Wow. Last night’s episode of NBC’s The Blacklist, “The Decembrist”, was as meaty as a stuffed to the gills Thanksgiving turkey! So much happened, in fact, that this is my third attempt to write up what I thought about the episode. I want to talk about it all, every last detail, but I don’t want you stuck here reading ’til Friday. Hard! Consider this your spoiler warning. If you haven’t seen the episode yet trust me when I say it’s a MUST. SEE!
Where do I start?
We were finally shown what happened after Liz shot Tom and Red wanted to finish him off. She got him in her car, lied to Red on the phone about Tom being dead, got him to a doctor friend and then on the boat. That’s a lot for Liz to pull off without a hitch! She’s grown a lot since Red came into her life, no?
I still think the boat idea was a little hokey but it served to give us a harbor master for Tom to kill. When Liz was questioning Tom she was still stuck on the idea that she really believed he loved her, that she fell for that idea. Tom, in other words, said he had loved her. I bought it. He was deep undercover for a long time in an extremely personal relationship with her. I think he’s a master at compartmentalization, but I think he did develop feelings for Liz and those feelings keep him from hurting her more than necessary. If that makes sense.
The scene on the boat where Tom killed the harbor master who’d found him, he told Liz, “I think you need to call Mr. Kaplan.” Why didn’t Liz ask how he knows about Mr. Kaplan? Why didn’t she ask why he would suggest calling Red’s clean up person when that would lead to Red knowing Tom’s not only alive, but his whereabouts? Was Tom hoping Liz would have to move him before Kaplan showed up, thus giving him a chance to escape?
Berlin told Red about the Kurst bombing and Red being blamed for it. Zoe explained that a mystery man offered to get her out of the country and give her a new identity. She’d never met him but he went by “The Decembrist”. Red hands off finding the identity of this mystery man to Liz and crew. I enjoy seeing scenes of the gang in the Post Office, interacting and working together to solve whatever Red needs solving. Love it!
When Red and Berlin confront Morozov they learned he was following orders for the actual Decembrist, Alan Fitch! This sends everything into a tizzy! Berlin wants Fitch to suffer and die a horrible death. Red is angry with Fitch but understands the symbiotic nature of their relationship. He can’t allow Berlin to kill Fitch!
The scene with Red and Fitch talking made me want more. Red angry, Fitch a wall of ‘loophole’, both knowing the other isn’t going to or can’t do anything about it. When Fitch told Red that his safety was just as much Red’s problem as it was his, truer words never spoken! Red knows this and as much as I’m sure he’d like revenge, he’s a smart man. Fitch has to live.
So when we saw Fitch with a weirdo-looking bomb around his neck, courtesy of Berlin, I had no doubt someone from the FBI or Red’s crew would save the day at the last minute. That’s what happens, no? Give me 40 minutes and I’ll commit horrible acts, solve them and save the day. That’s a hallmark of PrimeTime drama! Moving Fitch to the box at the blacksite, the same box Red was in when Fitch had Anslo Garret after him, that was cheery-worthy it was so fitting! I may have even muttered, ‘How’s it FEEEEEEL, Fitch?’. Watching Fitch think back to the blood on his hands, hearing he has a conscience, he knows exactly how many men and women he’s sent to death in the name of serving the country … I felt for him. Sending Mike, the guy tasked with stopping the timer on the bomb, home because he didn’t want the count to raise, not even by one, I felt it. He was coming to terms with the inevitable, his death.
Then he asked to speak to Red and I knew Red would come bearing the gift of life!
When Red told Fitch he couldn’t save him, I was stunned. Red can do ANYTHING! Berlin had this bomb built in a way that meant no one, not even Berlin, could stop it. When it went off, just wow. Even though Red told him he couldn’t save him, I didn’t see *that* coming! Red showed Berlin too much grace, letting him finish the bottle, before shooting him. I get the connection! Berlin thought his daughter dead. Red has a daughter (Liz?) that he’s spent most of her life away from. Still, loss or not, he showed compassion.
I was glad to see him take care of Zoe!
So Liz brought Ressler in on the Tom thing after all. Makes sense, trusting your partner when everything feels completely out of control. Taking the ankle bracelet off Tom seemed symbolic, perhaps her way of saying, ‘It’s over’? I dunno. Ressler warning Tom he was coming for him, followed by Tom’s cheeky, “Good luck with that.” made me laugh. In a good way, mind you, but it was funny.
Tom showing up to meet Red and get … money? New papers and life? Both? I didn’t exactly see that coming either. I mean, Red knows Lizzie cares for Tom and doesn’t want him hurt. Would he do that for Liz? Take care of Tom while getting him out of her life? Mr. Kaplan did, after all, tell him he was getting a bit too loose with the killing. When Red stopped Tom and warned him from ever contacting Liz again, oof! I FELT THAT! Then Tom dropped a bomb bigger than the one that took Fitch out when he told Red that in the four months Liz held him captive, he never once told her about him and Red.
!!!!!
How long was he working with Red?? I remember last season when Tom said he was one of the good guys. Was that a reference to working with Red? Did their relationship start after Liz found out about Tom? I have no clue! We’ll have to wait until after the Superbowl in February before we get to see more Blacklist!