If there were ever an origin story that we needed to see, this was it. We finally get to see just what drove Mr. Kaplan to wind up where she did, as Red’s cleaner. Seeing Mr. Kaplan, formerly Kathryn Nemec, as a young woman was thrilling. Lately, Kate has been having migraines and is having trouble with her final missions. She rubs a massive scar on the side of her head, which clearly gets her thinking about the past.
After Kate saw her mother’s body in her casket, it seemed death and dead bodies would never bother Kate. After working with the dead for awhile, Kate realized that maybe she needed to focus on the beginning of life rather than the end of it. This is how Kate became nanny to none other than baby Masha Rostova. Katarina Rostova had some very specific instructions for new nanny, Kate. Kate was to only care for Masha while her mother was gone. While Katarina was around, Kate was to observe her with her daughter and mimic her every move when she can’t be there. But, Kate was not to love Masha.
This may sound a bit absurd, but Kate seemed to understand Katarina’s motives. She tells Katarina about the children that she helped to raise. She explains that the kids were never hers to love, but she would have given her life for any of them in a heartbeat. She has nothing but pride for the children that she helped to raise. A little while later, Kate hears Katarina struggling with someone in the kitchen. Katarina was struggling to get the upper hand, until Kate slid her a knife. Katarina killed the man, and Kate only offered to clean the mess. Katarina was worried about Alexander seeing the dead body, but Kate was always good at cleaning.
Soon, Kate becomes so ingrained in the lives of the Rostova family that she knows everything about Masha and Katarina, more than husband, Alexander Kirk, knows about his wife. Kate even saw Katarina fooling around with a young American, Raymond Reddington. Soon after, Masha was abducted, and Katarina said the American took her because he thinks that Masha is his. When Kate asks if it’s true, Katarina doesn’t know. She never took the time to find out. When Katarina goes to rescue Masha, the infamous fire happens. Kate was there for Masha in the aftermath, where Kate confessed to Masha that of course she loves her. Masha and Kate stay in a hotel room until Katarina can safely be with her daughter again.
Katarina’s cover as a Russian spy has been blown, and it’s no longer safe for her to be with her daughter. Katarina asks Kate to take Masha to a friend who can’t be connected to her. Liz’s adoptive father, Sam, was reluctant to take in Masha. He was a grifter who was not fit to have a daughter, but Kate can’t stay. It will only put Masha in danger. Katarina tells Kate that she has to disappear; there’s nothing more that she can do.
Kate has no idea how to disappear until she meets a woman in a bar. That woman is Annie Kaplan. Kate decides to follow Annie to Amarillo where she becomes a coroner. Annie worked in a bail bonds office for her uncle, Little Nikos. Annie and Kate fell in love, but the story ends in tragedy. Annie and Kate are both shot when a man comes into the bail bonds office looking for trouble. Annie dies, but Kate survives, since the bullet grazed the side of her head. Nikos is there for Kate and says that they are family now.
During her most vulnerable time, Sam goes to see Kate. Sam says that Raymond wants to meet her, but she is furious. Kate explains that Raymond set off a chain reaction that took away everything she ever loved. Red explains that Masha, now Liz, is in danger and wants to work with Kate to keep her safe. Kate warns Red that she will choose whatever is best for Elizabeth over what’s best for Red every time. Red says that he would insist on it. Clearly, Red is blinded to this when he talks to Kate in present day.
Now, Kate tells Red that she was wrong. She stopped serving Liz’s needs in order to enable Red’s and to build his empire. Kate tells Red that her father taught her that stories are written in flesh; she is going to use that to render Red powerless. Red believes that she can’t penetrate his fortress, but Kate reminds him that she knows where all of the bodies are buried. Red can only reply, “You’ve been busy.â€
