Welcome to the unintentional penultimate episode of The Blacklist‘s seventh season (which additionally occurs to be the present’s 150th episode). Disrupted season-long story arcs are just under “no haircuts” on the worldwide pandemic concern listing, but it surely’s nonetheless exhausting to disregard when watching an episode like “Roy Cain,” which began revving up for the endgame proper because it’s all about to return to a cease with a half-animated finale.
Although subsequent week’s effort must be surreal, let’s not get forward of ourselves and present some respect for an episode that featured the return of Fisher Stevens‘ corrupt lawyer Martin, visitor spots from Tom Wopat and Al Roker, and a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it look by Jordan Wiesley from The Challenge. The Blacklist is perpetually underrated because the straight-up weirdest present on broadcast tv.
Hundreds of phrases could possibly be written about Roker’s look right here, enjoying himself as an excellent buddy — and social companion — of Reddington (James Spader). Roker (like all well-known TV information personalities) likes to make enjoyable of himself, however watching him ask the world’s most harmful felony about ongoing issues with “the Bulgarians” was one thing to behold. Will an animated finale have the ability to high that? Unlikely.
James Spader and Al Roker, The Blacklist
Extra importantly, although, after final week’s Ressler (Diego Klattenhoff)-centric affair, the present picked again up with the motion from two episodes in the past. Katarina (Laila Robins) nonetheless held the imam from Dembe’s (Hisham Tawfiq) mosque below seize, whereas Reddington recovered from passing out in a restaurant kitchen. As Liz (Megan Boone) and the duty power tried to find out how a at present incarcerated man’s DNA ended up on the mosque, Pink and Katarina’s respective scheming slowly inched them nearer collectively — with Liz caught within the center.
The private connections and deep histories between these characters generate pure pressure that this episode exploited properly. Katarina tried to persuade Dembe to surrender data on Pink in alternate for his imam, and Dembe agreed, proper earlier than Pink confirmed as much as “save” the day. Dembe has confirmed his loyalty to Pink time after time, however they’ve additionally butted heads about how you can deal with Liz and numerous truths surrounding Pink’s previous. There is a restrict to that loyalty when seemingly harmless folks just like the imam are at risk.
The Blacklist‘s James Spader and Megan Boone Reflect on the Show’s Journey Through 150 Episodes
And Pink is now primed to finish his relationship with Dembe as soon as and for all, however they have been down this highway earlier than. Pink protests an excessive amount of with these closest to him. He is by no means let Dembe (or Liz) too far out of his orbit. The Katarina showdown raises the stakes, but it surely’s nonetheless tough to think about that an more and more unhealthy Pink would really take out Dembe for merely being keen to inform the reality.
In the meantime, the Pink-Katarina scheming is, naturally, attending to Liz. She paid for a personal detective to achieve details about Ilya (Brett Cullen), however wasn’t snug with Katarina’s full measures right here. To make issues worse, Pink made the announcement that he must get his affairs so as, together with bestowing the felony enterprise to her. Liz is sharp sufficient to know that every one affords from her faux dad include strings hooked up, and this can be a huge one at a really tumultuous time. She may need to choose sides sooner moderately than later.
The episode did an excellent job ratcheting up the simmering pressure. The principals confirmed elevated unease, whether or not we’re speaking Katarina’s desperation or Pink’s declining well being. It’s normal for characters to plot in secret in opposition to each other, however now everybody is usually conscious of the opposite’s actions, even when they are not speaking about it.
If it has been irritating to look at The Blacklist stall a few of these developments to pad out the everyday 22-episode season, realizing they have been lastly on the best way because the season goes to finish abruptly is only a bummer. However there’s good things coming, even when that is six or 9 months from now. At the least that may give the writers time to plot out Al Roker’s campaign in opposition to the Bulgarians.
The Blacklist airs Fridays at 8/7c on NBC.
James Spader and Al Roker, The Blacklist