The Blacklist 7x01 Thoughts
Oct. 5th, 2019 10:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iariaLouis T. Steinhil [No. 27]
+ I really liked Red figuring out the truth about his situation and escaping.
+ I hated Liz just telling Harold and Aram the truth about Red. This is Red's big secret that she acknowledged that others didn't have the right to know about. I can't remember if she promised not to say anything but I feel like there was at least an understanding that she wouldn't say anything. Instead she knows the truth for a couple weeks and has already let three people know. Basically she's confirming Red's decision not to tell her the truth because she can't be trusted with it. And she did it in the middle of the Post Office surrounded by cameras and various personnel which is even worse! Why would she even choose right then to drop this big information bomb? When Red's been kidnapped and they're searching for him? It makes no sense and it bothered me a lot. It feels like lazy writing. But it's clear the writers wanted everyone in the know now (+ info dump for viewers) so whatever. Still annoyed.
+ "When I thought he was my father I hated him for abandoning me. I thought he shirked responsibility." What? No, she didn't! I hate when they retcon Liz's emotional state and motivations. When Liz learned he was her father she hugged him and then was really happy with him for a bunch of episodes until the bag of bones drama started. We got no hint in season 5 of Liz being upset about being abandoned let alone 'hating' Red over it! She never once came off as mad that I remember. This is such bullshit.
Also this is kind of silly because she then follows up about how amazing Red is because he devoted half his life to her even though she was nobody to him -- if he was her father he would have still devoted half his life to her? Okay, being mad that he wasn't a part of her life is valid but everything Red did for her would still be true (including all the negative stuff). Plus he had pretty good reason for not being physically in her life. I do like that Liz is appreciating the good Red has done for her (but only as long as they don't completely gloss over the bad.)
+ "Who are you crossing lines for?" - Harold
"A man I've grown to like." - Liz
This felt like a big moment for Liz. Last season she accepted, and told Red, that she loved him. She chose him over the truth. But 'like' isn't necessarily the same thing. I've always thought that Liz's problem with Red in season one was in large part because she genuinely liked him, was charmed by him, and then kept being reminded about the bad parts of him and why she shouldn't but kept liking him anyway and feeling terrible about that. So it was nice to hear her say it as she went rogue to help find him.
+ Also I loved Liz's "our Reddington".
+ "Some people in this world are soulmates. Katarina Rostova and I shared one. Betraying Katarina would be like betraying myself." Wait, what? What does that even mean? Who the hell was their shared soulmate? Raymond Reddington? I really hope this comes back up again because I need to know what he was talking about.
+ "She's a figment of the collective imagination." Is this not Katarina? Like, the real Katarina died and this is a different person who took over her life in the same way Red did to Reddington, to keep the story of her alive for whatever reason? But then that doesn't make sense with how Red greeted her. Though I guess he doesn't know what she looks like now and his reaction when she kissed him was interesting.
+ I liked the similarity between Liz and Katarina. In Liz's first episode with Red she ended up stabbing him in the neck to get information and now here in Katarina's first real episode she's basically doing the same thing. They both approach it differently - Liz emotional and wild, while Katarina is cold and practical - but both are controlled. I thought it was neat.
+ I liked Mila and I'm interested in where they're going with her. She is either going to help Red escape (he definitely charmed her and despite him then taking her hostage she was clearly not happy about having to drain his blood) or Katarina is going to kill her. Possibly both. Katarina specifically asking for 'the nurse who let this happen' and then having her be the one to hurt Red was a very calculated move. I was sure she was going to kill Mila but this is definitely more interesting. Fingers crossed she survives.
+ Nice Liz/Harold scene. I liked her calling him honest and opening up to him.
+ I liked Aram helping Liz to find a new nanny (very sweet) but it was rather confusing. Why wouldn't she have this already done before she got Agnes? Why wouldn't she keep on the nanny Scottie presumably had watching Agnes? The only reason for this I can think of is that the 'Elizabeth Keen intel' Katarina was talking about was this nanny search and she's going to get one of her people in.
+ So it is you." - Harold. Hmm. I'm curious about the timeline. Could it have been Red Harold knew during the mission not Raymond?
+ I really liked Red figuring out the truth about his situation and escaping.
+ I hated Liz just telling Harold and Aram the truth about Red. This is Red's big secret that she acknowledged that others didn't have the right to know about. I can't remember if she promised not to say anything but I feel like there was at least an understanding that she wouldn't say anything. Instead she knows the truth for a couple weeks and has already let three people know. Basically she's confirming Red's decision not to tell her the truth because she can't be trusted with it. And she did it in the middle of the Post Office surrounded by cameras and various personnel which is even worse! Why would she even choose right then to drop this big information bomb? When Red's been kidnapped and they're searching for him? It makes no sense and it bothered me a lot. It feels like lazy writing. But it's clear the writers wanted everyone in the know now (+ info dump for viewers) so whatever. Still annoyed.
+ "When I thought he was my father I hated him for abandoning me. I thought he shirked responsibility." What? No, she didn't! I hate when they retcon Liz's emotional state and motivations. When Liz learned he was her father she hugged him and then was really happy with him for a bunch of episodes until the bag of bones drama started. We got no hint in season 5 of Liz being upset about being abandoned let alone 'hating' Red over it! She never once came off as mad that I remember. This is such bullshit.
Also this is kind of silly because she then follows up about how amazing Red is because he devoted half his life to her even though she was nobody to him -- if he was her father he would have still devoted half his life to her? Okay, being mad that he wasn't a part of her life is valid but everything Red did for her would still be true (including all the negative stuff). Plus he had pretty good reason for not being physically in her life. I do like that Liz is appreciating the good Red has done for her (but only as long as they don't completely gloss over the bad.)
+ "Who are you crossing lines for?" - Harold
"A man I've grown to like." - Liz
This felt like a big moment for Liz. Last season she accepted, and told Red, that she loved him. She chose him over the truth. But 'like' isn't necessarily the same thing. I've always thought that Liz's problem with Red in season one was in large part because she genuinely liked him, was charmed by him, and then kept being reminded about the bad parts of him and why she shouldn't but kept liking him anyway and feeling terrible about that. So it was nice to hear her say it as she went rogue to help find him.
+ Also I loved Liz's "our Reddington".
+ "Some people in this world are soulmates. Katarina Rostova and I shared one. Betraying Katarina would be like betraying myself." Wait, what? What does that even mean? Who the hell was their shared soulmate? Raymond Reddington? I really hope this comes back up again because I need to know what he was talking about.
+ "She's a figment of the collective imagination." Is this not Katarina? Like, the real Katarina died and this is a different person who took over her life in the same way Red did to Reddington, to keep the story of her alive for whatever reason? But then that doesn't make sense with how Red greeted her. Though I guess he doesn't know what she looks like now and his reaction when she kissed him was interesting.
+ I liked the similarity between Liz and Katarina. In Liz's first episode with Red she ended up stabbing him in the neck to get information and now here in Katarina's first real episode she's basically doing the same thing. They both approach it differently - Liz emotional and wild, while Katarina is cold and practical - but both are controlled. I thought it was neat.
+ I liked Mila and I'm interested in where they're going with her. She is either going to help Red escape (he definitely charmed her and despite him then taking her hostage she was clearly not happy about having to drain his blood) or Katarina is going to kill her. Possibly both. Katarina specifically asking for 'the nurse who let this happen' and then having her be the one to hurt Red was a very calculated move. I was sure she was going to kill Mila but this is definitely more interesting. Fingers crossed she survives.
+ Nice Liz/Harold scene. I liked her calling him honest and opening up to him.
+ I liked Aram helping Liz to find a new nanny (very sweet) but it was rather confusing. Why wouldn't she have this already done before she got Agnes? Why wouldn't she keep on the nanny Scottie presumably had watching Agnes? The only reason for this I can think of is that the 'Elizabeth Keen intel' Katarina was talking about was this nanny search and she's going to get one of her people in.
+ So it is you." - Harold. Hmm. I'm curious about the timeline. Could it have been Red Harold knew during the mission not Raymond?
