The Blacklist 7x19 Thoughts
Dec. 18th, 2020 11:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iariaThe Kazanjian Brothers [No. 156/157]
+ I tend to give a lot of leeway to shows that have to work around an unexpected change in the status quo (actor availability, shutting down filming) so I went into this episode with that in mind. And there is no way around it – the animation was rough. I think they were going for a style similar to the comic books? It didn't really work for me sadly. I realise that animation takes a long time to do and that was something they didn't have here so on that level I think it was impressive. As a solution I thought using animation to fill in the missing pieces was a clever way to pull the episode together enough to air it. I’m just not sure it was worth it or even needed?
As a finale this was definitely more dramatic then the previous episode and if they had filmed the important scenes already - the Liz and Red/Liz ones - and filled in the case stuff with animation I actually would have been perfectly fine with it. But this episode had some pretty important scenes and having them done in animation really took away from them. I'm mostly just bummed that we didn't get the restaurant scene nor the car ride with Katarina afterwards in real life rather than animation.
I find myself really wishing they'd left the previous episode as the finale and then when filming began again finished this episode as a dramatic season opener. It would have worked better overall.
+ *throws hands up* I don't even know at this point! I don't understand how Liz got to the place she's in at the end. She starts the episode voice-overing that "I'm standing at the edge of this darkness... and if I take one step closer to it, if I lose one more good part of me, I'll be transformed." and then during her episode closing voice-over she states that "But now that I'm here I'm not afraid. In fact I embrace this part of me and where ever it takes us on the way to the truth" and I'm left mostly confused on how she got to point A to point B over the course of this specific episode? I don't get it?
I'm not actually opposed to Liz stepping into darkness in itself, season 5 Liz is probably my favourite Liz, and I enjoyed her final voice-over but how she got here and it being based on her choosing Katarina over Red doesn't entirely work. What exactly was the final step that led her to step into darkness this episode? Red didn't do anything particularly awful nor did his secret-keeping lead to something awful happening.
There were a couple small things - Red refusing to tell her what's medically wrong with him, Katarina helping save Red, Red's test and Katarina covering for her - but nothing that should have tipped Liz so dramatically in one direction. Nothing that should count as a final step in Katarina's direction.
Liz states at the beginning that she doesn't care who Red really is anymore and I think I believe her. She realised last season that she loved who Red was now and who he was in the past was irrelevant. She happily accepted the Ilya explanation with all it's unsolved questions because of that and because she wanted to move on. Learning it was all a lie, again, was a blow but I believe that she still doesn't really care about the information in itself even as she's still searching for the truth.
Was that final push as simple as Katarina telling her the barest bones about the Sikorsky Archive while Red refused to say anything in the restaurant?
+ I think one of the issues with the whole Katarina vs Red in Liz's allegiance is that despite the lies he's told (and the fallout) Red has over and over demonstrated that he loves Liz and will put her well-being over his own. I mean in the season 5 finale he was even going to give up his secrets to save her! Whereas Katarina has been so firmly about herself, protecting herself above all else, and hasn't shown the same care towards Liz while still being as manipulative and lying as Red that I'm left going ??? about Liz choosing her over Red in such a dramatic way.
+ I really enjoyed how done Liz was with both Katarina and Red's bullshit secret-keeping and forcing her in the middle. I loved her storming out on Katarina during their first meeting and her continued annoyance over Katarina having her followed (deja vu to Red in the earlier seasons!). I loved how she and Red started truth-telling at the restaurant and that Liz, for once, refused to let up (well, until he collapsed). I found myself wishing it was less about Liz choosing Katarina over Red and more her continuing her quest to get her answers for herself and this time deciding to get answers finally at any cost and siding with Katarina over Red as a part of that.
+ On the one hand, I loved Liz calling Katarina for help to save Red and Katarina actually being there because it was kind of delightful. But on the other hand, was there literally no better choice there considering they're enemies?
+ So Red remembers nothing about the car ride then or does he have suspicions but isn't sure if it was real or part of his delirium?
+ Honestly, Katarina helping Liz to save Red feels more self-serving than anything. She needs Red alive after all in order to save herself. And she wants/needs Liz on her side. So by playing magnanimous in helping him she's only helping herself and I don't think Liz sees this for some reason.
+ "It's complicated." and then Liz covers Red's hand with hers and it was lovely but would have been so much better if it hadn't been weird animation. We have all these moments over the years of Red covering Liz's hand or Liz covering Red's and I'm annoyed that we don't really see this one.
+ Wait, all Katarina wants from Red is the Sikorsky Archive (or location of it) aka basically the Fulcrum 2.0? Really?
+ I really liked Liz bring up Mr. Kaplan as a loss along with Tom but at the same time I feel like the show, especially in seasons 3 and 4, really needed to have built up their current relationship a lot more than they actually did to make this really work. But that's an old complaint and I did love Liz mentioning her.
+ Liz walking toward the brothers, gun aimed and asking questions, was probably her darkest choice of the episode. I mean I'm pretty sure they would have shot their hostage anyway but at the same time she didn't really seem to care about her? And after a season of Liz being regulated to comforting and helping victims it was interesting to see her here putting her answers first and then leaving Ressler to deal with the shot hostage while she ran after the bad guys.
+ Aw I love that Aram told Red at the very lightest of urging. He tells Harold later that it was out of 'the desire to live' but no one is buying it.
+ "I’m never dishonest only withholding." - Red. Is this even true anymore? I don't even know at this point. I'm pretty sure he's straight-up lied but idk. Either way he "withholds" in a very deliberate way that misdirects in a way that is actively dishonest. Honestly it feels rather fitting when Liz turns around and does the same thing to him.
+ Red and Dembe seem pretty much as normal so I guess Red really is over Dembe's almost betrayal last episode?
+ Wait, they had Liz confess to Harold that Katarina is alive, and she knows about it and has been helping her, off-screen?? That's really annoying! Considering their last heart-to-heart was about Liz's inner darkness and the choices she makes as well as how this episode ultimately ends I feel like we definitely should have gotten a scene between them here about Katarina and Liz's feelings and actions over her.
+ I liked Harold telling Red that he could not kill Liz's mother. Just the way he said it.
+ "In my position it's not easy to know who cares and who wants to cut your throat." Oh, yeesh, dramatic much Red? Regardless of anything Liz does he knows that she cares about him and doesn't want to hurt him. And if he takes any betrayal as a sign she doesn't he's fooling himself. Of course then the end happened but I still feel like if it came down to it Liz would never let Red die.
+ Dembe's "you underestimated Elizabeth" made me feel a little sad for him. He believes in her and she betrayed him here too. He just wants them to be honest!
+ I tend to give a lot of leeway to shows that have to work around an unexpected change in the status quo (actor availability, shutting down filming) so I went into this episode with that in mind. And there is no way around it – the animation was rough. I think they were going for a style similar to the comic books? It didn't really work for me sadly. I realise that animation takes a long time to do and that was something they didn't have here so on that level I think it was impressive. As a solution I thought using animation to fill in the missing pieces was a clever way to pull the episode together enough to air it. I’m just not sure it was worth it or even needed?
As a finale this was definitely more dramatic then the previous episode and if they had filmed the important scenes already - the Liz and Red/Liz ones - and filled in the case stuff with animation I actually would have been perfectly fine with it. But this episode had some pretty important scenes and having them done in animation really took away from them. I'm mostly just bummed that we didn't get the restaurant scene nor the car ride with Katarina afterwards in real life rather than animation.
I find myself really wishing they'd left the previous episode as the finale and then when filming began again finished this episode as a dramatic season opener. It would have worked better overall.
+ *throws hands up* I don't even know at this point! I don't understand how Liz got to the place she's in at the end. She starts the episode voice-overing that "I'm standing at the edge of this darkness... and if I take one step closer to it, if I lose one more good part of me, I'll be transformed." and then during her episode closing voice-over she states that "But now that I'm here I'm not afraid. In fact I embrace this part of me and where ever it takes us on the way to the truth" and I'm left mostly confused on how she got to point A to point B over the course of this specific episode? I don't get it?
I'm not actually opposed to Liz stepping into darkness in itself, season 5 Liz is probably my favourite Liz, and I enjoyed her final voice-over but how she got here and it being based on her choosing Katarina over Red doesn't entirely work. What exactly was the final step that led her to step into darkness this episode? Red didn't do anything particularly awful nor did his secret-keeping lead to something awful happening.
There were a couple small things - Red refusing to tell her what's medically wrong with him, Katarina helping save Red, Red's test and Katarina covering for her - but nothing that should have tipped Liz so dramatically in one direction. Nothing that should count as a final step in Katarina's direction.
Liz states at the beginning that she doesn't care who Red really is anymore and I think I believe her. She realised last season that she loved who Red was now and who he was in the past was irrelevant. She happily accepted the Ilya explanation with all it's unsolved questions because of that and because she wanted to move on. Learning it was all a lie, again, was a blow but I believe that she still doesn't really care about the information in itself even as she's still searching for the truth.
Was that final push as simple as Katarina telling her the barest bones about the Sikorsky Archive while Red refused to say anything in the restaurant?
+ I think one of the issues with the whole Katarina vs Red in Liz's allegiance is that despite the lies he's told (and the fallout) Red has over and over demonstrated that he loves Liz and will put her well-being over his own. I mean in the season 5 finale he was even going to give up his secrets to save her! Whereas Katarina has been so firmly about herself, protecting herself above all else, and hasn't shown the same care towards Liz while still being as manipulative and lying as Red that I'm left going ??? about Liz choosing her over Red in such a dramatic way.
+ I really enjoyed how done Liz was with both Katarina and Red's bullshit secret-keeping and forcing her in the middle. I loved her storming out on Katarina during their first meeting and her continued annoyance over Katarina having her followed (deja vu to Red in the earlier seasons!). I loved how she and Red started truth-telling at the restaurant and that Liz, for once, refused to let up (well, until he collapsed). I found myself wishing it was less about Liz choosing Katarina over Red and more her continuing her quest to get her answers for herself and this time deciding to get answers finally at any cost and siding with Katarina over Red as a part of that.
+ On the one hand, I loved Liz calling Katarina for help to save Red and Katarina actually being there because it was kind of delightful. But on the other hand, was there literally no better choice there considering they're enemies?
+ So Red remembers nothing about the car ride then or does he have suspicions but isn't sure if it was real or part of his delirium?
+ Honestly, Katarina helping Liz to save Red feels more self-serving than anything. She needs Red alive after all in order to save herself. And she wants/needs Liz on her side. So by playing magnanimous in helping him she's only helping herself and I don't think Liz sees this for some reason.
+ "It's complicated." and then Liz covers Red's hand with hers and it was lovely but would have been so much better if it hadn't been weird animation. We have all these moments over the years of Red covering Liz's hand or Liz covering Red's and I'm annoyed that we don't really see this one.
+ Wait, all Katarina wants from Red is the Sikorsky Archive (or location of it) aka basically the Fulcrum 2.0? Really?
+ I really liked Liz bring up Mr. Kaplan as a loss along with Tom but at the same time I feel like the show, especially in seasons 3 and 4, really needed to have built up their current relationship a lot more than they actually did to make this really work. But that's an old complaint and I did love Liz mentioning her.
+ Liz walking toward the brothers, gun aimed and asking questions, was probably her darkest choice of the episode. I mean I'm pretty sure they would have shot their hostage anyway but at the same time she didn't really seem to care about her? And after a season of Liz being regulated to comforting and helping victims it was interesting to see her here putting her answers first and then leaving Ressler to deal with the shot hostage while she ran after the bad guys.
+ Aw I love that Aram told Red at the very lightest of urging. He tells Harold later that it was out of 'the desire to live' but no one is buying it.
+ "I’m never dishonest only withholding." - Red. Is this even true anymore? I don't even know at this point. I'm pretty sure he's straight-up lied but idk. Either way he "withholds" in a very deliberate way that misdirects in a way that is actively dishonest. Honestly it feels rather fitting when Liz turns around and does the same thing to him.
+ Red and Dembe seem pretty much as normal so I guess Red really is over Dembe's almost betrayal last episode?
+ Wait, they had Liz confess to Harold that Katarina is alive, and she knows about it and has been helping her, off-screen?? That's really annoying! Considering their last heart-to-heart was about Liz's inner darkness and the choices she makes as well as how this episode ultimately ends I feel like we definitely should have gotten a scene between them here about Katarina and Liz's feelings and actions over her.
+ I liked Harold telling Red that he could not kill Liz's mother. Just the way he said it.
+ "In my position it's not easy to know who cares and who wants to cut your throat." Oh, yeesh, dramatic much Red? Regardless of anything Liz does he knows that she cares about him and doesn't want to hurt him. And if he takes any betrayal as a sign she doesn't he's fooling himself. Of course then the end happened but I still feel like if it came down to it Liz would never let Red die.
+ Dembe's "you underestimated Elizabeth" made me feel a little sad for him. He believes in her and she betrayed him here too. He just wants them to be honest!
