Michael discovers that in order to he has to help Agent Pearce avenge the death of her fiancé by gaslighting an arms trader and his son.Meanwhile, Fiona buys information from Ayn, an experienced conwoman.

Warning: if you dislike episodes that focus on anything but the goals and wants of the Main Five characters, you won’t enjoy “Last Rites” .But if you’re open to learning more about Agent Pearce, then you’ll find this episode an incredible journey.  More than anything, this episode showcases what an amazing actress Lauren Stamile is.As Pearce she’s alternately vengeful, soothing and funny; her chemistry with Coby Bell as Jesse is off the charts.Maybe they deserve their own spin-off? She sells every line so thoroughly and makes them so wholly believable you'll hope she ends up with one too.

Even fans who aren’t into Pearce’s backstory will love a return-to-form in regard to the show’s snark and wit.It’s been awhile since the characters have raised eyebrows at their circumstances and had a good chuckle, and the team-of of Nate, Madeline and Sam provide it.  If you've ever wanted to see how Michael prepares to use those fake accents of his, we get a tiny bit of that as well.

The centerpiece of the episode is a concluding scene in which Michael and Fiona finally meet again.The reunion is chock-full of achingly acted emotion, and in it, Donovan and Anwar are Emmy-worthy.

My one quibble: why does Sam find the idea of working with Maddie on a mission so horrible?He’s always been sensitive to her being in danger, but she’s been a valuable asset to the team before.It seems odd that he wouldn’t champion her presence in the mission.

Nevertheless, this episode earns:

LETTER GRADE: A+