why he left, because he’d always seemed like someone who would take his responsibilities seriously. Simon also met Ollie for the first time, as she had sneaked into the basement against Birdie’s explicit instructions. He simply introduced himself and did not pursue any further conversation, respecting the boundaries set by Birdie. He is set to return as Birdie seems to warm up to Simon as she hesitates and tells Ollie that she might meet Simon in no uncertain terms.
‘The Company You Keep’ Episode 6 Ending Explained: What Choice Does Emma Make?
Emma finds herself in a tough predicament where she faces a choice between her beloved job of catching the bad guys and keeping her family’s preserved secret away from the media to help support David’s political career. She mulls over her choices as she confides in Joseph and looks for a way out. Joseph advises her to not view the world as black and white and rather focus on the grays as well. He understands her troubles as he tells her that she is sure to find a way out if she looks beyond the views she has about the world. This strikes a fire inside Emma, as she immediately thinks of contacting Charlie yet again. While Birdie and Charlie were having a conversation as they tended to their bar, Emma walked in to offer a deal to Charlie. As they finalized their deal, Charlie mentioned that Daphne was looking to dip into the weapon markets, while Emma assured them that she would protect his family if Charlie agreed to help protect her family from both the feds and Daphne, respectively. Armed with this knowledge, Charlie went on to offer a counter-deal to Daphne on helping her get McGuire’s throne to get her off his family’s back.
Final Thoughts
I think Daphne knows that Charlie’s tipped off Emma; it’s possible that she might just be playing along with Charlie’s plans. I mean, with all her ambitions as well as the time when Charlie had tried to undermine her, it would come off as no surprise that Daphne had him tailed and might have been on alert when Emma threatened her with her parentage. Daphne being Patrick McGuire’s daughter had been a fact unknown to even Connor, his legitimate son. It was discovered by the Nicollettis, and thus, Emma knowing such a secret would reveal that she was in cahoots with them. Meanwhile, Birdie seems to be warming up to Simon, as she will probably reconcile with him in the near future. It almost feels like a saga of protective fathers because Joseph had been wary of Charlie, while Leo seems to have something to do with Simon leaving Birdie 10 years ago. It seems that Charlie and Emma might also reconcile because sparks will fly high during their joint mission as they take down Daphne and the McGuires as a whole.
