After too many months of torture, NBC’s The Blacklist returns tonight with an all-new episode (finally!). And while we are stoked, some of us are also perturbed and confused and on the verge of saying things about Liz that we’ll regret.
At some point during the seven-and-a-half seasons of the show, we thought Liz (Megan Boone) would make up her mind about whether or not she was on Red’s (James Spader) side. We didn’t expect her to trust him straight away or overlook his own deceptions, but COME ON. Whatever betrayals Red has made with the intent of expanding his criminal empire and keeping his secrets buried, he’s never lied to Liz, he’s never intentionally jeopardized Liz’s safety, and he’s never not loved her.
Even after Liz faked her own death and allowed Red to mourn her and blame himself, even after Liz trusted her make-believe father (you know, the guy who kidnapped her and her newborn daughter) over Red and nearly got him killed by this imposter (Urlich Thomsen), and even after Liz turned Red into the police and nearly brought down their entire operation (oh, and put Red on death row), he let her live – and that’s a gift considering he’s never done the same for anyone who’s made him second guess their allegiance in the slightest (minus Dembe, but it’s Dembe! and Red still had to mull that one over). And Red not only forgave; he forgot. And then he continued to go to battle for Liz as if she held no responsibility in the government’s attempted execution of him.
We’d think Liz could pledge her loyalty to Red already and never falter again, ever. But no. After telling Cooper (Harry Lennix) that Red’s real identity is irrelevant because the good he does for “The Post Office” outweighs all that he keeps hidden, she betrays him AGAIN.
Katarina Rostova (Laila Robins) rises from the dead because of Liz’s prying, kidnaps and tortures Red’s oldest and dearest friend, Ilya (Brett Cullen), kidnaps and tortures Red, starts a shootout that leaves Liz’s grandfather (Brian Dennehy) on life support indefinitely, lies to Liz about her identity after killing the woman whose identity she stole, puts Liz’s daughter (Sarah Kell) in harm’s way countless times while pretending to be a nice little nanny neighbor, and then kidnaps Liz, knocks her out cold, and ties her up in the bedroom. But she tells Liz that she’s her mother and can help her uncover Red’s secrets, so why wouldn’t Liz put all her faith into this woman and play double agent when she sees Red again?
Red is smart. What is it about Liz that makes him refuse to learn that she’s never been on his side, and probably never will be?
Tonight’s new episode is going to be rocky, at best. And so so good.
Also starring Hisham Tawfiq as Dembe.
Certain Movies & Things 