'Treadstone' Episode 3 traces the possible beginnings of CIA's involvement in the black operation through Bentley's story
The USA Network’s ‘Treadstone’, a spy thriller set in the same universe as the ‘Bourne’ series has a plethora of complicated and interesting characters. But to understand the story and to mainly understand what Treadstone is, one has to start at the very beginning with John Randolph Bentley.
Played by Jeremy Irvine, Bentley’s character exists, so far, in only one of the show’s timelines -- during the Cold War in 1973, in East Berlin. Born November 17, 1944, in Columbus, Ohio, Bentley was a CIA operative sent on a mission to kill a Russian scientist.
Unfortunately for him, he managed to get caught and was held captive. In the nine months that followed, he was tortured, drugged and hypnotized into becoming a “cicada” for the Soviet.
His indoctrination ended with him shooting three other captives. But just as that happened, he snapped back to reality. Bentley then finished his original mission and managed to make his way back to the CIA base.
Things take a downward swing from there. His mind warped from his time in captivity. Bentley slowly understood he was a prisoner for a time much longer than he initially realized.
Dennis Kohler, the West Berlin Station Chief, was the first person to suspect things were not what they seemed. When he questioned Bentley about whether or not he had turned into a Soviet spy, Bentley spiraled out and attacked everyone in a bid to escape.
Once out of the CIA station, Bentley returned to the KGB facility where he was held hostage. To his disappointment, the base was empty. The only thing he found there was a wristwatch that belonged to Petra (Emilia Schüle).
While we see in the next scene that the wristwatch is still in the possession of present-day Petra (Gabrielle Scharnitzky), we are only left to guess how that may have happened. What is clear from the scene, of course, is Bentley and Petra are destined to meet again. But more on that later.
After that, Bentley got in touch with his former partner once again; this time he opened up about the killings when he was held captive and in a delirious state. His partner asks him about three dead CIA operatives from Budapest whose bodies were discovered the day Bentley returned.
It then dawned upon Bentley he had murdered them in his state of subconsciousness. His partner consequently betrayed him and handed him over to an armed Kohler, waiting outside.
But here, things went south. Kohler shot Bentley’s partner. Why? Because this was when he realized the true potential of the Soviet “cicadas” and their possible weaponization in the Cold War.
This was a milestone in the show. Not only does this mark the beginning of Operation Treadstone in the CIA, but it also shows just how this black ops was too covert even for other members of the agency; so secretive that one was even killed to keep it a secret.
From the books, we know that the program generated and managed a cadre of sleeper agents stationed around the world. It recruited soldiers and turned them into superhuman assassins using a behavior-modification program.
Coming back to Petra and Bentley’s possible meet again in the future, Kohler, after killing Bentley’s partner, sends the agent off to Budapest, where he was reportedly last seen with Petra. It is, thus, not a coincidence that the three slain CIA agents were stationed in the same place.
While Bentley wants to believe that he is loyal to the U.S. and had not turned into a Soviet spy, the present-day demonstrations of Treadstone agents make one wonder if it is within Bentley’s control to take such a decision. Even if in the right state of mind for the time being, what is to stop him from being “awakened” by his Russian handlers at a time of their choosing?
Which brings us to Bentley possibly meeting Petra in Budapest. It may prove to be a turning point for Bentley where his hypnosis comes into place and turns him into a Soviet asset. It is also fair to assume that the three CIA agents were captured in the same manner -- with a hypnotized Bentley and his superhuman abilities. Bentley’s story is ultimately the key to understanding and uncovering Operation Treadstone, one way or the other.
'Treadstone' airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on the USA Network.
