Covert Affairs quotes

Annie

What are you doing here?

Auggie

Putting career advancement over my personal life. Plus, she couldn't remember the last book she read, and even I have standards. Want to talk about it? You might not know this, but I am an excellent listener.

Annie

Is that so?

Auggie

It's in my file.

Annie

How do you feel about what we do?

Auggie

Hmmm.

Annie

I mean, I know that manipulating people for information is pretty much my job description, but it always makes me feel --

Auggie

Dirty?

Annie

Tell me it's worth it.

Auggie

Tell me what "it" is and I'll tell you if it's worth it.

Annie

Henry Wilcox said we're in the mud, all of us, whether we want to admit it or not.

Auggie

Does that bother you?

Annie

I'd like to know how dirty I'm going to get.

Joan

She got him.

She's good! She reminds me of someone.

Joan

Oh yeah? Yourself?

You!

Auggie

Your presence has been requested immediately.

Annie

What...now?

Auggie

Well, however you want to interpret the words "requested" and "immediately."

Eyal

Remember, I'm the guy who cooked for you. How many men do you have cooking for you, huh?

Annie

Actually --

Eyal

Cook organically!

Annie

You lied to me yesterday. Why should I believe you now or ever?

Eyal

It's Thursday. I don't lie on Thursdays.

Annie

So you said medical school? Did you finish?

Eyal

No.

Annie

What happened?

Eyal

In 2002 my family needed me and so I took a leave of absence. Never went back.

Annie

Doctor Lavin has a nice ring to it.

Eyal

You're my mother.

Annie

Did you ever think of going back?

Eyal

No. It's different in Israel. Our ambitions are about life, living well, not our careers.

Annie

What about having both?

Eyal

See, that's very American. Life takes you where it takes you. You can only do so much, sometimes none at all. History taught us that.

Annie

Don't fight the current? Is that it?

Eyal

Or swim with it. Instead of fighting, live your life. The current may know something you don't.

Joan

[to Jai] You are either personally undermining me or your promotion has affected your better judgement, if such a thing ever existed. In the future, if you have anything to say to me, you will hold your tongue and speak to me privately. Or better yet, keep it to yourself.

Eyal

Why are you here, Annie Walker?

Annie

This is a suicide mission. Don't do it. It's not what your sister would want.

Eyal

[chuckles] Oh, you didn't know my sister. This is exactly what she would have wanted. See, we know this is when you fight the current.

How many operatives do you think do what you do? Go into the field, turn assets, stay cool in real danger, use a weapon, use it to kill. Not many, and of those, how many of them are women? Even less. So, here's my pitch: I think you were being under utilized at the DPD.

Annie

I'm just doing what I signed on for.

Lena

I don't believe you believe that. It's what you're supposed to say, but it's bullshit.

Annie

You seem to know a lot about me.

Lena

Not in a creepy way, but yeah. I know it's pretty hard to go through what you went through.

Annie

With all due respect, I don't think you know how I'm feeling.

Auggie

Face it, Annie Walker. You've graduated.

Annie

I told you I was nervous before. I'm more nervous now.

Auggie

Watch your six. Lena's ops can find a way to kind of get banged up.

Annie

You're not worried about me are you, Auggie?

Auggie

I worry about a lot of things: global warming, the Cubs playoff hopes, the state of my old Corvette, but you? Never.

Annie

Are you listening to me?

Auggie

Well, you asked why we're here in the safehouse, didn't you?

Annie

[smiles] No. I didn't.

Auggie

Oh.

Annie

The first thing a guy does when he gets married is stop listening. Or so I'm told. How much more time do you need?

Auggie

Ten, fifteen more minutes. Come here, you've got to check this out.

Annie

What am I looking at?

Auggie

Poetry. No, actually I take that back. It's more like sheet music. Red Rover is using the basic building blocks of the Stuxnet virus, but this thing has got so much more soul. It's like a melody.

Annie

[smiles] I have to take your word for it.

Auggie

Zero data tags. Man in the middle attacks. Modular, sophisticated, it's like Miles in his kind of Blue Period.

Annie

You should have told me you were such a dork when you proposed. I might have said no.

Auggie

[smiles] Whatever you say, dear.

Auggie

I have to admit, my radar was a little off on this one.

Annie

You know what I like about you?

Auggie

Just one thing.

Annie

Positivity. You see the best in people until they prove you wrong.

Auggie

That makes me a chump.

Annie

That makes you a romantic. [pause] And a little bit of a chump.

What is it?

Joan

I've allowed Annie to travel to Russia to prove Lena's presence in-country.

What?

Joan

And I've provided her with funds and an active cover.

The agency has suspended all tactical missions on this front. I just gave the DCI my word literally this morning that we were done with this.

Joan

Arthur, she was going to go anyway. I just wanted to make sure she did it safely.

Is it going to be safe?

Joan

I don't know.

I can fire you for this. You know that, right? How is it going to look if she dies?

Joan

How is it going to look? I don't know, but it will feel terrible.

Auggie

Annie, listen to me, you need to get out of Russia.

Annie

You shouldn't be calling.

Auggie

I know this is off-book, but your ambush has damaged State's negotiations and the Russians are looking for you.

Annie

The negotiations were bullshit. I'm the only one who's acting.

Auggie

Annie, please. You're a person of interest. Every moment you remain in Russia is a moment too long. Now, I can arrange a water egress for you through the Black Sea. Use your resources and protocols and get to Novorossiysk.

Annie

I'm sorry. I can't.

Auggie

Annie, do you remember that moment we talked about in the car, where you've gone too far? This is that moment. Now I need you to come home, and this isn't the Agency calling and I'm not Joan. There are things that I need to say to you face to face. Important things. Please.

Lena

I like you, Annie. So I have an offer for you: become me.

Annie

Excuse me?

Lena

You would be an exquisite double within the CIA. No one would suspect you and I would conspire after all we've been through. It would be audacious, elegant. Just go back, tell them you couldn't find me. We could establish dead drops within a year.

Annie

So what? You want me to betray my agency and my country? Why would I ever do that?

Lena

For one thing, you would be incredibly rich, but mostly I'd like you to experience power. Real, true power. You would be in control. Something I think you're finally starting to realize will never happen while you're in the CIA.

Annie

You think you have power, here in the woods? Alone?

Lena

Yes. I had the power to summon you here to me, didn't I? And that kind of power, to compel people, to move the pieces, it's intoxicating.

Annie

You're a traitor, Lena.

Lena

CIA, FSB, America, Russia, these are all just words. The best spies have always known that the sides can change, it's the game itself that matters.

Lena

Okay, Annie, pull the trigger. It'll be as if you're pulling the trigger on yourself. You'll never make it out of Russia. You'll be lucky to make it to the auto route. I'm sure Joan gave you the whole 'we will deny any knowledge' speech. You're going to find out just how true that is. They will hang you out to dry; leave you to rot, and the worst part is you'll never be able to look at yourself the same way again. You'll know that you killed for malice, and that changes you. Go ahead, Annie. Pull the trigger.