The Blacklist [NBC - US] [** Spoilers **]

fiddlechic

Ageyev wrote: »

This makes no sense from a logic point of view.

This is the fundamental problem with this show. It's fun to watch, but trying to piece it together is frustrating.
I don't think the writers have it quite figured out yet, and leaving all the conspiracies suitably nebulous and clueless allows them to do whatever the hell they want with it.

Ageyev

fiddlechic wrote: »

This is the fundamental problem with this show. It's fun to watch, but trying to piece it together is frustrating.
I don't think the writers have it quite figured out yet, and leaving all the conspiracies suitably nebulous and clueless allows them to do whatever the hell they want with it.

Seems quite obvious that they didn't have a long-term direction when they started out.

I heard a podcast review show theorise that

Red is a trans man and may have been Liz"s mother

. With the ludicrous turns this show has taken that would not surprise me at this stage.

Person of Interest has a similar premise and structure - shadowy govt. elements and black ops spies etc. playing out a long-threaded arc/conspiracy within week-to-week stand aline episodes - and that has done this much better imo.

squonk

Yeah the writing is sloppy. I reckon they just started out with The Blacklist thinking vilian of the week and then once it proved popular, had to tack on some more depth. The best shows have a clearly defined plan on startup. This really just makes it up as it goes along. Seeing Alan Alda in the cage reminded me of the first few episodes from S1 when Red was in there. It seemed like a tighter show then. He got off the leash very quickly!

Gongoozler

I found the first series generally quite good. I've started on the 2nd series now, on the 5th ep next I think, and it's a disappointment so far. As ye've all said, it's way less interesting. She's much more cocky or something that's annoying. It's bitty, here and there, going nowhere kinda feeling.

And they're breaking after which episode? I'll have to try space them out. Hate when they do this sh!t. They'll lose viewers doing that kinda thing, I don't get it.

bpb101

Gongoozler wrote: »

I found the first series generally quite good. I've started on the 2nd series now, on the 5th ep next I think, and it's a disappointment so far. As ye've all said, it's way less interesting. She's much more cocky or something that's annoying. It's bitty, here and there, going nowhere kinda feeling.

And they're breaking after which episode? I'll have to try space them out. Hate when they do this sh!t. They'll lose viewers doing that kinda thing, I don't get it.

espisode 6 they break , its on a break now till the Superbowl(which i know is a sunday), then after that , the following Thursday i believe they start again week after week

bpb101

Worth a watch
catch up and behind the scenes
good refreshed
Episodes back on Sunday
http://www.nbc.com/the-blacklist/video/behind-the-blacklist-season-2/2840995?onid=137781#vc137781=1

bpb101

returns tonight

Agent Coulson

Back tonight I would expect them to go all out with this episode having The Super Bowl as it's led in.

bpb101

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Back tonight I would expect them to go all out with this episode having The Super Bowl as it's led in.

Yeah, its makes an extra 20 million possible fans in one night of the show.
it can really make a show. Im glad they have thrown a newish but strong show

Patty O Furniture

bpb101 wrote: »

Worth a watch
catch up and behind the scenes
good refreshed
Episodes back on Sunday
http://www.nbc.com/the-blacklist/video/behind-the-blacklist-season-2/2840995?onid=137781#vc137781=1

Not available to watch in ROI :mad:

Ageyev

Total mess of an episode.

The air duct to the boiler room is apparently 20cm wide or whatever and then you see Megan Boone crawling along inside with enough room for a half dozen Bruce Willis'.

The baddies get into the server room by simply shooting the lock and then you just see Boone casually open the boiler room door handle to let Red and his buddy in. The explosion was supposedly deadly enough to potentially blow up the entire facility and kill anyone in the room but there ya are a few mins later and Red and Keen are still alive.

And then more teasing of 'is he or isn't he Keen's father'.

Big Ron was alright in it though.

FloatingVoter

Ron Perlman and David Strathairn. Can't complain. Still as think as twelve planks but brainless fun nonetheless. It'll give me something to laugh at on Friday mornings.

squonk

I was only half watching. Seeing it back reminded me of how just not very good this show is now. The sad thing is that it was a more 'balls to the wall' episode than usual. It's kind of hard to take the show seriously now though when it seems everybody who's anybody survives not only a 'very dangerous' boiler explosion and also a missile strike designed to take the place out. It's annoying because the show started out pretty well in Season 1 and has just descended into pure farce at this point. If that was their market stall to get new viewers to buy into the show then I'm afraid it made Scorpion look factual!

JP Liz V1

It has been renewed as if it was ever in doubt

Ageyev

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

It has been renewed as if it was ever in doubt

Just had a quick glance at the ratings on Wikipedia. It looks like their viewer numbers had been sliding this series (though held up with DVR) but they got 25 million viewers for the Sunday episode.

FloatingVoter

Ageyev wrote: »

Just had a quick glance at the ratings on Wikipedia. It looks like their viewer numbers had been sliding this series (though held up with DVR) but they got 25 million viewers for the Sunday episode.

That's an aberration. Basically anybody in the US who doesn't give a toss about the Superbowl or were so drunk they forgot what channel it was on.

bpb101

Ageyev wrote: »

Just had a quick glance at the ratings on Wikipedia. It looks like their viewer numbers had been sliding this series (though held up with DVR) but they got 25 million viewers for the Sunday episode.

I like the show but it's sometimes very hard to follow the physical "blacklist"
Can somebody tell me, who are they chasing at the moment ???
If dvr is keeping them up, their new day may turn them dvr into live ratings this week

Ageyev

bpb101 wrote: »

I like the show but it's sometimes very hard to follow the physical "blacklist"
Can somebody tell me, who are they chasing at the moment ???
If dvr is keeping them up, their new day may turn them dvr into live ratings this week

The wikipedia episode list shows the number and name of the Blacklist. This week was #21 Luther Braxton played by Ron Perlman.

The numbers do not follow in chronological order. Iirc the highest number was one hundred and something. Red gave no rhyme or reason as to why these people are on the list and why he wants to and/or is willing to take them out.

There are fan theories a plenty of course particularly wrt assigning value to the numbers with #1 being the most valuable/important.

Alfred Borden

Right, watched the first six episodes of this and dont find it remotely interesting. Does it get any better? Worth continuing?

bpb101

Raf32 wrote: »

Right, watched the first six episodes of this and dont find it remotely interesting. Does it get any better? Worth continuing?

what was the last thing that happened?

Alfred Borden

bpb101 wrote: »

what was the last thing that happened?

Zanetakos said Red was responsible for the boston incident absolving Tom of the blame. Its getting slighty better (middle of 7th episode)

bpb101

Raf32 wrote: »

Zanetakos said Red was responsible for the boston incident absolving Tom of the blame. Its getting slighty better (middle of 7th episode)

Id say give it a while more. things heat up towards the end of the season. can be heard to follow. There is like most show the criminal of the week. Like in all shows you have to get pass that

Agent Coulson

I think the only reason I watch it now is it has some great guest stars who on their day can ham it up to the best with Spader and that is just fun to watch.

Never did get the great Alda/Spader face off I was hoping for.

Ageyev

Raf32 wrote: »

Right, watched the first six episodes of this and dont find it remotely interesting. Does it get any better? Worth continuing?

Hang around until episode 9/10 when Anslo Garrick appears. It's a two-parter set in the FBI place, I thought it was quite good. (show goes waaaaay downhill after)

As mentioned above, the Alan Alda stuff goes nowhere and in the current episodes they are trying to revive the shadowy government conspiracy storyline.

Ageyev

Any guesses on the number of times there's an episode where Red says "be careful on this one Lizzie"?

Alfred Borden

Caught up and wished I hadn't. Rubbish episode.

Ageyev

Raf32 wrote: »

Caught up and wished I hadn't. Rubbish episode.

I might be very late to this but I think James Spader went in knowing it would be poor and so he is hamming it up something fierce a la Alan Rickman.

Moonbeam

I only discovered this show a few weeks ago and now addicted:)

hufpc8w3adnk65

Moonbeam wrote: »

I only discovered this show a few weeks ago and now addicted:)

I'm in the same boat

Smidge

Has no-one copped that Red is her dad?

GerardKeating

Smidge wrote: »

Has no-one copped that Red is her dad?

He did deny this to her, and also told her he would never lie to her.

bpb101

Smidge wrote: »

Has no-one copped that Red is her dad?

Jesus.
You just broke the Internet

To be serious though
We don't know. There are hints that lead to that conclusion but also thing that say he not

Take the burning building. Red came to liz house in the middle of the night for that thing. But he didn't give it to liz as he would have known where she put it.
So it's lightly her father gave it to her.
Maybe he is the birth father but didn't raise her
We don't know ,

Alfred Borden

anyone not like the Red character? Not a big fan of Spader and think he over acts the majority of the time. Probably just me.

Kirby

He has a great voice. Probably why Joss chose him to play Ultron in the new Avengers movie.

minidazzler

Raf32 wrote: »

anyone not like the Red character? Not a big fan of Spader and think he over acts the majority of the time. Probably just me.

It's his overacting that makes me love him. The concierge of crime would be expected to be boisterous. And then his downplayed real moments with lizzy are just pure gold.

No doubt my favourite show of the moment

FreudianSlippers

Smidge wrote: »

Has no-one copped that Red is her dad?

Berlin is clearly Liz's dad

bpb101

FreudianSlippers wrote: »

Berlin is clearly Liz's dad

didnt pick that up:eek:
You think

FreudianSlippers

bpb101 wrote: »

didnt pick that up:eek:
You think

Maybe - it's about as likely as Red being her dad though.

Nody

FreudianSlippers wrote: »

Maybe - it's about as likely as Red being her dad though.

I don't think Berlin because of the earlier episodes about Berlin's daughter; I could see Red being the sperm donor father (love affair and/or never told if she was really his or not) or best friend of the god father or "promised to always protect your daughter" kind of deal though.

don ramo

id say red is her father, it will eventually come out and he'll say that it was the only lie he told her and that it was only to protect her,

but then again if red was her father then shouldn't he have known that the fulcrum item was in the teddy,

there is more evidence to say red isnt her father, but somehow they can also still have us believing that he could be,

also i think red is still working for the military and has an order to to take down all these blacklisters he was probably given the orders 20 years ago, and it has taken him this long to build the list he has put together and now he is working with liz to tick them off one at a time, he probably doesnt have to abide by orders and regulations to do this particular job, just my theory anyway

Potential-Monke

Excellent episode this week, the time flew! I have no doubts as to the caliber of acting that Spader has, he suits this role perfectly, and he has the ability to also act with his eyes. That scene with

the Major in the cafe

got rid of any (small) doubts i had about him in that role.

Really looking forward to the last few episodes of the season, and can't wait to find out the truth!

Ageyev

bpb101 wrote: »

Jesus.
You just broke the Internet

To be serious though
We don't know. There are hints that lead to that conclusion but also thing that say he not

Take the burning building. Red came to liz house in the middle of the night for that thing. But he didn't give it to liz as he would have known where she put it.
So it's lightly her father gave it to her.
Maybe he is the birth father but didn't raise her
We don't know ,

One of the most tedious subplots of a major show since I don't know when.

I haven't watched the last few episodes. The last I saw involved Red and the DMV guy going to Russia to get Alan Fitch's safe. It was an OK episode but the interactions between Red and Liz are cringeworthy. Liz stands her ground against Red but nonetheless takes his tip and then we cut to their secret FBI lair with her enthusiastically delivering dry exposition about some baddie. Snooze.

Kirby

Gotta love a clip show. :P

don ramo

odd that there was someone dictating when liz was talking to the judge, this is black book stuff, no way would it be allowed see the light of day in a classified back site file, never mind a judges dictated notes, some things on this show drive me nuts, simply idiotic,

but anyway, the way the judge was pushing liz for answers to questions that are nowhere near relevant to what shes accused of seems very suspicious, he was noting down a path on his pad, connections and what not, is his name on the fulcrum, is he part of that organisation red is holding off, or is he working on behalf of red, or the major in some way, getting info out of liz,

Kirby

There are two possible answers to your question on why the Judge was asking about stuff that had nothing to do with the murder of the cop.

The first answer is because its a clip episode, and he needs to ask questions so they can show their clips.

The second answer is that he's some evildoer on somebody's payroll or the typist is.

It's probably both. They need to show the clips, so the judge asks impertinent questions and they make it part of the story that hes a bad guy to make it easier to swallow.

don ramo

Kirby wrote: »

There are two possible answers to your question on why the Judge was asking about stuff that had nothing to do with the murder of the cop.

The first answer is because its a clip episode, and he needs to ask questions so they can show their clips.

The second answer is that he's some evildoer on somebody's payroll or the typist is.

It's probably both. They need to show the clips, so the judge asks impertinent questions and they make it part of the story that hes a bad guy to make it easier to swallow.

yeah the judge fair enough, but this is extremely classified information that even the president wouldnt know about, unless he asks about it, no way would the conversation be dictated,

FreudianSlippers

The judge thing is a totally unrealistic plot device to create a false fear of exposure for Liz, to keep her out of the way for a few episodes (since she really is the weakest link in this show) and to bring back Tom.

don ramo

FreudianSlippers wrote: »

The judge thing is a totally unrealistic plot device to create a false fear of exposure for Liz, to keep her out of the way for a few episodes (since she really is the weakest link in this show) and to bring back Tom.

and then it got totally shut down this week, i mean it ridiculous, shouldnt cooper or his buddy have said something like "under no circumstances are you to talk to that judge, he has no authority to talk to federal agents",

maybe their playing some kind of long game with the judge, maybe he was allowed interview them, seeing as he such an advocate of disclosure maybe they want to get him onside instead of him shouting from down below, and causing problems, if thats the case then id expect to see him again at some point,

Liamalone

Well that was interesting shall we say

Mr E

Boring episode, great ending.