The Blacklist - The Scimitar (No. 22) - Review: "Pillar To Post"

"Muddy water
Pillar to post
How do I bleed you?
Just like a ghost
Muddy water
Heaven's son
You are the bullet
You are the gun"
- "Bleeding Muddy Water" - Mark Lanegran

This past Monday night, The Blacklist aired its penultimate episode before the Winter Break with, "The Scimitar". This means that after November 10th we will have to wait until February 6th for The Blacklist to continue with episode nine. I feel like these last two episodes have quickly fell upon us and, I suppose, that is a testament to the great creative efforts of everyone involved on the show. I know a few fans are not happy with the less than stellar blacklisters this season as compared with season one, but season two is shaping up to be a very interesting story for both Red and Liz.

This week's villain is number 22 on the blacklist, The Scimitar. A 'scimitar' is a backsword or saber with a curved blade, originating in the Middle East. Not used quite as much in modern times, the scimitar is still considered an important cultural symbol and used in status titles to indicate power, strength and leadership. This is comparative to how the character is portrayed in the episode when it is finally revealed who he is. Red describes this week's villain as one part hit man and two parts con man, making this my favorite episode of season two so far. It had everything you could want from The Blacklist including answers to questions we've had for quite some time.

The hour opened with Navabi on a side mission, the assassination of Iranian scientist Kian Nouri, for the Mossad. As a result, the Iranians dispatched The Scimitar, the Iranian hit-man, to US shores to take out a top US scientist for retaliation. This is where the Task Force comes into play as this is their new blacklister case. Red explains all of this as it appeared he was upset with Navabi for setting all of this into motion in the first place (more of this in the thoughts and discussion portion below).

The Scimitar utilizes the help of Ali Hassan, who lives in the US, to form a base of operations. He tricks the FBI and, as a result, Liz and Ressler are put in grave danger and placed in the hospital. It doesn't take long for Liz to put the pieces together and realize they are in even more danger and the hospital they are in is actually a set like out of a Hollywood movie. Through the aid of Red's close ties to Hassan, Navabi was able to come to their rescue.

As compelling as the blacklister this week is, the 'B' and 'C' stories are far more interesting. If you recall from episode one this season, 'Lord Baltimore', we learned right after Red's brief captivity that Navabi had a brother who was killed in a suicide bombing. It was under the direction of The Scimitar that those killings took place and Navabi lost her brother. Red suggested in episode one that he knows who the real killer is and this episode he delivers on that promise and offers The Scimitar as a 'gift'. Since we know Navabi is stone-cold killer we know what she ends up doing by the time the episode ends.

The other story this week involves Liz, Tom and Red. We know that it's Tom that Liz is holding captive and is using to acquire information about Berlin's whereabouts. What we did not know, however, is how long Liz has held Tom captive; at one point he asks Liz what month it was. So, for four months she has kept Tom in that room and eventually she will either have to let him go or kill him. I don't think he can, or will, escape, but it is always possible that Red will find out her secret and have his own plan for Tom. Red still appears unsure about what Liz's secret is, but I am guessing he knows all about it and is just waiting to see what Liz does. Either way, it is interesting that Liz is now the one giving Red valuable intel on important matter instead of the other way around.

Through some clever investigative work, liz obtains Berlin's whereabouts, which she promptly gives to Red. This leads us to Red's 'bomb' that the promos declared Red would drop (Lol, I can't stand promos). Most fans knew what the big reveal was going to be regarding Zoe, but from what I read it was still a shocking conclusion to some. It was a great ending to the episode and should make for a satisfying story line next week with the airing of the Midseason Finale.

The Blacklist is known for its season-long twists and turns and this past episode executed some great plot resolutions in just one hour. I enjoyed that we were treated to some pretty big reveals including finding out who the mysterious 'Zoe D'Antonio' really is along with another, much anticipated, meeting between Red and Berlin. Next week's episode should be a great cap to the first eight episodes of the season with some of the loose plot threads coming into place. The characters have come a long way since episode one of this season and it's been an even longer journey for some.

Red's Quotes

- "Those who abjure violence can do so only because others are committing violence on their behalf." "What a visionary. But, good lord, his books are a downer"
This first sentence is actually a quote from George Orwell that Red repeated to Navabi and Liz in the music store.

- "Personally, I make it a habit to avoid habits"
Red to Navabi

Music from the Episode

- "Bleeding Muddy Water" - Mark Lanegan
Final Music Montage - Liz & Navabi look at The Scimitar body - Ressler washes pills down the drain - Liz tells Tom that Volkov supplied them with a location for Berlin - Red meets up with Berlin.

Thoughts and Discussion

- Just a neat little note - The hotel name in the beginning of the episode, where we first see Navabi, is 'Jezirat Al-Tennyn'. It is in reference to the phantom island, Antilla. The Arabic 'al-Tin' or 'al-Tennyn', for "dragon", is a reference to the old Arab legends about sea dragons on the edge of the ocean (frequently depicted in Arab maritime charts), and that the island may have been known as Jezirat al Tennyn, or "Dragon's Isle", in Andalusian Arab legend. [Alexander von Humboldt (1837) Examen critique, Vol. 2, p.211]

- Between completing missions for the Mossad and working on the Task Force how does Navabi have time for herself or anything else?

- Just a neat little note - Red mentions he shared a bowl of 'shisha' with the MISIRI (Ministry of Intelligence and National Security of the Islamic Republic of Iran) minister. If you have ever seen, on TV or in the movies, someone, or a group of people, inhaling smoke through a long (sometimes decorated) hose that is in turn connected to a tall slender bottle or pipe, that is a 'shisha'. There are many names for it and I was brought up calling it an 'arghila' (ar-GEE-la). A very popular name for it is 'hookah' or 'hookah-pipe'. 'Shisha' is also the name of the flavored tobacco that is heated then the vapor or smoke that is created is passed through a water basin ‒ often glass-based ‒ before inhalation.

- Maybe it was just me, but I got the impression that Red was upset with Navabi because of what her side-mission for the Mossad caused. I sensed that Red thought Navabi inadvertently put Liz in danger as a result of Nouri's assassination. Did anyone else think this? Comment below to let me know what you think about this theory. It appeared he was upset the way he talked to Navabi about the entire ordeal.

- Episode Connection...The scene with Red, Navabi and Walid Abu Sitta, The Scimitar, mirrored and brought to a conclusion the story line from episode one, 'Lord Baltimore', where Red said he knew who really killed Navabi's brother, Shahin.

- Why doesn't Liz ask Tom what he meant about her father still being alive? You would think that would be the first thing she would ask him.

- How will Liz get rid of Tom? Do you think she will kill him, let him go or hand him over to Red? Of course, there are a number of different outcomes, but those seem like the most plausible. I suppose he could escape, but he looks to be changed up pretty well.

- Liz wanted Berlin dead, that is why she gave Red the location of Berlin's hideout. However, Red only wanted the location to deliver a 'package' and not create a useless bloody war. How will Liz react when she finds this out? Berlin upended Liz's life and she wants retribution. Will Liz go into a deeper tail-spin as a result?

- Did anyone else think Berlin was a little vague when he said about Red's daughter, "My men say you've been spending a lot of time together". just something I thought I would note.

- Did you notice...This could be a stretch, but at one point the SUV's (the one that Liz and Ressler get into an accident with) license plate that Aram pulls up on the big screen at the Post Office is reflected on a surface and appears 'upside-down' - just like the SUV ends up being. I just thought it was interesting that the two scenes were right after each other and would foreshadow their continued peril. Another BIG stretch is the 'upside-down' license plate (3688US) could read 'THREATS' (or THREATENS) if said out loud...kinda...try it...the scene is around 15:57. Lol, Let mw know what you think in the comments if you do.

- Just a neat little fact - I went searching for why Red uses the alias 'Kenneth Rathers'. The best story I could find is that it relates to the R.E.M. song, "What's The Frequency Kenneth?". --- News Anchor, Dan Rather, was assaulted one day by a man who thought TV stations were beaming signals into his head. His assailant kicked and beat him while repeating, "Kenneth, what is the frequency?". The attack inspired the 1994 R.E.M. hit "What’s the Frequency, Kenneth". That's where 'Kenneth Rathers' comes from...maybe.

Something else I found interesting, however, is Michael Stipes interpretation of his song. Stipe said, “I wrote that protagonist as a guy who's desperately trying to understand what motivates the younger generation, who has gone to great lengths to try and figure them out. And at the end of the song, it's completely bogus. He got nowhere.” It kind of sounds like Berlin and his thinking that Red killed his daughter, right? In the end, it's completely bogus.

Music plays a heavy influence on The Blacklist obviously. It is evident in the music selection for each episode and also in some scenes. In one scene this episode there is a "Living Stereo" record in the foreground in this scene. "Living Stereo" is the original name for "RCA Records".


Thank you for checking out my Review! Monday Night we will be doing the "Live Discussion" for The Blacklist so be sure to check that out! We would love to have all of you participate! The past few weeks that we have done it has been a lot of fun! Have a great weekend everyone! See you all Monday Night at 10PM EST for the "Live Discussion"

About the Author - Geo N

My name is George and I am from Detroit, MI. My favorite shows are The Blacklist, Hell On Wheels, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, LOST, The Leftovers, The Strain, Sons Of Anarchy, Sleepy Hollow and countless other shows. When I'm not watching tons of TV, I enjoy reading, playing hockey, comic books, weightlifting, and writing. Thanks for checking out my post.

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