The Blacklist 1.10 Review: Separation Anxiety

For all those that have yet to watch last night’s episode of The Blacklist, entitled ‘Anslo Garrick (No. 16) Conclusion’, then now is a great time for you to go and do that. This is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

Well, we got our conclusion to Anslo Garrick storyline this week, including a very nicely executed death scene that Red carried out. There were a lot of great moments to this episode, but for the most part I just found myself confused. I mean, who was the guy that was talking to Red? What does Red have on them? Have we met them before? So many questions that it was almost difficult to enjoy this episode.

That being said, there were some good points to this conclusion. We got to see a lot more Aram, similar to last week’s episode, which was great. We also got to see Keen take down that man in the building across from hers effectively well. More suspicion, at least for our eyes, arose surrounding her husband, which is a tantalizing story I look forward to investigating further. Also, Dembe is most assuredly alive, and that is something I am very happy about. Getting to see Ressler kind of happy when his engaged ex-fiancé visits him in the hospital was almost worth the pain he went through. And one other thing was how comically good that team “Mr. Kaplan” used to take out that warehouse. They were really good. So, really, there was a lot of great stuff to this week’s episode, it just didn’t all seem to fit cohesively together as much as it normally does. The story was kind of a mess.

Overall, this episode was just messy. I did enjoy Aram and Keen working together, and getting to see Red say goodbye for now to Keen, with his parting words being to watch her husband. Again, the oddity of Ressler smiling was astounding in that he’s always the broody, dramatic character, and I definitely want to see more of that, particularly with interactions with Keen. I still have yet to see Cooper evolve into a fully formed character; for the most part he seems like a leader that doesn’t really have any more to him. The cameras in Keen’s apartment came to a head a lot earlier than I expected, and I’m not sure how I’m feeling about this series going forward, but I do think that of all ten episodes, this is merely the weakest, and I’m okay with that. Still, I have one question, and that’s was Red lying when he said he wasn’t Lizzie’s father, or was that a definitive answer? It didn’t sound like one to me, so I’m hoping he was lying.

My rating: 7 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“If you can’t save her, you’re of no use whatsoever.” – Red tells Ressler, after having saved his life.

“Anslo, what are you doing here?” – Red questions the man, knowing he was there all along.

“But I suppose I could make us a copy.” – Aram says to Keen, knowing it will be breaking the rules.

Okay, I’m off to review The Originals in a minute. Afterwards check back in for reviews of Supernatural and Trophy Wife.

The Blacklist 1.08 Review: Who's Her Daddy?

For all those that have yet to watch yesterday night’s episode of The Blacklist, entitled ‘General Ludd (No. 109)’, now would be a good time to do so before proceeding ahead. This is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

This series is amazing. Despite being a show about the FBI capturing criminals, although notorious criminals it’s not exactly a unique idea, this series always seems to be able to hold my focus all the way through the episode. It’s great because I have yet to think ‘when will this be over already’, and am more often thinking ‘it’s over already?’. Sure, it has its weaknesses that it eventually needs to get over, but nothing that’s really holding this series back.

Last night’s episode introduced to us Elizabeth Keen’s father – albeit adopted father – none other than Sheriff Valenti (that’s a Roswell reference for all those that don’t know). While I had thought he was supposed to be a criminal, perhaps it was who she thought her biological father was. But then, the man did know Reddington, so obviously there was something in his past. The fact that Keen’s father wanted to tell her something that Reddington refused to let her know inferred to the fact that Reddington may be her actual father. I was convinced of that, mostly, from the start, but then the young woman Red decided to search up in that violent criminals database confused me. She could either be his actual daughter, or someone else on his blacklist. This series really keeps going back and forth on the whole daughter situation, but I’m still hoping Red is Keen’s biological father, otherwise his connection to her seems a little loose.

There were a lot of great moments to this episode. I absolutely adored when Red went over to the kids swing and began swinging, such a childlike thing to do. Also, I enjoyed when Keen entered the soccer mom’s garage looking for Red and she was making up counterfeit money. That entire interaction between Red and Tom was also quite intriguing, although it was difficult to tell when Tom recognized Red as who he was, or just recognized another criminal with veiled threats against him. Further evidence that makes me second-guess whether or not Tom’s a criminal, because honestly, why would Red say he was if he wasn’t. This episode did bring up an intriguing criminal organization that wanted the middle class to succeed over the one percent. They definitely had a moral desire for righteousness, but not a great way of going about bringing it. But probably my favourite moment in this week’s episode was the subtle moment between Donald and Keen when she gets the call that her father has passed away, and his face look’s like his heart is breaking for her. I really love the idea of these two together, eventually. They fit much better than her and her husband. While I did enjoy the moments her and her husband shared last week, and in the beginning of this week’s, I just think Ressler is better suited for her, being that they both work in the same unit.

All in all, this was a really good episode. We got more evidence to both support the fact Red may be Keen’s father, as well as clues to him possibly not. We were able to meet the man who raised her and helped her become who she is today, and were given clues to the possibility her husband isn’t who he says he is. Although Keen told Red all they were was partners last week, we were still able to see a nice human moment shared between them a few times this week. There is a lot of great back and forth between these two characters that I really enjoy. I just can’t believe we’re already up to episode eight; soon we’re going to have to take a break if they don’t split up these episodes. A Monday without The Blacklist is a thought that makes me sad.

My rating: 8 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“The you’ll just have to find another criminal to talk to Elizabeth Keen and make fun of Agent Ressler.” – Reddington explains to Cooper.

“I have no interest in cases I have no interest in.” – Reddington states.

Okay, I’m all caught up from yesterday now. I’m going to go take a shower and eat something while I wait for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to come on. After that it’ll probably be Trophy Wife, followed by The Originals and Supernatural. As I said in my statement last week, I will no longer be reviewing New Girl; it got the chopping block this season with me.

The Blacklist 1.07 Review: The Good of the Many Outweigh the Good of the Few

For all those that have yet to watch yesterday night’s episode of The Blacklist, entitled Frederick Barnes (No. 47), this is where I will suggest you go do that before reading ahead. As always, this is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

While this episode did not stand out amongst all the other ones this series has premiered, it did fit well along the lines of progression with the last episode. This episode definitely gave me the confidence in the writers to work the ups and downs of these characters perfectly interwoven into the story of these blacklist criminals week in and week out. That proof came with how the last episode ended, and fit just right carrying into this week’s episode.

My first thought with the way this episode opened was, ‘Hey! That’s Wilson!’, which automatically meant I knew who would be the focus criminal of this week’s episode after not having watching the previews because you don’t just throw Robert Sean Leonard into a series to play a victim. Moving forward with the episode, I thought the opening was brilliant with fitting in Keen and her husband’s fresh start after she thought he was a murderer – which I’m still convinced he is. I loved how she wanted to make a fresh go of the dining room, after all that had happened there, and that their relationship – for this episode at least – seemed to be back in a good place.

This was a nice, easy kind of episode (for this series at least) that was still quite brilliantly written. The way Keen hesitated to take down the perpetrator near the beginning of the episode because she didn’t want one man to die, and then for her to take him down later in the episode before the man could possibly cure his son of the disease. While it didn’t completely mesh well from point A to point B, I did like this use of storytelling, that Keen is right for the tactical unit. But I do believe that look Donald gave her after she said the boy was just one loss for the greater good of the many was sad that he was seeing her being shaped into this harder person, although I could be reading too much into things.

Elsewhere, Red and Keen’s relationship were on the rocks this week, and that friction between them was quite clear. He wanted to fix things, she didn’t trust him, so they didn’t quite work together as much as they have in weeks past. Keen worked more with Donald, which is a relationship I would love to see eventually flourish, while Red made off on his own to go help things out. But in the end, Keen gave some slack to their tug-a-war by saying their relationship is that of partners on this team, nothing more than that, which we all know won’t last, but we’ll let it stand for now.

Other things to note about this episode, both good and bad, one being Keen’s wig. Sometimes it looks terrible, other times not so bad, but for the most part I think it’s the top of it with the heaviness on top with the bangs and such that make it look not good. What’s the need for it when extensions would add length and probably look more natural? Also, I have to comment on how much I love Aram. He’s such a great secondary character, and I just loved seeing him run after Donald with the computer. Another thing, I loved that scene with Red in the house, looking at the markings on the wall, and remembering his daughter as a child. That just pulled on my heartstrings, and I’m sorry if that wasn’t Keen, it’s ridiculous for him to have a fixation on her otherwise. Finally, I have to conclude once again that this series is exceptionally filmed, but the music this week wasn’t quite as great as previous weeks.

Overall, I’m still very happy with this series. It’s not a basic procedural, and that makes it fresh for the television audience. I don’t think Red will be able to keep his contacts out of the loop forever that he is helping the FBI, but for now it could keep working. I absolutely look forward to this series every week and am getting anxious for the weeks that will inevitably be skipped for this series to go on breaks.

My rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“You’re a winter, not an autumn, stop wearing olive.” – Red tells Keen over the phone.

“Autocrats, terrorists, me.” – Red says of Barnes’ M.O. of selling to the highest bidder.

Yay! I’m all caught up. Now to go watch Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Originals, New Girl, Trophy Wife, and Supernatural. I’m probably going to watch a couple, review them, then watch a few more, so stay tuned.

The Blacklist 1.06 Review: Love Blinds Us

For all those that have yet to watch last night’s episode of The Blacklist, titled ‘Gina Zanetakos (No. 152)’, that are hoping to do so spoiler free, I suggest you divert your gaze from this blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! Proceed at your own discretion.

Not as solid of an episode as this series has debuted the last few weeks, but there were still a number of good things to this episode. It brought to a head the mystery box in Keen’s floorboards, as well as her husband’s possible hand in a Russian defector’s death. For now it appears that the issue may have been settled, but I can’t help but believe Reddington over Keen’s husband and Zanetakos. Why would the man leave clues that point directly at him? Reddington is smarter than that, and I thought Keen was to. But I suppose love blinds even the smartest people, and I expect this to come back around eventually.

The performances this week, I found, were a bit uneven. While I believe Megan Boone has improved her portrayal of Keen this week, James Spader’s take on Reddington this week made me feel like the guy is understated but comes off a little bland. I enjoyed the subtlety between Donald and Keen, but I would have thought Harry Lennix’s character Cooper would have gotten more interesting by now. His role on Dollhouse was still much better than this one. I do have to say that I was glad to see Aram back again this week, although he wasn’t nearly as funny and interesting as he was last time.

Maybe my paranoia is getting the better of me, but I just don’t think Tom is innocent. The writers are better than that to have planted little things in each episode to build to this, only to have had Reddington be the cause, so I can’t believe that this is the end of it. Not only that, but there’s no way Reddington is going to put that much effort into making sure he works with Keen, only to have it foiled by Zanetakos’s word that he was the one that paid for the hit and thus set up Tom, dissolving any trust Keen had in him. The way that was written was well done, so I expect there to be more.

While I am very much a believer in the chemistry between Keen and Donald, certainly over her chemistry with her husband, it was the relationship between Keen and Reddington I found most interesting this week. Struggling with the fact her husband may have committed murder, Keen clings to her relationship with Reddington and seeks comfort in him (not in that way, get your mind out of the gutter) as a fatherly figure. I still say that if he isn’t her dad, there’s too much of that relationship between them that just isn’t realistic to me any other way, even if he feels indebted to her actual father. But anyways, to see the one eighty of her seeking his time and company, to her telling him to go to hell, there was a phenomenal amount of subtlety to the interactions. While she may not trust him now, I am intrigued by where they are, as I hope for many seasons of this mostly brilliant series.

One thing I have to remark on before I go was the brilliance of the music as Donald and Gina fought in the elevator, to the silence of Keen looking through the phone in the hotel room. Just a subtle addition that this series seems to do well in, for the most part, that they are able to work with such subtle nuances and acting and writing, and tie it brilliantly well.

My rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“Delivering criminals to you is a hobby.” – Reddington informs Cooper.

“That’s my girl.” – Reddington remarks, referring to Keen’s ability to put things together. (Can I get an ‘awe’ moment right there, before she tells him to go to hell?)

Alright, that’s all for tonight. I’m off to get some sleep; I have a bit of an early morning for me. Check back in tomorrow for reviews of The Originals, Supernatural, and Trophy Wife. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and New Girl will be back with new episodes next week.