The Blacklist is rounding out its third season with “Susan Hargrave†as our latest blacklister. Also known as Scottie, she runs a company, Halcyon Aegis. It looks like Halcyon is being prepped to be the latest Cabal. It’s hard to tell which corporation is more evil, but Halcyon is proving its brutality in this episode.
Halcyon is a private military intelligence agency, who specializes in missions too sophisticated or too politically incorrect for anyone else. Someone hired Halcyon to kidnap Liz, but who hired them? Red decides to get Scottie’s attention by sending a message. He had a bunch of her guys killed but didn’t steal any of their weapons because that isn’t what he wanted. Red only leaves a note saying, “Need to talk. Call my exchange. R.†Leave it to Red to leave a formal note behind on a dead man’s body.
Laurel Hitchens, the former Cabal member, meets with Red to let him know that Halcyon is off limits. While she despises their organization, she says that their government needs Halcyon. I’d hate to know what other catastrophes Halcyon had a hand in. Harold Cooper runs into a similar fate when he tries to get a warrant for Susan Hargrave’s arrest. US Marshal Cynthia Panabaker won’t allow a warrant to go through. She too agrees that Halcyon is necessary and wants Harold and the task force to let it go.
Since we know that they won’t listen to anyone when Liz’s killers walk free, Aram and Tom work up a plan to get more information. Aram has Tom get close to Amanda Bigelow, Ben Stadler’s assistant. Since her boss has ties to both Halcyon and Susan Hargrave, they need a way in. Tom flirts with Amanda in a coffee shop and eventually gets invited on a date. During the date, he manages to sneak a thumb drive into her computer. Now Aram can take over. Tom is so ridiculously smooth that we are reminded about how Liz was so easily convinced of his teacher persona during their first marriage. Â
Well, it seems that Red’s antics finally pay off. Scottie agrees to meet in an airport. Red says that he can’t possibly go to an international airport without being spotted, since he’s on every watch list imaginable. She won’t back down, so eventually he agrees. Although this is obviously a trap, and even Aram and Tom let Red know that Scottie plans to kill him on site, Red still goes to the airport.
Right before their meeting, Scottie calls 911 and reports the sighting of Raymond Reddington. Of course one of the guards was in her pocket and starts to lead Red directly to her. But, Red is clearly smarter than she thinks. He knew her plan all along and had his men in place. Red and his men take out the remainder of Scottie’s forces. Now they can sit down and chat. Red just wants to know who hired her to kidnap Liz. She gives up the name, Alexander Kirk. Who!? Scottie assumes that Red will kill her, but he doesn’t want her dead. He wants to use her, so they will work together. You know, the enemy of my enemy and all that.
Meanwhile, Aram and Tom find out that Stalder’s employer is the one who wanted Elizabeth. Halcyon was going to kidnap Stalder to have as a bargaining chip after Liz died, since his employer would be furious that they messed up. At the office when Tom sees the way Aram looks at Samar, he can’t bite his tongue. Tom says that Aram needs to tell Samar how he feels. Tom believes that the task force will fall apart soon. There will be a point where they are disbanded, and they may not all stay together. I agree that he should tell Samar, but what will she say?
