The main crux of the plot focuses on the quasi-love triangle between Frank- Sarah, Micro's wife, and Micro himself. Sarah plants a kiss on Frank after a couple of glasses of wine and some nice conversation. It doesn't go much further than that, but it is enough to vex Frank's partner in conspiracy busting.
Scenes where Frank and Micro just talk always work quite well and this is no different. Both reminisce about their lost loves whilst taking good-natured potshots at each other. Micro even shows Frank his genitals....it makes sense in context...sort of?
The episode doesn't dwell too much on it. Even Micro himself is rather understanding given the circumstances, but at the same time, he can't just entirely shrug it off either. The episode managed to pull off a believable response to the apparent transgression.
On other fronts, Madani uses the bug to set up a trap and try to lure out the people who planted it there. It does work, though despite an intense gunfight, there's not much to show for it. Credit where it's due, Madani's team held their own. I was expecting Russo's mercs to wipe the floor with them, but both sides took their licks.
Random note, there's a huge shootout and Frank Castle never picks up a gun. Instead, we see Frank entirely in chummy, everyday mode and Bernthal pulls it off. I think that's one thing that the MCU has done really well. Frank could easily be a one-note, ultra-violent thug (something Micro's potshots frequently center on), but Bernthal gives the character more depth and allows you to connect with him more. The results speak for themselves as he has gotten nothing but universal praise on multiple occasions.
Similarly, Ben Barnes came out strong in this episode. Russo may not be one of the more memorable villains in the MCU (even just within the confines of the Netflix branch,) but his picture is becoming a bit clearer. We get a dose of backstory that explains his desire for money, we see his ruthlessness become more apparent, but we also see that he too has layers. He still holds his friendship with Frank in high regard and laments the fact that circumstances are leading them to face off against each other. He is also reluctant to endanger Madani, While both parties play off their relationship as nothing more than friends with benefits, it seems his feelings go deeper than that.
Even with that, though, he seems to have no qualms about helping her wash off the blood of her partner, who he had just killed. It's a quick scene, but it is a pretty disturbing one nonetheless and even if it isn't cliffhanger material, it is a hell of a note to end the episode on.
All in all, what this episode did, it did well. As said before, I don't know if it's placed very well in the narrative. However, as you're watching it, you'll definitely appreciate what it does bring to the table.
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