In 'Gaia' we get one of the more forgettable cases of the week this season. However, Carter, the only man who could get under Red's skin, drops by for a show stealing guest apperance, making this episode as a whole a lot more memorable than it should had been.
The self-titled blacklister was your a-typical evil terrorist with a diabolical plan and heart wrenching backstory to explain his motivations. He was disposed of relatively easily, and we find out that it wasn't him that was key to getting Alexander Kirk, but his deformed child who's doctor is the same guy that treats Kirk. That was pretty much it to this weeks storyline, one that will be easily forgotten by next week.
However, what will be remembered was the appearance of Carter who Red meets at a bowling alley. Red's WTF reaction when Dembe wouldn't get off Carter's back over his horrible release point was priceless. Carter had so many great lines, which I don't even remember because I was too busy laughing, but the look of Red's face, as he stares at his "friend" with absolute disgust and annoyance, is absolute killer.
Elsewhere, we got some interesting character moments with Aram when he refused to press the button that would've crashed the helicopter and kill Gaia. This would lead to a high point in the tension between Aram and Samar, after the field agent confronts Aram about his selfish hesitation, which would have led to the death of thousands. Aram's retort and last words of how her leaving couldn't come any quicker was quite heartbreaking. Their offbeat relationship has provided some resounding character moments over these past few episodes and it truly is great to see other characters outside of Red, Liz, and Tom, get the spotlight.
Overall, this was an unmemorable case of the week type of episode. Carter's laugh out loud humour helped make viewing 'Gaia' the least bit worthwhile, elevated by some strong character moments between Aram and Samar, but ultimately 'Gaia' will be forgotten by week's end.
6.5/10
Other Things to Note
We got an interesting scene where we see Kirk get pressured by one of his associates to use Agnes as the source of stem cells that he needs to be cured, putting her life at risk. Kirk contemplates it and it is clear he does not want to go ahead with it. It's good to see him humanized a bit.
However, Kirk allows Liz to see her baby via an online feed and then takes it away from her when Tom foolishly uses the source of the feed to track Kirk, before realizing it was a decoy. In the words of Red, "how incredibly cruel."
Lastly, how about that ending? We find out that Mr. Kaplan is chained up, is this an associate of Red who is testing her somehow? The plot thickens.
Red quote/story of the Week:
Red: Picasso said it took 4 years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child. They live in a delightful space somewhere between dreams and reality. They taste colour, hear shapes, see sound. We should all have such special needs.
What did you all think of 'Gaia'? Leave your comments below and be sure to vote for your favourite moment!
