In the third episode of Season 2 of The Old Man, Dan Chase (Jeff Bridges), Harold Harper (John Lithgow), and Emily Chase (Alia Shawkat) find themselves in a complicated situation.
The threat from the Taliban against Faraz Hamzad’s (Navid Negahban) village has lessened, but their mission is more difficult than they expected. This leaves them with many questions.
The episode begins not with Chase, Harper, or Emily, but with Khadija (Jacqueline Antarmian) watching her brother undergo surgery to remove a bullet from his stomach.
Her son Tarik (Amir Malaklou) tries to explain to the Ministry that he does not believe Omar (Artur Zai Barrera) acted on their behalf.
Although Omar likely acted for the Taliban, Tarik provides an excuse to save face. However, the Ministry is not interested, and they hang up on him.
Things get worse when Khadija learns that her brother’s injuries are too severe. He seems to know this too, as he asks Khadija and Tarik to bring Emily to him.
He tells them he would not be alive without her. Tarik finds Emily in the room where they keep Faruza’s (Sara Seyed) body, comforting Farouk (Michael Sifain), who does not want to leave his mother’s side. Tarik then informs the family that they have about 72 hours to leave the village before the Taliban arrive.
Meanwhile, Chase and Harper wait by the helicopter for Emily to join them. Harper tries to persuade a nervous pilot to wait a little longer.
He worries that the soldiers will leave without them, but Chase believes Emily understands how urgent their situation is and will arrive in time. After Emily arrives, she surprises them by saying she is staying behind.
She explains that the government is putting pressure on them because their resources have run out. She asks both men to speak to Morgan Bote (Joel Grey) and persuade him to remove the village from the sanctions list.
They think this is impossible, but Emily reminds them of their true nature, and they agree to try.
In this chaotic episode, there is a moment for the three characters to connect emotionally. This scene shows their complex relationships and how much they care for one another.
Although Shawkat speaks passionately, Bridges and Lithgow convey their emotions without words.
Each character has a complicated past with one another, and this scene highlights how well they understand each other and their willingness to support one another.
Once they are safely at a military base in Uzbekistan, Chase and Harper reflect on their last conversation with Emily.
Chase notices that Emily has changed after killing Omar, not out of necessity but out of love for those he threatened. He worries about how deeply Emily has become involved in the situation.
Harper jokes about Emily’s new traditional clothing, saying no one would want to wear such clothes in the desert.
Chase feels that a part of Emily is gone, replaced by a new part, but he cannot predict where this change will lead. Harper reassures him that he should not mourn these changes, as they are not all negative.
Back in the village, Emily talks with Hamzad and informs him that Chase and Harper are on their way home. He tells her they are planning to evacuate most people but wants her to leave to support him in different ways.
When Tarik finally meets Emily, she introduces herself as Parwana. Hamzad has instructed her to return to the U.S. with Tarik, but this is really an excuse to get her out of the country. Tarik hopes Emily can persuade Hamzad to let him save his life.
Tarik shares his background, saying he was sent to the U.S. as a child for education. His family wanted him to have more opportunities than the village could provide. He reveals that his family sent him away because he reminded Hamzad of Parwana.
Despite the pressure, he found a purpose to help his family escape the village. Emily worries that they do not want to leave, but Tarik believes they would think differently if Emily encouraged them to go.
Emily feels conflicted about supporting their departure, but Tarik argues that the dead would have chosen safety if they had the chance.
Emily expresses her overwhelming need for comfort and security, while Tarik insists that their situations are different. He believes they have a chance to move somewhere safe, where their children can get an education. Their discussion highlights their differing viewpoints on leaving their roots behind.
Tarik speaks from a place of love, not wanting to separate from his home but understanding the dangers of staying.
Emily, having been taken from her roots, wants to fight for those who wish to remain. Their conversation is interrupted when Khadija arrives to tell them that Hamzad has died.
Tarik plans to leave the next morning after the burial. Khadija assures Emily that she is not responsible for Hamzad’s death, even if she was not completely honest about his injury. Emily’s decision to stay or leave will be addressed in the next episode.
Meanwhile, Chase and Harper continue to feel disappointed with their travel arrangements. They are flying home in an uncomfortable cargo plane, and they face a long journey ahead.
Harper is unimpressed with Chase’s wealthy persona, which Chase claims he has only adopted briefly. They focus on how to approach Bote when they arrive.
Harper plans to do the talking, but he wonders about Bote’s real motives, as his reactions seem excessive. Chase agrees with Harper but makes a comment that worries him. Harper cannot believe that Chase would resort to violence against Bote, which would not help their cause. Harper’s concern about Chase’s temper shows the tension between them as they strategize how to help Emily.
Finally, they arrive at Bote’s house, looking disheveled and exhausted. Harper quickly updates Bote on what happened while they were on the ground but omits some details.
Bote already knows most of the story and states that he could have avoided this situation if he had known Emily’s identity earlier.
However, he refuses to unfreeze Hamzad’s assets, explaining that the situation is more complicated than they realize.
Chase becomes impatient, just as Harper asks for clarification, but they are interrupted by barking dogs. Chase’s two dogs enter, followed by Zoe McDonald (Amy Brenneman), who surprises Chase. He is angry that Bote involved her, but Bote argues that it is Chase’s fault she is there and that he is trying to fix things.
Zoe explains that she tried to return to her normal life after Morocco but could not forget. She reached out to Hamzad’s lawyer for help but only heard from Bote.
Bote reveals that he needs access to Hamzad’s lithium deposit due to its influence. He introduces Suleyman Pavlovich (Rade Serbedzija), a Soviet fighter Chase let go years ago, who is now a major player.
Bote mentions that Hamzad’s lawyer is the only one who can stop Suleyman. Zoe finally hears back from Hamzad’s lawyer, who wants to meet for lunch next week. Harper believes waiting that long is impossible given the urgent situation.
Chase insists he told Bote that Emily was not his daughter, at least not completely. He acknowledges that while Bote cannot fully take back his decisions, he should help the village temporarily.
Bote seems to respond to Chase’s plea and asks him to return the next day to see if he can come up with something else. Chase does not take this well and seems ready to react violently, but Zoe pulls him outside.
Chase urges Zoe to leave and stay out of this, but she insists it is too late for that. She believes Bote is more likely to help her than Chase. She tells Chase to let her handle the situation.
While Zoe’s character provided necessary context in Season 1, it is unclear what her role is now. It is challenging to return to a normal life after such intense experiences, but her motivations seem weak for staying involved.
Once Chase and Harper leave, Zoe returns inside to talk to Bote. He correctly guesses that she wants him to help them. It sounds like he might agree when there is an intruder in the hallway. Bote manages to shoot the intruder, but he is also shot and killed.
As the gunman approaches Zoe, Chase arrives and commands his dogs to attack the intruder. Chase suspects Zoe and Bote got too close to Pavlovich’s plans. This is confirmed when someone sends Pavlovich a picture of Bote’s body.
Pavlovich expresses interest in Chase and Harper, viewing them as the “real” targets whose deaths will eliminate loose ends. The first four episodes of The Old Man Season 2 are now available. New episodes air on FX every Thursday and are available to stream on Hulu the next day.
With Hamzad’s death, Emily, Chase, and Harper must make quick decisions on their next steps. The episode leaves viewers in suspense, waiting to see if the characters can survive the mounting dangers and how their complicated relationships will grow.
Ultimately, Emily’s decision to remain behind highlights the deeper transformations happening within each character, setting the stage for more intense developments in the coming episodes.
