Warning: spoilers ahead for True Lies season 1, episode 3
True Lies’ Harry Tasker is Omega Sector’s best agent, but his wife, Helen, looks like she could be taking his spot soon. Helen only recently became a spy when she discovered that her husband had been a spy for their entire relationship. Helen has been able to use her kickboxing workout video and yoga in the field. She’s still in training, but he’s absorbing everything very quickly.
CBS’ True Lies is based on the 1994 movie and has several connections. The TV series follows the film for the pilot and then turns into a spy procedural that fits in well with the CBS line-up. Each week the series has a different mission. In True Lies season 1, episode 3, Helen gets to show off her skills.
Helen Switches Cover Stories In True Lies
Helen is given a swimsuit model cover, while Harry (played by Steve Howey, who also starred in Shameless for 11 seasons) is a shipping billionaire. The team’s goal is to turn Peter Voss, who will buy a nuclear weapon from the engineer, a target the team failed to get four years earlier. He has a gambling problem and is hanging out at the Casino with his girlfriend, Tiffany Mills, before the deal happens. Helen quickly realizes their cover stories aren’t going to work with Tiffany, so she tells Tiffany that she makes her own money in shipping and that her boyfriend is a model.
Harry looks confused, but Gib tells him to go with it. Helen is able to make a connection with Tiffany, and they plan on meeting in the Casino again the following night. This was quick thinking on Helen’s part, and it’s surprising that Harry doesn’t as quickly follow her lead. He’s been doing this much longer than her. This scene shows what a natural she is for this because she can easily pick up on people’s cues and react to what’s happening.
Helen Keeps Her Eye On People In The Casino In True Lies
The following night, Harry gambles with Peter to get him to lose the money he has for buying the weapon. In turn, he would need Harry’s help, which would lead them to the engineer. Harry spends his time wholly focused on Peter. Helen watches everything around them. When Peter turns up dead, and they realize the engineer has been watching Peter, Helen can quickly deduce who the engineer is. Harry looks taken aback again, but Helen says it said in the training manual to observe the people around them.
Harry’s team had no idea who the engineer was before this. Once again, The She-Hulk star's character's strongest power is her quick thinking, and taking her training seriously helped them in a critical part of the mission. If it wasn’t for Helen, the team probably would have lost the engineer again and may have had to wait another four years to get a chance at bringing him in.
In True Lies Helen Tells Harry Not To "Shoot & Drive" Per Training Manual
Harry goes after the engineer and tells Helen to stay behind. Helen responds by saying he can’t “shoot and drive.” It’s in the training manual. Harry again looks confused but lets his wife drive. Helen is clearly on to something because the engineer tried shooting and driving, but Harry is able to subdue him because Helen was driving.
Harry doesn’t give his wife enough credit for her critical role in taking down the engineer. He brought his wife into this life, but he seems shocked that his wife is good at it. On the other hand, Gib (played by Omar Benson Miller, who also voiced Raph in the Ninja Turtles animated movie) saw Helen’s potential. And gives her major props when she switched their cover stories. It’s pretty funny watching Harry be befuddled and Helen responding with, “it’s in the training manual.” The bit can’t last forever, but she’s becoming such a great agent that it doesn’t need to.
Helen Is Better At Doing Her Cover Job Than Harry In True Lies
True Lies season 1. episode 3 explains how important their cover jobs are for maintaining their cover. For example, they both get paid the same salary as a computer salesperson and a professor — which doesn’t help when they have plumbing issues. Both of them actually have to do their job as well. Harry’s entire team had to be reminded to do their monthly sales reports. Harry didn’t even know how to do his sales report.
On the other hand, Helen pretends to be sick while on Zoom teaching her class while they are on a mission. When she finishes her class, Harry is concerned about them getting down to the Casino in time, and she pulls off her sweater vest and a collared shirt to show a sexy black dress. She’s on top of her spy game and her cover job game. No one is going to question if Helen is a professor. Granted, she was a teacher before becoming an agent, but Helen still teaches her students like she has only one job. In comparison, Harry is hardly doing his computer sales job.
Harry could just be shocked at how quickly Helen is picking up on being a spy, but even Gib told Harry to have more faith in her. Harry may be great at the combat part of being a spy, but Helen is clearly better at reading people and reacting to situations. She may be tired of reading the training manual, but it came in handy in her biggest mission yet. There’s no telling what goodies that training manual still has and how she will surprise Harry next on True Lies.
