Had a very disturbing thought. If the producers are being told to shut things down and end the season in one final 13 to 17 ep run - what would make the best ending?

More black-list numbers? ie. more of the same strange outsiders with wealth and privilege who enjoy killing people and making illegal money

OR THE ALTERNATIVE -

A life and death showdown between Team Red & Team Post Office

Who would comprise Team Red? Would any of the current Team PO move over to Team Red? Who would they be?

If it was a life or death hunt who would you cheer for? We've made friends with Red & Dembe plus all of Red's Misfits like Glenn. We also cheer for the Post Office personnel - mainly Aram & Samar and to a slightly lesser extent Harold & Donald. What about Pannabaker - or even Christine Lahti's character?

Anyways, it was a disturbed thought - but it could make for wonderful programming. HERO VILLAIN vs. VILLAIN HEROS.

Totally unexpected . . . . .

lara1 wrote:

Honey West wrote:

I think several of us commented back on Thursday that this felt more like a season one episode. And yes, The Forecaster got away. But then Red didn't bring them the case, so was it a true blacklister? All he said was to Liz that it looks like you have your next blacklister. I wonder if that is playing along with Dembe's idea that Red only cares about Liz and Agnes and nothing else. It was like oh yeah, here's a blacklister, but he wasn't too interested in it.

Honey West, at first I thought it a bit odd that Red did not get involved with the blacklister.  Maybe because, as you say, it wasn't a true  blacklister - Red did not bring the case to Liz, and therefore probably had no interest in it, figuring the FBI could probably solve it perhaps.  He had no skin in the game, no agenda.  His only concern initially was with Liz's safety.  Even after it was revealed that it was the forecaster he wasn't really interested as he had nothing to gain from it - he'd even declined getting involved with the Forecaster's plan prior to this.  But then maybe he was feigning indifference - the blacklister did get away.  Maybe Red felt that the FBI would bungle it, and he wanted the blacklister at large.  Hard to tell  but he has done that before - both counselled Liz on  crime that came to her, and was OK with the person escaping.

But that leads me to a bigger question - just what is Red's plan at the moment?  he doesn't seem to have one.  Many of us thought the Blacklist was an elimination strategy with an overall plan - eliminating threats to Liz perhaps, but each blacklister also provided something in return - vengeance for Red to right a wrong, to put in place a piece that would otherwise help Liz, or just further consolidate Red's business interests.  There doesn't seem to be that much at the moment - and what of the map of doom and the 2017 plan - or did that go away with Peter (the Director).  Maybe that's what has Dembe worried as well - Beyond attempts to be in Liz's life, does Red have a plan any more?

 
I think Liz's "death" really threw him and changed him more than everyone thinks. Everything was moving right along up until then. Even her killing Connolly didn't stop things. But he hasn't been the same since then. He's lost his previous focus. Or has he? I always suspect there's more to it, naturally. (unsure)

Patter - I love how you describe Dembe: "Few words, but speaks volumes." So true!

I couldn't find a good place for this so posting here as this is still the most active thread, and I don't think this is its own topic....

Courtesy Aly Blacklist, who posted a link to an entry Hisham made on Instagram today, where he says he read the next script and a "storm" is coming.  What that means, I don't know, some kind of showdown but with whom I don't know.  Could be the issue that propels Tom to Redemption, the timing is right.  I wonder if this has anything to do with the re-run of "Mato" next week, does Kate resurface /is the theme of betrayal they heavily played last week going to take us into the spring hiatus?   

https://alyblacklist.tumblr.com/post/156038796676/new-video-from-hisham-he-says-he-just-received

Last edited by lara1 (1/18/2017 9:02 pm)

I rewatched the episode tonight to prep for tomorrow.  A couple more random observations:

- Red looking out the window of the white apartment, the Capitol is reflected back on his face
- Red, white and blue (cobalt)
- Wasn't project cobalt the mission of Scottie's that Red attacked?  not sure if any connection
- when Red meets Iniko in the restaurant, when he says the lines about how betrayal in their line of business has to be dealt with quickly and decisively, he is looking straight at Dembe.  makes me wonder again whether he is testing him or just making point.  Same thing about his praise for the new cleaners.
- I think the girl is a clue/piece to the overall puzzle - don't know how though.  She looks a bit like bubble girl and ballerina girl and is around the age - maybe - of ballerina girl.  She is wearing a plaid shirt.  Connection to fire night.  Skylar also wore a plaid shirt.   Then of course the general theme of children.
- Candles make a rather obvious appearance, as in Cape May.  Liz has made mention of how she loves candles and they appear elsewhere in the series.  Here its a bit of overkill because its daylight so even with the blinds down they really don't need them.....clue in to Tom lighting a candle at the dinner with Liz in the apt at the end of the episode.Not sure what they mean, though.
-Red completing the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle while speaking with Liz, after she says that maybe he can see the new apartment "someday".  hmmm

lara1 wrote:

Tuxie400 wrote:

lara1 - It does sound like a showdown of sorts. I think the Mato rerun is to remind us of Red shooting Kaplan. As though anyone could forget.

Tuxie400 - I wonder if there are further clues in that episode that we overlooked initially, or which maybe will make more sense or be more obvious now vis Red/Kate/Dembe.  I haven't watched it since it aired - I don't have a DVR and OnDemand wiped that episode several months ago now.  
 

 
Lara1, I was on Instagram when Hisham posted that, I looked at it a few times.  Crazy!

I think its both a test and reminder to Dembe. 

Mato covered a lot of stuff, but Kate getting shot is what we won't forget...
  Maybe there will be a big reveal just before or after that episode about Kate.
Also had Liz crashing the plane, that still makes no sense to me... Her saving Kirk,  Liz at the palace, The keeper who reminds us a bit like Kaplan, her  Flashbacks, KR,  Kirk telling her the fire wasnt real.
I wonder if there is anything else Kirk said to her we didn't pick up on?  Or anything in her room?
I want to pay attention to the detail of the house to see what could have been changed from the blueprints. We also know Red was there before and I wasnt giving that as much thought as I wanted to at the time because there was so much going on. Then When Gordon Lightfoot started playing I got a bad feeling and I knew all of you were too and all my thoughts went temporarily out the window.

Anyway, I'm sure we will all pick up on something we didn't catch before and we can throw it out here and pick it all apart like we do! 😉

Last edited by Eastcoast (1/19/2017 2:39 am)

Eastcoast and Tuxie400 - Agree !  I can't wait to re-watch the episode to be honest, there was so much in there and its going to be interesting to see it again knowing what we now know (or think we know!  LOL).

The two things that struck me the most in Liz's "bedroom" in the Summer Palace were that 1) there appeared to be 2 of most things (teddy bears, horses, 2 little chairs in by the fireplace, etc.)  I need to get another look at the tea set on the table, I think that was for 2 and there were 3 chairs (2 little girls and a guest/parent? - I could be wrong about that last bit); and 2) the dollhouse was front and center in a lot of the shots in those scenes in the room - and it looked a lot like the Tacoma Park House (IMO) - OK not an exact replica but same color and basic style - bay window on the left (where Red had looked out), door with a little porch on the right, row of smaller windows along the top, etc.).  We'll probably see other stuff as well.....I think that was a clue, but we don't know yet what it reperesents....

Tuxie400 agree with you about the coffee can - it seems like Katarina knew that Liz would grow up without her, and she wanted to leave her something to remember her by -- something they did together and that Liz participated in (brought things to put in the can etc).  And maybe something that no one else would know about or could find....their little  secret....

Last edited by lara1 (1/19/2017 5:43 pm)