The Blacklist Thoughts
Feb. 7th, 2015 04:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iaria2x09 'Luthor Braxton'
I really enjoyed it. So good. Lots of great action, more info revealed, some great new characters especially Luthor and so much really wonderful Red/Liz. This episode was very much centred around their relationship and when it does that this show is at it's best.
• That end was awesome. I watched it several times. "I'm going to get her back." and then he does it. He was so badass. Him walking through the prison with the shotgun, the music, his assault on Braxton's men, entering the room guns blazing and taking everyone out was amazing. The timing of that sequences with the music was perfect and I loved how competent Red was. I loved Liz immediately grabbing a gun and turning it on Braxton. I loved the Red/Braxton exchange and Braxton figuring out that 'the girl' was Liz.
• I love Red's never ending concern and caring for Liz - I loved him asking if she was okay after she got out of the vent, his protective "She's with me", his attempts to get her to leave.
• I loved getting to see Liz equally concerned for Red - her including him as a reason why she wouldn't leave and then her losing it after the explosion when he wasn't breathing. I loved her actively acting to protect him by covering him with debris to hide him and then attacking Braxton's men to keep them from finding him (even though that put her in danger). I loved her reassuring Red that "We can do this."
• The scene in the boiler room between Red and Liz was great. I loved Red's latest monologue. Liz is his ray of light! “I’ve rarely thought about what I once was. But I wonder if a ray of light were to make it into the cave, would I be able to see it? Or feel it? Would I gravitate to its warmth? And if I did, would I become less hideous?”
• I loved Ron Perlman's Luthor Braxton. He gave the character such presence and menace. I loved his back and forth with Red. The phone call was very fun. I loved Braxton calling Red a snob and poking at his whole persona. They have great chemistry. I'm hoping he survives the next episode.
• So... does Red have the Fulcrum or not? Him going to the blacksite was all about preventing Braxton from getting access to information that would lead him to Liz. He knows that Liz is the key for people to find the Fulcrum so he has to know where it is, right?
• I really liked Liz actually asking Red about what happened and getting involved in his latest story and her expression when he revealed that Bruno died in the heating vent made me LOL.
• I loved Red killing the one guy sitting in on his planning because his cartel had been involved in something (probably murder) with some of Red's people including someone named Felix Morales. Have we heard that name before? I don't remember. I love this moment so much for several reasons - the fact that he brought the guy along and let him sit there all during the planning instead of just killing him when Red showed up at his cell, for showing his loyalty to his people and the fact that he always gets vengance for them, for showcasing his casual ruthlessness which I always enjoy, and for Liz's 'ugh Red' expression.
2x10 'Luthor Braxton: Conclusion'
Not near as good as the previous one but it was okay.
• For an episode about Liz recovering her memories about the night of the fire we don't actually really learn anything. Red's responses and expressions while she was running down what happened and him calling them 'unreliable' put the validity of those memories to question. Then at the end when Doctor Orchard reveals that someone messed with her memory after the fire everything is thrown into question.
"There were people with a woman looking for it. You were one of them." and Red kind of looks... confused. That's not what he was expecting her to say. He tells her it's not that simple. All I can think was that he wasn't one of them though he sort of nods his head in acknowledgement that he was at the house for the Fulcrum. Maybe.
When Liz states that he's only in her life for a thing (the Fulcrum) and not for her he was very clearly upset. To the point that he's got teary-eyed. It hurts him that she thinks he doesn't care for, that she was and is only a means to an end for him. That's one thing I would never believe because so much of this show is resting on Red's feelings for Liz.
+ "There is no way he could have survived that" = he totally survived that. Now is he Red or is he someone else that Red also thinks is dead? I'm once again leaning towards Red being Liz's father. *headdesk I wish the show would give us a bloody answer on this! But all of Red's reactions once he found Liz, his reactions during their talk, his expression when Doctor Orchard was reunited with her son (as Liz walks past them) - they all say to me that she's his daughter. But then I'm sure in the next episode I'll be back to thinking they can't be.
• Liz is hurt and reeling right now. She's just gone through a very traumatic experience first by being tortured and then by reliving a super traumatizing memory. She got a confusing, small piece of her memory back and it was of her father's death. To top it off her memories now make her think Red was using her to find something and she was only ever a means to an end for him. That his care for her and the connection between them, that she's only just now starting to be able to accept that she returns, has always been a lie. That he really has been using her - just like Tom.
So it makes complete sense to me that she would feel destroyed, that she would lash out at him, that she would once again try to cut him out of her life (and feelings). It is perfectly understandable and believable. ... But god damn is it annoying!
It's become such a cycle for their relationship at this point it's predictable - Liz lets her guard down, lets herself connect to Red and rely on him and trust him and then she learns something new that torpedoes it. That makes her have to question and rethink. Their entire relationship is built on sand in large part because he refuses to be honest with her. I can see that just adding to her issues with trust and each time it happens it only makes it that much harder for her to forgive and try again.
It's weird because watching it happen over and over is so frustrating and has been a part of my dissatisfaction with the character of Liz Keen but this time it has caused me to empathize with Liz more than ever and has switched me from being irritated at her when it happens to being irritated at the writers for constantly going back to this well. I think the writers are doing a vast disservice to Liz here. Standing back and taking it from her POV and with everything happening around her Liz's actions make sense. But when watching the show her constant back and forth with regards to Red make her look wishy-washy and indecisive, make her look foolish for doing the same thing over and over, and since we know Red always has her best interests in mind and is constantly going above and beyond for her it makes her look ungrateful and dumb to keep doubting him and turning her back on him.
But he is sketchy! He does horrible things including to her (like, killing her father). He keeps her in the dark about everything but especially the basis for his connection to her. She has all the reasons to not trust him. I wish the show would have committed to that more and then slowly built up the trust instead of having her constantly switch back and forth. But then he also protects her and comforts her better than anyone and she's drawn to him in a way she can't explain. So she's torn in two directions. I really, really wish this will be the last time it happens.
+ Liz learns at the end that everything she just remembered could be false. Someone messed with her memory of that night when she was a child. How much is that going to change what she thinks of Red? I like that someone altered her memory because based on the amount of trauma Liz felt and the whole mystery of what happened that night the reveal felt a little lacklustre.
• I was really disappointed that Braxton was killed. He was such a great bad guy, with such presence and chemistry with Red, that I was hoping he'd survive to pop up again later. I was especially disappointed with how he died - off camera - but once Red had him it wouldn't have made sense for Red to let him go. Plus Red's set up at the Director's house was classic Red.
• I find Red going ahead with the memory retrieval really confusing. He killed Sam to prevent Liz from ever knowing the truth why would he take the chance of her learning it now? Or is that night not that important as far as the information Red is trying to keep from her?
• The opening of the episode didn't really work that well. So many things didn't make sense. How the hell did they survive? Why didn't the missile attack cause more damage? Why the hell wouldn't Braxton have killed Red before leaving The Factory? More than anything affected my suspension of disbelief. Same with his escape on a medical helicopter with his men and Liz. That helicopter should have been destroyed when the missiles hit.
• Assuming that Red was telling the truth I love the twist that Belgrade was more important to Braxton than to Red. It makes sense to me that Braxton would be fixated on Red since 'beating him' made Braxton's reputation and career but because this is Red after all he's all 'eh, barely remember it'.
• Is the woman from Liz's memories Liz's mother?
• Red punching Braxton's associate over and over before leaving really took me by surprise. Red's violent and brutal but in an elegant way? It just felt out of character for him to react like that. He's more someone who would just shoot the guy or lay in wait for later. I actually like it because of how well it thus showcased just how angry and out-of-conrol and frustrated Red's feeling while trying to find and save Liz.
I really enjoyed it. So good. Lots of great action, more info revealed, some great new characters especially Luthor and so much really wonderful Red/Liz. This episode was very much centred around their relationship and when it does that this show is at it's best.
• That end was awesome. I watched it several times. "I'm going to get her back." and then he does it. He was so badass. Him walking through the prison with the shotgun, the music, his assault on Braxton's men, entering the room guns blazing and taking everyone out was amazing. The timing of that sequences with the music was perfect and I loved how competent Red was. I loved Liz immediately grabbing a gun and turning it on Braxton. I loved the Red/Braxton exchange and Braxton figuring out that 'the girl' was Liz.
• I love Red's never ending concern and caring for Liz - I loved him asking if she was okay after she got out of the vent, his protective "She's with me", his attempts to get her to leave.
• I loved getting to see Liz equally concerned for Red - her including him as a reason why she wouldn't leave and then her losing it after the explosion when he wasn't breathing. I loved her actively acting to protect him by covering him with debris to hide him and then attacking Braxton's men to keep them from finding him (even though that put her in danger). I loved her reassuring Red that "We can do this."
• The scene in the boiler room between Red and Liz was great. I loved Red's latest monologue. Liz is his ray of light! “I’ve rarely thought about what I once was. But I wonder if a ray of light were to make it into the cave, would I be able to see it? Or feel it? Would I gravitate to its warmth? And if I did, would I become less hideous?”
• I loved Ron Perlman's Luthor Braxton. He gave the character such presence and menace. I loved his back and forth with Red. The phone call was very fun. I loved Braxton calling Red a snob and poking at his whole persona. They have great chemistry. I'm hoping he survives the next episode.
• So... does Red have the Fulcrum or not? Him going to the blacksite was all about preventing Braxton from getting access to information that would lead him to Liz. He knows that Liz is the key for people to find the Fulcrum so he has to know where it is, right?
• I really liked Liz actually asking Red about what happened and getting involved in his latest story and her expression when he revealed that Bruno died in the heating vent made me LOL.
• I loved Red killing the one guy sitting in on his planning because his cartel had been involved in something (probably murder) with some of Red's people including someone named Felix Morales. Have we heard that name before? I don't remember. I love this moment so much for several reasons - the fact that he brought the guy along and let him sit there all during the planning instead of just killing him when Red showed up at his cell, for showing his loyalty to his people and the fact that he always gets vengance for them, for showcasing his casual ruthlessness which I always enjoy, and for Liz's 'ugh Red' expression.
2x10 'Luthor Braxton: Conclusion'
Not near as good as the previous one but it was okay.
• For an episode about Liz recovering her memories about the night of the fire we don't actually really learn anything. Red's responses and expressions while she was running down what happened and him calling them 'unreliable' put the validity of those memories to question. Then at the end when Doctor Orchard reveals that someone messed with her memory after the fire everything is thrown into question.
"There were people with a woman looking for it. You were one of them." and Red kind of looks... confused. That's not what he was expecting her to say. He tells her it's not that simple. All I can think was that he wasn't one of them though he sort of nods his head in acknowledgement that he was at the house for the Fulcrum. Maybe.
When Liz states that he's only in her life for a thing (the Fulcrum) and not for her he was very clearly upset. To the point that he's got teary-eyed. It hurts him that she thinks he doesn't care for, that she was and is only a means to an end for him. That's one thing I would never believe because so much of this show is resting on Red's feelings for Liz.
+ "There is no way he could have survived that" = he totally survived that. Now is he Red or is he someone else that Red also thinks is dead? I'm once again leaning towards Red being Liz's father. *headdesk I wish the show would give us a bloody answer on this! But all of Red's reactions once he found Liz, his reactions during their talk, his expression when Doctor Orchard was reunited with her son (as Liz walks past them) - they all say to me that she's his daughter. But then I'm sure in the next episode I'll be back to thinking they can't be.
• Liz is hurt and reeling right now. She's just gone through a very traumatic experience first by being tortured and then by reliving a super traumatizing memory. She got a confusing, small piece of her memory back and it was of her father's death. To top it off her memories now make her think Red was using her to find something and she was only ever a means to an end for him. That his care for her and the connection between them, that she's only just now starting to be able to accept that she returns, has always been a lie. That he really has been using her - just like Tom.
So it makes complete sense to me that she would feel destroyed, that she would lash out at him, that she would once again try to cut him out of her life (and feelings). It is perfectly understandable and believable. ... But god damn is it annoying!
It's become such a cycle for their relationship at this point it's predictable - Liz lets her guard down, lets herself connect to Red and rely on him and trust him and then she learns something new that torpedoes it. That makes her have to question and rethink. Their entire relationship is built on sand in large part because he refuses to be honest with her. I can see that just adding to her issues with trust and each time it happens it only makes it that much harder for her to forgive and try again.
It's weird because watching it happen over and over is so frustrating and has been a part of my dissatisfaction with the character of Liz Keen but this time it has caused me to empathize with Liz more than ever and has switched me from being irritated at her when it happens to being irritated at the writers for constantly going back to this well. I think the writers are doing a vast disservice to Liz here. Standing back and taking it from her POV and with everything happening around her Liz's actions make sense. But when watching the show her constant back and forth with regards to Red make her look wishy-washy and indecisive, make her look foolish for doing the same thing over and over, and since we know Red always has her best interests in mind and is constantly going above and beyond for her it makes her look ungrateful and dumb to keep doubting him and turning her back on him.
But he is sketchy! He does horrible things including to her (like, killing her father). He keeps her in the dark about everything but especially the basis for his connection to her. She has all the reasons to not trust him. I wish the show would have committed to that more and then slowly built up the trust instead of having her constantly switch back and forth. But then he also protects her and comforts her better than anyone and she's drawn to him in a way she can't explain. So she's torn in two directions. I really, really wish this will be the last time it happens.
+ Liz learns at the end that everything she just remembered could be false. Someone messed with her memory of that night when she was a child. How much is that going to change what she thinks of Red? I like that someone altered her memory because based on the amount of trauma Liz felt and the whole mystery of what happened that night the reveal felt a little lacklustre.
• I was really disappointed that Braxton was killed. He was such a great bad guy, with such presence and chemistry with Red, that I was hoping he'd survive to pop up again later. I was especially disappointed with how he died - off camera - but once Red had him it wouldn't have made sense for Red to let him go. Plus Red's set up at the Director's house was classic Red.
• I find Red going ahead with the memory retrieval really confusing. He killed Sam to prevent Liz from ever knowing the truth why would he take the chance of her learning it now? Or is that night not that important as far as the information Red is trying to keep from her?
• The opening of the episode didn't really work that well. So many things didn't make sense. How the hell did they survive? Why didn't the missile attack cause more damage? Why the hell wouldn't Braxton have killed Red before leaving The Factory? More than anything affected my suspension of disbelief. Same with his escape on a medical helicopter with his men and Liz. That helicopter should have been destroyed when the missiles hit.
• Assuming that Red was telling the truth I love the twist that Belgrade was more important to Braxton than to Red. It makes sense to me that Braxton would be fixated on Red since 'beating him' made Braxton's reputation and career but because this is Red after all he's all 'eh, barely remember it'.
• Is the woman from Liz's memories Liz's mother?
• Red punching Braxton's associate over and over before leaving really took me by surprise. Red's violent and brutal but in an elegant way? It just felt out of character for him to react like that. He's more someone who would just shoot the guy or lay in wait for later. I actually like it because of how well it thus showcased just how angry and out-of-conrol and frustrated Red's feeling while trying to find and save Liz.
no subject
Date: 2021-11-04 03:14 pm (UTC)Your recap of 2x09 made me rewatch the episode and it's so amazing. The uneven quality of the show sometimes gets on my nerves... I've delighted in your commentary on how Liz and Reddington have been more distant in season 2, and how the writers don't always make the best choices for them. I've been frustrated with the writers so many times!
I'm a bit daunted by how long this show has been going on, with long seasons to boot, because I'm really interested in the main plot and Liz's backstory, but it seems like the mystery is still on-going on season 9. So I'm not sure I'll watch all of the season until then. But at least right now I'm still hooked and enjoying myself (I just started season 3).
no subject
Date: 2021-11-06 04:58 am (UTC)I absolutely don't mind you commenting. I'm glad that you're enjoying my thoughts and getting something out of them.
The uneven quality is here to stay unfortunately and there is going to be a lot of writer frustration ahead, lol. But there is also a lot of great stuff coming too and I hope you enjoy it.
I remember enjoying the first half of season 3, and seasons 4 and 5 a lot and how fun it was to be that invested.