The Blacklist 7x04 Thoughts
Oct. 29th, 2019 08:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iariaKuwait
+ As an episode it was fine but as a single-name flashback one it was meh. I was disappointed because I was expecting something more from it. I thought we were going to get some sort of reveal - either mythology-wise or about Harold/Red - but there wasn't anything. I guess considering how Kuwait has been brought up every now and then I'd gotten the impression that it was more important then it turned out to be.
The blackmail file Red had was just the interview of Harold after Hutton's death? But wouldn't the military already have that? And maybe I missed something but during the scenes of the interview it didn't come off very incriminating to me. So I'm a little confused as to why it's this big deal.
As for what Harold did - on the one hand, it works with what we know of Harold and it makes sense how it would have lead to this by-the-books but loyalty to his people above all else version we know. I liked that. I liked his scenes with Red and with Hutton. On the other hand, it didn't seem like he knew the attack was a set up so he really wasn't in on Hutton's kidnapping. Yes, he accepted that he was dead and went along with the cover up but I guess (again) I was expecting something more. Him actually being a part of Hutton being taken would have worked better as something he was ashamed of and regretted enough that it would shape his life, and as something blackmailable.
Finally, I was kind of expecting some Red/Harold backstory here. Just a little, just something. But all we get is Reddington behind the glass watching the interview - did they even meet? Was Reddington part of the cover up? This isn't the only place their paths cross in the past (sea duke) but the fact that there is no hint of interaction here was a little disappointing.
+ There was no Red/Liz interaction this episode which I didn't like. There has been so little between them this season and it's bumming me out. I'm assuming that it's to let the Liz/Katarina situation build but I don't think that's a reason for them to have barely any scenes. Is Red avoiding Agnes/Liz and that's why he's been strictly hands off the last two episodes? They could have believable reason for that - they never really dealt with Red's anger over Liz sending him to jail, and now there's Dom being shot, and him feeling guilty or uncomfortable in Agnes's life after everything is something I could buy considering his past - but they need to actually show something about how he's feeling and we're getting nothing.
Which really doesn't work when he knows Katarina is in fact alive and is out there hunting him and the answers he holds. She already almost got Dom killed. My biggest issue of the episode (and the last) is that Red apparently doesn't have his own people watching over Liz and Agnes. The most important people in his life, that he's devoted his life to protecting, and nothing? It feels so off and rather out of character for him. He promised Liz her mother wasn't a danger to her or Agnes but he doesn't seem to be proactively trying to protect them, or even seems to consider that if Katarina has been forced out of the shadows she might take the opportunity to try and meet Liz/Agnes, which seems dumber/slower than Red is.
+ I liked Liz getting defensive of Red to Harold and this line: "Does it really matter who he is? To the job, I mean." The way it's so clearly about her that she feels the need to quickly add that second line was great.
+ I'm really surprised that Liz didn't give Red a heads up on Harold's plan. They're back in a good place, she wants him in her life so...? I figured that was why he tracked Harold down at the cemetery but if it wasn't why was he there? Was he faking not knowing she told him?
+ I don't have a problem with Liz not jumping to the conclusion that Maddy is actually Katarina. That seems like a big jump especially when she isn't even 100% sold that Katarina is even alive. She doesn't know it was Katarina who kidnapped Red and attacked Dom after all. (More Red secrets coming back to haunt him.) So why assume this random woman is her mother when she's never shown up before this?
That said I do have a little problem with how open Liz has been with Maddy and how easily and quickly she's accepted her into her and Agnes's life. Liz is not that trusting a person, especially after everything she has been through, and yet she has accepted Maddy with open arms. It's a little weird. Liz jumping to 'omg this new neighbour is clearly a devious plant of some kind' would seem a bit paranoid but everything would have worked much better if we'd seen her immediately go to Aram for a background check on Maddy, because her life is insane and it is suspiciously timed, only for Katarina to have a great cover and that convincing Liz that she is what she seems.
+ Katarina looked rather gutted to me after Liz said her mother didn't want a relationship with her.
+ This exchange between Red and Farhad made me laugh:
"Where's your faith?" - Red
"I left my faith on the jet. Let's go back and get it." - Farhad
Heeee. This episode was good for giving us fun Red associates. I like that Frankie is now officially working for him. I liked both Farhad and the Dungeon Master.
+ Red leaving Farhad and Dembe in the dark about the drone strike was completely unnecessary secret keeping for the drama on his part.
+ I loved how impressed Aram was that Red called in a drone strike.
+ I loved Pannabaker's "Harold. To the scotch." Heh. I also loved her long-suffering sigh when he gave her the flash drive. She is so done with all of them.
+ I'm really curious about Berdy. He's Katarina's right-hand man, her Dembe, which is interesting in itself. She doesn't seem like someone who would trust anyone and she has a bad habit of killing her allies. That last scene was rather domestic - her coming in to him casually cooking and drinking wine. Plus he called Agnes 'the urchin' which was a little 'huh' for me considering that's his boss's granddaughter.
+ As an episode it was fine but as a single-name flashback one it was meh. I was disappointed because I was expecting something more from it. I thought we were going to get some sort of reveal - either mythology-wise or about Harold/Red - but there wasn't anything. I guess considering how Kuwait has been brought up every now and then I'd gotten the impression that it was more important then it turned out to be.
The blackmail file Red had was just the interview of Harold after Hutton's death? But wouldn't the military already have that? And maybe I missed something but during the scenes of the interview it didn't come off very incriminating to me. So I'm a little confused as to why it's this big deal.
As for what Harold did - on the one hand, it works with what we know of Harold and it makes sense how it would have lead to this by-the-books but loyalty to his people above all else version we know. I liked that. I liked his scenes with Red and with Hutton. On the other hand, it didn't seem like he knew the attack was a set up so he really wasn't in on Hutton's kidnapping. Yes, he accepted that he was dead and went along with the cover up but I guess (again) I was expecting something more. Him actually being a part of Hutton being taken would have worked better as something he was ashamed of and regretted enough that it would shape his life, and as something blackmailable.
Finally, I was kind of expecting some Red/Harold backstory here. Just a little, just something. But all we get is Reddington behind the glass watching the interview - did they even meet? Was Reddington part of the cover up? This isn't the only place their paths cross in the past (sea duke) but the fact that there is no hint of interaction here was a little disappointing.
+ There was no Red/Liz interaction this episode which I didn't like. There has been so little between them this season and it's bumming me out. I'm assuming that it's to let the Liz/Katarina situation build but I don't think that's a reason for them to have barely any scenes. Is Red avoiding Agnes/Liz and that's why he's been strictly hands off the last two episodes? They could have believable reason for that - they never really dealt with Red's anger over Liz sending him to jail, and now there's Dom being shot, and him feeling guilty or uncomfortable in Agnes's life after everything is something I could buy considering his past - but they need to actually show something about how he's feeling and we're getting nothing.
Which really doesn't work when he knows Katarina is in fact alive and is out there hunting him and the answers he holds. She already almost got Dom killed. My biggest issue of the episode (and the last) is that Red apparently doesn't have his own people watching over Liz and Agnes. The most important people in his life, that he's devoted his life to protecting, and nothing? It feels so off and rather out of character for him. He promised Liz her mother wasn't a danger to her or Agnes but he doesn't seem to be proactively trying to protect them, or even seems to consider that if Katarina has been forced out of the shadows she might take the opportunity to try and meet Liz/Agnes, which seems dumber/slower than Red is.
+ I liked Liz getting defensive of Red to Harold and this line: "Does it really matter who he is? To the job, I mean." The way it's so clearly about her that she feels the need to quickly add that second line was great.
+ I'm really surprised that Liz didn't give Red a heads up on Harold's plan. They're back in a good place, she wants him in her life so...? I figured that was why he tracked Harold down at the cemetery but if it wasn't why was he there? Was he faking not knowing she told him?
+ I don't have a problem with Liz not jumping to the conclusion that Maddy is actually Katarina. That seems like a big jump especially when she isn't even 100% sold that Katarina is even alive. She doesn't know it was Katarina who kidnapped Red and attacked Dom after all. (More Red secrets coming back to haunt him.) So why assume this random woman is her mother when she's never shown up before this?
That said I do have a little problem with how open Liz has been with Maddy and how easily and quickly she's accepted her into her and Agnes's life. Liz is not that trusting a person, especially after everything she has been through, and yet she has accepted Maddy with open arms. It's a little weird. Liz jumping to 'omg this new neighbour is clearly a devious plant of some kind' would seem a bit paranoid but everything would have worked much better if we'd seen her immediately go to Aram for a background check on Maddy, because her life is insane and it is suspiciously timed, only for Katarina to have a great cover and that convincing Liz that she is what she seems.
+ Katarina looked rather gutted to me after Liz said her mother didn't want a relationship with her.
+ This exchange between Red and Farhad made me laugh:
"Where's your faith?" - Red
"I left my faith on the jet. Let's go back and get it." - Farhad
Heeee. This episode was good for giving us fun Red associates. I like that Frankie is now officially working for him. I liked both Farhad and the Dungeon Master.
+ Red leaving Farhad and Dembe in the dark about the drone strike was completely unnecessary secret keeping for the drama on his part.
+ I loved how impressed Aram was that Red called in a drone strike.
+ I loved Pannabaker's "Harold. To the scotch." Heh. I also loved her long-suffering sigh when he gave her the flash drive. She is so done with all of them.
+ I'm really curious about Berdy. He's Katarina's right-hand man, her Dembe, which is interesting in itself. She doesn't seem like someone who would trust anyone and she has a bad habit of killing her allies. That last scene was rather domestic - her coming in to him casually cooking and drinking wine. Plus he called Agnes 'the urchin' which was a little 'huh' for me considering that's his boss's granddaughter.
