Link: https://wp.me/pDKwi-8Mo
My little corner: musings, comments and personal notes. This is probably the closest thing on this blog to a “blog.” I post lots of notes on things not working or behind (with explanations and apologies!). Increasingly, that’s been mostly what it is. Reverse chronological. Comments are open.
– LizzieB90
Continue reading ‘🔴 Scribblings (Season 6)’
Link: http://wp.me/pDKwi-5Gh
This is where I post my thoughts and reblog stuff from other sites I find interesting or topical, mostly topics from Twitter, Tumblr and blogs. This is probably the closest thing on this blog to a “blog.” I also post notes on things not working or behind. Increasingly, that’s been mostly what it is. Lightly edited. Reverse chronological. Comments are open.
– LizzieB90
Continue reading ‘🔴 Scribblings Season 5’
Someone I know only as “Jerry” has regularly been posting amazing comments to this blog. They are so good, so perceptive and insightful, that I asked him if I could post them more prominently. I was thrilled when he said “yes.” So I am setting up this column for his comments. WordPress allows you to respond as well, and each comment is linkable and like-able.
I’ve said this blog is about serious ( ≃ “academic”) analysis of The Blacklist. Jerry’s comments certainly fit the bill. He may not comment on every episode (I assured him “no pressure”), but when he does, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Feel free to post your comments, too.
October 6, 2015
This is where I post my thoughts and reblog stuff from other sites I find interesting or topical, mostly topics from Twitter, Tumblr and blogs. Mostly discussion in Scribblings in the past has tended to be about the story, characters, their relationships, the timeline plus various controversies in the fandom. I also keep a record of technical issues here. – Lightly edited. Reverse chronological.
– LizzieB90
Continue reading ‘🔴 Scribblings Jul-Sep 2015’
Interview w Talk Stoop
I’ve seen this interview quoted in fragments in several places (especially on Tumblr), but the NBCNewYork Site does not have a transcript, nor could I find one anywhere else, so I transcribed it below:
Continue reading ‘[Hiatus] Transcript: JS Talk Stoop Interview (9/2/2014)’
I’m with those who think Tom didn’t work with Red prior to his being shot by Lizzy. Red was going to finish him off himself at that point. I never thought it was plausible that Ezra never picked up Liz’s nightly excursions. Red knew something was up with Tom but wanted Lizzy to confide in him.
Continue reading ‘🔴 What was Red’s “3rd option” for Tom?’
@Belle My take on the return of the Stewmaker: Fitch had the Stewmaker send the picture to Red to make him let him know that someone (turns out, Berlin) would be coming after him for the supposed death of “the girl” (Zoë). It may have been that threat that prompted Red to leave Liz with Sam to protect her and to flee because he “believed his life was in danger.”
Continue reading ‘🔴 2:8 Decembrist: Red, The Stewmaker & Redemption’
Episode 1:22 Berlin (Conclusion) – 2013-2014 Season Finale:
1) Liz: You still haven’t told me how Sam was involved in this.
Red: The way Sam told the story was that one night, an old friend showed up at his door scared. The friend told Sam he was leaving town, that he was in danger and that he needed someone to care for a little girl that her father had died that night in a fire. So Sam took the little girl in, and he raised her as his own always sheltering her from the truth about her biological father.
2) Red: Lizzy, there’s something I want you to understand about your father Sam. That night when he took you in–– without hesitation–– Sam made a difficult choice that changed the course of his life. And that’s where you find yourself now. You can turn away and run from it. You can hide from it. And if you choose to do that, I’ll fly away. Or you can face it and confront it engage it. And maybe–– maybe you prevail and rise above it. <<>> I understand. I’ll be on a plane tonight.
Continue reading ‘2:8 Decembrist: Sam & Liz and Red & Liz Parallels (11/25/2014)’
@A.M. @Belle The long post I did on “what happened Red’s family?” (Nov 23 at 3:00 am!) also reached the conclusion that the year of “Bloody Christmas” may have been earlier, perhaps 1987 when Liz was four. I also speculated that Naomi might have had something to do with it and that the memory of “Bloody Christmas” may been why Red didn’t show up in 1990. Remember when he told Madeline Pratt that it was “the reason I haven’t shown up a lot of places over the years.” I’m glad we’re independently reaching the the same general idea. It still doesn’t synch with the age of the little ballet dancer. Who she is remains a mystery. Military academy attendees are not allowed to be married or have dependents. But the writers may not have known that.
Continue reading ‘2:8 Decembrist: Stories, Dreams & Spoilers (11/24/2014)’
What happened to Red’s family? Here’s what I know.
⋙ Diane Fowler: I know the truth, Red, about that night – about what happened to your family. Do you want to know the truth?
Red: More than anything in the world. But if you know the truth, Diane, then somebody else does, too. [shoots her several times] http://bit.ly/1HzBdsu
The biggest overarching question in the story is what tragedy happened to Red’s family, and also, importantly, who that ‘family’ was. It can’t be Naomi & Jennifer – they’re alive. Did Red marry Naomi later? Was the second marriage a ‘cover’?
Continue reading ‘🔴 What happened to Red’s family?’
Sometimes you have secrets even you didn’t know you had
This is kind of exciting. I knew Megan Boone had a write-up in CapitolFile (with stunning photographs). But what she says about social media and The Blacklist writing staff is relevant to what is done here and on other blogs. What I mostly inferred in my earlier post (the 12:49pm 11/19 one, after the gay part), she confirms:
Continue reading ‘2:8 Decembrist: Megan Boone on social media (11/20/2014)’
For the record, I think Red is straight. I was making a “the case can be made” type of argument.
_________
I have a copy of the original script for The Blacklist pilot (it precedes even the online version which in turn is not identical to the performance). It has more information on Liz’s youth ➔ but it may be more important to know that they did decide to change certain things: it could mean they definitely are NOT going with these ideas. For instance, they apparently decided to change the time of the fire from when she was 14 to when she was four (or else there were two fires). Obviously, the final production is what matters. But, just fyi: about Liz’s youth, it says [stage directions in parentheses]:
Continue reading ‘2:8 Decembrist: Original Pilot Script (11/19/2014)’
@Belle I had also concluded that Fitch was doing the surveillance. It would make sense that Fitch would be surveillancing Liz because of his interest in Red, but this dialogue threw me off:
[ Door opens where they are monitoring video feeds from Liz & Tom’s house ]
– Oh, the one night you’re on time. I was really looking forward to the make-up sex.
– Do you believe he’s innocent?
– It can’t be that simple, right? The only thing that’s clear to me is that he [Tom] doesn’t work for Reddington.[!]
– Well, then, who the hell DOES he work for?
Continue reading ‘2:8 Decembrist: Fitch & Tom? Huh? (11/16/2014)’
@Belle Thank you for your thoughtful response and entirely plausible theory. I regretted posting that as soon as I did. It was late, I was tired. It’s true I stopped watching Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones, but there other reasons, too. The fact is, I will likely keep watching The Blacklist just to watch Spader’s incredible acting. I am annoyed at the long hiatus and at something Jon Bokenkamp said in an interview: essentially, that the showrunners try to constantly upend viewers’ expectations. Sure, that keeps it engaging to watch, but it seems to go against character development, Liz’s bizarre (and unbelievable) imprisonment of Tom being a great example. I’m not the only one:
“NBC, plots are one thing. You can draw people in with interesting plots. But it’s the CHARACTERS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS that keep people interested. It’s Writing 101. Pretty sure half of your fanbase is better at it than you. If you keep this shit up, I guarantee you, the ratings are going to drop tremendously once you make the shift to Thursday nights.” http://bit.ly/1uf1PrB
You likely have read The Rolling Stone interview about James Spader’s upending the production schedule over what the writers were doing with his character in the Anslo Garrick episodes last year http://rol.st/XJRtDS. I guess I sense a lot of tension between Spader and the creative staff. I also saw a series of tweets between Megan Boone and a reviewer with her expressing concerns about the way her character was written. I don’t know what the proper mix is. My background is literary criticism, where you’re always dealing with a finished work. The stresses of doing a TV series of this caliber must be enormous. I really want this show to be a great success. It has all the potential. I just hope they keep the characters coherent and relatable. They could have done more with both the Fitch and Berlin characters and it’s a shame they’ve made it impossible to revive them while literally resurrecting Tom from the dead and – according to one interview, signed up for next season http://rol.st/XJRtDS. I actually find Tom boring and un-sexy and stupid as an antagonist to Red. (I realize there are those on this blog who really like Tom…)
I hope the showrunners decide on whether they want the audience to be more engaged than startled. This blog has been all about engagement, trying to use the clues the show provides to guess where it’s going. The question of Zoë’s identity is a good example (timeline issues aside). An attentive, engaged viewer could pretty much figure it out from the clues provided. But, when they do things like Pepper’s key, with no context so the NBC staff have tell us it’s important, or like turning what Red took from Fitch from “some very damaging information” to an enigmatic “thing” in the course of a single episode – it reeks of too much emphasis on goofy plot twists that leave character coherence and thematic development in the lurch.
I hope the actors – who really have to put the meat on the bones of these characters – continue to make their voices heard, especially Spader. Usually, I’d say the writers should have creative control, but if they treat characters like sacks of flour to toss around, actors like Spader need to speak up. He can easily find another project at this point. I would primarily be afraid he’d leave TV entirely for film or the stage (as he has in the past). It would be a great loss for TV, but he would either get paid more (film) or not have to work as hard (stage) – both of which he deserves. Better than spending Thanksgiving on the phone arguing with Jon Bokenkamp.
Rant over – I hope ♡ ૂི•̮͡• ૂ ྀ♡…
P.S. Why doesn’t Red just kill Tom?
[Cross-posted at WSJ speakeasy]
I hold to sort of an Occam’s Razor theory of literary/film analysis: don’t make it more complicated than it needs to be. Just a reminder of the fact that Red said he learned about Tom from his forger. Red also said that Gina Zanetakos was “taking the fall” by fingering him (1:6). I mean, would Red, who is entirely adept at money-tracking, put money that could be easily traced to an off-shore account of his in boxes clearly marked with her scar sign that Tom also used when sending her photos intended to incriminate him? Don’t forget that Liz was persuaded by this that Tom was innocent when Tom clearly was NOT innocent.
Also, how would Red have gotten the murder weapon to put in the box? Did Tom or Gina return a dirty pistol to him? Even if they had done such a thing, would Red have kept it and put it in a box with money that could be traced back to him?
I’m sticking with the more straightforward view that Red and Tom’s “about us” relationship occurred late in the game, soon after Tom’s imprisonment began. Ezra may have figured it out or Red deduced it when he said he did, when he realized that Lizzie had a “Secret Santa” source as to where Berlin kept his money (2:2 Monarch Douglas Bank).
Red’s character is consistent. When he can give a straightforward answer to a direct question or needs to respond to an incorrect assertion, he does so, very often with a simple yes or no. “You’re a monster.” “Yes.” Or “You put Tom’s picture in Gina’s apartment.” “No.” If someone asks him a direct question that he doesn’t want to answer, he’ll say something non-responsive: “That’s a pretty blouse.” Or “Who decided on this paneling?” Or “So you went with the gray” (lol). If he needs information, he asks for it precisely. “Tell me what you saw” (not how you felt). Then with Sherlockian precision, he presses on, “He’s Serbian Orthodox; he wouldn’t have a tattoo.” Spader says his haircut reflects this no-nonsense attitude.
Yes, Red lies, but his lying is minimalist, not superfluous, and he has a clear sense of priorities. In particular, he will lie (or kill) to protect Lizzie’s life. I assume there are other things among ‘those which he holds most dear,’ though I’m not sure what. Naomi, perhaps. Maybe I’m naïve to see it this way, or lazy – too lazy anyway to want to rewrite huge parts of Season 1 to explain away Tom’s pointing a loaded pistol at Lizzie’s head.
[Original; not cross-posted at WSJ Speakeasy]
@JBlitz Are you saying Red was also interrogating Tom when he was in the boat? I always thought Red knew Liz had Tom & I suppose the idea that Red wouldn’t figure out where Tom was and pay off the guard for access to him strains credulity. But Red seemed pretty shocked by the mess in the boat… Sometimes I feel like the writers throw in something gratuitous for shock value and figure they’ll deal with it later….
Continue reading ‘2:8 Decembrist: What’s up with Tom & Red? (11/12/2014)’
12:00 pm November 8, 2014
Rough transcript of interview with James Spader on Season 2 and the mid season finale [possible spoilers] Yahoo http://yhoo.it/1sjniM3
‘The stakes are higher right from the jump. Everybody, every character on the show is facing greater adversity and is in disarray and the show’s opened up… There’s a resolution of sorts but any resolution on our show opens up another door and the resolution is always going to be painful and bittersweet.
‘It started out where people were asking me wanting to know the true relationship between Elizabeth Keen and Raymond Reddington… People are still curious about that, which is good to sustain. I think it’s the burden is on us to sustain that. But I think the thing that I like is that no matter what the past is the nature of the relationship now[!] has become as compelling, and it should be.
‘I think that the journey is more important than the destination and in this case the destination is backwards, going into the past, what those characters are going through in the relationships and the nature of those relationships.’
2:00 pm November 7, 2014
From: IBTimes: Episode 8 Spoilers: The Decembrist http://bit.ly/1E51gD8
Note Spoilers! From an interview with Amir Arison: “A lot goes down in [episodes 8 and 9]…there will be some huge, huge events that will change the direction of the show,” Amir Arison, who plays C.I.A. analyst Amar Mojtabai, explained. Arison added that the crux of the surprises coming might hinge on the relationship between Red [James Spader] and Liz [Megan Boone] saying, “It’s exciting to watch Red and Liz with their own agendas that intersect and may support or not support each other.“
Could be anything. Could be nothing. Liz, it appears, has turned to Ressler for help with Tom. Liz now knows a lot about Berlin’s operation. My guess is she will try to kill him or have Tom do it.
What are the “huge, huge events that will change the direction of the show?” Any ideas?
[Cross-Posted at WSJ Speakeasy]
Something like 15 million people watch this show, either live or on DVR, so I think we need to be cautious in assuming it is only intended for those of us who work canons or timelines or scripts or Amazon Prime.
When Red told Liz in the pilot “if anyone can give me a second chance, it’s you,” I took it to mean he was looking for redemption. The story of the farmer he told to the Stewmaker laid it out:
Continue reading ‘2:7 Scimitar: Is Red beyond redemption? (11/4/2014)’
@Jim @JBlitz The reference to Red graduating the Naval Academy “by the time he was 24″ is in the first 10 minutes of the pilot. In the real world, you can’t graduate ahead of your class.
Continue reading ‘2:6 Mombasa: Service academies aren’t colleges’
@Jim @Belle Decembrists were liberals who wanted to replace the autocratic Russian regime of the 1820s with a limited monarchy and democratic reforms. They championed the people. Not only did the communists invoke them in the early 20th C but anti-Putin forces now are sometimes called Decembrists.
Continue reading ‘2:6 Mombasa: Who they were – Truth telling (11/2/2014)’
Why I thought “the girl” could not be Red’s daughter & why that may be wrong (dates, dates, dates):
Continue reading ‘2:6 Mombasa: Is Red Zoë’s father? – reconsidered (10/27/2014)’
Megan Boone’s acting is just fine. In the comment version of the first season pilot, it was said that when they showed a first cut to an audience, the audience wanted a “softer” Liz, so they softened her character. I wouldn’t want her like Claire Danes in Homeland for instance. Whatever Red & Liz’s relationship ends up being, it’s the inexplicable fascination of an intriguing older man for a capable but inexperienced (and lovely) younger woman that gives the show its mystery and tension.
Continue reading ‘2:6 Mombasa: Megan Boone’s acting is fine (10/27/2014)’
🔴 PRESS TO START A PODCAST
(Then open a new tab for BlacklistDCd. Don’t use back button)
![James Spader, The Blacklist [5:8 Ian Garvey]](https://i0.wp.com/blacklistdeclassified.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/5366ebbc-d4a7-4794-9666-edbe5b179cc5-e1511262132795.jpeg?w=259&h=145&ssl=1 "5366EBBC-D4A7-4794-9666-EDBE5B179CC5")
![Jennifer Ehle and James Spader, The Blacklist [1:14 Madeline Pratt]](https://i0.wp.com/blacklistdeclassified.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/image71-e1468340459963.jpeg?w=249&h=146&ssl=1 "image")
![James Spader [2:10 Luther Braxton Part 2] The Blacklist](https://i0.wp.com/blacklistdeclassified.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/image102-e1468603098241.jpeg?w=301&h=194&ssl=1 "image")
![Before: Black silhouettes [3:2 Troll Farmer]](https://i0.wp.com/blacklistdeclassified.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/image7-e1444127882742.jpeg?w=350&h=197&ssl=1 "image")
![Red in red light. Liz in golden light. [2:9]](https://i0.wp.com/blacklistdeclassified.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/image25-e1454606142923.jpeg?w=294&h=196&ssl=1 "image")
![Jennifer Ehle and James Spader, The Blacklist [1:14 Madeline Pratt] Tegucigalpa by breakfast](https://i0.wp.com/blacklistdeclassified.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/11a3740a-972c-43e1-b43f-a9e8864d5609-e1511515179295.jpeg?w=275&h=154&ssl=1 "11A3740A-972C-43E1-B43F-A9E8864D5609")
![James Spader, The Blacklist [2:1 Lord Baltimore]](https://i0.wp.com/blacklistdeclassified.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/a0c0cd5e-5c7a-4d00-bbea-464f31d18619.jpeg?w=279&h=156&ssl=1 "A0C0CD5E-5C7A-4D00-BBEA-464F31D18619")
![James Spader and Megan Boone, The Blacklist [4:16 Dembe Zuma] c/o SpoilerTV](https://i0.wp.com/blacklistdeclassified.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/07072e28-4cb6-4917-934a-fdc571cb6c98-e1511294234567.jpeg?w=207&h=310&ssl=1 "07072E28-4CB6-4917-934A-FDC571CB6C98")
![James Spader, The Blacklist [5:8 Ian Garvey]](https://i0.wp.com/blacklistdeclassified.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/949556f7-748b-4d1a-87ad-abb6d42a9460-e1511262061342.jpeg?w=237&h=131&ssl=1 "949556F7-748B-4D1A-87AD-ABB6D42A9460")
![James Spader and Megan Boone in The Blacklist [3:18 Solomon Pt 2]](https://i0.wp.com/blacklistdeclassified.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/image112-e1460977014852.jpeg?w=333&h=189&ssl=1 "image")
![James Spader, The Blacklist [1:14 Madeline Pratt] “All there was was blood”](https://i0.wp.com/blacklistdeclassified.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/be7a16e9-2f63-4507-ba2e-ba8e7adfba7c-e1511515202854.jpeg?w=340&h=227&ssl=1 "BE7A16E9-2F63-4507-BA2E-BA8E7ADFBA7C")
🔴 Scribblings & Scuttlebutt
Tags: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, @NBCBlacklist, apps (photo editing), Blacklist, blog, blog updates, coronavirus, COVID-19, discussion, Elizabeth, errors, impeachment, Keen, Liz, Lizzie, Lizzy, Moments, N-13, NBC, production notes, Red, Reddington, Scribblings, Scribblings and Scuttlebutt, status, technical notes, The Blacklist, Trump Russia, updates
🔴 Scribblings and Scuttlebutt Aug 2019 – present
Link: https://wp.me/pDKwi-9NM
My little corner: musings, comments and personal notes. This is probably the closest thing on this blog to a “blog.” I post lots of notes on things not working or behind (with explanations and apologies!). Increasingly, that’s been mostly what it is. Reverse chronological. Comments are open.
– LizzieB90
Continue reading ‘🔴 Scribblings & Scuttlebutt ’