So the “will Red be executed on death row” fiasco is finally over, and The Blacklist can finally get back to Red and The Task Force taking down criminals together, which is the reason we all watch.
It turns out that the “Red is seconds away from execution story” could have been done just as dramatically without assassinating Liz’s character. After all this, Liz just told Ressler that she decided not to ask Red who he really is before he was about to die because she decided it no longer mattered. So they’re telling us that Liz went to the trouble of sending Red to prison for literally no reason.
If they wanted the big dramatic moment of the Task Force uniting to save Red’s life, they could have done it without making Liz be the one to turn him in.
Red could have been arrested and had his immunity agreement revoked for any number of reasons that didn’t involve Liz. That would have been a much better story choice, because then the Task Force uniting to save him would have been a triumphant and moving turn of events, rather than one that felt flat because Liz was the one who caused it all in the first place.
Cooper threatening the President until he granted Red a stay of execution was still moving. Seriously Harold Cooper is the real MVP and we love him, but seeing Liz greet Red with a smile and a hug after he got out of prison made my stomach turn.
Everything went down exactly as I feared. Red is out of prison thanks to Cooper and the rest of the Task Force, but he still doesn’t know that Liz turned him in, and it doesn’t seem like Dembe has any intention of telling him.
I will never understand why they had Liz turn him in in the first place, but now that they did I want Red to at least find out that she betrayed him at some point. If The Blacklist ends without Red ever knowing what Liz did I will be extremely disappointed.
However, that horrible fiasco is over and we can all move on. Hopefully they put away the family drama angle for good, because it has never worked out story wise. The worst episodes of The Blacklist have focused on the drama between Liz and Red and no one wants that anymore.
My suggestion would be for the writers to focus on giving the Task Force villains to chase with Red. Plenty of drama can be created from those stories without ruining characters we are supposed to love.
Back in the early days of The Blacklist, the most moving moments came when the members of the Task Force would save each other from psychotic Blacklisters.
Nothing melted my heart more than seeing Liz collapse into Ressler’s arms when she was rescued after being kidnapped by the Stewmaker. At this point she and Ressler barely knew each other, but they already had an inseparable connection as partners.
Another moving story was when Ressler was addicted to pain killers after nearly dying from a bullet wound that hit a major artery in his leg. Red was the one who saved him by the way.
The scene in which Red has to give Ressler a blood transfusion and cauterize his wound all while being trapped inside the Task Force headquarters and surrounded by enemies is one of the best scenes ever in The Blacklist. I still go back and watch it sometimes because it’s that good, and reminds me why I love both Red and Ressler so much.
Those are the stories that The Blacklist tells best, and I really hope they go back to their bread and butter in season 7.
Unfortunately it looks like we’re going to have to see this heart breaking story line with Samar play out. Right now she’s leaving the Task Force because of the effects of brain degeneration she’s suffering after the trauma of almost drowning and going into a coma. She didn’t tell Cooper why she was leaving though, so I’m hoping that she will in one of the next couple episodes.
Next week however, the members of the Task Force are being chased by assassins, probably sent by the President and his cronies. So needless to say I’m definitely worried, but also excited. It’s the first time an episode promo has made my heart pound a little in a really long time.
The reason I love this show is because I care so much about the characters, and nothing gets you more engaged while watching a show than when your favorite characters are in danger. That being said, if anything happens to Aram, Samar, or Ressler next week…I’m out.
Check out the synopsis and trailer for next week’s 2 hour event and let me knew in the comments, are you happy that the Red on death row fiasco is over? And which member of the Task Force do you think will be in the most danger next week?
Synopsis:
Red and the task force hunt for legendary fugitive Robert Vesco, one of history’s most notorious con men. Samar makes a life-changing decision.
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Red directs Liz to investigate a secret organization of assassins hired by global intelligence agencies to eliminate former agents, a case with ramifications that will change the task force forever.
The Blacklist airs next Friday March 29th at 8/7c on NBC.
