Miranda Shaw

**Miranda Shaw** (Aunjanue Ellis) is a central character in *Quantico*, being a main protagonist in Season 1 and becoming a plot-twist recurring villainess in Season 2 who eventually redeemed herself.

## Introduction

Miranda Shaw was the Assistant Director of the FBI Academy at Quantico, director of the training program at Quantico, and Alex Parrish's mentor. She is removed from her prestigious role after allowing an undercover operation involving a trainee named Raina Amin to continue. At the end of Season 1, Miranda was named Deputy Director of the FBI.

## Heel Turn

In Season 2's "LIPSTICK," Alex was on the phone with Miranda about the Citizens Liberation Front, a terrorist group who infiltrated the 2018 G20 summit in Manhattan. The call ended with Alex leaving an NYPD emergency bunker and heading on a mission to gather "actionable intelligence" under Miranda's orders. However, in the episode's final scenes, Miranda betrayed Alex by informing one of the terrorists that Alex was in the building. She did so by sending a text from a satellite phone stating that "Alex Parrish is inside," and shortly afterwards, Miranda's heel turn was cemented when she was unveiled as the sender.

In the following episode, "STESCALADE," Miranda sabotaged Shelby Wyatt's efforts to reveal a report on another terrorist group called the AIC and continued sending Alex on her mission—all while keeping her sinister personality hidden from both of them. In episode 2.04, "KUBARK," Miranda authorized the group's demands to trade hacker Eric Boyer to the group in exchange for the release of their hostages. After acquiring Eric, Miranda engaged in a private conversation with him, stating that he didn't live up to his end of the bargain while also confirming her association with the CLF. Miranda ignored Raina's coded signal during the trade and went through with the swap. In episode 2.07, "LCFLUTTER," Miranda framed her boyfriend Paul Burton by planting her phone in his possession while they were making out, resulting in him being accused of being in league with the terrorists after Shelby discovered said phone.

The final scenes of episode 2.09, "CLEOPATRA," saw Miranda revealing her heel persona to Alex when she abducted her from FBI headquarters while holding her at gunpoint. The villainess stated to her hostage that she was one of the terrorists, and in the following episode, "JMPALM," Miranda ordered Alex to drive to an underground tunnel leading to the crisis zone. The two met with Nimah Amin (Raina's twin sister), who exposed herself as a CLF member who saved Alex earlier. Miranda then plotted to take the drives that the AIC was planning to steal, taking that as a higher priority than Nimah's suggestion to save the hostages inside. The traitorous woman pointed a gun at Alex's head and threatened to kill her if Nimah didn't put down her own weapon, but Alex fought her off and ran in to save the hostages.

Both Miranda and Nimah turned themselves in during episode 2.13, "EPICSHELTER," with the former revealing everything about the AIC (including First Lady Elaine Todd being the AIC's leader) and her reasons for joining the CLF. The episode ended with an Islamic terrorist group known as the Islamic Front taking credit for the events at the G20 summit, which officially freed Nimah and Miranda. The latter expressed pride in not only her participation, but the fact that she wouldn't be punished for her actions.

## Redemption

Miranda resurfaced in episode 2.18, "KUMONK," serving as the head of an FBI outpost in Cleveland. She was approached by Alex, Raina, and Shelby, flatly turning down their request for her help out of self-preservation. She was later recruited by Will Olsen to assist the group in their takedown of President Henry Roarke and his co-conspirators (collectively known as the Collaborators) in the season's penultimate episode, "RAINBOW," as they were the true masterminds behind the 2018 G20 hostage crisis.

In the season finale, "RESISTANCE," Miranda completed her redemption by assisting Alex in escaping after she exposed Henry's nefarious personality to the public. Their plan had the former seemingly orchestrating another attempt on the latter's life by shooting her in her chest (with a fake bullet) at the Constitutional Convention after she gave a speech. She was found with the gun and was subsequently incarcerated in a federal prison.