The Blacklist - Luther Braxton (No. 21) Conclusion - Review: "Down The Rabbit Hole"

"I'll hold you to the light, let you shine
I'll hold you against the floor and say it's alright
'cause down beneath the water's skin where we will swim
And there's diamonds on the surface then
And, they'll come clean us, we'll both live again"
- "Baptisms" - Radical Face

The Blacklist aired its conclusion to 'Luther Braxton' last Thursday night and it was another perfect hour filled with action and full of compelling storylines. We were treated to some more answers about Liz's past concerning the fire of her youth as well as The Fulcrum. It's possible we will get some more information regarding The Fulcrum and what that little box Liz was holding at the end really was in the coming episodes, but the writers could decide to hold off until the season two finale.

The episode starts right where Sunday's Super Bowl special airing ended, with the CIA ordering the airstrike on the rig. Ressler comes to Navabi's aid Liz is taken away in a helicopter by Braxton, who now knows The Fulcrum's secrets lie within Liz's memories. The first two episodes of this season were remarkable in that the action sequences were top notch and the story line has even gone full throttle, introducing The Fulcrum and playing on the infamous fire from Liz's youth much more.

The main story line was Braxton getting Dr. Orchard to perform a memory extraction on Liz to retrieve the whereabouts of The Fulcrum. This consumed most of the hour, but was the highlight of the two-part season opener. Using a combination of hallucinogenic medications, Dr. Orchard was able to tap into Liz' suppressed memories. I loved watching the scenes from the fire and thought the way the writers handled that part was excellent. Having Liz there side-by-side with her younger self was something we rarely see in flashbacks from other shows and it was perfectly executed.

Since season one we have seen Liz, and her younger self, in flashbacks clutching a stuffed white bunny that obviously meant a lot to her. It was after the first few times I noticed the stuffed bunny that I began to associate it with Lewis Carroll's 'Alice In Wonderland' story and the common phrase of 'going down the rabbit hole'. To 'go down the rabbit hole' means to enter a state of chaos or confusion, something Liz was forced to do when under the hallucinogenic cocktail Dr. Orchard injected her with unwillingly. It's worth mentioning that I believe not only is it Liz that has descended down the rabbit hole, but Red also. Red is experiencing the effects of memory extraction, but in a completely different way; he is reliving those moments along with Liz.

Whether Red is Liz's father or not, he was in the fire from Liz's youth and may be the only person right now that knows the true events of that day. This became even more clear after we hear Dr. Orchard tell Liz, at the end of the episode, that Liz's memory of the fire could be more complex than previously thought. Dr. Orchard tells Liz that, although the memory is still there, the people involved are the same and their roles in the event might be reversed or swapped. This is due, she tells her, because someone has tampered with her memories before at some time. What we can take from this is that the flashback that we witnessed occurred in that manner, however, it is still unclear what Red's role was in the fire. It definitely left us, in true Blacklist fashion, with many more questions than answers given.

James Spader continued to amaze in this past episode, showing why he is one the best actors on TV right now (he definitely should have won that Emmy). He is an actor who could convey so much without having any lines at all. The look on his face at the end of the episode, immediately after Liz came to the realization Red has only been after The Fulcrum this entire time, was priceless and spoke volumes. The longing in his eyes, coupled with his expression, made it appear that he had so much more to say to Liz and he had so much more to explain to her that she has yet to be able to comprehend. The remaining episodes of Season Two will most likely address these conflicts within their relationship. This makes me believe that the remaining episodes for this season will be some of the best The Blacklist has created.

Red's Quotes

- "You will make a mistake, and when you do, I will be there to indulge in the undeniable pleasure and sweet satisfaction of 'I told you so'.
Red to Braxton

- Braxton's business associate says, "What's in it for me?". Red responds with, "Life". I though this was perfect.

- "If you're looking for your driver he's napping in the trunk."
Red to Braxton

Music from the Episode

- "Baptisms" - Radical Face
Goodson does a media outlet about the prison breach; Red has a drink while he watches the news story; Liz is told that someone else has looked into her memories before.

Thoughts and Discussion

- Did you notice...Liz was taken to Braxton's 'safe site' and strapped to a chair so Dr. Orchard could perform her memory extraction technique. The process was done in an empty pool, or a 'hole', making the analogy to 'going down the rabbit hole' a little more real. Is that a stretch?...Maybe that's a stretch...I'm keeping it anyway...

- What sad news is Agent Cooper receiving from Dr. Levin? We see him at the office near the end of the episode with his wife hearing the news for the first time.

- I thought it was funny when Aram hugged Navabi so tight when he first saw her back then shook Ressler's hand. I hope he asks her out in the coming episodes. I would love to see them on a date.

- I think The Blacklist could show a whole hour devoted to Red shooting his way into different rooms and it would still be a great episode.

- Did you notice...At one point, when young Liz is in the closet, a man hands her a white rabbit. We can clearly see a 'red' ring on one of his fingers. Young Liz is also wearing a 'red' nightgown. I thought it was worth mentioning the colors and potential symbolism whether meaningful now or in the future.

- Images from the final flashback of the fire: House engulfed in flames; Young Liz holding the stuffed bunny while staring at the flames; Doll face with right side burning and melting; Christmas ornaments surrounded by flames, Christmas tree going up in flames; A drawing by a child of some kind of animal that begins to catch fire; Drawing by a child of a family standing outside - a man (wearing red), a woman and a little girl; Young Liz walking down the hallway with the stuffed bunny hanging down; Man laying facing down and attempting to get up with young Liz yelling, "Daddy! No!".

- Throughout these first two episodes of the second part of season two I was thinking of some important questions that maybe we should be asking ourselves:

"Why did Red leave the military, a wife and kid all those years ago in the first place? What was the catalyst that made him completely change his life and leave everything he loved behind."

"Who put The Fulcrum in the stuffed bunny?"

"What exactly is The Fulcrum? Liz was holding it (or what we assume is The Fulcrum) in her hand at the very end of the episode. Is it a 'key'? Is it a computer chip? Is it a clue that leads to another clue leading to another?"

- Did you notice...Red says in last Sunday's episode concerning The Fulcrum, "It's the only thing keeping me alive". In Thursday's episode the man in the flashback says in the background (presumably about The Fulcrum), "It's the only thing keeping me alive".

- Did you notice...When Liz holds Red's hand in real life young Liz holds someones hand in the 'memory' - subsequently, when Liz lets go of Red's hand in real life, young Liz lets go in the 'memory'.

- Did you notice...Young Liz called adult Liz 'Masha'. Is that Liz's real name? In Russian language it is a diminutive of the name Maria.

- Did you notice...There is a Russian lullaby playing during one of the flashbacks of the fire. Perhaps there is a connection to Liz being called 'Masha', a Russian name, and there being a Russian lullaby as well? seems like more than just a coincidence.

Thank you for checking out my Review! The Blacklist is off to a great start in this second part of season two and I believe there are many more incredible episodes yet to come this season to talk about. Please comment below so we can discuss the episode and all the intricate details further! Have a great week everyone!

About the Author - Geo N

Geo N is from Detroit, MI. His favorite shows include The Blacklist, Hell On Wheels, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, LOST, The Leftovers, The Strain, Sons Of Anarchy, Sleepy Hollow and countless others. When he's not watching tons of TV, he enjoys reading, playing hockey, comic books, weightlifting, and writing. Thanks for checking out my post.

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