Great episode. We finally got an answer to Something: Berlin in Zoë’s father. The scene where Zoë told Red about her father doing terrible things was really moving. Red knew he had to deliver her to Berlin to stop the “war” despite what her feelings about it might be, or his own. Best delivered two lines in the episode: “What have you done?” “I’m not going to hurt you.” The words seem pretty plain, – until you see them acted.
So Red is Lizzie’s father (?) based on his discussion first with Zoë and, later, with Berlin – though we’re told it’s still “complicated.” I guess it’s still vaguely possible he’s talking about Jennifer, but we have not even been introduced to her. With Berlin no longer a threat to Lizzie, will Red tell her? Or do other threats remain. Does Lizzie even want to know? There must be a surprise or two planned for next week. (Will Red ask Liz if she likes anchovies?)
The story of ‘what happened to Red’s family’ that Diane Fowler knew about is still unknown. Was the Christmas story with “blood everywhere” true? Where was the fire that burned Lizzie & Red? Why did Red leave his former life? Lots of big questions still. More immediately: who came up with story that Red killed Zoë, and why?
Meanwhile, Samar has become a murderer and Lizzie is considering it.
I will miss The Blacklist while it’s on break very much. Without question, this is the best drama series I have ever seen, and the competition (eg The Sopranos, Homeland, House of Cards, etc), in my view, isn’t even close. Vikings is an exceptional show, but a very different genre. I especially like how the ‘scaffolding’ of the blacklist knits together the episodic procedural elements with the show’s serial mythology. This gives the show a density that magnifies the intensity and authentic feel of the acting. James Spader’s Red is riveting, engaging, seductive & remains deeply mysterious.
Amazon Season 2
251/302 83% 5-star ratings
Amazon Season 1
1715/2061 83% 5-star ratings
[Cross-posted at WSJ Speakeasy]
2:7 Scimitar: Spader & Amir (Interviews 11/7/2014)
Tags: 207, 208, 2:7, 2:8, Amir, Arison, bittersweet, Blacklist, Boone, daughter, Decembrist, Elizabeth Keen, Episode 7, Episode 8, father, from the jump, Interview, James Spader, journey, Keen, kill, Liz, Lizzie, Lizzy, Red, Reddington, relationship, Ressler, S02E07, S02E08, S2E07, S2E08, S2E7, S2E8, Scimitar, Season 2, ship, shippers, Spader, TheBlacklist, Tom
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]