Tom Connolly (Reed Birney) made it to nine shows. The scene was also notable because Reven Wright survived The Blacklist’s six-episode rule (recurring characters do not have an extended shelf life on this series). Both scenes turn the creepy factor up to an eleven. One of his most memorable scenes is when he comforts Shannon (Bryan Cranston) just after killing him. Any last words or final prayer or anything?” This display of violence followed by gentleness echoes Albert Brooks’s portrayal of Bernie Rose in Director Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive, for which Brooks was nominated for a Golden Globe. Second, after the shooting, Hitchin lovingly strokes Wright’s cheek and apologizes for killing her, saying “I’m so sorry honey, I’m going to miss you. One minute they are chatting like old pals, the next Wright is lying on the ground, gasping in disbelief. First, it was shockingly quick and quiet.
One that stood out was the conversation about Solomon (Edi Gathegi) between Deputy Attorney General, Reven Wright (Adriane Lenox) and Lauren Hitchin (Christine Lahti), which ends when Hitchin fires a single shot in Wright’s chest. The episode included some exceptional scenes. While the character’s only reason for existing is to reflect back on Red - allowing him to be sexy, insightful, and empathetic at different times in the episode - she came across as more nuanced than the plot actually required. Perhaps the most interesting member of the gang is Jilly (Danielle Burgess), who gives off a creepy Harley Quinn (the Joker’s girlfriend) vibe. While not Red’s equal, they are not bumbling idiots either. Cash comes off as a vain Mansonphile who’s not nearly as smart as he thinks, and the other three display varying degrees of intelligence.
(Of course, their only purpose is to be a kind of deus ex machina device.) Although they have very few lines of dialogue, there is some character development. They would be singularly skilled enough to maybe capture Red, while at the same time, be well off his radar. In that context, a petty clan of thieves actually makes sense. They can have either the government or the Cabal, the organization of baddies in the series, outsmart them.
In order to move the series forward, either Red or Liz need to be captured. This twist demonstrates The Blacklist’s better qualities. In less than a day, Cash is dead and two of the gang have been shot. Led by Cash (Marcus Hester), who acts like a redneck Charles Manson, the gang is hopelessly outmatched. It does seem kind of strange that the most dangerous man in the world, who’s evaded the CIA, FBI, KGB, and several warlords, would get abducted by a gang of rural highwaymen. The episode centers on the protagonist, Raymond “Red” Reddington (James Spader) being abducted by the “King of the Highways,” a low-level criminal enterprise that kidnaps people, steals from them, and dumps them off at the side of the road.
In essence, of the first eight episodes of season, three were just an entertaining deck shuffle that, on the plus side, introduced new villains and set up what could be an outstanding re-alliance of characters. This week’s episode ends with FBI agent Donald Ressler (Diego Klattenhoff) tackling fugitive Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone) in a forest and telling her, “Elizabeth Keen, you are under arrest.” This was a tad bit frustrating since the first eight episodes of the season end up being simply the elongated story of Keen getting arrested. “Blame It on Me”, Wanted on Voyage, George Ezra (2014) We headed west for to find ourselves some truth, ooh The garden was blessed by the Gods of me and you