As Imogen Salter would say, “The best lies are mostly true,” and that couldn’t ring anymore accurately in The Veil Season 1 Episode 3.
Having finally made it to Paris, Adilah is reunited with her daughter. However, the smiles and hugs are short-lived as Imogen is still determined to prove her travel companion is the high-ranking ISIS commander that everyone believes Adilah to be.
Though viewers are meant to question Adilah’s actions and everything she says, Imogen continues to show that she has just as many, if not more, secrets.
Perhaps these two women have found kindred spirits in each other, but their bond seems tenuous at best since neither trusts the other beyond what they need from one another.
Malik: So, what is this woman like?
Imogen: There’s something intangible about her. Can’t name.
Malik: Sounds like someone I know.
Imogen: Even though we’re lying to each other, I feel like I’ve been more honest with her than most people.
At its core, The Veil is a show about people and events not being as clear-cut as they appear. Misdirection is likely being used without audiences even realizing it.
The episode starts with the mystery man, last seen at the end of The Veil Season 1 Episode 2, retrieving a note hidden for him by Adilah, now procuring the phone she left for him at the refugee camp.
That same man then kills two aid workers before he is killed by another individual in league with Adilah, made evident through their brief phone conversations.
While it certainly seems like Adilah is the “Djinn al Raqqa” that everyone is in search of, it feels as though there is something about her actions that goes much deeper than what’s been seen so far.
This new individual that Adilah is in contact with then touches base with three men in an abandoned Iraq hospital, giving them the go-ahead to commence with their unknown plan.
It’s implied that two of the men have been training for the next step, which involves them sacrificing their lives to retrieve radioactive cores for purposes unknown. The third man is left to caravan the cores to a docked military vessel as it prepares for travel to the U.S.
These actions appear to be motivated by terrorism, but to what end?
Ironically, Adilah questions Imogen about who she is and why she’s helping her. After going off on a slight tangent about her past, Imogen confesses her involvement with MI6 and the suspicions of Adilah being an ISIS commander.
However, Imogen strategically leaves out the part where the DNA evidence that supposedly proved Adilah innocent is no longer in play as the U.S. once again suspects her as the “Djinn al Raqqa.”
Even though Imogen doesn’t trust Adilah and believes her to be lying about her involvement with the terrorist group, there is still a tenderness at times when she looks at the other woman, especially when the subject of motherhood is brought up.
Something present since The Veil Season 1 Episode 1.
Imogen might be a mother like Adilah or feels connected to her on some other level. Regardless, Imogen doesn’t seem to want any harm to come to Adilah. Only to stop whatever catastrophic plans are underway.
I do want you to hold your daughter again without being under constant surveillance. And I like you. I never really like anyone.
Imogen
Adilah may be only going through the motions of appearing to work with these strange men who keep calling her and popping up wherever she is to deliver cryptic messages.
However, Adilah isn’t the only one with a hidden agenda. Seen towards the end of the episode is Imogen meeting with the cockiest American in France, Max Peterson.
Through their clandestine exchange, it’s revealed that Imogen is working with American intelligence, the British, and the French.
The U.S. agent almost feels like the comic relief of the series, constantly saying the most obnoxious, American-infused quips.
America always picks up the tab, baby.
Max
Much to Malik’s chagrin, the French agent must reluctantly keep working with Peterson as the U.S. government has been many steps ahead of French intelligence in gathering Intel. These men have had a rocky working relationship since their airport scuffle in the first episode.
It’s doubtful that these two characters are destined for a buddy cop scenario or even a relationship of convenience like Imogen and Adilah.
Max’s character comes off as superficial and pompous, but he’s still a high-ranking government agent, and he didn’t get there because of his good looks. He definitely has more up his sleeve than he’s letting on.
At this point, Malik appears to be the only one who mostly tells the truth. It’s possible he’s not as high up on the ladder as Imogen and Max, but he is still heavily involved in the case, even though no one seems to want to be completely candid with him.
Regardless, it’s more likely in his best interest to stay close to the CIA agent, as Peterson may not be as predictable as he seems. The best way to hide something is to keep it in plain sight.
The series’ intense writing and captivating dialogue are elevated even further by Elisabeth Moss‘s incredible performance.
You know what I missed most living in the camps? The smell of a Western pharmacy when you walk in. The soaps. The perfume. The cleanliness. It’s the finest achievement of civilization.
Imogen
The actress’s charming and cunning portrayal pulls the audience in with her magnetic presence, proving once again that she is the gold standard in television. Undoubtedly, viewers are eager to see where she takes her character and what skeletons lie in Imogen’s closet.
What could it be about Adilah that keeps Imogen from outright arresting her or at least calling in one of the three intelligence agencies she’s working with?
If Adilah honestly doesn’t believe Imogen is who she says she is, then why does she seem hesitant to remove the MI6 agent as an obstacle?
Drop a comment below to let us know what you think! And join us again when we break down the next episode!
Joshua Pleming is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. You can follow him on X.