Max Martini is prepared to stir things up on Covert Affairs Season 5.

The veteran actor (Crisis, Revenge, The Unit) will stop by an episode of this USA Network hit this summer, coming on board as Nathan Mueller, an ex-CIA operative who disappeared mysteriously and then suddenly resurfaces.

Look for him and Annie to bond over their shared troubled histories.

Martini joins previously-confirmed Covert Affairs guest stars Perrey Reeves, Nazneen Contractor, Amy Jo Johnson and Michael A. Goorjian.

Need to catch up? Go watch Covert Affairs online.

Want a preview of what's to come? Check out the following exclusive interviews:

• Covert Affairs Stars Tease Season 5
• Hill Harper Interview

Annie's back... and she's blond again!

After faking her own death and going dark, Annie fulfilled her quest to take down Henry Wilcox. When we last saw her, she killed him in an alley and got out of the city on a boat.

On Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 1, she's working her way back into her life and the CIA. Will she and Auggie get back together? Maybe, but they have a lot to work out.

The big change is that Annie will be working with a non-CIA agent, Ryan McQuaid. He's a billionaire private contractor who she may or may not be able to trust. 

Check out the official photos from the Covert Affairs season premiere, "Sandy Lane." There are a couple of Joan and Arthur's adorable son, Mackenzie.

Covert Affairs Season 5 Premiere Photos

1. Annie's Back

Annie's back and on the job on the Season 5 premiere, "Shady Lane."

Covert Affairs returns on June 24 - and you can watch Covert Affairs online at any time before then in order to catch up.

Summer is supposed to be hot.

For years, the television season was dry, but not sizzling. But how times have changed!

Returning favorites and exciting new shows bring some of the most beautiful and sexy faces in the business to the small screen.

Choosing one or two gorgeous stars from the plentiful casts was a difficult task. Agree or disagree with what you see? Don't be shy. Share your opinion in the comments.

Click around, drool a bit and rejoice that summer is no longer a dark wasteland for good scripted television and sexy, talented stars.

37 Sizzling Summer TV Stars

1. Joe Mangiello - True Blood

It's the last summer for this hot-tastic body to grace our screens; on True Blood at least!

Nothing like work to interrupt a nice moment with your new baby, right?

That's what happens for new parents Arthur and Joan when they get an important phone call on tomorrow night's Covert Affairs Season 5 premiere.

But, hey, at least the person on the other end is calling for an important reason.

And if the baby in this clip looks a lot like Joan, there's a good reason: it's the real life son of Kari Matchett, as the actress told us during a recent red carpet chat at the NBCU Cable Upfront. 

Check out the sneak peek now and return tomorrow night for a detailed recap and review:

Covert Affairs Season Premiere Clip - She's Back!

Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 1 airs Tuesday at 10/9c on USA.

Surprise surprise! 

After killing Henry, Annie headed out of Hong Kong by boat with a contemplative look on her face.

Instead of rushing back to the States, she hid out and escaped the agency's watchers. She remained underground for four months before she decided to return and re-emerged in Washington D.C on Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 1.

The ease of Annie's return into the CIA fold was astonishing. She underwent a polygraph and passed beat it. It was like she never faked her death, went dark or killed Henry Wilcox. I'm guessing since Calder was in on it, she was in the clear for her actions. She definitely was lying about her four month absence, but the polygraph doesn't lie, right?

Covert Affairs Season 5 Premiere Photos

1. Annie's Back

Annie's back and on the job on the Season 5 premiere, "Shady Lane."

At least, Calder and Auggie questioned Annie, but they too let her get away with her answers. They were glad to have her back and when Khalid Ansari showed in the US, they needed her help. In Covert Affairs Season 3 Episode 16, Annie turned Khalid against his father and let him go instead of killing him. If anyone understood the man, it was Annie.

When she came face-to-face with Khalid, she proved she hadn't lost her touch as an agent. She was getting through to him, but Charlie had Khalid shot instead. That was a big mistake. He could have been the key to understanding exactly what was going on. It may have appeared that he was involved in the terrorist plot, but I don't think he was.

Khalid: You don't know? Then I'm an even bigger fool. You think you're in control. If these people can do this to me, what chance do you think you have?

For her first case back, Annie followed the evidence trail that presented itself,  found the terrorists and nearly stopped an attack. The problem was the CIA fell for the trap that was set. There's a mastermind at work who knew the CIA procedures and left the bread crumbs which led them to Mykola Alton.

Mykola was taken into custody just like the terrorists wanted. He was the bomb. As soon as he walked into the secret CIA location, it was game over. Twelve CIA employees were killed when the facility exploded, while Annie was lucky that she spotted Oksana or she'd be dead too.

The season premiere was a well-paced introductory episode which effectively brought Annie back, while launching a new mystery and case. We didn't see much of the new character, Ryan McQuaid, yet he was well defined in his few short scenes. He's a former Navy SEAL who now runs a billion dollar private intelligence contractor firm and flies himself wherever he wants to go.

The initial meeting between Annie and McQuaid was sizzling hot. She stood her ground and he appreciated her candor. Given McQuaid's connection to Boz Alton, he's not going to stand by quietly and let the CIA handle the situation. I'm looking forward to seeing Annie and Ryan work together, whether it's acrimonious or not. 

I'm equally excited to see Arthur find his place in the industry again. It wouldn't have felt realistic for him to return to the CIA or any government job after all that happened, but he's well-qualified to go work with McQuaid. Arthur will make more money for his new expanded family, plus it will set up a challenging professional relationship with Joan.

If anything was lacking in the premiere, it was quality bonding between Annie and Auggie. With everything going on, I'm glad they are keeping their relationship platonic at least for now. She may trust him, but not implicitly. Whatever she's hiding, it's related to the attack she had in the alley.

What's wrong with her? And what was the shot she took?

Watch Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 1 Online

Without anything to go on, her attack appeared to be heart related, but the shot looked like an Auvi-Q EpiPen, which is for allergic reactions. Whatever is wrong with her health, it's serious enough that she couldn't tell Auggie without putting him in a bad position and risking her job.

Despite her silence, they have a bond that's withstanding her lies at least for now.

Annie: There's nothing to say. You can trust me.
Auggie: I do trust you.
Annie: Then let's get to work.

Annie has a tough assignment ahead of her to track down Boz Alton and uncover the truth about who's behind the attack on the Chicago Office and uncovering their greater plan. The best lead may be to track down how Khalid Ansari ended up in the United States. He was the first bread crumb dropped and it was a big one.

Are you disappointed Annie and Auggie didn't get back together romantically?

After killing Henry and leaving Hong Kong, Annie went into hiding for another four months. On Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 1, she returns to Washington D.C. and contacts Auggie.

After passing a polygraph test, she's reinstated to the CIA and immediately gets an assignment when Khalid Ansari shows up in Chicago. This leads to a new mission when terrorists plan a new attack.

Joan heads back to work at the CIA, but with Calder in her old job it's a complicated situation.

Watch Covert Affairs online now.

Watch Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 1 Online

Annie headed out to find Borz, but she wasn't the only one. Ryan McQuaid was in pursuit too.

Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 2 felt more like a transitional episode than one that had any real answers. It provided the first look at how Annie and McQuaid would work together or not while they both pursued Borz.

Watch Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 2 Online

It was satisfying to see Annie back on the job again traveling to Venezuela on a mission. I'm a fan of the look and feel of Covert Affairs when the episodes are filmed on location. There was an intimacy to the hour following Annie on her quest that allowed me, as a viewer, to be right there with her.

Annie's health may be a problem for her, but she still has her wit. While she didn't trust McQuaid enough to work with him directly, she definitely saw value in his methods and took advantage of them. After he was able to get information out of Imam Shaib that she wasn't, Annie planted her phone on his vehicle.

Auggie tracked the signal and led Annie right to Borz where she ran into McQuaid and his men at the same time. What happened next showed the different methods used by McQuaid and Annie. While she went for the identity of Borz's contact, McQuaid was more conservative and didn't risk it. In the end, they both ended up in handcuffs and she had a lead.

McQuaid may not have been offering Annie a job in Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 1, but after seeing her in action he tried to recruit her. Of course, Annie being the strong, independent and loyal CIA Officer that she is declined his offer. I was surprised, but then again not that surprised, that he left her behind. It would have been a good offering to help set her free, though that's not his style.

Annie didn't need his help though. She had her good looks and charm to sell herself as a desperate American in Venezuela for breast implant surgery. Piper Perabo is awesome at selling Annie's covers, so I wish we'd get to see her do it more often. In addition to the cover, she did get to showcase Annie's language skills, which is impeccable. 

By the end of the hour, Annie and McQuaid had developed a captivating chemistry together that's built out of independence and respect. Annie didn't want to work with him and didn't trust him with Borz, yet she let him in on her secret heart trouble. I've enjoyed watching Annie work with Auggie, Eyal, and others before, but none of her other partners have had quite the same engaging dynamic with her.

McQuaid's definitely remains a man of mystery. He had his one hour with Borz without revealing anything about it to Annie. Despite his secrecy, he earned Annie's trust at least temporarily since they are bringing Borz back together. Of course, that could be part of her plot to uncover McQuaid's real interest in Borz.

I'm loving this pair! At this point, the relationship between Annie and Auggie is business only. She hasn't revealed her medical condition to him and she lied to him as her handler. He's not going to take kindly to that deceit should he ever find out, plus he's certainly not waiting around for her.  Auggie's back to his womanizing days and sleeping with the enemy.

Any ideas about what McQuaid wanted to know from Borz? Is Arthur going to get himself in trouble by working with him? 

What kind of relationship do you want to see between Annie and Ryan?

Annie heads to Venezuela to find Borz when she runs into Ryan McQuaid. She refuses to work with him, but they use each other to track him on Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 2.

The situation gets complicated when Borz's contact is killed and Borz goes on the run. Annie finds him and chases, but her medical condition gets in the way.

McQuaid has a new proposal for Annie. Will she go work for him?

Watch Covert Affairs online now.

Watch Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 2 Online

Annie and McQuaid are quite an entertaining pair.

They are both brilliant operatives, yet they have such different methods in the field.

On Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 3, Annie used her expertise and saved them multiple times with her quick thinking and actions.

After tracking down Borz in Venezuela and capturing him, Annie and McQuaid attempted to get him out of the country by car. As Annie feared, the plan to use a flashy car and cash to cross the border was unsuccessful, instead it backfired and they were forced to go into hiding.

McQuaid rented a house they could use as a temporary hideout while Annie interrogated Borz for answers about the Chicago CIA office bombing. Borz's interrogation was brutal and consisted of unusual interrogation methods. Since Borz was injured, Annie used his pain to her advantage so she didn't have to torture him or add to his pain, but dangled pain medication in front of him for information.

When Borz didn't budge, Annie used Borz's sister as leverage by offering to help her in exchange for information. Borz didn't have much to share, but provided the name "Postman." That clue could be just what Annie needed to get to the bottom of who was behind the Chicago CIA office bombing. 

One of the best moments of the hour was when Annie let the police in to look around the house. She's great at manipulating people by getting them to see her as something she's not. In this case, she pretended she was getting into the shower and then let them believe they caught her hiding drugs. They dismissed her as a "Junkie whore." Nice job!

There wasn't much forward movement in the case during the hour. After everything, all Annie got was the name "Postman." McQuaid didn't share why he wanted an hour with Borz or what he learned, so there's still a chance that more could come out from this lead. With Borz dead, Annie and McQuaid got out of the country and headed home.

Their working relationship became closer as they learned how each other operated and they began to trust one another. McQuaid appeared to have more faith in Annie than she had in him, but then again, he's keeping secrets from her. He commended her on lying to Borz for leverage which helped.

Annie and McQuaid have an odd dynamic with each other, which I find surprisingly engaging to watch. It's different and has provided unexpected results. I don't know what they are going to do next, which makes it fun. McQuaid's gift to Annie was a nice peace offering and present. I can't wait for them to work together again.

Annie and Auggie ... what? I can't even image them together right now. It's weird to think they were a couple just last season. He's moved on with Hayley and Annie's off doing her thing. While I don't want to see them romantically involved right now, I would like to see them working together more.

With Auggie's help identifying the "Postman" through his contact Roger, we should see them collaborating more again. Though, it looks like Roger is in for some hurt since he's being followed and watched by someone. Is it the "Postman"? Or someone else? It's not clear, but he's paranoia is likely warranted.

The others in Washington struggle to adapt to their new reality. Calder's not thrilled with his promotion and the emphasis on politics and paperwork. He confided a little about his troubles to his lover, who is actually a prostitute. No wonder he wants her to use a private phone. That relationship could end his career.

Meanwhile, Joan and Arthur worked together with McQuaid's second in command to bring Annie and Ryan home. It's weird to see Arthur and Joan in their new roles. It's only a matter of time before they are forced to work against each other.

The highlight of the episode was watching Annie and McQuaid work together to get out of Venezuela. The location shoots helped make it feel authentic and I feared for their safety throughout the hour. The happenings in Washington were secondary. 

Auggie and Hayley: Yay or Nay?

Could Annie really leave the CIA?

Not if she has anything to say about it.

Through the course of her mission, she got into a car crash, but that was just the trigger to force her into confiding in Auggie about her heart condition. That and other key moments of Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 4 felt like they were there in order to propel the story forward. It was as if there was a checklist for the writers to mark off as each event happened.

Watch Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 4 Online

Annie and Auggie received the identity of the Postman from Roger and then it was case on. Annie went after him and messed up multiple times. She was caught tracking him and then got into a convenient car crash. There had to be a better way to force out her secret than a contrived car crash, but that's how it happened.

Annie confided in Auggie about her heart condition not because she wanted him to know and help her, but because she was forced into it. His trust in her and ability to stand by her side after that is a little bewildering, but he's fiercely loyal to her even if it's not reciprocated. It had to hurt that she went to Eyal for help instead of him when the symptoms first presented.

After trailer about Eyal's return, I was disappointed that he showed up in a flashback and his appearance was so limited. He's a rock for Annie, just like Auggie. She wouldn't be the woman she is today without either of the men, in fact, she'd likely be dead. Both Eyal and Auggie would do anything for her and have done so over and over again.

With the addition of McQuaid to her life, I'm intrigued to see if he's able to withstand her control and influence or if he'll also fall under her spell. He keeps trying to get her to let him in, but she's held strong so far. Does she really need another man to help and protect her? That's not at all to imply that Annie needs a man, but she does need a strong support system to succeed in her position.

The awards ceremony was another awkward event in the episode, because the characters decided to attend at the last minute. That made it feel just as contrived as the car crash. It would have worked better if it was an event that everyone already planned on attending. 

The threat to the CIA if intelligence work is outsourced felt authentic and real, it was just the means that the storyline was introduced that felt forced. The party also provided the framework for Calder's secret relationship with a Senator's prostitute to become public, while Auggie moved his relationship with Hayley forward.

Arthur's push for the government contract won't be good for his marriage. He's potentially taking work away from his wife and giving it to McQuaid. Of course, a bonus from the deal would buy a lot of diapers, so maybe she'll forgive him. If the deal goes through, I wouldn't be surprised to see Covert Affairs shift away from the CIA.

Annie's cowboy attitude would be better suited for a job working for McQuaid than with the CIA. She'd be able to get more done, while working for Arthur again. There wouldn't be anything stopping Joan from joining them too. Auggie and Calder could remain at the CIA to provide that perspective. It may not happen, but it's fun to consider.

For now, Annie's job is secure at the CIA and she has new leads to follow in regards to the Chicago bombing. Since Wilson was handled so quickly, I hope the next phase of the investigation requires them to dig deeper. Plus, McQuaid still knows something he's not letting out, at least not yet.

Did Auggie make right decision to alter Annie's medical records?

Annie's on a mission to find the person who leaked the Chicago CIA office on Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 4.

With Roger's help, Annie and Auggie find out the culprit works for the NSA and they set out to get proof he's involved. During the investigation, Annie runs into some trouble (or more accurately, it runs into her), which threatens to expose her secret.

Her secret isn't the only one that may be exposed. Calder gets caught up in the moment with his prostitute at a party. Will he be outed?

While everything is going on, Arthur makes a move that threatens the CIA and Joan's position!

Watch Covert Affairs online now:

Watch Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 4 Online

That was awkward in so many ways!

I'm not even sure where to start, but to say Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 5 showcased characters in uncomfortable and compromising situations. It's not easy being a spy.

Watch Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 5 Online

Covert Affairs has taken its time unraveling the mystery behind the Chicago bomb attack and used it to challenge both Annie and Auggie personally and professionally. I can't decide whether I'm glad the case has taken the slow route or not. I want to know who was behind the bombing, but the journey has been engrossing so far.

Now that the show is in its fifth season, they have a long list of characters who can be brought back and Natasha was a good choice. We last saw her in Covert Affairs Season 1 Episode 7 when Auggie left her behind. Her reappearance in his life came at the perfect time. He needs a strong woman who loves him and no that's not Hayley.

Auggie's avoidance of Hayley's calls was enough to make it clear that she's not the right woman for him. They are having fun, but there's nothing more there. He instantly fell back in with Natasha. Whether his feelings interfered with the job or not doesn't really matter, since the mission was a success. (Yes, it probably matters, but I'll ignore that for now.)

Even seasoned operatives have a weakness. Calder put his job on the line for his hooker lover, Auggie did it for Natasha and Annie's been pushed outside the lines before too. I love that this series allows them to be great at their jobs, but also have huge hearts. Though, I draw the line at Arthur! He better not step out on Joan with his co-worker. That is not acceptable.

As Auggie's handler, Annie compensated for his inability to get the job done. She knew him well enough to see that she needed to step in and make it happen. Did she overstep? Maybe. Given their tight timeframe, Annie made the right decision and it paid off. Even more impressive, she realized she could fix her overstep with Auggie by talking to Natasha and made it better.

"Elevate Me" showcased Annie as a full-fledged operative with an amazing power of intuition and ability to read people. This may have been the best operation that we've ever seen from Annie and she wasn't the main operative. She performed the job as a handler well and was even more spectacular when she played Ivan. 

Whenever Annie and Auggie get the opportunity to work together, the show is better for it and this was a prime example of that partnership working. They are better together professionally than personally. Now they have a lead to find out who was behind the Chicago bombing.

I will say that I missed Ryan McQuaid and his snark. I thought he might show up in Paris working a similar lead, but that didn't happen. With Annie and Auggie in the field together, there really wasn't much room for him anyway. He'll be back soon enough.

Did Annie make the right decision when she stole the key?

In order to track down the Postman, Auggie approaches a former lover for help on Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 5.

With Auggie in the field, Annie works as his handler and it doesn't go as well as it could. Annie makes a decision which will cause a rift in their relationship that may not be fixable.

Meanwhile, Arthur heads to the Middle East with his sexy, female co-worker. Does she have more than business on her mind? Inquiring minds want to know.

Watch Covert Affairs online now.

Watch Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 5 Online

Trust is a rarity in the spy world, but it's also a necessity.

As much as Annie believes she can do the job alone, she continually needs to trust others to protect herself and to succeed. That was never more apparent than on Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 6.

Trust the right person and they will save your life. Trust the wrong person and it could lead to a compromised investigation, a lost job or even death. On "Embassy Row," trust was both earned and misplaced. 

Watch Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 6 Online

After Annie's betrayal of Auggie in Paris, she fixed her relationship with him by making it right with Natasha. They mended their relationship and the brief break in trust ended. When she needed him to support her in the field, he made sure his team protected her cover and the mission.

Joan and Arthur have a strong relationship and even they can have moments of distrust between them. It was heartening to see Joan come clean with Arthur about looking into his trip and his understanding of the situation. Their marriage is in a difficult place with the new job, yet they are determined to make it work. Joan's decision to go through McQuaid to hire Arthur was a good compromise.

In contrast, Annie and Auggie aren't in a romantic relationship, but he proved that she's really the number 1 woman in his life. He reconnected with Natasha and believes that he wants to be with her. If that was true, why would he compromise their fresh start by continuing to see Hayley?

Annie. 

Above all else, Auggie has a deep need to protect Annie even if it costs him happiness with Natasha. He claimed that he was protecting her, but I don't buy that. There's no indication that Hayley knows or would find out about Natasha. He may be protecting himself, Joan, and the department though, yet his motivation to continue seeing Hayley is based on the specific threat to Annie. That's a unique loyalty.

Since Annie and McQuaid met, they've been sniffing around each other to determine how much to trust the other. He's been much more open with her than she's been with him, even taking into account his secret conversation with Borz. In Paris, he even gave that up and more.

Even if Annie's not ready to trust McQuaid, they have a common goal and she should give working with him serious consideration. He's able to provide support that the CIA can't. With Arthur working on the case, that provides an "in" for McQuaid to help Annie as well.  A package deal!

Trust can also be misplaced. Hayley's misguided in providing investigation information to Auggie, Calder shouldn't trust his hooker lover and I'm not sure that Natasha should trust Auggie either. We'll have to see how all these situations play out, though I fear they are going to be used and abused.

Overall, I continue to enjoy the investigation of the Chicago bombing, though I'd like to see more progress on the investigation. With Ivan in custody, more insight should be coming. I'm not sure what to think about Auggie's unusual romantic complications other than it's going to be a challenge. The only storyline I intensely dislike right now is everything to do with Calder. Last season, he was strong, confident, and kick-ass. Now, not so much. It's sad. 

Which is your least favorite pairing?

Annie returns to France to work Ivan again on Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 6.

Even though Annie left Ivan drugged on the floor, she takes the risk to approach the man again. It gets complicated when Ivan invites her to be his date at the Russian Embassy. If she's exposed, she'll be shipped to Russia and likely never seen again.

Auggie has her back and works to protect her and not only on this mission. He compromises his personal life in order to help protect Annie's professional career. 

Annie's mission hits a major snag, but someone's there to save her. 

Watch Covert Affairs online now to find out who saves her life.

Watch Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 6 Online

On Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 7, Annie and McQuaid will head to to Azerbaijan in search of a mysterious, off the grid ex-CIA officer named Nathan Mueller (guest star Max Martini).

Elsewhere, Auggie will be devastated to discover unfortunate details about an old friend, while Hill Harper's Calder will take actions that lead to a confrontation with Joan.

Uh-oh.

USA has supplide TV Fanatic with an exclusive sneak peek at this Covert Affairs Season 5 installment. Check it out below and then return tomorrow night for our detailed recap and review:

Covert Affairs Clip - "Brink of the Clouds"

What is Covert Affairs trying to do this season?

On an episode-to-episode basis, the hours have held my attention (despite the horrid Calder storyline). The problem with Covert Affairs Season 5 has been with the investigation into the Chicago CIA office bombing. While the case moves forward each week, it feels like it's just spinning in place.

Watch Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 7 Online

The investigation continues to meander from suspect to suspect without much information being revealed. Why was the CIA office bombed? What was the purpose? What did the perpetrator gain from it?

When Nathan Mueller was identified as the man probably behind the bombing on Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 7, I expected at least some insight into the action. Instead, he was presumably killed before we got any confirmation he was even involved.

He spouted some rhetoric about state sponsored terrorism and the horrific acts he committed while working for the CIA, but nothing indicated a specific reason why he would have targeted the secret CIA headquarters.  As a loner whose wife left him, he was in prime position to be turned, but we never found out if that's actually what happened.

If Mueller died on that ridge, it was a waste of Max Martini on the series. As a former CIA operative turned against his country, there's more that could have been done with the character. It's a shame if he's dead. Given Roger's phone call to Auggie, Mueller's actions need to be examined extensively, it's just whether Martini will be around to help explore it.

Annie and McQuaid risked their lives to get to Mueller, it remains to be seen whether their mission was a success. The drone strike could be considered a win, but is that enough? I don't think so. Unless computer and other items they collected turn up a new lead, they're left without a lead to follow.

Given the scrutiny the CIA is under from Hayley and her investigation, they need a win. A major win. Auggie's faux romance with Hayley is not going to help them at all now that she's suspicious of his intentions. It's never good to play with a woman's heart. Now that Natasha has left, will he begin to romance her again for real?

Auggie's never had a problem with the ladies, but I'm not sure he's even charming enough to win her over again. Besides, his loyalty will always be with Annie and Hayley has the means to destroy her career now. What a mess! I'm glad that the triangle situation moved forward quickly because it was believable only for so long. 

Unlike Calder's romantic mess, Auggie's has been full of tension, intrigue, and understandable feelings. I don't understand what the writers are doing with Calder. I hope there's more to the story than that he's an emotional wreck over a prostitute. Given the look he gave her when she got into the cab, it didn't appear to be anything more though. I'm not sure there's anything that can save that wreck of a storyline.

Speaking of relationships, the slow build up of trust between Annie and McQuaid has been well done. In the past, Annie's been quick to fall in love, so I'm glad to see her protect her heart literally and figuratively this season. He's proven that he will keep her secret and that he cares about her. He researched her condition! If they eventually kiss, it will be earned.

Is Nathan Mueller is dead?

The CIA gets a lead on a rogue former operative who may have been involved in the Chicago office bombing on Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 7.

Annie is assigned the mission with McQuaid's team providing security. Ryan insists on accompanying her as part of the team. They run into some trouble which puts their lives on the line.

Back in Washington, Auggie continues to juggle his two woman. Hayley confides in him that she found out Annie has a medical condition. Will he be able to convince her to keep quiet? Meanwhile, Calder's secret relationship causes him to lose focus on the job.

Watch Covert Affairs online now:

Watch Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 7 Online

Well, that sucks!

Annie had a bad few days and they only got worse. No one denies she's a good operative, yet that wasn't enough for her to get the support of Joan or Calder. It shouldn't have been a surprise to either of them that she wouldn't take a desk job sitting down....

Watch Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 8 Online

Instead of counting on her usual support system at the agency on Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 8, Annie chose someone who saved her life and stood by her in Ryan McQuaid. Did that end up being a mistake? We'll have to see. I'm not ready to pin him as a bad guy or untrustworthy ... yet.

Annie once again went rogue, cut out the agency and trusted her own gut by following through on Roger's intelligence. It's difficult to fault her for what she did, at the same time, she deserved to be suspended. She kept important information from Joan and Calder, skipped out on her inquest without notice and ended up at the scene of Roger's death. 

As Covert Affairs has been known to do, the obvious path was not taken ... at least right away. Well, part of it didn't. Annie and Ryan spent the night talking and did end up kissing after all. I expected Ryan to offer her a job again, but that didn't happen. I still wouldn't count it out at some point.

Given the dog walker's visit to McQuaid, I have unexpected concerns with Caitlyn's call to Joan about Annie's rogue trip to the train station. At first, I assumed Caitlyn overstepped her bounds and tried to get Annie in trouble. Now that we know that Ryan has more invested in Roger's intelligence than we were let on, could he have instructed her to make that call?

It was a ballsy move if she did it of her own accord. Since she's suspicious (or jealous) of Annie's relationship with Ryan, I was sure it was her own decision and something she'd get chewed out about from Ryan. It's another mystery to be resolved another day, but an intriguing one.

Since Roger's intelligence about Ivan's lies and Mueller's innocence (at least with regards to Chicago) appeared to be spot on the Chicago case remains unresolved even if officially closed by the CIA. With Annie suspended, she'll be able to continue her investigation unhindered by the agency's bureaucracy, though without official support. She's put her life in danger before so that won't stop her this time either.

Annie has Auggie on her side and that's at least somewhat reassuring. In an odd twist, I wouldn't be surprised if Hayley ends up assisting them in their pursuit of the truth. Hayley's rant outside Auggie's apartment was honest and I don't think even he would dispute what she said. He used her as he has done with other women in the past. Though, she's all about finding out the truth about Chicago and that's all they want too.

Secrets are part of the business and everyone knows that. Joan has her Balkan secret, Calder has his hooker secret (who was thankfully absent this week), Ryan's running a secret operation with the dog walker, and even Annie and Auggie have their own secrets. As long as they don't hurt anyone, secrets are okay in their business. It remains to be seen whether or not Ryan's on the up and up or if he's part of the problem.

I hope he's trustworthy. It would make sense for Ryan to check on the person getting his $100,000, though if he's responsible for Roger's death then that's likely unforgivable. We'll have to wait to find out! There's only two episodes left this summer, so we shouldn't have to wait long.

Did Ryan betray Annie's trust?

Annie gets put on desk duty after Hayley reveals her heart condition to the agency on Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 8.

Given Roger's call about bad information about Mueller, Annie refuses to sit behind a desk and not follow through on finding out the truth about the Chicago bombing. Annie goes rogue once again! 

Without support from the agency, Annie turns to Ryan for help getting proof on the real culprit behind the bombing. Trouble ensues on multiple fronts and lies come out. It's a twisty turny ride to the finish.

Watch Covert Affairs online now.

Watch Covert Affairs Season 5 Episode 8 Online