Anyone that has yet to watch
yesterday’s episode of The Blacklist,
titled ‘No. 84: Wujing’, then please do so now. This is not a spoiler free
blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!
Proceed at your own discretion.
Wow. This series just seems to
keep getting better and better every week. A nice slow build to the answers we
seek, while continuing to pose new questions after every answer we do get. It’s
such a thrill-seeking ride watching this show each week, so intense, never a
second spent bored or hoping it’ll be over soon. When the end of an episode
comes, it comes all too soon, but particularly well done.
Every week watching this – though
there has only been three episodes – I have this satisfied feeling that only
truly good television can give you after watching it for the first time. The
writing is just beyond spectacular or this series. Each week I come in thinking
I know what’s going on, but they just seem to be able to change my perspective
and opinion at the drop of a hat. And I’m not even disappointed when I get
things wrong. And I’ve said it before, but I’m going to keep on saying it until
it’s no longer true, the music for this series is breathtaking. It fits
perfectly into the scenes it’s chosen for, and while the episodes always seem
to open and close with perfect songs, the pattern of use has not grown tedious.
The characters are also very well
done. While I’ve said how much I enjoy both Reddington’s character and Keen’s,
despite a few flaws, I haven’t said anything about the CIA agent from last week.
Although I did express my fondness over the execution of a line she spoke last
episode, in this episode she seemed to have a depth of emotion that I really
enjoyed seeing. I definitely want this woman to stick around for a while.
Donald is another character I’ve become partial to. I know I expressed my
desire to see the chemistry between him and Keen flourish, I also like how well
built he seems as his own person. This series does very well developing their
characters into three-dimensional beings. I very much feel like these people
could exist. The one character I would like more interaction with is Cooper,
played by the brilliant Harry Lennix.
There are definitely a great deal
of questions that have both popped up in this episode, and been further developed.
If Reddington is not Keen’s father, who is he? He didn’t completely reject that
it wasn’t him, but it no longer seems so. Is the man with the apple surveying
Keen her father? If Reddington’s not the father, what could possibly cause him
to want Keen in his life so extremely and so protectively? What is up with the
husband? Why were the bullets from his supposed gun found at a classified
homicide? And finally, what was with the number 042983? Was it an offshore bank
account?
I have to take note of one
particular scene in this episode, which also relates to another scene. The
point where Reddington and Keen are in the car, and she’s asked him her
question, and then she goes on to express how she has people and he only has
himself. Boone did quite well in expressing the fact she has people she cares
about, and then Spader did wonderfully in saying he had her. That also led to
the paralleling scenes where she is surrounded by people she cares about, and
he only has himself to eat dinner with. I honestly could not help but feel bad
for him, looking so very lonely there. There has got to be more than just
feelings of regret, or needing to repay a debt to Keen’s father, for Reddington
to want to be so readily in her life.
This series is so unbelievably
smartly written. It’s honestly no wonder it was the first series of the year to
get a full season pick up. I’m just so incredibly excited to keep continuing on
this journey with these characters, with no threat of early cancellation. I can
genuinely say that this may be my favourite new series of the season, barring
any series I have yet to watch. But the fact that this one is put together so
beautifully, and poetically, makes me doubt that any could challenge it.
My rating: 8 out of 10.
Best Lines:
“I prefer to play with myself in private.” – Reddington says,
referring to his game of chess, with clever sexual innuendos.
“Friends don’t let friends starve when they’ve been stabbed
by violent psychopaths.” – A friend of the Keens’s says, referring to the first
episode where Liz’s husband was stabbed. (Yes, I’ve forgotten the name of the
character, I have a terrible memory.)
“That’s what they said about deep throat. And the G spot.” –
Reddington says to Keen, after she states Wujing is only a myth.
“’Thank you, Aram.’ ‘You’re welcome.’” – Aram, the FBI agent
tech guy, whom I hope is back for future episodes, he’s hilarious.
All right, time for dishes for me. Then The Originals is up, followed by one of the sitcoms (New Girl and Trophy Wife) with Supernatural
following, and ending with Agents of
S.H.I.E.L.D.
No comments:
Post a Comment