The Blacklist 5x10 Thoughts
Jan. 20th, 2018 11:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iariaThe Informant [No. 118]
I liked it.
+ I'm enjoying vengeance Liz so much. I love how calm and focused she was. The way she told the first guy not to walk away from her, how she threatened the second guy, her shooting Pee-Wee and then using the money as leverage to get the information - it all very much felt like Red, especially the money part, while also feeling true to who she is. This Liz reminds me a lot of pilot Liz who stabbed Red in the neck and I love it.
+ I find Red's apparent very hands off approach to Liz and her vengeance quest really interesting but also confusing. It could simply come down to Red thinking he can't help her, as he says to Harold when he asks him to help her 'he is the devil on her shoulder, to Harold's angel'. (Nice scene.) This season Red has really been stepping back and listening to Liz's wishes, in contrast to how he's tried to control her, so maybe it's also because of the father reveal. But this is a really big life-changing place to step back from. In fact this is Red's worst nightmare coming true - Liz following in his own dark steps.
He is still keeping some information from her and skirting the 'not lying' line by simply not telling the truth, as per usual, but at the same time he is giving her truthful information that could lead her to dangerous people (and does) and yet apparently doesn't have anyone following her for backup/protection? I guess I'm having a hard time buying that Red would be stepping back so much at this point and confused because over-protectiveness of Liz is one of the cornerstones of the character. He is all about protecting Liz at all costs! I don't understand the choices being made here with regards to Red and his relationship with Liz. Even if this is some test on Red's part (to further parallel it with Ressler's story) it makes no sense that Red wouldn't have fail safes in place to protect her. She could have died!
+ Red/Liz is also an interesting contrast against Ressler's story. The fact that Red has been keeping an eye on the situation is no surprise and I loved him forcing a confrontation with Prescott to test Ressler on how he'd react. It does really feel like he did it in large part for Ressler, to end the sword hanging over his head and to prove to Ressler that he was a good man. Even if he cloaked it behind self-interest it's clear that Red does care about Ressler and I liked him protecting him. I also liked Ressler thanking Red for stopping him on his own vengeance quest after Audrey's murder.
+ I was sure that Ressler would be going down a dark path this season but I actually really like that in the end he chose to do the right thing and stayed true to his character. Plus with Liz's downward descent (also very true to her character) it might have been a little too much in one season. I do hope that Ressler taking the alcohol bottle from Red doesn't imply an addiction storyline for him.
+ I loved the Harold/Ressler scene, the fact that Harold understood exactly what Ressler was feeling and the exchange of confession letters with a mutual agreement to turn themselves in when the time came. It really affirmed that at their both of them are good men.
+ I wonder how long Harold had that letter in his desk and what exactly he's confessing in it.
+ I loved the hacker telling Red to 'bite me' and refusing to work for him at first. I hope we see her again.
+ I'm a little sad that Aram isn't Red's contact with the Taskforce. Samar makes just as much sense considering her past with him but I love Red's relationship with Aram more and would have loved to have had more chances of bonding. Plus it could have opened things up for more chances of Dembe/Aram interacting.
I liked it.
+ I'm enjoying vengeance Liz so much. I love how calm and focused she was. The way she told the first guy not to walk away from her, how she threatened the second guy, her shooting Pee-Wee and then using the money as leverage to get the information - it all very much felt like Red, especially the money part, while also feeling true to who she is. This Liz reminds me a lot of pilot Liz who stabbed Red in the neck and I love it.
+ I find Red's apparent very hands off approach to Liz and her vengeance quest really interesting but also confusing. It could simply come down to Red thinking he can't help her, as he says to Harold when he asks him to help her 'he is the devil on her shoulder, to Harold's angel'. (Nice scene.) This season Red has really been stepping back and listening to Liz's wishes, in contrast to how he's tried to control her, so maybe it's also because of the father reveal. But this is a really big life-changing place to step back from. In fact this is Red's worst nightmare coming true - Liz following in his own dark steps.
He is still keeping some information from her and skirting the 'not lying' line by simply not telling the truth, as per usual, but at the same time he is giving her truthful information that could lead her to dangerous people (and does) and yet apparently doesn't have anyone following her for backup/protection? I guess I'm having a hard time buying that Red would be stepping back so much at this point and confused because over-protectiveness of Liz is one of the cornerstones of the character. He is all about protecting Liz at all costs! I don't understand the choices being made here with regards to Red and his relationship with Liz. Even if this is some test on Red's part (to further parallel it with Ressler's story) it makes no sense that Red wouldn't have fail safes in place to protect her. She could have died!
+ Red/Liz is also an interesting contrast against Ressler's story. The fact that Red has been keeping an eye on the situation is no surprise and I loved him forcing a confrontation with Prescott to test Ressler on how he'd react. It does really feel like he did it in large part for Ressler, to end the sword hanging over his head and to prove to Ressler that he was a good man. Even if he cloaked it behind self-interest it's clear that Red does care about Ressler and I liked him protecting him. I also liked Ressler thanking Red for stopping him on his own vengeance quest after Audrey's murder.
+ I was sure that Ressler would be going down a dark path this season but I actually really like that in the end he chose to do the right thing and stayed true to his character. Plus with Liz's downward descent (also very true to her character) it might have been a little too much in one season. I do hope that Ressler taking the alcohol bottle from Red doesn't imply an addiction storyline for him.
+ I loved the Harold/Ressler scene, the fact that Harold understood exactly what Ressler was feeling and the exchange of confession letters with a mutual agreement to turn themselves in when the time came. It really affirmed that at their both of them are good men.
+ I wonder how long Harold had that letter in his desk and what exactly he's confessing in it.
+ I loved the hacker telling Red to 'bite me' and refusing to work for him at first. I hope we see her again.
+ I'm a little sad that Aram isn't Red's contact with the Taskforce. Samar makes just as much sense considering her past with him but I love Red's relationship with Aram more and would have loved to have had more chances of bonding. Plus it could have opened things up for more chances of Dembe/Aram interacting.
