The Blacklist Refugees » Episode 5.18 - Zarak Mosadek

TheYeti · 4/12/2018 4:49 pm

So, another random thought that came to mind when someone here mentioned Berlin. TBL often has references to cities (I believe Johannesburg, Bonn and Minsk have been mentioned multiple times among others), but especially Paris is returning every now and then. There are at least two episodes with scenes in France (not sure if they're actually in Paris) and there's Paris Genet, who has appeared several times this seaosn but still seems to have no importance to the plot whatsoever. Makes me wonder whether this episode was an indirect hint to his involvement in something.

Also, I couldn't find whether any of the actors in this episode were French, or whether there were voice-overs, but their French sounded surprisingly fluent for as far as I could tell.

4/12/2018 5:39 pm

Downtrodden is a very good descriptor of her, Lara.

I have to wonder how much Garvey has been in her head all these years. Has he genuinely been trying to protect her from what he thought was a threat to her safety or has he been hoping for an opportunity to get at Red through her? Is his emotional connection to the bones because of Jennifer/Lilly or is it because of the bones ID? Naomi knew more than she would have told Lilly because she was just a child and Naomi wouldn't want to risk whatever sh knew getting out because of her end of the 'bargain' with Red. So while Naomi couldn't be manipulated, Lily could. And why Naomi fared better is also because she was an adult when her identity was stripped away whereas Lilly was a child.

Last edited by Brittany (4/12/2018 5:45 pm)

Tuxie400 · 4/12/2018 6:35 pm

OK, now that I've gotten all my Jennifer stuff out, I want to talk about things I loved about the episode:

1. I loved the opening when you think the guy (Mateen) is following the girl, but it's really the girl following the guy, and she's there to take him down. Lovely little opening twist!

2. I adore Liz and Aram as partners in crime. Aram's stalling tactic cracked me up: "Could you um pray with me?" LOL More Liz and Aram, I say!

3. I enjoyed the scene in the movie theater. Gilda was an odd but terrific movie choice, and this bit of dialog was priceless:
Liz: How does it feel to be a walking anachronism?
Red: Righteous.
lara1 - That was your validation about Red and other BL props belonging or appropriate to a period other than that in which it exists.

4. I thought the actor playing Mosadek was terrific. He gave a very nuanced performance and maybe out-acted Spader this time. JMHO

5. Catacombs! There's just something about tunnels connecting cemeteries and historical churches that I find both spooky and fascinating.

6. The way Red's caper ended with the church getting the diamonds was a delight.

7. Jennifer and Garvey are the alternate Liz and Red.

8, We got another dog reference from Red:
With a knick-knack paddywhack
Give the dog a bone
This old man came rolling home.

Last edited by Tuxie400 (4/12/2018 6:36 pm)

4/12/2018 7:21 pm

Red had some great lines this episode. His little scene in the church trying to explain the gas leak was hilarious. I was glad to see him give away the diamonds rather than keep them for himself.

And I was glad Samar called Aram out on his nonsense. She was dead right about getting terrible advice from people who had only ever had terrible relationships. So basically no one on the task force should be offering advice. I'm glad she put him on notice to figure out what he wants. But I continue to fret over poor Aram's fate.

And hello Panabaker! I was glad to see her back and was that flirting I saw between her and Cooper? I'd ship them.

lara1 · 4/12/2018 7:31 pm

Tuxie400:

"Give the dog a bone
This old man came rolling home."

Dog and bone.
Another reference to "this old man"

lara1 · 4/12/2018 7:33 pm

Brittany, I get that about Naomi being adult when they were put in WITSEC. But Jennifer chose to leave when she was 24 or 25 years old - (if we believe her birth year is 1983) - leave and leave behind WITSEC protection presumably. We didn't know why then (Season 2) and its even more curious now.

Enquiring minds want to know! (LOL!))

lara1 · 4/12/2018 7:36 pm

Poor Aram! he just can't do anything right at the moment! Though I agree with what Samar did. Aram really, maybe unintentionally, muddied the waters.

I wonder if Samar's action will force him to really realize what he wants and does he propose, or they just call it quits.
Anyone have any thoughts? I suppose its impossible to know.

lara1 · 4/12/2018 7:44 pm

A random, wild thought popped into my head right now.

Oleander - connection to the bones??? we don't know what it is. Oleander is, I believe, a white flower. Well a flower anyway.

Lilly - Jennifer - connected to Garvey - who has an interest in the bones.

will the bones reveal somehow wrap up Lilly and Oleander in some unexpected way?

4/12/2018 7:51 pm

Lara-I also thought about the significant of the name Lilly and the associations of the flower today. I didn't think about Oleander as well with that. Oleander is poisonous. Lilies are often associated with death/funerals. Good catch.

Tatiana · 4/12/2018 8:00 pm

Great comments!

Lara, I had always thought Oleander was involved with the bones. This was N article I thought I shared about the dangerous any.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/abouquetfrommendel.wordpress.com/2012/01/12/oleander-backyard-killer-has-a-softer-side/amp/#ampshare=https://abouquetfrommendel.wordpress.com/2012/01/12/oleander-backyard-killer-has-a-softer-side/

lara1 · 4/12/2018 8:13 pm

Thanks Tatiana. I like how they call Oleander a murderer! well it is a murderous plant.
so did Dom murder the person whose bones are in the bag? And is there a connection to Lily/Jennifer?

I guess we'll find out.

Eastcoast · 4/12/2018 10:23 pm

Tatiana wrote:
Timeline notice: bokenkamp said that even though Liz was in a coma for ten months, the time now is 'real ' time. In other words, don't add the 10 months in because TBL is in April 2018 now.

Very confusing.

I think this was an interview with Troy and Aaron.

This makes me think even more that we are 1) in parallel universes, 2) there's some kind of time slip 3) Red is a time traveller 4) part of this is a dream 5) Lilly/Jennifer is in a psych ward experiencing a psychotic break 6) someone in TBL staff is dyslexic.

Do you remember which one? I do not remember it?

Eastcoast · 4/12/2018 10:28 pm

I cannot find who made the comment about Red being mixed up about where Ressler tried to kill him.
Seams like a snafu from the writers Or, they might say Red was drinking and was mixed up.

Eastcoast · 4/12/2018 10:46 pm

lara1 wrote:
I think she is very much damped down and she looks downtrodden, even. "normal" yet pushed down, not just her looks and how they portray her, but her personality too. She isn't perky, yet she doesn't seem angry, confused, or anything. Just placid.

EDITED to ADD: not in the photo above, obviously! LOL. I meant, in the episode as Jennifer.

She does, but I was thinking she had worked all day and was tired. Liz drags her from Baltimore to DC. adding another hour to her day.

I have a few ideas in my mind about her.
The main thing I am thinking is that Garvey has stayed close to her to be able to get to Red if he shows up.
Garvey is a very rich man and yet she is working at a small wing/pub/restaurant. He had the money to put her into college and get her a high salary office job if he really cared about her where she could have housing in a safer neighborhood. Maybe she didn't want to? Don't know? It was just a thought since she looks at him as a father figure.

Honey West · 4/12/2018 10:59 pm

lara1 wrote:
Yes, agree that Jennifer probably wants to blend in and has been on the run. The question for me though remains why? Naomi managed with her new identity to forge a new life, marry another man, and was out living in plain view with quite a nice life from what I saw.

So the question for me still is, why? What exactly was/is Jennifer so afraid of?

I think Naomi said it - “she knew you would come for her, so she left.” The question would be why would Red come for her? Naomi told Liz "he wants something from you." Did he come for her as well? Or instead? And of course, why?

Tatiana · 4/13/2018 6:55 am

Honey West wrote:
lara1 wrote:
Yes, agree that Jennifer probably wants to blend in and has been on the run. The question for me though remains why? Naomi managed with her new identity to forge a new life, marry another man, and was out living in plain view with quite a nice life from what I saw.

So the question for me still is, why? What exactly was/is Jennifer so afraid of?
I think Naomi said it - “she knew you would come for her, so she left.” The question would be why would Red come for her? Naomi told Liz "he wants something from you." Did he come for her as well? Or instead? And of course, why?

Agreed, honey west. She is down trodden and dejected. I'm reading too much into it, but the motion of bowing her head to him so he could kiss her was servile.

Tuxie400 · 4/13/2018 8:18 am

Since no one else mentioned it, I thought I might have been crazy. But then both of the podcast guys had the same thought about Mateen that I did. When I first saw him captive with large headphones and eye coverings, I thought he was being subjected to a virtual reality. Aaron on the podcast said he thought it was torture by virtual reality.

Tuxie400 · 4/13/2018 8:23 am

I think Garvey truly loves Jennifer as if she were his daughter. It's a mirror of the Red/Liz relationship. For some reason, he thinks he has to protect her from her real father, Reddington. Garvey and Red do heinous things, but they are both capable of love for a child.

Jennifer doesn't say she was put in witness protection to keep her safe from her father's enemies. She specifically says Garvey put her in Witsec to keep her safe from Raymond Reddington. Carla/Naomi told Berlin she went into hiding to protect her daughter.

Last edited by Tuxie400 (4/13/2018 8:36 am)

Tatiana · 4/13/2018 8:41 am

You know what would be awesome? If Lilly has a mirror image of Lizzie's scar on her left wrist! Ha!

Tatiana · 4/13/2018 8:55 am

Re: Belgrade vs. Brussels

I watched that scene last night and if you listen to Ressler carefully, he is not the one who says "Belgrade"
It could be a snafu or it could be just like all the others, something fractured in the tale.

Any one remember Fractured Fairy Tales?
https://youtu.be/RksxFR-uMaI