S08.E12: Rakitin

[ottoDbusdriver]

Episode Description:

The Task Force's determination to identify a Russian asset in the U.S. government puts Cooper and Reddington in increasingly treacherous positions.

 

[paigow]

Thought the description would be: Aram struggles with various call center employees to collect rebates for his online drug purchases

[milkyaqua]

Just how dumb are they going to make Cooper?

[NeenerNeener]

Do they have any idea how they're going to wrap this up eventually, or are they just making it up as they go along? When we finally find out who "Red" is (IF we find out who Red really is), will it make any sense with all the things he's said and done over the years? 

I still think Cooper could be a sleeper agent/N-13; Rakitin trying to kill him is just a "Red" herring.

No Liz again this week. Woo hoo! The Task Force may miss her, but I don't.

Edited April 3, 2021 by NeenerNeener

[mxc90]

8 in a row with no Liz! Although, it seems the streak may be ending soon.

Only this show can turn Good Friday into Good Grief?!!!

The puzzled look on Panabaker's face when Cooper was giving her the run down for the past 30 years of the Russians, Townsend, Katarina, N-13, the file was the same as writer's faces when they were brain storming/putting the messy pieces of this plot together in the writer's room.

Red is really slipping to think Cooper had Rakitin under surveillance. He didn't get last week's briefing: Park lost track of him in 15 seconds!!!???

"Eastern Friend" is the name that appears on my closed caption. The writers can't bother give this man a sinister name???? Do people in Russia call him "Eastern Friend"?

Good Grief! "Eastern Friend" yells at Red for hand delivering Rakitin to the American Government???!! Huh! His dumb ass should have kept Rakitin hidden in Russia when he had the chance. Was him going back to kill Cooper that important? No assassins available? Or did he need to send him back to the US to bring back a supply of toilet paper from COSTCO?

The "Genius" Cooper gets a call, leaves the Post Office, doesn't consider harm will come his way and doesn't bother tell any member of his supposedly "Trusted Task Force" where he's going. 

Cooper's glasses stayed on after the smack to face during his abduction. That's quality FBI eye wear.

A phone trace that was successful under 30 seconds. How dare this show go against the TV trope!

20 minutes into the episode and Cooper already has that brandy in hand. I'm surprised the bottle wasn't close to being finished. Trying times for the man. He returns to the Post Office, ignores Aram's plea to see a doctor, pours a glass, calls Panabaker and probably didn't think to check in on his wife and son after they were threatened to be killed by Rakitin.

Red's hold on Park is based on her thought she "murdered" Dieterle and Red has the evidence.  Why in the hell would Red reveal he's alive to her??!! Once Park got over the shock and is relieved, she should have told Red "F*ck you! I'm not doing it. You lost your leverage bitch!"

If Red released the footage of her being rough with him, what's the worse punishment that could happen to her? Maybe a reprimand/suspension from the FBI? Better than prison time!

Was the ash tray Park struck Dieterle made of rubber? She got some good shots on him with lots of blood produced and the man's face doesn't have a scratch? Add "unable to carry out cold revenge" to Park's lists of unimpressive skills. It goes right under "bad at tailing a suspect", "atrocious surveillance skills", and "easily compromised by Red". Dieterle murdered her friend, so now she will let him get away with it. At least she now knows where to get free mechanic work.

Park burns the envelope on FBI premises. The woman is really stupid!

The blank note to Rakitin was really the script for this episode. 

This is the second time Panabaker is in the Post Office and a key suspect is killed and she just leaves without firing or cursing out anyone! 

Ressler was a complete simpy disgrace tonight. He must have left 4 messages for Liz. There were times I thought he was close to crying and going to say "I love you" on the voice mail. Surprised he didn't have flowers, a card, balloons and a box of chocolates for Liz with him while sitting in the park alone at 12:00 am.

If Ressler took a few seconds to not think about Liz and all the juicy gossip to tell her, he could have easily pieced together Park was the one that got to Rakitin. Ressler had a good run for 3 weeks doing decent FBI work, trying to get his life straight. But the embarrassing, same old Donald resurfaced tonight. The man needs counseling.

Gangsters wasted their time and big money acquiring the services of Chemical Mary when all this time cheaper talents like Felix Klopp was around just passing the days teaching high school chemistry (not making meth)?!!???

Red slapped the $hit out of "Eastern Friend" and all he could say was "You hit me". Best moment of the episode!

This is my "Endgame". You tell him Ultron I mean Red!.

Edited April 3, 2021 by mxc90

[ottoDbusdriver]

Wow !! We got to see a hand that might have been Skip's or Lizzie's -- who knows for sure.  And honestly, who really cares.  I'm still waiting for them to pull a Poochie from 'The Simpsons' where we discover that Lizzie had been recalled to her home planet and died on way there.

Why does Ressler think that Lizzie and Agnes aren't together ?  Has no one checked on the neighbor that is supposed to be watching Agnes since Lizzie left ?  Has the neighbor not called anyone about a missing child ?

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

[dwmarch]

This show is great at stringing us along. Here I thought we were getting some answers courtesy of Cooper spelling things out to Panabaker (who is again my hero for her WTF reactions to all of this). But Red sums up what is going on as "the ending..." Ending of what? "The end."

At least we finally get a motivation for Townsend. The Sikorsky archive was responsible for the death of his family. Doesn't make any goddamn sense but at least it's an explanation.

I had to laugh when Dembe started going on about the security at the Post Office. Which Post Office have you been going to, Dembe? An actual one run by the US Postal Service? That would have some actual security. But if you are talking about the FBI's vaunted black site... someone broke out of there just a couple of weeks ago! You can disable the cameras by looking at them funny, knock the doors down with a good fart and kill the guards with harsh language. I think what they should have said is that they have the run of the place and they know it but killing Rakitin without being super obvious about it would be the challenge.

Agent Park's trash fire was weird. I can understand why she wouldn't want to carry around a toxin-smeared piece of paper any longer than she had to but at least take the other paper out of your wastebasket first! The scent of burnt paper would be super obvious to anyone in the office. Also, she's not conscientious about recycling. She could have taken that empty envelope, written that dude's name on it and left it at his gas station.

[Dowel Jones]

Did they assign a blacklist number for Rakitin?  I didn't see one at the beginning of the episode.

[milkyaqua]

6 minutes ago, Dowel Jones said:

Did they assign a blacklist number for Rakitin?  I didn't see one at the beginning of the episode.

He was #28.

 

1 hour ago, dwmarch said:

I had to laugh when Dembe started going on about the security at the Post Office. Which Post Office have you been going to, Dembe? An actual one run by the US Postal Service? That would have some actual security. But if you are talking about the FBI's vaunted black site... someone broke out of there just a couple of weeks ago! You can disable the cameras by looking at them funny, knock the doors down with a good fart and kill the guards with harsh language. I think what they should have said is that they have the run of the place and they know it but killing Rakitin without being super obvious about it would be the challenge.

Yes, when Dembe said that, I went, what is he talking about?  He and Red and who know's who else have been breaking into that place since season one.

Park and Ressler are still idiots and Cooper.  Who goes to an empty garage, sees the guard isn't on security and drives into the garage anyway?  Then he sees a stranger come to him, keeps his window down and apparently his doors unlocked?  Why after he stupidly went into the garage and saw this suspicious person acting suspiciously, didn't he immediately floor and get out of there?

Panabaker needs to fire them all.

Didn't miss Liz don't care about her and Ressler needs to stop mooning over her.  When Aram sounds like the most reasonable member of the task force you have problems.

Red telling his Eastern Friend that the end is near made me almost laugh since this thing's been renewed for another season and no, I don't think Bokenkamp or TPTB have any clue how they intend to wrap this up or where any of the balls they have tossed in the air are going to land.

I'm just watching for Red and Dembe and how long are they going to drag out "Red is dying...maybe, sort of, kind of...?"  Unless there's a miraculous recovery...

[paigow]

1 hour ago, milkyaqua said:

He was #28.

The most important intelligence asset EVER, is not even top 10...WTF

[paigow]

3 hours ago, mxc90 said:

The blank note to Rakitin was really the script for this episode. 

Red slapped the $hit out of "Eastern Friend" and all he could say was "You hit me".

Spader improvised the slap and that was a genuine reaction...

[mxc90]

3 hours ago, paigow said:

Spader improvised the slap and that was a genuine reaction...

Spader gave NBC (struggling for scripts) an idea to re-watch "The Slap" to come up with an arc in season 9. Each episode, we'll see a version from Eastern Friend's trauma, Red, Dembe, the pilot, etc...

"One moment will change Nations forever"

[Neiman]

Yay! Another episode without Liz! I was afraid Ressler was actually going to see her that night and hoped she wouldn’t show.

How dumb is Park? Did she really think Red wouldn’t be calling on her to do his bidding? She should know how it goes: Red did her a favor and now he’ll be asking for favors for the rest of her life. Silly girl. And stupid for burning the note there in a garbage can at work. You’d think she’d suddenly make a run for dinner or say she needed to check on something at home. Only a matter of time before Ressler figures out Park was one of the last ones to be with the guy before he died. It has to be the brilliant Ressler who realizes it because Cooper is too busy drinking brandy and Aram is too busy on his computer.

[Suzysite]

I will be at my solo table over here wondering where the heck Elizabeth is and when she's coming back.  I don't generally like crime shows and only started on this one because I liked the dynamic between Liz and Tom. And also Liz and Raymond.  Without that it's just another blah FBI crime series.   Come back Liz!

Edited April 3, 2021 by Suzysite

[milkyaqua]

18 hours ago, mxc90 said:

Park burns the envelope on FBI premises. The woman is really stupid!

 

17 hours ago, dwmarch said:

Agent Park's trash fire was weird. I can understand why she wouldn't want to carry around a toxin-smeared piece of paper any longer than she had to but at least take the other paper out of your wastebasket first! The scent of burnt paper would be super obvious to anyone in the office. Also, she's not conscientious about recycling. She could have taken that empty envelope, written that dude's name on it and left it at his gas station.

 

7 hours ago, Neiman said:

How dumb is Park? Did she really think Red wouldn’t be calling on her to do his bidding? She should know how it goes: Red did her a favor and now he’ll be asking for favors for the rest of her life. Silly girl. And stupid for burning the note there in a garbage can at work. You’d think she’d suddenly make a run for dinner or say she needed to check on something at home. Only a matter of time before Ressler figures out Park was one of the last ones to be with the guy before he died. It has to be the brilliant Ressler who realizes it because Cooper is too busy drinking brandy and Aram is too busy on his computer.

See, I'm going to be disappointed if it takes any of them that long to realize that it was Park in the interrogation room with the poisoned envelope.  How hard is it to look at camera footage and figure this out?  Will they even look at the security footage or just wait for the autopsy results?  There's no audio in there either?  What kind of black site place is this...wait, what am I saying?  Duh.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Is it so wrong that I wanted the Blacklister o' the week's real last name to be Ebates, just so someone on the Post Office squad could say "Ebates is now Rakitin".   :)
 

Edited April 4, 2021 by ottoDbusdriver

[tvfanatic13]

5 hours ago, Suzysite said:

I will be at my solo table over here wondering where the heck Elizabeth is and when she's coming back.  I don't generally like crime shows and only started on this one because I liked the dynamic between Liz and Tom. And also Liz and Raymond.  Without that it's just another blah FBI crime series.   Come back Liz!

I am with you. I like her. It is getting ridiculous that a top-billed co-star has gone MIA in real life from the show and there is no word on why. Very frustrating. 

[kaygeeret]

Good Grief, why was this show renewed?

[Neiman]

We’re thrilled the show was renewed, but hoping Liz was cancelled. 

[milkyaqua]

I'll say it again, Megan Boone was fine when she was Danny's partner on Blue Bloods (for two episodes).  What happened when she was cast as Liz is beyond me.

Supposedly her absence is being driven by this dumb storyline.  She supposedly will be coming back.

Edited April 4, 2021 by milkyaqua

[Neiman]

16 minutes ago, milkyaqua said:

I'll say it again, Megan Boone was fine when she was Danny's partner on Blue Bloods (for two episodes).  What happened when she was cast as Liz is beyond me.

Supposedly her absence is being driven by this dumb storyline.  She supposedly will be coming back.

I think she’s the worst partner Danny Reagan ever had. Blue Bloods writers must have thought so too because she didn’t last long and sort of faded off into the sunset with no mentions.

I think they should just keep going as they are if they must keep her in the storyline. Maybe if Liz returns we’ll learn she had plastic surgery to conceal her identity and the next time we see her it will be a different actress. 🤞

[kaygeeret]

According to IMDB, Boone appeared in a new series that is in post production - no idea if it was picked up and have no idea what it is about.

Perhaps she has a new job and will be gone for good.  She ruined the show for me, and then of course, the plotting, writing and show running finished the job.......but still, she appears to be shopping her 'skills'.

[paigow]

On 4/3/2021 at 6:46 PM, ottoDbusdriver said:

Is it so wrong that I wanted the Blacklister o' the week's real last name to be Ebates, just so someone on the Post Office squad could say "Ebates is now Rakitin".   :)
 

Now the secret accomplice- Azmano - will take over...

[milkyaqua]

On 4/3/2021 at 10:07 PM, Neiman said:

I think they should just keep going as they are if they must keep her in the storyline. Maybe if Liz returns we’ll learn she had plastic surgery to conceal her identity and the next time we see her it will be a different actress. 🤞

Day time soaps have done this for years and the occasional night time show has as well.  I wouldn't have a problem with that.

I know some miss Megan Boone but the way this show is "working" now, it seems hard to imagine how they'd even operate going forward.  Liz has threatened to take out Red on several occasions but this storyline has amped that up.  While she was tolerable when she and Red were working to take down blacklisters on a week-to-week basis, after everything that's occurred, could they really just go back to that same routine?  I mean, I get this show is pure fantasy at this point but just how much forgiveness are the feds supposed to bestow on Liz?  I'm a bit over her seeming omnipotence/master criminal skills at this point as it's just so beyond believable even for this show.

 

[tljgator]

9 hours ago, paigow said:

Now the secret accomplice- Azmano - will take over...

I was hoping for the Wayfairer...he's got just what we need. 😉

[CaptainE]

On 4/3/2021 at 2:35 PM, Suzysite said:

I will be at my solo table over here wondering where the heck Elizabeth is and when she's coming back.  I don't generally like crime shows and only started on this one because I liked the dynamic between Liz and Tom. And also Liz and Raymond.  Without that it's just another blah FBI crime series.   Come back Liz!

The main reason for my disinterest in her return ( beside her vanilla acting ability) is the continued plot nonsense.

She is a murderer and now allegedly has, as Aram mentioned, almost got a plane full of innocents killed.   Also, conspiracy to kidnap, and murder.  Not to mention the garbage where she controlled the lady with the magical contact lens.  Many dead because of her shenanigans.

So if she comes back because the “we all miss you” bullshit which flows continuously from Ressler and Harold, and Aram I will lose all remaining respect for NBC.  Like I ever had any in the first place.

 Idiots.

ps.  I thought Reddington was dying.  Plot continuity anyone?

Edited April 6, 2021 by CaptainE

[Neiman]

Agree about the vanilla acting ability and plot nonsense. I felt that I’d seen enough of her when she coordinated blowing up the hospital room. Tired of everyone’s allegiance to her. She’s a nut who needs to be locked up. I don’t get the hold she has over everyone.Maybe if M. Boone were a better actress I’d understand. I’m not interested in the “Red is dying” storyline either.

[BrownBear2012]

On 4/2/2021 at 11:45 PM, dwmarch said:

This show is great at stringing us along. Here I thought we were getting some answers courtesy of Cooper spelling things out to Panabaker (who is again my hero for her WTF reactions to all of this). But Red sums up what is going on as "the ending..." Ending of what? "The end."

At least we finally get a motivation for Townsend. The Sikorsky archive was responsible for the death of his family. Doesn't make any goddamn sense but at least it's an explanation.

I had to laugh when Dembe started going on about the security at the Post Office. Which Post Office have you been going to, Dembe? An actual one run by the US Postal Service? That would have some actual security. But if you are talking about the FBI's vaunted black site... someone broke out of there just a couple of weeks ago! You can disable the cameras by looking at them funny, knock the doors down with a good fart and kill the guards with harsh language. I think what they should have said is that they have the run of the place and they know it but killing Rakitin without being super obvious about it would be the challenge.

Agent Park's trash fire was weird. I can understand why she wouldn't want to carry around a toxin-smeared piece of paper any longer than she had to but at least take the other paper out of your wastebasket first! The scent of burnt paper would be super obvious to anyone in the office. Also, she's not conscientious about recycling. She could have taken that empty envelope, written that dude's name on it and left it at his gas station.

Pretty sure the FBI offices are fully equipped with smoke detectors and alarms...why not show her tearing it up and flushing it down the toilet? Honestly, the writers are just phoning it in now...and Blacklist has just been renewed for another season...can we stand another season of this?

[seacliffsal]

I am exactly enjoying this nonsensical season as I enjoy James Spader and his over acting.  The most "huh?" moment (as well as the most unrealistic moment) was when Ressler told Liz that everyone missed her and wanted her back.  I was immediately "no, no, no-I don't want her back..."