The Blacklist Refugees » Episode 5.21 - Lawrence Dane Devlin

Honey West · 5/10/2018 2:11 am

I guess that’s sort of the inevitable end for Aram and Samar. At least they had a good year together. But Aram will never give up hope, because that’s the kind of guy he is. Hey, Liz spent ten months in her coma. But I agree it does not look good for Samar. Even if she does wake up, I suspect she won’t be the same again. But this is a show about love and loss, so there ya go.

I have a feeling it will be like before, Red will have to trade himself to save Liz and be forced into revealing a big secret. But wouldn’t that be a cool twist if it did turn out that Liz was in cahoots with Sutton Ross to force him. Stay tuned!

I’m glad they didn’t draw out the Blacklister story any further than necessary. That was a good call, even though the bear came along rather conveniently. Do they have grizzlies in Pennsylvania? I’ve only seen them in Yellowstone. From a distance. A loooong distance! But I did like the unpredictable twists of Samar’s adventure in the van. Who’d a thunk she would nearly drown in the end? Poor Aram! But I must say I really love what they have done with his character since he first showed up as the office computer nerd. He’s been grown into a terrific character and they’ve really given Amir a cool character to play, and play so well. Aram could have become just a cartoon character, but he’s just the greatest!

And yes, IowaWatcher, I also picked up on the possessors of the bones not taking them public.i wonder if we will get that answer next week?

Patter · 5/10/2018 8:53 am

Well we got the ever handsome Hisham Tawfiq in a ballcap looking mighty fine!
I was really hoping the Task Force would have been more shaken by Samar's disappearance. I know there is only so much time to get the story in, but I thought there could have been more emotion involved (like maybe Liz shed a tear or Ressler or Cooper comforting Aram). I did appreciate that Red made the comment that one of his associates/people was in danger and he needed a name now. He also offered up our pal Brimely's help. I think I mentioned last week, it's easy for me to forget that he's the reason she's on the task force to begin with.

Aram was so incredibly sweet at the end and I loved how he noted from the first day he laid eyes on her, he loved her. Would love to see her back next season (pending renewal) and for them to get their happy ending.

Smokey was probably my favorite part of this episode. I wasn't a huge fan of his in the beginning, but I like his wit and he's very clever!

Red +Sutton Ross = ????

And I'm really loving this cat and mouse game between Red and Liz, but I'm curious of how it could be affecting Dembe. He cares for both of them so deeply. I could almost imagine another Kaplan like storyline (but not to that extreme), but more so of Dembe just having to step out of both of their lives and go live with his daughter and granddaughter with the box Red gave him (was that end of S4 or early S5??).

Very excited for next week and I would favor a complete reboot and direction change for the show. While I liked most of S5, the bones chase kind of soured it. Honestly, I'd be happy if they went back to Blacklister of the week, that's what hooked me on the show, and all the other elements like "what Red is to Lizzie" were added bonuses.

Tatiana · 5/10/2018 9:18 am

Patter - I enjoyed your comments. Hard core fans have expressed some displeasure with the cat and mouse between Red and Liz but I think this is a segue to the finale when we see (I hope) that Liz is finally starting to outwit the sage, Reddington. In fact, I think it would be very interesting and even exciting if she finally gets the upper hand. We know she's developed some finer scheming talents.

I keep wondering if her psychologist will ever come back into play. ... I really hope so!!!

Tatiana · 5/10/2018 9:20 am

Starting a re-watch of this episode and oh for heaven's sakes! there are so many parallels and repeated motifs. I'll take notes.

Aram is decidedly Tom Keenish in the beginning of this episode... rememer how Tom approached Harold to help clear Liz's name? Aram has the same feel...

more to come

Coco · 5/10/2018 9:40 am

I’m sorry if this has already been discussed, as I am relatively new here, but does anyone think that our Red is the real Red & someone stole his identity twenty some years ago & committed crimes in his name. Liz has this information but does not know she knows it because it’s locked in her memory & that’s why he ‘needs’ her. I guess this theory doesn’t really answer the bones in the bag question though..now my head hurts!

lara1 · 5/10/2018 9:41 am

Agree that they have developed the Aram character and Amir instills in him so much deep feeling and sensitivity. the scenes in this episode could have easily been "overacted" but he totally inhabited his character and made it feel deep, true and real.

Tatiana - maybe I will re-watch, now that you have noted the parallels. Maybe they are just not as obvious as in other eps.

lara1 · 5/10/2018 9:43 am

Coco - welcome! there is a theory around which is kind of the reverse imposter theory, which is as you describe, someone stole Red's real identity all those years ago and then committed crimes to frame him. There were some possible large clues pointing in that direction with the John Noble character - grooming look alikes to do things in place of the real person. Its definitely possible, IMO. Though as you mention, how that would work with the bones I'm not sure. I guess we'll find out next week, or at least part of it!

Patter · 5/10/2018 9:45 am

Tatiana wrote:
Patter - I enjoyed your comments. Hard core fans have expressed some displeasure with the cat and mouse between Red and Liz but I think this is a segue to the finale when we see (I hope) that Liz is finally starting to outwit the sage, Reddington. In fact, I think it would be very interesting and even exciting if she finally gets the upper hand. We know she's developed some finer scheming talents.

I keep wondering if her psychologist will ever come back into play. ... I really hope so!!!

It's the bones that drive me crazy. I would have loved a reveal of them and the ramifications of that while there was this cat & mouse game. They are at odds, but Red seemed proud of the woman/mother/daughter(?)/niece(?)/no family match at all/spy/agent/criminal Liz is becoming, even if it drives a wedge between them. Who knows, maybe that's why he came back into her life, to see the grasshoppa learn her ways and become the master.

More thoughts on this Sutton Ross...did Red mention they were in the academy together? And back in S4 finale Cooper describes a Red/Seaduke fight, did Cooper say if Seaduke died? Wondering if Sutton Ross is Seaduke and if Seaduke/Sutton Ross is Liz's father?

Gah! I love this show!

lara1 · 5/10/2018 10:06 am

Patter - Hi! nice to see you posting. Wow, I love that idea - that Sutton Ross is Seaduke, and Liz's real father! what a twist! .

I'm now remembering that some article said that some "old" faces will return in the last ep. I still wonder who those are? Naomi is out I guess unless that grave was a total fake. Anyway that makes me think there may be a seakduke connection somehow.

Tatiana · 5/10/2018 10:43 am

Coco wrote:
I’m sorry if this has already been discussed, as I am relatively new here, but does anyone think that our Red is the real Red & someone stole his identity twenty some years ago & committed crimes in his name. Liz has this information but does not know she knows it because it’s locked in her memory & that’s why he ‘needs’ her. I guess this theory doesn’t really answer the bones in the bag question though..now my head hurts!

I love that idea Coco! We know Liz has some answers for Red and that would explain it nicely!

Patter · 5/10/2018 11:17 am

lara1 wrote:
Patter - Hi! nice to see you posting. Wow, I love that idea - that Sutton Ross is Seaduke, and Liz's real father! what a twist! .

I'm now remembering that some article said that some "old" faces will return in the last ep. I still wonder who those are? Naomi is out I guess unless that grave was a total fake. Anyway that makes me think there may be a seakduke connection somehow.

Maybe we should ponder who could and couldn't return:

Well we know who couldn't/shouldn't/ show up (but could possibly make an appearance through flashback):
-Tom Keen/Jacob Phelps/Christopher Hargrave (if in fact they were truly all Tom Keen)=deceased
-Tom's father = he's in jail right?
-Sam = death by suffocation
-Naomi = if she is truly gone
-Garvey = deceased ? but never saw a toe tag/grave
-Kaplan = deceased and I believe this based on Liz mentioning her during last nights episode and how much crap the bones has caused.
Only because we had a mention of the cabal recently: Finch, The Director, Reven Wright, Blond lady that Ressler accidentally killed, Berlin (?is he dead or alive?).

On the fence if they are alive or even a possible character:
Katarina????
Real Raymond Reddington????
Seaduke????

Alive and out there:
-Jennifer
-Scottie Hargrave
-Alexander Kirk
-Dom
-Panabaker
-Liz's therapist
-Naomi's Husband Frank

Please add to, change, or veto. I'm not tied to any theories.

Tatiana · 5/10/2018 11:20 am

Patter - I love how you think!

There's speculation based on some real info that we could see Dom and we could see Jennifer. Won't know until next week though!

Tatiana · 5/10/2018 11:50 am

It is taking me forever to re-watch this episode because it's just packed with stuff, whether relevant or not.

And I just discovered maritime flags!!!! And they always have a message.

Tuxie400 · 5/10/2018 12:41 pm

Patter - I hadn't thought about Sutton Ross being Seaduke. I thought maybe he was the blonde man fighting with Katarina in the fire memories. Of course blonde man and Seaduke could be one in the same.

Tatiana · 5/10/2018 1:16 pm

I have written up some notes on this episode. It is somewhat long, but as I had thought, there's a lot more than meets the eye on first viewing.https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Zcbhw_fKkLdM5gHdCVm0FP4ch-E0QgEq7saKIMvSPtU/edit?usp=sharing

Last edited by Tatiana (5/10/2018 1:16 pm)

Tuxie400 · 5/10/2018 1:50 pm

Tatiana - Thanks for explaining the lines Red quoted from Wallace's poem. I couldn't make heads or tails of it.
"Snow man poem which essentially says that which we perceive does not exist except that we perceive it and it is our perception that makes it so." It seems similar to the Sound and the Fury quote that Red gave Garvey. Both are perhaps foreshadowing of things to come in the finale.

I didn't notice all the framing of hands the first time I watched. I'll have to look for those on the rewatch.

You found a lot of interesting parallels!

Honey West · 5/10/2018 2:58 pm

lara1 wrote:
Patter - Hi! nice to see you posting. Wow, I love that idea - that Sutton Ross is Seaduke, and Liz's real father! what a twist! .

I'm now remembering that some article said that some "old" faces will return in the last ep. I still wonder who those are? Naomi is out I guess unless that grave was a total fake. Anyway that makes me think there may be a seakduke connection somehow.

Maybe Kirk returns. You know, really, if Red is an imposter he’d have to have started it before he met the Rostovs. And Kirk would have to have known about it, and known Red as the guy he was before he was Red. The one who had an affair with his wife and he was close enough to, at that time, to have a gun in his mouth. Maybe Kirk had some sort of relationship with Seaduke? Business or personal? What if Kirk was really Seaduke? Anyway, I suspect that Sutton Ross has something to do with Kirk and maybe even Katarina.

IowaWatcher · 5/10/2018 5:44 pm

I have a bad feeling that once we know the identity of the bones, it won't help all that much.

I also predict that we will see (or hear on the phone) both Mr. Kaplan and Tom in flashbacks or a
dream sequence during the finale. This is only a prediction. I have no inside knowledge, nor did I see anything on the Internet.

Big Badd Bazzer · 5/10/2018 6:58 pm

Here's a theory courtesy of my uncontrollable imagination . . . .

What if the Bag 'o Bones is not so much human or animal skeletal remains

BUT

A KEY - a carefully constructed but quaint map to a hidden mega-fortune (possibly Red's, possibly others) riff with buried evidence and human alibis.

So perhaps its not who's bones - but a code (or key) in the formation of bones. Stranger things have happened. NO?

Honey West · 5/10/2018 8:03 pm

Since JB keeps saying this is something alluded to since the beginning and things have pointed to it all along, I very strongly suspect it's going to be all about Red's early statement that "Everything about me is a lie."