S07. E17: Brothers

[mxc90]

Quote

First Aired: May 1, 2020

Ressler is forced to confront past trauma and family secrets when his brother takes him back home for a risky job.

 

[mxc90]

Is this the first time there was no Red?

A lot of stupid tonight! 

Markin didn't shoot Papa Ressler. He could have blamed everything on the guy they were chasing ( did the show bother explain who he was?).

Young Donnie Ressler sitting in a car and drunk, pieced together from Markin's brief phone conversation he killed his father? Good grief! If the kid is that good, he should have solved Biggie's murder.

Donnie was shown to be a typical stupid teen, why would Robby immediately believe him?  

According to Donnie:  Robby is doing better now. How exactly? He is sleeping in their old room surrounded by R.E.M., WU-Tang Clan, Biggie, KORN, Beastie Boys posters and second place trophies.

Lazy Rob could have dug up the remains by himself and not fly to DC to get baby brother.

Instead of giving Robby a proper beating, the Albanian mob steals his shitty car.

Hector Salamanca is Albanian?

Why didn't Don tell "Hector": I only take orders from one crime lord Red Reddington. And the show would have been over by 8:35.

Robby tells Donnie he carried the weight all that time? Don is the one who shot him. That is not considered weight?

First person Don goes to is Liz (writers had to find an excuse to get her in the show)? Not Red or even Dembe? Liz just hopped on a plane to Detroit for this? She would find any excuse to get away from Agnes!

Now adult Donnie is making himself look real bad by telling Liz she is a good agent!

I was expecting mama Ressler to strut in and say she removed the remains from the trunk!

Now Liz is the new Mr. Kaplan moving the remains and cleaning the trunk! At least she admits to being a marionette. 

So helping the Resslers let her find some solace in her worthless life!???!!! She is a disgrace to the badge!

 

Edited May 2, 2020 by mxc90

[preeya]

Would someone please get me a BARF BAG?

[mxc90]

36 minutes ago, preeya said:

Would someone please get me a BARF BAG?

 

[preeya]

2 minutes ago, mxc90 said:

 

Thanks!

[Dowel Jones]

Wait.  Shouldn't Liz get a Blacklister number for this?  Red hands them out like candy on Halloween.  As a matter of fact, it would be cool if everyone on the task force had their own number.

4 hours ago, mxc90 said:

Hector Salamanca is Albanian?

He used to be Cuban, until he got shot in Tony Montana's car.  Guy needs a better agent, gotta stay alive once in awhile.

[Such A Flirt]

The entire episode, I thought they were getting ready to kill off Ressler.

I was confused by one of the flashback scenes: if Teen Ressler was blasting Soundgarden in the car, how could the cop not notice he was there?

Like hell Liz got rid of the body by herself. Called Reddington is more like it. Though he did pass out last week - so, huh, any news on that?

I was so sure Liz and Ressler were going to start making out at the end; really glad they didn't, but they sure seem to be going in that direction. Urgh.

[Dowel Jones]

47 minutes ago, Such A Flirt said:

I was so sure Liz and Ressler were going to start making out at the end; really glad they didn't, but they sure seem to be going in that direction. Urgh.

Well, his mom did drop the "Chekov's relationship question" at the reunion.  I think it's a setup, maybe for next season.  Or a spinoff.  Urrrrgh.

[ottoDbusdriver]

This really was a waste-of-time filler episode -- Reddington is down, and there's no mention of it the entire episode.  Not even worthy of a Blacklist number.  Heck, even the Kings of the Highway got a Blacklist number -- and that was a terrible episode.

The brotherly switcheroo -- brother who wants to become a cop becomes the criminal, and the criminal becomes the cop.  Real original writers.

They never did explain who shot Ressler's father -- just some random guy, followed by his partner talking about taking the money.  What money ?

Ressler really is a terrible FBI agent -- he had no idea they were being tailed, even while out digging up a body in the middle of the night.  And then for good measure they left the keys in the car with a dead body in the trunk.

Still no sign or mention of the dogs.  :)

Who was watching Agnes while Lizzie was in Detroit ?  Or is Agnes big enough now that she can take care of herself.

Edited May 2, 2020 by ottoDbusdriver

[mxc90]

6 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

He used to be Cuban, until he got shot in Tony Montana's car.  Guy needs a better agent, gotta stay alive once in awhile.

Getting shot by Liz has to be the low point of his acting career.

5 hours ago, Such A Flirt said:

I was confused by one of the flashback scenes: if Teen Ressler was blasting Soundgarden in the car, how could the cop not notice he was there?

I was so sure Liz and Ressler were going to start making out at the end; really glad they didn't, but they sure seem to be going in that direction. Urgh.

He probably noticed and he didn't say anything to implicate him. 

I thought Ressler and Liz were going to hookup too. Either Ressler has no game or Liz has a strict rule for no play while Agnes is there. Anything else goes (fights, breaking furniture, etc.)

So far, the other agents in Alsaka and Detroit are not sharp. 

Edited May 2, 2020 by mxc90

[preeya]

7 hours ago, Such A Flirt said:

I was so sure Liz and Ressler were going to start making out at the end; really glad they didn't, but they sure seem to be going in that direction. Urgh.

I had the same thing in mind. It was the perfect time for them to get busy.

[saber5055]

2 hours ago, preeya said:

I had the same thing in mind. It was the perfect time for them to get busy.

If there was a VOMIT emoji, I would have awarded it to your post. Just that thought squees me out.

This episode was such a waste of time, I don't even have much to comment about that hasn't been said above by posters better than I. All I could think of though, was that those were the bones in the suitcase everyone was fighting about a season or two ago. I mean, that would require time travel but this show isn't above that.

I was confused as to whether Donnie flew back to DC to talk to Liz or she flew to Detroit (because she wasn't doing anything anyway and Agnes is now old enough to be left alone and Cooper says she can come/go as she pleases) because phones don't work. But in the big scheme of things, meaning this show sucks, it doesn't matter.

Do 25-year-old bones give off a big stink when they are dug up? Yeah, I didn't think so, even if show writers do.

[xtwheeler]

3 hours ago, preeya said:

I had the same thing in mind. It was the perfect time for them to get busy.

Well we know from Samir that he sucks in bed. That could have been facetious, but for some reason I really believe her.

Ressler telling Liz she's such a good person turned my stomach. She's a murderer and helps a serial killer and life-long criminal commit crimes. She thinks she's above the law. This "good agent" thinks she has an "above the law" mandate. No, girl. You're a cold-blooded killer and criminal. Let's at least be honest.

[Dowel Jones]

The irony of the entire situation is that  if the construction crew turned up the bones, the Detroit PD might look at the 30 year old bones and say "Oh, this is that dirty cop that everybody hated.  Mob must have got him." And just quietly closed the case.

[preeya]

8 minutes ago, Dowel Jones said:

The irony of the entire situation is that  if the construction crew turned up the bones, the Detroit PD might look at the 30 year old bones and say "Oh, this is that dirty cop that everybody hated.  Mob must have got him." And just quietly closed the case.

Something closely related to this ↑. When the Ressler boys did their dirty deed, wasn't there any sort of investigation into the whereabouts of the dead/missing cop? Also, it being so soon after Papa Ressler was killed, didn't that set off any alarms?

Edited May 2, 2020 by preeya

[saber5055]

51 minutes ago, preeya said:

When the Ressler boys did their dirty deed, wasn't there any sort of investigation into the whereabouts of the dead/missing cop? Also, it being so soon after Papa Ressler was killed, didn't that set off any alarms?

So much THIS. That required waving two hands at once. I don't even want to think about this episode, it was the worst. Except to say, how many bottles of Clorox are needed to dig up bones, and Mom doesn't have any shovels in the garage. And the night watchman they hid from never noticed their flashlights or heard their shovels or them talking. And Donnie (and Lizzie) didn't get a Blacklist number, even though those seem to be pretty easy to come by lately.

* Triple Hand Wave *

[saber5055]

LOL that those posters were still in mint condition after being stuck on the Ressler boys' wall for 25 years. It would have been funnier if the modern posters were for CardiB, Justin Beiber and Lil Wayne. And Kid Robby makes his bed; Adult Robby doesn't.

Edited May 2, 2020 by saber5055

[cameron]

Wow, has Anthony Michael Hall aged big time.  Remember him from 16 Candles.  Took me a while to recognize him as Robbie Ressler.

Edited May 2, 2020 by cameron

[woodstock]

1 hour ago, cameron said:

Wow, has Anthony Michael Hall aged big time.  Remember him from 16 Candles.  Took me a while to recognize him as Robbie Ressler.

Same! 
 

I miss season 1 of this show. It used to be so much fun. Now it’s just tedious.

[ottoDbusdriver]

22 minutes ago, woodstock said:

Same! 
 

I miss season 1 of this show. It used to be so much fun. Now it’s just tedious.

Anthony Michael Hall looks about the same has he did in the Dead Zone reboot.

6 hours ago, saber5055 said:

Except to say, how many bottles of Clorox are needed to dig up bones

Maybe they were stocking up for the anti-coronavirus injections they would need 25 years later.  #sarcasm 

[paigow]

Liz and Tom already had their numbered episodes.

[deirdra]

19 hours ago, saber5055 said:

LOL that those posters were still in mint condition after being stuck on the Ressler boys' wall for 25 years. It would have been funnier if the modern posters were for CardiB, Justin Beiber and Lil Wayne. And Kid Robby makes his bed; Adult Robby doesn't.

The paint in their room was very fresh too.

[Dowel Jones]

I created a list a few seasons back, and I have Tom, but not Liz, even under her Russian name. 

[ottoDbusdriver]

2 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

I created a list a few seasons back, and I have Tom, but not Liz, even under her Russian name. 

Sidebar

Interestingly enough, episode 44 which ended up eventually being titled Tom Connolly (No. 11) was originally titled Masha Rostova (No. 222) -- http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings/20150424nbc14/ -- then it was retitled to Tom Connolly (No. 222) -- http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings/20150514nbc01/, before it was finally retitled to Tom Connolly (No. 11).

Per The Futon Critic.

End Sidebar

[sweetandsour]

On 5/2/2020 at 4:24 AM, ottoDbusdriver said:

Who was watching Agnes while Lizzie was in Detroit ?  Or is Agnes big enough now that she can take care of herself.

Oh, I'm sure some new busybody older woman just moved into Liz's apartment building and Liz left Agnes with her, based on innocuous information the woman revealed about herself and no background check.  It'll all turn out fine!

From Shane Oman in "Mean Girls" to Liz's calm in the storm who keeps her from being swept out to sea ... at least give Diego some Kalteen bars so he can stress eat.

[Dowel Jones]

6 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

Sidebar

Interesting (I didn't quote the whole post, just for brevity).

The last number I have was Natalie Bruca at 184.  If the above was true, were they planning on 10 or more seasons?  Lots of new people in there.  Maybe the two dogs have numbers.  And Vesco's cat.  Maybe even the continuity director.

[milkyaqua]

I was debating about watching this episode or an old Inspector Morse on PBS.  I should have gone with my first instinct which was to watch Morse...

Aside from all the stupid and silly that's already been pointed out.  I was flabbergasted by the Liz/Ressler conversation about her being a good person/agent.  So, we're just forgetting that she shot the attorney general?  No big deal...  Thank goodness she and Ressler just hugged because I'm probably one of the minority that hates it when shows put their co-workers together as couples because of course no one has a personal life or interests outside of their jobs.

[Brian Cronin]

Isn't it weird that we're near the very end of season SEVEN and they're still just telling us how great Liz instead of ever actually SHOWING it?

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 5/2/2020 at 4:05 PM, saber5055 said:

So much THIS. That required waving two hands at once. I don't even want to think about this episode, it was the worst. Except to say, how many bottles of Clorox are needed to dig up bones, and Mom doesn't have any shovels in the garage. And the night watchman they hid from never noticed their flashlights or heard their shovels or them talking. And Donnie (and Lizzie) didn't get a Blacklist number, even though those seem to be pretty easy to come by lately.

* Triple Hand Wave *

And Robbie bought all the "sewer-fixing" equipment in one store, probably paying by cc. I bet the Resslers don't even have a sewer!

On 5/1/2020 at 9:21 PM, mxc90 said:

Markin didn't shoot Papa Ressler. He could have blamed everything on the guy they were chasing ( did the show bother explain who he was?).

Since Markin called in the shooting while standing directly behind the still-armed shooter, who had also yelled "I got him" when Markin was the only other person in earshot, I inferred that it was a setup to get Papa Ressler killed. Then Markin doublecrossed the shooter and shot him (although I presume that was part of the plan, unbeknownst to the shooter.) Still, the whole plot was not clearly shown to viewers. I also agree that there was no way that Donnie could have been sure that Markin was involved, based upon what he had overheard. Also,  Robbie suddenly seemed convinced of Markin's guilt when he groaned as he was about to bury him, even though Markin hadn't confessed to Donnie, and before he said anything incriminating to Robbie.

On 5/3/2020 at 7:03 AM, ottoDbusdriver said:

Anthony Michael Hall looks about the same has he did in the Dead Zone reboot.

A little older, I'd say, but if you showed people a head shot of current Anthony Michael Hall and then asked them to view a picture of the actor playing young Robbie and a picture of young Anthony Michael Hall, I can't imagine that too many people would be able to choose the correct younger version.

Funny how Donnie is more of a redhead in his 40s then he was as a teen. The younger version didn't really resemble the older one. 

Finally, why is Donnie so sure that Robbie is safe?  Perhaps he is with regard to the murder, but is there no remaining non-incarcerated member of the Albanian mob to take revenge on Robbie and Mama Ressler, too?  I thought you had to go into witness protection to survive once you crossed any mob.  I also chuckle to think how either Ressler would explain what they were doing when Robbie's car was stolen if they needed to testify against the mobsters. Just out tossing their shovels in the middle of the night in a random dumpster after digging a sewer, I guess.

Edited May 7, 2020 by ItCouldBeWorse

[saber5055]

1 hour ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Funny how Donnie is more of a redhead in his 40s then he was as a teen. The younger version didn't really resemble the older one. 

I know. I didn't relate Young Donnie to Agent Ressler at all. A box of Miss Clarol doesn't cost all that much, show. Neither do wigs. Just ask Agent Keene.

Which reminds me, Michael Anthony Hall had red(-ish) hair as a teen. Show could have used a little spray-on red-head color for this episode so everyone matched Present Day Donald Ressler.

But I guess if the writers don't care about this show making sense, neither do the rest of the production people.

Edited May 6, 2020 by saber5055

[Gothish520]

On 5/2/2020 at 4:14 PM, saber5055 said:

LOL that those posters were still in mint condition after being stuck on the Ressler boys' wall for 25 years. It would have been funnier if the modern posters were for CardiB, Justin Beiber and Lil Wayne. And Kid Robby makes his bed; Adult Robby doesn't.

Mothers keeping their grown children's bedrooms exactly as they were when they left - is this really a thing? I mean, I'm sure it's happened somewhere IRL, but it's something I've seen a lot on tv over the years. 

I can see keeping a room the same if your kid is still in college, but once they are grown-ass adults out living on their own, why wouldn't one do something else with the room, even just use it for storage? On the flip side, if you are moving out of your childhood home, why would you not take you stuff? Whenever any of the kids in my family left, we took everything we wanted to keep and gave away or got rid of the rest. Hell, my mother couldn't wait to get her hands on an empty bedroom, lol. 

In particular, why wouldn't Ressler bring his father's St. Michael's necklace with him, if it meant that much? And if it didn't, why not give it to his brother or mother? Plus, what baseball cards did he have in that elastic? 

So many unanswered questions.

Maybe I'm the only one, but I was hoping to see Masha and Donnie tear one off. It wouldn't have been any more ridiculous than the rest of the episode.

[saber5055]

32 minutes ago, Gothish520 said:

Mothers keeping their grown children's bedrooms exactly as they were when they left - is this really a thing?

I got the impression that grown-up Robbie was still living at home in that bedroom. Which makes the posters even more hilarious.