Well, that was a fun episode!
Scavenger hunt's are always a joy, and watching Jane and Weller go on one in 'Mad Rager' was exciting. Adding to the adrenaline fuelled rush of this episode was the exploits of Shepherd in Bangkok, in which we see a whole other side of mama badass.
First off, it was great to see more of Shepherd's adventures. We always knew she was a bad ass of an antagonist, but until this past episode, we never saw that side of her in full force. From the shootout at the beginning, to her escape from prison, and then to her reacquiring of the nuclear materials - we saw a woman on a mission with the know-how of surviving. All her sequences felt very cinematic like a good old globetrotting spy film complete with international scenery and high octane action - it was all executed exceptionally well.
The story involving the team was equally fun. You kind of knew this would be an exciting case-of-the-week episode right from the get go following that frantic scene at the train station where hackers were playing hot potato with the yellow envelope. I loved how they built up Serpent 16 as some kind of big deal, only to see him quickly become the first of two victims in that free for all chase.
Jane and Weller escaping the room was also a highlight scene as we see them confronting their deepest truths and then making the morally right decision before the chase down to Kiva. Seeing Jane and Weller work together was necessary as build up to that heartwarming scene at the end where Jeller almost lock lips. My Goodness!
What made this a positive episode was the unusual amount of humour, something that is needed more of in a show that can sometimes become way too overdramatic. Poor Weller was at the centre of most of the humour with Patterson's hilarious mocking of him and then Jane making fun of his laugh out loud red hacker gear. Sometimes this show can take itself too seriously, but when the writers loosen up and give us some humour, I am reminded why I watch Blindspot and how much fun it can be.
Jewel Staite makes a memorable guest appearance as the hacker Kiva Garen, and if we see her in more episodes she will give Rich Dotcom a run for his money for best recurring character in Blindspot. The Firefly alum hammed it up quite a bit, some moments were cringeworthy, but for the most part, her character's sarcastic wit and exuberance provided more laughs than none. I like how they gave her a moral compass - her handing Jeller the files despite them being second because of them doing the right thing was a nice touch. I am sure this is not the last we'll see of her, in fact it would be awesome to see how she'd interact with Rich Dotcom.
Overall, 'Mad Rager' was one of the more fun episodes of the season, while also setting up the final three episodes nicely. Everyone seems to be making their moves on the chessboard with Shepherd on her way back to America with the nuclear explosives and the team with some crucial documents now at hand. The cliffhanger involving Zapata was also quite the doozy and it only adds to the intrigue of these final stretch of episodes.
8.5/10
