S07.E08: The Hawaladar

[mxc90]

Quote

First Aired: November 22, 2019

Desperate for information on a friend, Red directs the Task Force to find a blacklister specializing in untraceable money transfers. Meanwhile, Liz receives some disturbing news from her daughter Agnes.

[mxc90]

Who knew $3.5 million can fit in two brown bags (no double bagging needed)? And Bhavish is in good shape to not struggle carrying them and the bag handles never ripped (I'm impressed).

The scene in the park was embarrassing for those 3 agents. Too bad no one caught the kid on the skates to screw up Red's money fake with Bhavish.

One day Cooper is going to lose his cool and say to Red "I never should have stuck my neck out saving your nasty ass from execution!"

In the middle of being almost choked out, Ressler is thinking about putting an ID badge on the man (not sure if it could be tracked) instead of stabbing him in the eye with it? So was he ready to die? How did he know Park was going to rescue him?

Has Park seen enough from her new co-workers to want to request a transfer to Idaho?

How many warnings does Red need to give Glen? Red has punished or killed people for lesser offenses! Glen's frightened look was more for about losing his sandwich than Red's anger.

Liz looked so proud putting two and two together about the undercover agent when she talked to the DEA agent. She could have told him Red gave her an assist. And the DEA agent thought his cover wasn't blown? The stabbed agent should ask for a transfer to Idaho with Park.

Last week Katarina was crying how she's tired of men controlling her, this week she's sobbing for Ilya to help her. 

Katarina is dumb enough to bring Ilya to her apartment? How did she get him passed the guards standing outside.... (Sorry! I forgot it's the FBI). They probably carried him in rolled up in a big rug.

No one found a body in the restroom last week and the "cleaners" arrived in time to remove him (before anyone walked in to pee) but were sloppy to miss the hair and blood.

Of course, Liz goes to the park thinking she will see a body right there in the open. As if Agnes drew her a map.

What the hell did Liz step in? The script to last week's episode?

In fairness to Agnes, she "pinky promised" to not tell Liz. There was nothing in the promise about drawing pictures for others to see. Does Agnes have a problem remembering the body was in the restroom and not on the grass in the park? Or maybe she doesn't know how to draw toilets and sinks yet?

Edited November 23, 2019 by mxc90

[Loandbehold]

1 hour ago, mxc90 said:

In the middle of being almost choked out, Ressler is thinking about putting an ID badge on the man (not sure if it could be tracked)? So was he ready to die? How did he know Park was going to rescue him?

On top of that, the guy who overpowered him had been shot. Even after being pushed into the wall at least twice, he still was beating Ressler. Best. FBI agent. Ever.

1 hour ago, mxc90 said:

No one found a body in the restroom last week and the "cleaners" arrived in time to remove him (before anyone walked in to pee) but were sloppy to miss the hair and blood.

Good help is hard to find. 

1 hour ago, mxc90 said:

Katarina is dumb enough to bring Ilya to her apartment? How did she get him passed the guards standing outside.... (Sorry! I forgot it's the FBI). They probably carried him in rolled up in a big rug.

With the help of the FBI agents. Always ready to assist people bringing in new furnishings. 

This is pretty much the only show I hate watch. And that's b/c of JS (and a little bit of HL and HT) and also that I would like if my friend was called in for more background work. 

[Dowel Jones]

Are we to believe that Reddington, the Concierge of Crime, did not know the whereabouts, or even the existence of, a hawaladar in NYC?  That would seem to be a mainstay of his business.

The actress who plays agent Park is just too wooden.

Good move, Liz.  You know there was a body somewhere.  There's a broken mirror with hair and blood in front of you.  Don't bother getting a sample for analysis, just in case it's connected to your suspicions.

So I guess the extraction detail put on some fake lab coats and walked right by all the hospital security detail, as usual.  You think there's going to be any interagency blowback from the DEA letting an entire security detail get killed in order to maintain an agent's deep cover?

I did like Ressler's reaction at the money transfer when agent Park said "I can't see him.  He has a hat on."  Ressler - "You gotta be kidding me."

[Brian Cronin]

I can't get over how bad Laila Robins is. It's just mystifying that they cast her in such a major role when she's been just such a dud. There's no spark there, no charisma. She's supposed to be a worthy adversary for Red but she's just dull and insipid. 

[Brian Cronin]

By the way, we're positive that she IS Katarina, right? Just wondering if "Red was actually Katarina and so Liz is still his daughter" theory could still be in play. 

[paigow]

9 hours ago, mxc90 said:

Has Park seen enough from her new co-workers to want to request a transfer to Idaho?

She might end up in charge if she stays a few more weeks.

[ottoDbusdriver]

11 hours ago, mxc90 said:

In the middle of being almost choked out, Ressler is thinking about putting an ID badge on the man (not sure if it could be tracked)? So was he ready to die? How did he know Park was going to rescue him?

Ressler is an actual FBI agent, right ?  How about you secure the scene before assisting the injured.  The writers continue to make him look so inept.

And that bullshit of planting the badge while being choked was not smart thinking, it was unbelievably stupid (and that's saying a lot for this show).

7 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

Good move, Liz.  You know there was a body somewhere.  There's a broken mirror with hair and blood in front of you.  Don't bother getting a sample for analysis, just in case it's connected to your suspicions.

Is there a bathroom in a New York City park that doesn't have blood, hair and smashed mirrors in it ?  Seriously, did you see the sink where she was cleaning her shoe ?  That blood on the mirror still looked pretty fresh -- hadn't it been at least a couple of days since Katarina killed that guy in the park bathroom ? Come on, Red had time to fly back and forth to London, England, remember ?

Lizzie looking along the shore of the lake for .... the body, I guess ... was too stupid.  I was rolling my eyes well before Lizzie did.

<Shot rings out>
Park (at the hospital with Ressler): "What was that ?"

Are they implying that Park has never heard a gunshot before ?  If that's the case, she may want to go back to Quantico for a refresher course.

I'm actually kind of pissed that Red went after Glen like that.  Fuck you Reddington !

And by the end of the episode, no one barely remembers the Blacklister of the week let alone how to even spell it.

Still no sign or mention of the dogs or Robert Vesco's cat. :)

[paigow]

Why are the dudes that work for Eli Atticus still at the warehouse? They delivered the package. Time to leave. Ressler actually shot someone he was aiming at.....

Edited November 24, 2019 by paigow

[Dowel Jones]

Next week, Agnes shows Liz a picture that she drew of  Ilya being tortured in Katarina's apartment.  Liz scolds her and says "You really do have a vivid imagination, don't you?  Silly girl."

[nitrofishblue]

Just a silly comment from my husband about the new agent. He said she has Shiffty eyes!!

[saber5055]

I'm some four weeks behind in watching this show. I've discovered that reading here is better (and more fun) than actually sitting through an episode.

[preeya]

18 minutes ago, lora said:

I hope The Blacklist is not turning into to a Park show.

Yeah, for someone who just joined the team she sure has a lot to say.

[mxc90]

5 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

<Shot rings out>
Park (at the hospital with Ressler): "What was that ?"

I liked that the DEA agent was so confident to tell Ressler the protective detail is in place. I couldn't finish saying "Yeah! Right!" before the gun fire erupted.

What possessed the DEA agent to leap around the corner to just immediately get shot? He was trying too hard to prove he was dumber than Ressler.

I wonder how Alfred Yang got in the hospital in the first place, did he get hit by DEA friendly fire? If true, poor guy is getting abused on both sides. 

15 hours ago, Loandbehold said:

With the help of the FBI agents. Always ready to assist people bringing in new furnishings. 

The agent noticed blood dripping and alerted Katarina the rug cleaners didn't do a good job.

(At the end) After the man in the hat's calming words to Ilya, I was expecting him to take out a torture device then reveal it to be a collapsible coat hanger and hang up his coat.

Katarina you promised me you had Dr. Jones! Who is this man?

Edited November 23, 2019 by mxc90

[Dowel Jones]

24 minutes ago, mxc90 said:

He was trying too hard to prove he was dumber than Ressler.

And another thing that Ressler did - he looked at the  mirror to see the two bad guys around the corner.  Fact of physics - if you can see someone in a mirror, they can see you.  Thus, they would have been aware that he was right there and be ready for him.

[paigow]

4 hours ago, mxc90 said:

(At the end) After the man in the hat's calming words to Ilya, I was expecting him to take out a torture device then reveal it to be a collapsible coat hanger and hang up his coat.

Katarina you promised me you had Dr. Jones! Who is this man?

If this dude has a giant medallion shaped burn on his hand, Ilya needs Red ASAP.

[dwmarch]

Lizzie's fashions can be pretty hit and miss but I like that green raincoat she was wearing at the end. Stylin'.

Katerina should have gone with an easy explanation for the "dead" man at the park: homeless dude. Lizzie would have bought that. Agnes thought the man who was face down in the park was dead but surprise, he was just resting and he moved along on his own and I forgot all about it but it stuck with the kid. So what?

At the same time, Lizzie continues to polish her idiot credentials. Hey Lizzie, have you had anyone or perhaps even a whole bunch of people come into your life and act like they were there to help you only to find out that they're lying to you and/or trying to murder you? If your new neighbor who is ever so helpful is making you suspicious don't go over there and try to trap her with your mad profiler skillz. Talk to Aram or Agent Park. Use the resources that are at your disposal. Ask the invisible agents outside if they think she's shady. There was an episode a season or two ago where Lizzie was in Alaska and somehow stumbled into a murder plot. She lied and schemed her way out of that one and the bad guys had no idea until things started going south for them. There was also an entire season of her double-dealing with Reddington, getting him thrown in jail so she could figure out who he really was. She had Tom locked up on a boat and covered up a murder (of an innocent cop who was just doing his job!) to keep that quiet.

I actually liked how Reddington finally lost it with Glen and his shenanigans. It was a good reminder that Reddington is a very deadly man who can and will execute lieutenants and helpers the moment they displease him. Even Dembe has been in Red's crosshairs not once but twice and he survived by throwing himself on Red's mercy.

[paigow]

Does Katarina have the only windowless apartment bedroom in D.C.? Otherwise, Ilya is smart like tractor. If you break your zip ties and decide to avoid interrogation by suicide, DEFENESTRATE yourself like they teach at Treadstone. FFS, stupid is contagious...

[Kelda Feegle]

On 11/23/2019 at 2:29 PM, Loandbehold said:

Good help is hard to find. 

Wouldn't have happened on Mr Kaplan's watch.

[misstwpherecool]

I hope Park is doing an episode of Undercover Boss because she sure as heck acts like one. Which I like, Red and task force need someone to put them into their place. Or she could be undercover for the AG lady which is why she acted like she had second thoughts about the task force.

Sorry, but refresh my memory. During Red's trial last year didn't they do an entire epi where they showed Ilya discussing and transforming into Red? And wasn't Katarina in on it? Then there was the epi showing the burn scares on Red's back a few years ago.

I'm still wondering if Red was a KGB mole from day one groomed to go the academy and work for intelligence. Supposedly Red was part-time interloping traitor because he fell in love with Katarina had Lizzie. So where did the ruthless criminal/traitor come from? That's not just life on the run in the underworld.

Was that a 'cure' mentioned/asked about? Do all Russian agents need a cure?

And yes Katarina needs to ask Red for his cleaner's business card leaving hair and blood like that. I hope they didn't charge her overtime or an emergency call out fee.

Edited November 25, 2019 by misstwpherecool

[Utpe]

On 11/23/2019 at 2:00 AM, Dowel Jones said:

The actress who plays agent Park is just too wooden.

She must've gotten some pointers from Megan Boone.

[Brian Cronin]

21 hours ago, misstwpherecool said:

Sorry, but refresh my memory. During Red's trial last year didn't they do an entire epi where they showed Ilya discussing and transforming into Red? And wasn't Katarina in on it? Then there was the epi showing the burn scares on Red's back a few years ago.

That episode was Dom's versions of events as he told the story to, with the implication since then that he was being an intentionally unreliable narrator. Obviously, then, Ilya didn't become Red, so we're right back to, "So who is Red?" Back in the old days, that would support the classic "Maybe Red used to be Katarina" theory, but the character Laila Robins is (horribly) playing doesn't make sense as anyone but Katarina, right? So it looks like we're looking at Red being some OTHER guy who just happened to be there at the time. 

[paigow]

On 11/23/2019 at 2:00 AM, Dowel Jones said:

The actress who plays agent Park is just too wooden.

9 hours ago, Utpe said:

She must've gotten some pointers from Megan Boone.

That makes them perfect for infiltrating Splinter Cell

[Johnny Dollar]

Not Katarina: “Oh Ilya! How could you betray me and try to take your own life?!”

Ilya: “gurgle, gurgle, gasp, gasp!”

The next day - Ilya: “Who’s that guy?”

Not Katarina: “Him?  He’s just here to torture you.”
 

[saber5055]

Finally got around to viewing this episode. I have to say, I don't miss this show at all. I did get a laugh out of Red ranking on Glen and telling him that he's sick of Glen's "insipid banter" all the time. Man, if there was ever a case of Pot calling Kettle black, that was it.

Park's been there what, two weeks? and she already knows Red better than anyone else.

Katarina tells Lizzie she's seen the men outside her apartment, but none of us have. Never. Ever. Then she tells Lizzie she's seen the gun in her purse so she knows Lizzie is FBI. What, does the FBI issue gun purses? Agents now carry guns in purses and not as side arms? When did that start. And if I were Lizzie, I'd be asking my nanny what she's doing snooping in my purse. I didn't think Lizzie being an agent was such a big hush-hush secret.

No one is ever in Glen's DMV. I want to go to there for my license renewal.

I join the rest of you in being astounded at the fresh blood and gigantic chunk of hair being stuck on that park restroom mirror. Even I would have taken that hair glob for some DNA testing, and I'm no FBI agent. For sure it would have come back from Ancestry.com as Russian.

Those Russian cleaners really suck if they didn't notice that mirror when they removed the body. If they did. Who knows. Maybe the dead guy is in the park service dumpster.

Agnes drawing a "dead body" was so bogus. That drawn guy had just fallen on a banana peel, his eyes didn't have Xs over them so he couldn't have been dead.

I'd think Katarina would be able to rent an abandoned warehouse for her kidnapping and torture. Or those apartment walls are thick as a brick if no one is hearing what's going on in there, and no one, even the FBI guards! have noticed those men coming and going. Although it appears that one guy lives with Katarina.

Not that anyone seems to care, even me.