The Blacklist finally concluded Liz’s battle against the Cabal with “The Director: Conclusion.†Raymond Reddington has started to assemble his team with Mr. Kaplan. He brings in Harold Cooper, Aram, Samar, Dembe, and Marvin Gerard. Now, they are ready to take down the Director and free Elizabeth Keen.
Red is not very good in a team and only reveals that he has a plan to take down the Director. He won’t give them any more information until the time comes, but they all seem confident that it will work. Meanwhile, Liz is on the way to the courthouse for her trial, and she’s truly stressed. In the car with Ressler, she asks to write down a will, since she’s sure that she won’t be alive for much longer. Ressler promises that he will keep her safe.
The Cabal is started to get worried about Liz’s testimony as well as Karakurt’s story. Laurel Hitchins assures the Director that Liz will never make it to the safety of Fort Meade. The Director seems satisfied by that, at least until Red’s plan starts to play out. Red wants to kidnap the Director. Of course, he’s not only the Director of the Cabal; he’s the Director of Clandestine Services. This means his kidnap is an act of treason. The team is a little less comfortable with his plan, but Red is determined at this point. And, they all want to save Liz.
Red, along with help from Harold and Samar, has a plan to get the Director and his wife to her psychiatrist’s office. This is when he has the least amount of security with him. Red and his team recreate the psychiatrist’s office on a different floor in the building. They successfully kidnap the Director with only moments to spare before his security realized what happened.
Liz’s lawyer arrives at the courthouse to speak with Liz, alone. Reven Wright recommended the lawyer, Allison Gaines, and told Ressler that she would be fair. During the initial hearing to discuss the charges, the judge explains that Liz is being tried for 16 counts of capital murder including 14 CIA agents, 1 Senator, and the Attorney General, Tom Connolly. Liz is visibly disturbed by the vocalization of these counts, but she has to stand there and listen to all of the names of the people she is accused of murdering. After the initial hearing, Liz is only concerned about the Cabal getting to her and killing her.
High in the skies, the Director has awoken. He is on a plane with the Foreign Minister of Venezuela. They are on their way to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The Foreign Minister is taking the Director to be arrested by the International Court for war crimes. Red calls Laurel to make a deal. He explains that the Director will be charged for his involvement with the Cabal, which will put them in an extremely bad situation. Red asks for the exoneration of Elizabeth Keen. Laurel tries to act like she is still in control, but she eventually relents and agrees that they can make a deal.
Laurel must now call off a hit that she put on Liz’s head. Liz is headed to Fort Meade to await her trial, but Laurel has a US Marshal in her pocket that is going to kill Liz before getting there. She even has a judge and a US District Attorney ready to try the hit man. They tell him that the plan will be to put him in a psychiatric facility for a couple of years before releasing him as a free man, and of course, there is money involved for his family. This just shows how far of a reach the Cabal has. With only seconds to spare, Laurel calls Ressler to warn him of the hit on Liz. They get Liz to safety again, where Ressler refuses to leave her side.
While Liz is in the courthouse, Tom delivers Karakurt to Ressler. Now, the FBI and Raymond Reddington have everything they need to help clear Liz’s name. Laurel finally delivers her deal. She will drop all charges on Liz except for Tom Connolly’s murder. Laurel says there were too many witnesses to let that one go. Marvin Gerard agrees that this is the best deal that they will get. Liz will have to plead guilty to a manslaughter charge, which means she can no longer be an FBI agent. But, she could still  be an asset and work with the task force. She will only get 3 years of probation and no jail time. With only slight hesitation, Liz signs the deal.
Laurel delivers a press conference acknowledging the Cabal and how the Director was in fact a key member to their organization. Red and the Foreign Minister of Venezuela let the Director watch Laurel throw him under the bus only moments before they drop him out of their plane. Before they got rid of the Director, he tells Red, “I know who you really are Raymond, who you are to her. And I know why you did that. Does she?†Red responds, “I can’t think of one set of circumstances where that would be any of your business.â€
