'Manhattan' Season 2 Episode 1 Recap: Rachel Brosnahan, Olivia Williams' "Damnatio Memoriae!"

WGN America sets off with the highly anticipated premiere of Season 2 of Manhattan. In Episode 1, Abby Isaacs (Rachel Brosnahan), Liza Winter (Olivia Williams) return to meet Col. Emmett Darrow (William Petersen) in Damnatio Memoriae.

With the clock ticking,  Charlie Isaacs (Ashley Zukerman) has to deal with a reporter and his annoying questions. After being asked if this is a metaphor for man stealing fire from the gods, Charlie kicks the reporter out.  Louis 'Fritz' Fedowitz (Michael Chernus) warns Charlie about the thunderstorm, but they have to test their atom bomb. 

We flashback to an earlier time, where Abby Isaacs (Rachel Brosnahan) finds herself in a maternity ward full of pregnant women. Elsewhere, Liza Winter (Olivia Williams) is reading a letter from her missing husband, Frank Winter (John Benjamin Hickey). 

At a meeting, the investors are threatening to pull out and take out funding. Charlie is supposed to deliver results but in a short mount of time. Forced to take on a leadership role, Charlie has to step in for Frank. The military then comes in, knocking on Liza's door, to take away Frank's belongings, 

Meanwhile, Paul Crosley (Harry Lloyd) finds himself arguing with Fritz over Frank's unknown whereabouts. Things get worse and the arguments flare up when Charlie and Helen Prins (Katja Herbers) enter the room. Paul isn't too happy with Charlie's new role and mocks him about their ménage à trois. Paul storms out of the room, with Fritz asking Charlie what does ménage à trois mean.

Abby then confronts Helen and enters her room. Abby wants to know about Helen's past, especially when she had an abortion. Abby is hesitant at first,but she finally reveals she had an affair but the baby is Charlie's. After Abby continues asking questions about the her abortion, Helen states that she doesn't regret it, but she eventually will. 

While Jim Meeks (Christopher Denham) discovers he has been kicked out of his own office, Paul ends up meeting with Col. Emmett Darrow (William Petersen). Paul asks Emmet to sign his papers for a transfer. Paul and Charlie cannot work together because they fancy the same woman. After forcing Paul to kneel and proclaiming himself a sinner, Emmet refuses to sign the transfer papers and dumps them in the rash. 

As Liza follows her daughter's boyfriend around, Charlie ends up meeting Occam (Richard Schiff) for help. Though he doesn't get a word about Frank's whereabouts, thinking he might be dead, Occam congratulates him about his wife's pregnancy. Charlie then confronts Abbey about the news, promising he back be better. After apologizing for the way he treated her, Abby tells Charlie that she feels she's having a girl. 

While Liza and her daughter's boyfriend are getting to know each other, the military authorities show up. The boyfriend traded Liza to get back her daughter or he'd never see her again. Liza then meets with Emmet, who plays a recording of her conversation. Emmet wants to know if Liza can conform and play his game before getting her husband back. 

After giving Frank his credit, Charlie steps into his leadership role and gives a rousing speech. During the night, Meeks ends up in the same car as Occam. Meeks watches as Occam is murdered right in front of him and shot in the eye.

Jumping back to the beginning, Emmets orders the arrest of Frank Winter and Meeks heads towards the atomic bomb.

Readers, what did you think of Damnatio Memoriae?