The Blacklist 8x22 Thoughts
Jul. 15th, 2021 09:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iariaKonets
+ I cried. "I can't do it." / "That's alright." / "I don't want to." / "I understand." Ouch. It was a beautiful exchange and Red cradling a dying Liz in his arms and the montage were heartbreaking. Liz's death was pretty devastating.
+ I'm honestly shocked that the show ended as a tragedy. I realise it isn't actually over but regardless of where it goes next this is still an end and still a tragedy. Red's goal from the beginning, the purpose for his entire existence and his reason for the Blacklist and everything he does has always been to protect Liz. And he failed. The emotional centre of the entire show has been Red and Liz's relationship and she died in his arms.
I don't necessarily dislike tragedies. It's an interesting choice and honestly a believable enough ending considering everything. But here... no. It's such a bitter and terribly sad ending for Liz and for Red, and really for everyone (poor Agnes!) That's not what I expected from the show and more importantly it's, I find, really not what I wanted. At the moment I'm kind of mad. We spent 8 seasons of Red doing everything he can to protect Liz and of Liz searching for answers and them building this relationship and I find it kind of upsetting that it ended like this. Red failed. Liz died. It's frustrating and depressing.
+ It is so aggravating that after eight seasons of searching for the truth, of asking Red over and over for it and being denied, of losing so much and going to such extremes Liz doesn't actually get the final truth she so desperately wanted and needed. The end of the montage definitely implied that in her very final moments before death Liz put it together and realised that Red was Katarina but honestly it wasn't good enough for me. After everything Liz damn well deserved better than that. She deserved to learn the truth - and have the time to mentally and emotionally deal with it. She deserved to have Red finally tell her and to be able to confront and talk to him about it.
This actually leads to another issue I have - we've been building to this truth and it's impact on Red and Liz's relationship for eight seasons and now that it's out we don't actually get to see Red and Liz interact with it out because she freaking dies before she actually really gets to learn about it. So frustrating!
+ I really loved Liz not being able to pull the trigger was about Red and her love for him. For the man she's known for the past 8 years and who she's grown to love for himself. BUT I think some of how this ended would have worked better for me if Liz revealed in that final exchange that she stole the letter at some point, had read it and knew the truth. This would have been a fabulous reveal. It would have tied back to Liz's past as a thief in a really great way. It would have... after 8 seasons of increasingly going to extremes for the truth for her not to see him waving the Letter of Truth like a red flag to a bull doesn't make sense so her stealing it would have tied into her journey better instead of her simply accepting Red's direction on how this would play out. In turn this would let them actually interact, even if for a very short time, with the truth out. Damn it, I wanted to see that!
+ Red is such a coward. I can't believe that he left Liz the truth that he was Katarina in a letter for her to open after she killed him. Like... fuck you, Red! Of course she wouldn't agree to kill him knowing it! He's choosing this potential avenue to protect her and Agnes's future knowing that it will emotionally destroy her when she learns the truth. That is so selfish and deeply cruel to Liz. (Frankly even without the truth I think having her kill Red, even with his permission, would be a choice that would haunt Liz and she would never get over.) As with everything else Red has done in Liz's life it's all about protecting her but doing it how he thinks is best, ignoring her wishes and needs. But more importantly this is him running away from his past, of facing Liz and her reaction, the way he always has. He was so afraid of her reaction that he did everything he could to make sure she didn't learn the truth and now he will never get to know how she would have reacted. (Yet another aspect to this whole tragedy.)
+ I've said multiple times over the course of the show that Red's secret, that the big truth, had better be damn impressive and the secrecy about it so obviously necessary for it to make all the death and destruction and blowing up of Liz's life and the collateral damage caused to be worth it and now that we have the truth -- it really wasn't. Which actually is super interesting for me and how deeply flawed it makes Red. Honestly how everything played out this episode also plays into showing how flawed Red is. If he'd taken her into hiding instead of trying to connive Liz wouldn't have been there to be shot. After decades Red failed his most important purpose and a lot of it really is on him. That's an interesting choice! He's messed up so much and failed so hard.
+ I'm curious about where the show would have gone if Megan Boone hadn't decided to leave. I very much doubt they would have killed her off. What was the planned ending for this show? I always thought it would be Red's death, tbh. I'm very curious about why they chose to kill her off. It wasn't necessary. There were a lot of ways set up to get her off-screen in a semi-happy ending for her (and Agnes). Red helped 'Katarina' hide for almost thirty years so why couldn't he do that for Liz/Agnes? Whatever happened to the island hideout? Hell, they could have had her literally change her face and start a new life. Why was that option never brought up?
I really don't think her killing Red to take over his business is the obviously best option here for her. I don't buy Red's assertion that this is the only way they have to go. Hell, even if taking over his business was the only real option why not have her join him and learn from him? Sure, some people wouldn't accept him handing her the business and disappearing, there would be issues. But he has no reason to disappear immediately. He's not dying right now. He can stay and mentor Liz and introduce her more formally to the life and position and the people involved. He can make it a process.
+ I've loved since the first season the idea of Liz being in Red's world and of him grooming her to take over for him. How cool would it have been to actually see that? To have a season of Liz at Red's side, with him mentoring her on how to do his work? This is a big disappointment for the series as a whole.
+ This is a TV show so it's entirely possible for them to choose to bring Liz back in the final episode and reveal that she didn't die, that she was saved and went into hiding. I'd buy it. But I don't think they will. It really did appear that she died in Red's arms and I can't image Red would have allowed Dembe to pull him away from her if she was still alive. (But a part of me is hoping for her to show up in the finale.)
+ I'm curious about Liz and Red's final moment. What was going through Red's head when Liz said she couldn't do it? He was so gentle and understanding with her, he tells her that he understands and it's alright. But where would that scene have gone if Liz hadn't been shot? Red seemed pretty set on his plan. Did he have someone (Dembe?) hidden and waiting to shoot him if she couldn't do it? He had to know it was a serious possibility. Would they have walked away together? It's Red so I feel like he had to have a back-up plan set up and I want to know which way he would have gone.
+ I did like all the Red/Liz scenes. The one where she asks him if she's become a criminal because of herself or because of him is a very interesting question. My first instinct is of course it's because of him. Upon further thought I think it's not that easy because Liz has always been willing to go a little too far and that's not really on him. But would she have been in the situations where she felt she had to go to extremes if he hadn't come into her life? I don't really think so.
+ I liked Liz, Red and Agnes's day in New York montage.
+ It was great to see Beth Ryker again and I liked her little scene with Liz. Her, and her hope that Liz continues to protect people like she did her, being the reason why Liz ultimately decides to go along with Red's plan was a nice touch.
+ Red and Dembe both inhaling from the helium balloons was a delight. Such a fun moment.
+ The Liz/Agnes phone call was lovely.
+ I really liked Liz and Harold's final scene. I also liked that Liz and Aram got a final phone call.
+ "I blame him too sometimes." - Dembe That's because he is to blame!
+ I cried. "I can't do it." / "That's alright." / "I don't want to." / "I understand." Ouch. It was a beautiful exchange and Red cradling a dying Liz in his arms and the montage were heartbreaking. Liz's death was pretty devastating.
+ I'm honestly shocked that the show ended as a tragedy. I realise it isn't actually over but regardless of where it goes next this is still an end and still a tragedy. Red's goal from the beginning, the purpose for his entire existence and his reason for the Blacklist and everything he does has always been to protect Liz. And he failed. The emotional centre of the entire show has been Red and Liz's relationship and she died in his arms.
I don't necessarily dislike tragedies. It's an interesting choice and honestly a believable enough ending considering everything. But here... no. It's such a bitter and terribly sad ending for Liz and for Red, and really for everyone (poor Agnes!) That's not what I expected from the show and more importantly it's, I find, really not what I wanted. At the moment I'm kind of mad. We spent 8 seasons of Red doing everything he can to protect Liz and of Liz searching for answers and them building this relationship and I find it kind of upsetting that it ended like this. Red failed. Liz died. It's frustrating and depressing.
+ It is so aggravating that after eight seasons of searching for the truth, of asking Red over and over for it and being denied, of losing so much and going to such extremes Liz doesn't actually get the final truth she so desperately wanted and needed. The end of the montage definitely implied that in her very final moments before death Liz put it together and realised that Red was Katarina but honestly it wasn't good enough for me. After everything Liz damn well deserved better than that. She deserved to learn the truth - and have the time to mentally and emotionally deal with it. She deserved to have Red finally tell her and to be able to confront and talk to him about it.
This actually leads to another issue I have - we've been building to this truth and it's impact on Red and Liz's relationship for eight seasons and now that it's out we don't actually get to see Red and Liz interact with it out because she freaking dies before she actually really gets to learn about it. So frustrating!
+ I really loved Liz not being able to pull the trigger was about Red and her love for him. For the man she's known for the past 8 years and who she's grown to love for himself. BUT I think some of how this ended would have worked better for me if Liz revealed in that final exchange that she stole the letter at some point, had read it and knew the truth. This would have been a fabulous reveal. It would have tied back to Liz's past as a thief in a really great way. It would have... after 8 seasons of increasingly going to extremes for the truth for her not to see him waving the Letter of Truth like a red flag to a bull doesn't make sense so her stealing it would have tied into her journey better instead of her simply accepting Red's direction on how this would play out. In turn this would let them actually interact, even if for a very short time, with the truth out. Damn it, I wanted to see that!
+ Red is such a coward. I can't believe that he left Liz the truth that he was Katarina in a letter for her to open after she killed him. Like... fuck you, Red! Of course she wouldn't agree to kill him knowing it! He's choosing this potential avenue to protect her and Agnes's future knowing that it will emotionally destroy her when she learns the truth. That is so selfish and deeply cruel to Liz. (Frankly even without the truth I think having her kill Red, even with his permission, would be a choice that would haunt Liz and she would never get over.) As with everything else Red has done in Liz's life it's all about protecting her but doing it how he thinks is best, ignoring her wishes and needs. But more importantly this is him running away from his past, of facing Liz and her reaction, the way he always has. He was so afraid of her reaction that he did everything he could to make sure she didn't learn the truth and now he will never get to know how she would have reacted. (Yet another aspect to this whole tragedy.)
+ I've said multiple times over the course of the show that Red's secret, that the big truth, had better be damn impressive and the secrecy about it so obviously necessary for it to make all the death and destruction and blowing up of Liz's life and the collateral damage caused to be worth it and now that we have the truth -- it really wasn't. Which actually is super interesting for me and how deeply flawed it makes Red. Honestly how everything played out this episode also plays into showing how flawed Red is. If he'd taken her into hiding instead of trying to connive Liz wouldn't have been there to be shot. After decades Red failed his most important purpose and a lot of it really is on him. That's an interesting choice! He's messed up so much and failed so hard.
+ I'm curious about where the show would have gone if Megan Boone hadn't decided to leave. I very much doubt they would have killed her off. What was the planned ending for this show? I always thought it would be Red's death, tbh. I'm very curious about why they chose to kill her off. It wasn't necessary. There were a lot of ways set up to get her off-screen in a semi-happy ending for her (and Agnes). Red helped 'Katarina' hide for almost thirty years so why couldn't he do that for Liz/Agnes? Whatever happened to the island hideout? Hell, they could have had her literally change her face and start a new life. Why was that option never brought up?
I really don't think her killing Red to take over his business is the obviously best option here for her. I don't buy Red's assertion that this is the only way they have to go. Hell, even if taking over his business was the only real option why not have her join him and learn from him? Sure, some people wouldn't accept him handing her the business and disappearing, there would be issues. But he has no reason to disappear immediately. He's not dying right now. He can stay and mentor Liz and introduce her more formally to the life and position and the people involved. He can make it a process.
+ I've loved since the first season the idea of Liz being in Red's world and of him grooming her to take over for him. How cool would it have been to actually see that? To have a season of Liz at Red's side, with him mentoring her on how to do his work? This is a big disappointment for the series as a whole.
+ This is a TV show so it's entirely possible for them to choose to bring Liz back in the final episode and reveal that she didn't die, that she was saved and went into hiding. I'd buy it. But I don't think they will. It really did appear that she died in Red's arms and I can't image Red would have allowed Dembe to pull him away from her if she was still alive. (But a part of me is hoping for her to show up in the finale.)
+ I'm curious about Liz and Red's final moment. What was going through Red's head when Liz said she couldn't do it? He was so gentle and understanding with her, he tells her that he understands and it's alright. But where would that scene have gone if Liz hadn't been shot? Red seemed pretty set on his plan. Did he have someone (Dembe?) hidden and waiting to shoot him if she couldn't do it? He had to know it was a serious possibility. Would they have walked away together? It's Red so I feel like he had to have a back-up plan set up and I want to know which way he would have gone.
+ I did like all the Red/Liz scenes. The one where she asks him if she's become a criminal because of herself or because of him is a very interesting question. My first instinct is of course it's because of him. Upon further thought I think it's not that easy because Liz has always been willing to go a little too far and that's not really on him. But would she have been in the situations where she felt she had to go to extremes if he hadn't come into her life? I don't really think so.
+ I liked Liz, Red and Agnes's day in New York montage.
+ It was great to see Beth Ryker again and I liked her little scene with Liz. Her, and her hope that Liz continues to protect people like she did her, being the reason why Liz ultimately decides to go along with Red's plan was a nice touch.
+ Red and Dembe both inhaling from the helium balloons was a delight. Such a fun moment.
+ The Liz/Agnes phone call was lovely.
+ I really liked Liz and Harold's final scene. I also liked that Liz and Aram got a final phone call.
+ "I blame him too sometimes." - Dembe That's because he is to blame!
