The sport is again on. After a string of principally standalone episodes, The Blacklist eased again into its season-long issues this week. Reddington (James Spader) and Liz (Megan Boone) had been again to telling half-truths and scheming towards each other. Ilya (Brett Cullen) has seemingly gone into hiding. Ressler’s (Diego Klattenhoff) brother emerged with ominous threats in regards to the previous. Katarina (Laila Robins) lastly reappeared, to strike Purple the place it actually hurts — by going after Dembe (Hisham Tawfiq). And to high it off, Purple collapsed and fell unconscious in suspicious circumstances. Enterprise has actually picked up because the present turns towards the again third of the season.
The wrinkle is that the majority of this occurred within the final seven minutes of the episode. Whereas it was an action-packed ultimate few moments, “Nyle Hatcher” spent most of its operating time on one other offbeat legal case that finally did not really feel bizarre sufficient.
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This week’s Blacklister crafted a scheme to earn money and, seemingly, get again on the one-percenters of the world by A) infiltrating accidents and crime scenes, B) extracting semen from the lifeless our bodies of wealthy males, C) convincing intercourse staff with monetary troubles to be inseminated with stated Lifeless Man’s Semen, and D) blackmail the lifeless males’s household for cash. It is maybe the perfect “Step 4: Revenue” meme come to life, and extra importantly, the correct of pseudo-science and pseudo-political plot that The Blacklist does properly.
James Spader and Hisham Tawfiq, The Blacklist
But, the execution of the story did not have sufficient juice (pardon the pun). Hatcher’s unhappy man power wasn’t significantly compelling given the diploma of madness clearly driving his actions. I imply, the person had a 2-quart espresso thermos of semen saved in a locked freezer. The large swerve on the finish of the episode — that Hatcher determined to maintain all the youngsters he helped “create” over time as a result of he was lonely — did not have a lot affect. The truth is, that appeared like a decently humane motion. Concurrently very bizarre and never bizarre sufficient.
The episode’s different major story noticed Dembe’s ashram come beneath assault and imam kidnapped, an act finally revealed to be Katarina’s doing. Going after Dembe is probably the simplest option to get to Purple, however maybe Katarina had a secondary plan too: poisoning Purple.
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If true, that occasion units up some fascinating decisions for Liz. She desires to work together with her mom to seek out the reality, however will she approve of Katarina terrorizing an harmless imam, manipulating Dembe, and/or poisoning Purple? And the way would possibly that affect her ongoing pursuit of no matter Ilya is hiding — or maybe higher stated, overlaying up for Purple? As soon as once more, Liz is caught between her need for data and her affection for her faux dad.
That ought to make for good TV very quickly. It is time for The Blacklist to actually get again to that.
The Blacklist airs Fridays at 8/7c on NBC.