Just in time for Halloween, The Blacklist gives us an episode about monsters taking the shape of humans. Of course, these are figurative monsters, but I’d say that a person who hunts other people for sport is a monstrosity.
One cause for concern is Ressler’s addiction to painkillers. At one point in this episode, he realizes that he is out of his pills. Since he no longer has a reason to get pain killers, he creates one. He purposely slams his thumb in his car door in order to obtain a new prescription. This addiction is getting out of hand and could cost the team.
Now, Ressler finds himself in a bad position when he’s being hunted, and he’s in need of his pain killers. With shaking hands and the effects of withdrawal, he has to try to find his way out of the woods and away from the hunter. The man who is hunting him kills for sport and even stuffs his victims as a form of taxidermy. In order to give the hunted hope, he set up a campfire with his stuffed victims sitting around it. He even interacts with them. Talk about creepy.
Reddington revealed why he was so interested in the Mambosa Cartel. The opening scene shows us a slaughter with a single child being the only survivor. That child turned out to be Red’s own Dembe, who was left to die at the age of 14 years old when Red found him. Getting Dembe’s backstory showed that Reddington can be compassionate and is constantly giving people opportunities to be better.
We got to see the first face to face meeting between Red and Zoe, and it sure was underwhelming! While their interaction was brief, it was pleasant enough. It did manage to get Reddington in the door, and he is seen at the end of the episode having a cup of coffee with her. We still haven’t identified Zoe. That is the next mystery that needs to be solved on The Blacklist.
This is the episode for which we’ve been waiting. We finally get to find out what Lizzie is hiding behind that door! Many people may have already guessed it. Spoilers are coming; I warned you! Tom is alive. That’s right. Lizzie’s fraud of an ex husband is alive, and she’s keeping him captive behind that door. Even though many saw it coming, that scene where you finally see Tom’s face still gave me the chills. “You can’t hide me forever,†he tells Lizzie.
The Verdict
Arguably the best episode of the season, episode six gave us the answer to Lizzie’s secret, a Halloween-esque villain, and a heart warming backstory to Dembe’s loyalty to Reddington. Scenes for next week promise much more of Tom. Will Reddington find out what or more accurately who Lizzie is hiding? Next week’s episode is the last episode before the fall finale. I know I’m not ready for The Blacklist to go on a hiatus, and we are sure to get a couple of jaw dropping episodes until then. Catch up now before The Blacklist leaves our Monday night line up!
+ James Spader is always on point with Red’s humor
+ Good timing with Halloween around the corner
+ We finally learn Lizzie’s secret
+ Dembe’s backstory
