Tuxie400 wrote:

Patter - I think those First Lady comments are significant, but I don't have any ideas how. The guy working for the president who was the sniper is named Mr. Sandquist.  I can't tell if he's supposed to be Secret Service or an aide to the president.  Sandquist seems equally adept at handling video feeds and sniper rifles. Someone asked the other day how he knew where the Corsican would be. He's either surveilling McMahon, or was tipped off if McMahon's office phoned the White House looking for her after the task force called trying to find her there and warn her. 

It does look like McMahon has taken over for Panabaker.  But Cythina still works as White House Counsel, I think. So we may see her working with the task force later, and she may even supply some tidbit that helps shed light on exactly what the conspiracy is.

 
He is an odd duck.  Did anyone take note of the shots that killed Bastien?  I think I saw 3. I have to go back and look. One shot was the front forehead, one then went to the back right side and I wasn't sure if a 3rd went to his back or not.
Who fired the shots to the other side of him? 

Getting back to the two comments McMahon made about the first lady. I've been thinking some more about that.. Diaz didn't respond to them. I wonder if the first lady is somehow leverage over the president for his cooperation with McMahon's group. It may be a parallel to how Connolly was holding the clinical trial over Cooper in Season 2.  Red didn't use the Pharmacist for leverage in getting out of jail, so maybe whatever cure the Pharmacist was working on will end up being for the first lady. 

Tuxie400 wrote:

Getting back to the two comments McMahon made about the first lady. I've been thinking some more about that.. Diaz didn't respond to them. I wonder if the first lady is somehow leverage over the president for his cooperation with McMahon's group. It may be a parallel to how Connolly was holding the clinical trial over Cooper in Season 2.  Red didn't use the Pharmacist for leverage in getting out of jail, so maybe whatever cure the Pharmacist was working on will end up being for the first lady. 

The grim-faced sniper (posing as presidential security) who's McMahon's accomplice is very good at his job. Moreau was an obvious target - but if he's that good why not take out the real threats - Red, Dembe, Ressler, Cooper, Samar, Aram, Liz, etc.?

OK - goes to that famous film critics "Theory of the Bad Guy" - that they'll either talk themselves stupid in order to provide necessary time for the hero to formulate a plan (or the rescue 999 to arrive) PLUS the obvious theory that if the super-villain takes out all the heroes too early - NOBODY HAS A JOB!

Honey West wrote:

That's funny, because my initial impression was that McMahon and Diaz were having an affair. Then I started thinking about maybe the Cabal (if that's who they are) was using her (the first lady) as some sort of leverage to control Diaz. But, to me, he seemed a little too willing to carry out the plans to be totally innocent. And I thought Red felt that Diaz owed him from a couple of seasons ago. I think Diaz is playing both sides, at the very least.

interesting info on the Corsican connection to the JFK assassination, Tuxie400.

On my first watch, I thought McMahon's leverage might have been sexual. But then I started thinking about how this show loves its parallels. I'm still sure whatever the Pharmacist was working on will come up by the end of the season, whether in connection with the first lady or someone else. While it may benefit Samar, I don't think she was the person Red orgininally wanted this cure for.

I've read every conspiracy theory there is on the JRK and RFK assassinations. Before The Blacklist started, those assassinations were my obsessions.
 

I didn't get the feeling that McMahon and the President's other associate were working together. They seemed somewhat at odds, and almost as if Diaz preferred McMahon's directions. She was very alpha in the conversations we see. 

As far as this let's call him number 3, it does appear that McMahon and him were on the same page to silence Moreau. 

I saw 3 shots and believed they all came from the same person, Number 3. I don't think he shot him to save McMahon's butt, I think he was protecting Diaz (which is his job). 

Tuxie400, have you been to Dallas?

Tuxie400 wrote:

Honey West - No, I haven't been to Dallas.

 
I’ve only been once, job related training, but our hosts made sure we got to visit Dealey Plaza. Walked all around it and visited the Sixth Floor Museum. Fascinating, and sad. If you ever get to Dallas, you should visit.