This was an odd episode for me.. It felt like it should have been a return for hiatus episode or a season premiere.
I have not been overly bothered by Wilcox's investigation like some viewers have, but I will admit that it has officially grown old to me now. Spending so much time with the judge this episode bored me for the most part. I do wonder if this judge is in the Cabal's pocket or connected to the Major in some way since so the line of questioning went well beyond the scope of the investigation.
The recap of past events just highlighted some of the show's absurdities to me more than it provided any real movement in the story. I understand that Liz had to answer the judge's questions, but I'm not sure we needed to relive all those stories in as much detail with flashbacks... It felt like a waste of time to me I guess.
The highlight for me was the confirmation of Red's connection to Tom Keen. I suspected Red hired Tom who in turn betrayed Red to work as a double agent for Berlin, but this was real concrete confirmation. something this show is not big on providing XD
My second favorite moment was Liz telling the judge how badly she sucks as a profiler! XD Glad she put the sanctimonious judge in his place! While she was being sracastic and the 3 things she spelled out specifically were not her fault, the list of reasons she is a bad agent and profiler is long indeed! Too long to go into here! XD
The Major was interesting to me! I liked this McCready character at first impression, but he has grown on me even more. He reminds me of someone who would work for Section One that could have recruited Nikita on Le Femme Nikita... or SD6 on Alias.. Maybe I like the character since it fits into so many other shows I have enjoyed.
Overall this episode was a let down to me. Last week was so strong and we are building to the anticipated Tom Keen No. 7 episode! I expected more, but at least we got hard facts on Red's past connection to Tom!
I found it to be a disappointment too. I hate flashback/recap episodes on shows. They just really wanted to make this a two parter and didn't have enough action with just Red searching down The Major to fill an hour. Blah... I will have to go back and watch the scene where Tom and Red meet after Red kills Sam. To me, when I watched that, I had no indication that they knew each other. It is bizarre to me that Red put Tom in Lizzie's life originally, and it is honestly a little gross. Since he got "emotionally involved," and that was the mistake I hope Red's original plan for Tom was not to bed and wed Lizzie. Otherwise, yuck since I consider him a paternal figure. My hope he was originally meant to befriend/spy/protect her. My favorite part of the episode was Dembe's talk with Red. I enjoy seeing Dembe get, you know, lines... It was reminiscent of Red's wife telling him to tell Lizzie the truth as well. My only problem is, we know he won't. At least not the whole truth... so I find it kind of annoying the show keeps yacking are chain this hard. They can't rely on this idea of their connection forever.
I bet the writers never planned Tom/Red connection in season 1 when they designed the hospital scene.They want to keep Tom on the show,that's why they made them know each other before the pilot. It is nonsense and contradicted.I dislike this idea when the 2.08 "twist" came out.
Seems Bud is the Major and Red has done business with him so odd they would not be on speaking terms now. this is obviously a two parter as the major was simply the way to tom who refuses to go away thus blowing Lizzie's cover. As for the judge and the case that is nonsense, threatening undercover operatives and high ranking federal officials you had best be above the law or surprise you go down and right now that judge is looking like a huge target and the stenographer too. If they work for Red he will kill them if they do not he will kill them. They know too much to live.
They just really didn't act like they knew each other. Tom acted like he had no idea who Red was and was still playing his "part" of dutiful husband. I guess Tom could have not known he was working for Red. Perhaps they never officially met, and he just knew he was working for someone and needed to watch Liz, but ehh...
I saw no indication they knew each other in the hospital scene either (I've watched it numerous times), but I think the way both speak allows the viewer to interpret it however they want. If you want to read into it that they knew one another and were cross-talking so if they were being surveilled or an average person walked by no one would take anything from the conversation....
I guess I have been thinking this the most likely scenario for how Tom and Red knew one another in the past... So I am not surprised by it.
I'm not sure being emotionally involved was Tom's only mistake. Had he just gotten emotionally attached I'm not sure it would have angered Red so much, but Tom betrayed Red and let Berlin hire him as a double agent. To me that was the straw that broke the camel's back...
Although... Knowing that Red hired Tom to get close to Liz opens up a lot of possibilities! - Did Red hire Tom only as a way to keep tabs on Liz? - Did Red hire Tom to protect Liz from Red's enemies?
- Did Red hire Tom to make sure Liz's programming was adequate and she was
not recalling her past? - Did Red hire Tom to extract information from Liz/ to find Fulcrum?
Tom's mission from Red could have even been more nefarious.. Tom could have had orders to hurt Liz or kill her if necessary I suppose. Falling for her emotionally would certainly make Tom adverse to continuing his mission if it was hurting Liz in some way.....
Recap the scenes Liz ask Red what he knew about Tom.Red said a little.So Red just lied to Liz.He said he never lied to her.What if Liz found out Tom/Red connection? Another red/liz breaking-up coming,Liz angered again?Ugh,meh cliche!
I guess it comes down to what Red knew about Tom and when he knew it. HE may not know Tom's full back story even if he hired him.... Then when Tom switched sides and worked for Red's mysterious adversary Red had even more questions...
I would have to go back and listen to exactly what Red said, but he could have managed to choose his words very carefully and not lied to Liz outright. Of course parsed words and half truths could still be enough to send Liz over to yet another I-Hate-Red phase though... Sigh.
I know some judges like to make statements and overextend their power occasionally, but this guy is over the line. I would not be surprised if the judge gets killed or goes missing! XD
Although Red is able to make deals and not just kill people every time....Maybe the stenographer could be bought off by paying her kids college tuition or something...
I would guess Tom having worked for Red was part of the writers' plan all along honestly.
Red has to have had some sort of contact with Tom to know he was not who he said he was. Working together in the past was always the most plausible scenario to me. I was never sure when Red hired him or for what though. At least now we know when Red hired Tom and that Berlin then used Tom as a double agent to track Red.
That said, You may be right about keeping Tom around because the writers liked the character so much. That sort of thing happens a lot, maybe too often
36 episodes and already a recap with a few new Red scenes? Bizarre. I'd get it if it was right before the SuperBowl to introduce new viewers or even before S2 or, even this fall before S3, but ths was strange. Liz could've spoken to the judge briefly (and all this Red stuff could've been mostly off camera). I wanted to see more of Tom and what he's up to in Germany or even more about 'the Major' and his backstory and how he trained these spies, etc.
I never thought they worked together before 2.08. Just curious why Red couldn't track down who he was.
Red wanted to kill Tom in the season 1 finale,if Liz didn't stop him,Tom would be killed. I speculated their connection began during the period Tom was on the boat.Red knew Liz keep Tom and approached him under the radar.Since Tom is on the blacklist, I think season 2 might be the end of his story.
UGH filler episode. I HATE these kinds of boring episodes. I usually can't sit through them, but I managed to with this one, which is why I didn't vote it awful.
This one was a total miss for me. It felt too much like a recap episode (which I guess is exactly what it was) and like it should have followed a hiatus or the start of a new season.
Some actual progress was made but having to wade through all the facts I already know was annoying.
So I think the moment that Tom turned on Red from protecting Liz to potentially extracting information from her because Berlin hired Tom for twice as much is the moment that Red decided he needed to come out of hiding (S1E1). That is when the show begins. Red had to come to protect Liz from the double secret agent and of course protect his interest in the fulcrum.
I was getting more frustrated with the storyline the longer that scene went on and the more Lizzie spilled government secrets like they were jelly beans. That whole judge business was ridiculously improbable, plus if the judge has allegiances to the cabal or even to the cabal's enemies, he and the stenographer are the walking dead. Or your Red theory.....
I do not see a happy future for the judge or the stenographer , and an even worse one if they spill the secrets Lizzie was scattering all over the room.
For months people have been whining that there aren't any answers.. This episode answered those questions, just because people don't like the answers, doesn't make the show suck. this episode explained what I have been saying all along. Tom is a Sociopath, he is NOT a good guy, h edoes NOT love liz, they are not getting back together
A few of the flashbacks got a bit boring, but still an Awesome because of the 'I wow suck', Keen/Red reveal, and because I actually really enjoyed Liz giving her account of what has happened.
That's possible, that he never knew his client, but it's also his job not to blow his cover! That means not 'recognising' him in the hospital and minimising other contact
Yeah, i am somewhere in between still - I hated that Liz opened up her diary tot he judge, without knowing if he was even legit or not - I dislike the timeline issues, doesn't add up or makes sense anymore - I understood why TPTB did all the flashbacks, even though it cost a great deal in Liz's characterisation for me: 1) Everyone can catch up if they watched this episode 2) Answers, well sort of, more questions is more likely 3) Budget? maybe saving some money for something bigger, but it felt like a filler episode
I loved Red's quest for Tom - I underestimated the storyline between Red/Tom, i would never in a million years would have thought that Tom worked for Red to that extend...i hope they explain it in a way where i wouldn't hate Red for doing that to Liz, who btw, is totally innocent in this all. Just a normal profiler thrown into a crazy world, trying to get by. I loved how Liz stood up for herself, sometimes people tend to forget that she is only 30 and has very little experiences, not that she is still in training, but definitely learning more each day - just wished the writing of her was more consistent.
Loved Cooper and him sticking up for Liz, even though he was willing to kidnap a UN politician, but not commit perjury hehe.
Dembe, Dembe - The Dembe/Red interaction was gold! You go Dembe, telling Red what he needed to do, maybe not even for him, but for her. Tell her everything! I guess a falling out between Red/Lizzie will follow soon or she will stab him with a pen or something, before they are back to the I love you/Hate you, endless Tango. Who else think that Tom will die or disappear this season?
No live discussion? I like the episode. And the opening scene showing how Tom or Jacob was recruted was kinda cool. Finally we know the connection between Tom and Red, Red hired someone and The Mayor provided Tom here i wonder when Tom decided to turn the tables, he wanted Red out because Tom wanted to be with Liz so that's why he went to Berlin. Am i right?. I find surprising that Dembe knows what is really the deal between Red and Liz and why he wanted Tom with her. Interesting.
This should be required viewing for the show runners of any show considering doing a recap episode. Just enough new material to keep it current and tense while catching up crucial details and revealing a few secrets... brilliant!
He didn't necessarily know much about Tom... he said to The Major.."I hired an asset on your word". The information he withheld was that he had hired him and that Berlin had "outbid" him.... so he didn't actually lie, jus tdidn't share everything. ;P
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Though I hate the sort of recap episodes...WOW I SUCK! was the line of the episode
ReplyDeleteThis was an odd episode for me..
ReplyDeleteIt felt like it should have been a return for hiatus episode or a season premiere.
I have not been overly bothered by Wilcox's investigation like some viewers have, but I will admit that it has officially grown old to me now. Spending so much time with the judge this episode bored me for the most part. I do wonder if this judge is in the Cabal's pocket or connected to the Major in some way since so the line of questioning went well beyond the scope of the investigation.
The recap of past events just highlighted some of the show's absurdities to me more than it provided any real movement in the story. I understand that Liz had to answer the judge's questions, but I'm not sure we needed to relive all those stories in as much detail with flashbacks... It felt like a waste of time to me I guess.
The highlight for me was the confirmation of Red's connection to Tom Keen.
I suspected Red hired Tom who in turn betrayed Red to work as a double agent for Berlin, but this was real concrete confirmation. something this show is not big on providing XD
My second favorite moment was Liz telling the judge how badly she sucks as a profiler! XD
Glad she put the sanctimonious judge in his place! While she was being sracastic and the 3 things she spelled out specifically were not her fault, the list of reasons she is a bad agent and profiler is long indeed! Too long to go into here! XD
The Major was interesting to me!
I liked this McCready character at first impression, but he has grown on me even more. He reminds me of someone who would work for Section One that could have recruited Nikita on Le Femme Nikita... or SD6 on Alias.. Maybe I like the character since it fits into so many other shows I have enjoyed.
Overall this episode was a let down to me. Last week was so strong and we are building to the anticipated Tom Keen No. 7 episode! I expected more, but at least we got hard facts on Red's past connection to Tom!
I found it to be a disappointment too. I hate flashback/recap episodes on shows. They just really wanted to make this a two parter and didn't have enough action with just Red searching down The Major to fill an hour. Blah...
ReplyDeleteI will have to go back and watch the scene where Tom and Red meet after Red kills Sam. To me, when I watched that, I had no indication that they knew each other. It is bizarre to me that Red put Tom in Lizzie's life originally, and it is honestly a little gross. Since he got "emotionally involved," and that was the mistake I hope Red's original plan for Tom was not to bed and wed Lizzie. Otherwise, yuck since I consider him a paternal figure. My hope he was originally meant to befriend/spy/protect her.
My favorite part of the episode was Dembe's talk with Red. I enjoy seeing Dembe get, you know, lines... It was reminiscent of Red's wife telling him to tell Lizzie the truth as well. My only problem is, we know he won't. At least not the whole truth... so I find it kind of annoying the show keeps yacking are chain this hard.
They can't rely on this idea of their connection forever.
i LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! flashback episodes so this is my favorite episode
ReplyDeleteI bet the writers never planned Tom/Red connection in season 1 when they designed the hospital scene.They want to keep Tom on the show,that's why they made them know each other before the pilot. It is nonsense and contradicted.I dislike this idea when the 2.08 "twist" came out.
ReplyDeleteSeems Bud is the Major and Red has done business with him so odd they would not be on speaking terms now. this is obviously a two parter as the major was simply the way to tom who refuses to go away thus blowing Lizzie's cover. As for the judge and the case that is nonsense, threatening undercover operatives and high ranking federal officials you had best be above the law or surprise you go down and right now that judge is looking like a huge target and the stenographer too. If they work for Red he will kill them if they do not he will kill them. They know too much to live.
ReplyDeleteThey just really didn't act like they knew each other. Tom acted like he had no idea who Red was and was still playing his "part" of dutiful husband. I guess Tom could have not known he was working for Red. Perhaps they never officially met, and he just knew he was working for someone and needed to watch Liz, but ehh...
ReplyDeleteI mean, he obviously knew who Red was, but maybe he didn't know he had originally be working for Tom is what I meant...
ReplyDeleteI saw no indication they knew each other in the hospital scene either (I've watched it numerous times), but I think the way both speak allows the viewer to interpret it however they want. If you want to read into it that they knew one another and were cross-talking so if they were being surveilled or an average person walked by no one would take anything from the conversation....
ReplyDeleteI guess I have been thinking this the most likely scenario for how Tom and Red knew one another in the past... So I am not surprised by it.
I'm not sure being emotionally involved was Tom's only mistake. Had he just gotten emotionally attached I'm not sure it would have angered Red so much, but Tom betrayed Red and let Berlin hire him as a double agent. To me that was the straw that broke the camel's back...
Although...
Knowing that Red hired Tom to get close to Liz opens up a lot of possibilities!
- Did Red hire Tom only as a way to keep tabs on Liz?
- Did Red hire Tom to protect Liz from Red's enemies?
- Did Red hire Tom to make sure Liz's programming was adequate and she was
not recalling her past?
- Did Red hire Tom to extract information from Liz/ to find Fulcrum?
Tom's mission from Red could have even been more nefarious.. Tom could have had orders to hurt Liz or kill her if necessary I suppose. Falling for her emotionally would certainly make Tom adverse to continuing his mission if it was hurting Liz in some way.....
Who knows!
*Shrug*
I think Tom def. knew it's Red, remember his hideout, the pics all over the wall.How come he didn't know the person who he talke to is Red?
ReplyDeleteThe logics is ridiculous.It seems like TPTB don't know what to do with the plotlines,play it out randomly.
ReplyDeleteRecap the scenes Liz ask Red what he knew about Tom.Red said a little.So Red just lied to Liz.He said he never lied to her.What if Liz found out Tom/Red connection? Another red/liz breaking-up coming,Liz angered again?Ugh,meh cliche!
ReplyDeleteSo true.... very possible!
ReplyDeleteI guess it comes down to what Red knew about Tom and when he knew it.
HE may not know Tom's full back story even if he hired him.... Then when Tom switched sides and worked for Red's mysterious adversary Red had even more questions...
I would have to go back and listen to exactly what Red said, but he could have managed to choose his words very carefully and not lied to Liz outright. Of course parsed words and half truths could still be enough to send Liz over to yet another I-Hate-Red phase though... Sigh.
I know some judges like to make statements and overextend their power occasionally, but this guy is over the line. I would not be surprised if the judge gets killed or goes missing! XD
ReplyDeleteAlthough Red is able to make deals and not just kill people every time....Maybe the stenographer could be bought off by paying her kids college tuition or something...
I would guess Tom having worked for Red was part of the writers' plan all along honestly.
ReplyDeleteRed has to have had some sort of contact with Tom to know he was not who he said he was. Working together in the past was always the most plausible scenario to me. I was never sure when Red hired him or for what though. At least now we know when Red hired Tom and that Berlin then used Tom as a double agent to track Red.
That said, You may be right about keeping Tom around because the writers liked the character so much. That sort of thing happens a lot, maybe too often
Episode was okay. Disappointing though.
ReplyDeleteWith Lizzie about to be indicted not seeing a deal being a go to move. Kill them just like he told Lizzie to kill Tom.
ReplyDeleteAnd judges have to get reelected and the feds can make that impossible.
36 episodes and already a recap with a few new Red scenes? Bizarre. I'd get it if it was right before the SuperBowl to introduce new viewers or even before S2 or, even this fall before S3, but ths was strange. Liz could've spoken to the judge briefly (and all this Red stuff could've been mostly off camera). I wanted to see more of Tom and what he's up to in Germany or even more about 'the Major' and his backstory and how he trained these spies, etc.
ReplyDeleteI never thought they worked together before 2.08. Just curious why Red couldn't track down who he was.
ReplyDeleteRed wanted to kill Tom in the season 1 finale,if Liz didn't stop
him,Tom would be killed. I speculated their connection began during the
period Tom was on the boat.Red knew Liz keep Tom and approached him
under the radar.Since Tom is on the blacklist, I think season 2 might be the end of his story.
UGH filler episode. I HATE these kinds of boring episodes. I usually can't sit through them, but I managed to with this one, which is why I didn't vote it awful.
ReplyDeleteyou know what's funny: when you hear all of what's happened on The Blacklist it sounds kind of crazy LOL
ReplyDeleteyeah when they condense it all you wonder if the writers know what they're writing.
ReplyDeleteThis one was a total miss for me. It felt too much like a recap episode (which I guess is exactly what it was) and like it should have followed a hiatus or the start of a new season.
ReplyDeleteSome actual progress was made but having to wade through all the facts I already know was annoying.
It is definitely coming. They can't go more than a few episodes without a fit. Haha
ReplyDeleteno i wasn't bashing, i meant it in a funny way
ReplyDeleteAnd the plot seemed laughable when brought together like that. This was probably my least favorite episode ever.
ReplyDeleteSo I think the moment that Tom turned on Red from protecting Liz to potentially extracting information from her because Berlin hired Tom for twice as much is the moment that Red decided he needed to come out of hiding (S1E1). That is when the show begins. Red had to come to protect Liz from the double secret agent and of course protect his interest in the fulcrum.
ReplyDeleteI always assumed that Red left that room knowing full well Lizzie was not going to finish Tom off.
ReplyDeleteI was getting more frustrated with the storyline the longer that scene went on and the more Lizzie spilled government secrets like they were jelly beans. That whole judge business was ridiculously improbable, plus if the judge has allegiances to the cabal or even to the cabal's enemies, he and the stenographer are the walking dead. Or your Red theory.....
ReplyDeleteI do not see a happy future for the judge or the stenographer , and an even worse one if they spill the secrets Lizzie was scattering all over the room.
ReplyDeleteI know, the whole silliness of Lizzie and the judge was almost unwatchable.
ReplyDeleteVery intriguing theory.
ReplyDeleteFor months people have been whining that there aren't any answers.. This episode answered those questions, just because people don't like the answers, doesn't make the show suck.
ReplyDeletethis episode explained what I have been saying all along. Tom is a Sociopath, he is NOT a good guy, h edoes NOT love liz, they are not getting back together
do some research , they have an end game & it started with Red "hiring" Tom to Watch Liz not Marry her
ReplyDeleteLOL I hated the judge! I hope Red deals with him...
ReplyDeleteDefinitely that was the best thing ever.
ReplyDeleteA few of the flashbacks got a bit boring, but still an Awesome because of the 'I wow suck', Keen/Red reveal, and because I actually really enjoyed Liz giving her account of what has happened.
ReplyDeleteThat's possible, that he never knew his client, but it's also his job not to blow his cover! That means not 'recognising' him in the hospital and minimising other contact
ReplyDeleteI don't think the answers sucked... Just the episode. Recaps are a waste of time, Liz spoke way too freely, etc...
ReplyDeleteYeah, i am somewhere in between still - I hated that Liz opened up her diary tot he judge, without knowing if he was even legit or not - I dislike the timeline issues, doesn't add up or makes sense anymore - I understood why TPTB did all the flashbacks, even though it cost a great deal in Liz's characterisation for me:
ReplyDelete1) Everyone can catch up if they watched this episode
2) Answers, well sort of, more questions is more likely
3) Budget? maybe saving some money for something bigger, but it felt like a filler episode
I loved Red's quest for Tom - I underestimated the storyline between Red/Tom, i would never in a million years would have thought that Tom worked for Red to that extend...i hope they explain it in a way where i wouldn't hate Red for doing that to Liz, who btw, is totally innocent in this all. Just a normal profiler thrown into a crazy world, trying to get by. I loved how Liz stood up for herself, sometimes people tend to forget that she is only 30 and has very little experiences, not that she is still in training, but definitely learning more each day - just wished the writing of her was more consistent.
Loved Cooper and him sticking up for Liz, even though he was willing to kidnap a UN politician, but not commit perjury hehe.
Dembe, Dembe - The Dembe/Red interaction was gold! You go Dembe, telling Red what he needed to do, maybe not even for him, but for her. Tell her everything! I guess a falling out between Red/Lizzie will follow soon or she will stab him with a pen or something, before they are back to the I love you/Hate you, endless Tango. Who else think that Tom will die or disappear this season?
That would make Tom getting stabbed in the Pilot so symbolic
ReplyDeleteWow, the neo-nazis were unintentionally funny with their strong dialects while speaking "native" German. :P
ReplyDeleteNo live discussion?
ReplyDeleteI like the episode. And the opening scene showing how Tom or Jacob was recruted was kinda cool.
Finally we know the connection between Tom and Red, Red hired someone and The Mayor provided Tom here i wonder when Tom decided to turn the tables, he wanted Red out because Tom wanted to be with Liz so that's why he went to Berlin. Am i right?.
I find surprising that Dembe knows what is really the deal between Red and Liz and why he wanted Tom with her. Interesting.
This should be required viewing for the show runners of any show
ReplyDeleteconsidering doing a recap episode. Just enough new material to keep it
current and tense while catching up crucial details and revealing a few
secrets... brilliant!
He didn't necessarily know much about Tom... he said to The Major.."I hired an asset on your word". The information he withheld was that he had hired him and that Berlin had "outbid" him.... so he didn't actually lie, jus tdidn't share everything. ;P
ReplyDeleteMostly a clip show, and they irritate me. Not quite sure why they did it, or why they did it at this stage in the series.
ReplyDelete