The Blacklist 2x01 - 2x03 Thoughts
Oct. 9th, 2014 07:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iaria2x01 'Lord Baltimore (No. 104)'
Okay, kind of boring. A little disappointing.
+ So are Naomi and her daughter Red's wife and daughter that supposedly died Christmas of 1990? I can't see Naomi being a second wife with the timeline. Where is the daughter? Red didn't mention her once, Berlin went after his wife instead of doing a daughter-for-a-daughter thing - could she be dead? Does this mean that Lizzie is definitely not that daughter at least?
+ Berlin adding in that silent sexual threat of Naomi was gross.
+ Ressler going off on the psychologist was terrible. Plus it just made me want her to suspend him because he is being such a dick. Frankly his rant should have been enough to make her go '... yup, needs therapy' not look taken aback and do nothing. Hopefully we'll see her again.
+ Lots of women in this episode - Naomi, Nora/Rowan, their mother, the Deputy Attorney General, the Mossad agent, and the female psychologist. I liked that.
+ Samar, the Mossad agent, is interesting and I like that she's so competent and unimpressed by Red but did Mossad just forcible abduct someone by helicopter and guns from a hotel, in broad daylight, in the US? Because that is basically the opposite of covert and would have kicked up a huge shitstorm. It would have been all over the news. Even if the Mossad angle never came out in public, which is completely believable, there would be talk about it, it would affect relations between the US/Israel, Samara would have been in a shit ton of trouble (I assume). It was a cool scene but completely unbelievable in any way once it was revealed who was behind it.
+ I did love Kristin Ritter as Lord Baltimore. I liked the Rowan/Nora storyline, it was soapy fun.
2x02 'Monarch Douglas Bank (No. 112)'
This was so much better. I really enjoyed this episode.
+ The Red/Liz relationship was - interesting. The last episode didn't have a lot between them so I had a hard time getting a handle on them. This episode however showed a divide between them that I though they'd gotten past in the season one finale. Their scene at the end of this episode was pretty tense. She has clearly put up a wall between them. First by her body language and distance, then by being very clear that she saved him only because it was her job and finally not sharing her secrets. I feel it can't just be because of the exchange with Berlin. So what's going on with them? It feels like their relationship took a step back, again.
+ I really loved the scene between Red and Mr. Kaplin. My favourite scene of the episode. It was such a small scene but it gave a really beautiful look at their relationship. They're friends and it's delightful. I love his relationships with his people. I also love how Red knows someone pretty much everywhere. And they usually like him.
+ I rolled my eyes a little at Kaja being hit with the bullet. Of course it hit her.
+ Lizzy has a secret source of her own. Hmm. I rather love that. I also really liked Red's reaction to it. He was almost proud. So who is it - Tom? Can it be Tom? I would love that so much.
+ "Coffee machine still works." - Aram LOL.
+ I loved Naomi's escape attempt. Her rescue happened a lot sooner than I was expecting though. And how her rescue played out was interesting - Red didn't say anything to her, she said nothing, he didn't touch her, hell he didn't even take her blindfold off before sending her off with Dembe.
+ It bugs me that Red finally meets face to face with Berlin tells a little story, threatens him and only tells him that he didn't kill Berlin's daughter once. This is the whole reason for Berlin's vendetta! So shouldn't Red be a little more curious about why Berlin thinks he killed her and get more information about the situation? Shouldn't he at least try to convince Berlin that he didn't? It makes no sense to me. That said it was a great scene.
+ Considering that Berlin knows how much Red cares for Liz I wonder why he didn't kidnap her to send to Red instead of the wife he hasn't seen in 2 decades? Because she's an FBI agent?
+ I love that Samar is now going to be Red's mole inside the Unit. I was not expecting that but it was a great twist. Now why does Red want someone inside? Does he think there is another mole? Does he no longer trust Liz to keep him informed?
+ "Every life that that psycho takes from this point forward is on you." - Liz. Well, technically it should be 'us'. It was Liz's decision to release the money after all. Red put his ex-wife's life over the money which Liz wasn't willing to do. But she was willing to put it up to save Redington's life. The two situations really aren't that different.
Her attitude bothers me. She tells Red that she hopes saving Naomi's life is worth it which - shouldn't saving innocent lives be something she should care about? I feel like season one Liz wouldn't have even considered not saving Naomi. Would she really have been fine with letting Naomi die to keep Berlin from most of his money (I doubt it was all of it)? She's being a hypocrite about it.
2x03 'Dr. James Covington (No. 89)'
I liked it.
+ This episode actually gave me a better handle on Liz, thank god. Between her dream at the beginning and her scene with Samar at the end it is so clear that Tom's words have gotten to her. Even when she was pissed at Red last season Liz still trusted him, opened up to him, leaned on him. But now she doesn't. That's what's different. She is more suspicious than she has ever been since she met him. She isn't willing to let him sidestep her questions and move on anymore, instead she's keeping him at a distance, doing her own investigating. This actually works for me because while it's a bit of a swerve from last season, it makes some sense (she had more time to digest everything that happened) and she's been consistent all season thus far. What we really need is an episode with some really significant Liz/Red interactions which we haven't really gotten yet this season.
+ Liz's dream was just - woooow. How that last part was shot... "Who do you want Agent Keen? Who do you really want?" - and Red is standing over her (kind of menacingly) while she reclines on the bed, pressed against the headboard, her bare legs between them... what even was that?! Except the most overtly sexual thing to happen between them yet.
+ "It's just like you today, a little sour." - Red. Heh.
+ The Red storyline was pretty by the numbers. I knew when Nico brought the pictures that he was working for Berlin and setting up the other two associates. When Red had the other two taken away, without really asking them any questions, I knew that he was on to Nico because he's Red. I didn't however figure out that the entire thing was a Red set-up from the beginning to weed out disloyal allies. I enjoyed that twist. I also enjoyed seeing more into Red's business.
+ From his very first scene Mr. Vargas reminded me of Mr. Kaplan and fit so perfectly among Red's stable of loyal helpers. Despite that I didn't consider for a second that he could be Red's man. I just noted the similarity and wondered if Berlin was starting to copy Red now. I may be face palming a little right now. Anyway, I liked him, loved his finally moments with Red and hope we see him again soon.
+ "Value loyalty above all else." - Red.
+ Nice little scene between Red and Mr. Kaplin again. Now we just need to get a little more focus on Dembe.
+ I love that Red sicing the task force on Covington was all so that his port scheme could happen. I had wondered what his angle was there.
+ I liked the little Cooper/Liz scene.
+ No surprise that unnamed guy at the motel is not actually just some random normal guy. Now who is he working for - Tom, Berlin, Red, Cooper, someone else? Who knows. I really hope that she doesn't enter a relationship with him because she has enough issues with trust and betrayal already. No need to send her over the edge.
+ "It's a trade off I'd make." - Liz. What?? No seriously wth? Last episode saving an innocent woman's life wasn't worth risking what Berlin could hypothetically do with his money. This episode saving kids lives is totally worth letting horrible/dangerous people live. These situations aren't exactly the same but they're similar enough that I'm getting whiplash.
Okay, kind of boring. A little disappointing.
+ So are Naomi and her daughter Red's wife and daughter that supposedly died Christmas of 1990? I can't see Naomi being a second wife with the timeline. Where is the daughter? Red didn't mention her once, Berlin went after his wife instead of doing a daughter-for-a-daughter thing - could she be dead? Does this mean that Lizzie is definitely not that daughter at least?
+ Berlin adding in that silent sexual threat of Naomi was gross.
+ Ressler going off on the psychologist was terrible. Plus it just made me want her to suspend him because he is being such a dick. Frankly his rant should have been enough to make her go '... yup, needs therapy' not look taken aback and do nothing. Hopefully we'll see her again.
+ Lots of women in this episode - Naomi, Nora/Rowan, their mother, the Deputy Attorney General, the Mossad agent, and the female psychologist. I liked that.
+ Samar, the Mossad agent, is interesting and I like that she's so competent and unimpressed by Red but did Mossad just forcible abduct someone by helicopter and guns from a hotel, in broad daylight, in the US? Because that is basically the opposite of covert and would have kicked up a huge shitstorm. It would have been all over the news. Even if the Mossad angle never came out in public, which is completely believable, there would be talk about it, it would affect relations between the US/Israel, Samara would have been in a shit ton of trouble (I assume). It was a cool scene but completely unbelievable in any way once it was revealed who was behind it.
+ I did love Kristin Ritter as Lord Baltimore. I liked the Rowan/Nora storyline, it was soapy fun.
2x02 'Monarch Douglas Bank (No. 112)'
This was so much better. I really enjoyed this episode.
+ The Red/Liz relationship was - interesting. The last episode didn't have a lot between them so I had a hard time getting a handle on them. This episode however showed a divide between them that I though they'd gotten past in the season one finale. Their scene at the end of this episode was pretty tense. She has clearly put up a wall between them. First by her body language and distance, then by being very clear that she saved him only because it was her job and finally not sharing her secrets. I feel it can't just be because of the exchange with Berlin. So what's going on with them? It feels like their relationship took a step back, again.
+ I really loved the scene between Red and Mr. Kaplin. My favourite scene of the episode. It was such a small scene but it gave a really beautiful look at their relationship. They're friends and it's delightful. I love his relationships with his people. I also love how Red knows someone pretty much everywhere. And they usually like him.
+ I rolled my eyes a little at Kaja being hit with the bullet. Of course it hit her.
+ Lizzy has a secret source of her own. Hmm. I rather love that. I also really liked Red's reaction to it. He was almost proud. So who is it - Tom? Can it be Tom? I would love that so much.
+ "Coffee machine still works." - Aram LOL.
+ I loved Naomi's escape attempt. Her rescue happened a lot sooner than I was expecting though. And how her rescue played out was interesting - Red didn't say anything to her, she said nothing, he didn't touch her, hell he didn't even take her blindfold off before sending her off with Dembe.
+ It bugs me that Red finally meets face to face with Berlin tells a little story, threatens him and only tells him that he didn't kill Berlin's daughter once. This is the whole reason for Berlin's vendetta! So shouldn't Red be a little more curious about why Berlin thinks he killed her and get more information about the situation? Shouldn't he at least try to convince Berlin that he didn't? It makes no sense to me. That said it was a great scene.
+ Considering that Berlin knows how much Red cares for Liz I wonder why he didn't kidnap her to send to Red instead of the wife he hasn't seen in 2 decades? Because she's an FBI agent?
+ I love that Samar is now going to be Red's mole inside the Unit. I was not expecting that but it was a great twist. Now why does Red want someone inside? Does he think there is another mole? Does he no longer trust Liz to keep him informed?
+ "Every life that that psycho takes from this point forward is on you." - Liz. Well, technically it should be 'us'. It was Liz's decision to release the money after all. Red put his ex-wife's life over the money which Liz wasn't willing to do. But she was willing to put it up to save Redington's life. The two situations really aren't that different.
Her attitude bothers me. She tells Red that she hopes saving Naomi's life is worth it which - shouldn't saving innocent lives be something she should care about? I feel like season one Liz wouldn't have even considered not saving Naomi. Would she really have been fine with letting Naomi die to keep Berlin from most of his money (I doubt it was all of it)? She's being a hypocrite about it.
2x03 'Dr. James Covington (No. 89)'
I liked it.
+ This episode actually gave me a better handle on Liz, thank god. Between her dream at the beginning and her scene with Samar at the end it is so clear that Tom's words have gotten to her. Even when she was pissed at Red last season Liz still trusted him, opened up to him, leaned on him. But now she doesn't. That's what's different. She is more suspicious than she has ever been since she met him. She isn't willing to let him sidestep her questions and move on anymore, instead she's keeping him at a distance, doing her own investigating. This actually works for me because while it's a bit of a swerve from last season, it makes some sense (she had more time to digest everything that happened) and she's been consistent all season thus far. What we really need is an episode with some really significant Liz/Red interactions which we haven't really gotten yet this season.
+ Liz's dream was just - woooow. How that last part was shot... "Who do you want Agent Keen? Who do you really want?" - and Red is standing over her (kind of menacingly) while she reclines on the bed, pressed against the headboard, her bare legs between them... what even was that?! Except the most overtly sexual thing to happen between them yet.
+ "It's just like you today, a little sour." - Red. Heh.
+ The Red storyline was pretty by the numbers. I knew when Nico brought the pictures that he was working for Berlin and setting up the other two associates. When Red had the other two taken away, without really asking them any questions, I knew that he was on to Nico because he's Red. I didn't however figure out that the entire thing was a Red set-up from the beginning to weed out disloyal allies. I enjoyed that twist. I also enjoyed seeing more into Red's business.
+ From his very first scene Mr. Vargas reminded me of Mr. Kaplan and fit so perfectly among Red's stable of loyal helpers. Despite that I didn't consider for a second that he could be Red's man. I just noted the similarity and wondered if Berlin was starting to copy Red now. I may be face palming a little right now. Anyway, I liked him, loved his finally moments with Red and hope we see him again soon.
+ "Value loyalty above all else." - Red.
+ Nice little scene between Red and Mr. Kaplin again. Now we just need to get a little more focus on Dembe.
+ I love that Red sicing the task force on Covington was all so that his port scheme could happen. I had wondered what his angle was there.
+ I liked the little Cooper/Liz scene.
+ No surprise that unnamed guy at the motel is not actually just some random normal guy. Now who is he working for - Tom, Berlin, Red, Cooper, someone else? Who knows. I really hope that she doesn't enter a relationship with him because she has enough issues with trust and betrayal already. No need to send her over the edge.
+ "It's a trade off I'd make." - Liz. What?? No seriously wth? Last episode saving an innocent woman's life wasn't worth risking what Berlin could hypothetically do with his money. This episode saving kids lives is totally worth letting horrible/dangerous people live. These situations aren't exactly the same but they're similar enough that I'm getting whiplash.
