S08.E22: Konets

[paigow]

SEASON FINALE

Airing Jun 23 / 21

DVR Alert: Wed @10pm

Reddington makes a disturbing request to Liz in exchange for the truth about his identity.

***********************************

If only Red could tell her, then magically make her disappear forever...

 

 

[milkyaqua]

More nonsense...  I know Bokenkamp is enjoying his money.

Edited June 17, 2021 by milkyaqua

[yourmomiseasy]

Even knowing this switched to Wednesday I was confused and thought it was on tonight.  There's an 85% chance I'll forget about watching it between now and Wed.

[tv echo]

Teaser promo (warning: mild spoilers)...

Get Ready for a Shocking Ending on The Blacklist Season Finale! - The Blacklist
The Blacklist   Jun 17, 2021

 
 

Edited June 19, 2021 by tv echo

[ottoDbusdriver]

1 hour ago, tv echo said:

Teaser promo (warning: mild spoilers)...

Get Ready for a Shocking Ending on The Blacklist Season Finale! - The Blacklist
The Blacklist   Jun 17, 2021

 
 

From that clip:

Lizzie: "How does it end ?"
Reddington: "You'll find out."

Based on the history of this show, no, we won't find out -- it will just be some more lies/retcon nonsense.

[nitrofishblue]

This will be shown on Wednesday the 23rd

[tv echo]

18 promo pics for the season finale (8x22-Konets) have been released...
https://www.spoilertv.com/2021/06/the-blacklist-episode-822-konets-season.html

[paigow]

The happy photo of the restaurant staff means Liz is dead?????

[ItCouldBeWorse]

If Reddington really does turn out to be Katarina, then we'd better get an extended scene where he exhibits her Russian accent, original mannerisms, etc. and convinces us that his Red persona has been an act for all these years.

[Brian Cronin]

On 6/19/2021 at 8:52 AM, ottoDbusdriver said:

From that clip:

Lizzie: "How does it end ?"
Reddington: "You'll find out."

Based on the history of this show, no, we won't find out -- it will just be some more lies/retcon nonsense.

I think that there's a decent chance SHE'LL find out, but WE won't. She'll learn the truth just as she's sent off into character limbo.

[Neiman]

The more I hear Agnes call him Pinkie, the more I wish Townsend’s guy would have found her.

[SunnyBeBe]

So, half way through. I’m fantasizing that if Liz shoots Red, the gun misfires, hits her, she dies and we are free of her.   

Oh, I know.  Another fake death.  Remember Liz died once, only she wasn’t dead.  

Edited June 24, 2021 by SunnyBeBe

[Surrealist]

We know Reddington isn't going to die anyway. I keep thinking Liz will wind up dead, but I don't think the writers will pull that plug.

They greenlit the ninth season a while back.

[SunnyBeBe]

Liz is causing Red to whine too much and it’s not becoming. 

[HollyG]

Jerks!

[Surrealist]

I'll admit, Liz's life flashing before her eyes, as she was dying, was sad. Megan Boone did a nice job in that scene.

The end clip of Katarina holding her as a kid, while Red was holding her basically ended that storyline. The audience knows, but Liz died before getting official confirmation via Red's letter.

 

Edited June 24, 2021 by Surrealist

[Suzysite]

Zero answers.   Stupid show.

[SunnyBeBe]

I’m not convinced Liz is dead.  🤷‍♀️

[Brian Cronin]

I knew they wouldn't tell us for sure (it's more of a series finale thing), but I didn't think they'd fucking KILL LIZ. That's harsh. 

[KittenPokerCheater]

I bet Liz isn't All Dead and she'll show up in some for the series finale.  Does anyone know who it was that shot her?

[Surrealist]

1 minute ago, Brian Cronin said:

I knew they wouldn't tell us for sure (it's more of a series finale thing), but I didn't think they'd fucking KILL LIZ. That's harsh. 

Since we don't know the particulars behind why Megan Boone decided to leave, or if the showrunners kind of forced her out, killing her off makes sense. They're not wanting the actress to return.

[Brian Cronin]

1 minute ago, KittenPokerCheater said:

I bet Liz isn't All Dead and she'll show up in some for the series finale.  Does anyone know who it was that shot her?

With shows like this, I half expect Tom to show up alive next season. 😄

Edited June 24, 2021 by Brian Cronin

[Surrealist]

4 minutes ago, KittenPokerCheater said:

I bet Liz isn't All Dead and she'll show up in some for the series finale.  Does anyone know who it was that shot her?

Townsend's main henchman, Vandyke.

2 minutes ago, Brian Cronin said:

With shows like this, I half expect Tom to show up alive next season. 😄

I had been expecting them to show us Tom isn't really dead for some time.

Ryan Eggold is on New Amsterdam, but I'm not sure how well that series is doing. I haven't watched it.

Edited June 24, 2021 by Surrealist

[Brian Cronin]

1 minute ago, Surrealist said:

Ryan Eggold is on New Amsterdam, but I'm not sure how well that series is doing. I haven't watched it.

It was renewed through Season 5 after Season 2, so yeah, he's too busy, but it'd still be funny. Maybe Mr. Kaplan can show up alive, too. 😆

[KittenPokerCheater]

Tom was dreamy.    

/sigh

[Danielg342]

Well...they tried.

They tried...and they failed.

I mean, nice feint at the end where some mystery man shot Liz and it didn't turn out to be Red doing it to Liz, like I thought would be happen...and the scene of Liz's life flashing before her eyes was actually sad and moving, so credit there.

...but...

Who wants to bet that the mystery guy was the plan all along by Red? That's how this show goes.

Not that I really care to find out. The drama of who controls Red's empire is really a dull one. A storyline of "avenging Lizzie" is also one that's really not at all intriguing either.

It just really boils down to what I said about the last episode:

Why do I care about this stuff?

The Blacklist has failed to answer that basic question in the seven plus seasons it has ran and it's now finished eight seasons without resolving that issue.

So I still don't know who James Spader is actually playing. So what?

Ultron could be the one actually acting out those scenes and it wouldn't make a lick of difference.

I just have no reason to care about Red/N-13/Ilya Kozlov/SpaderBot 3000 or whatever that character is actually named, and that's really what hampers this show.

Just like there was hardly any reason to care about Liz. Or Harry. Or Ressler. Or Aram. Or Park.

Or Tom way back when.

After eight seasons, The Blacklist still has no real purpose or meaning.

It's just a mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped up in a badly constructed puzzle.

One that I won't care to ever finish.

[Neiman]

When her life flashed before her, I realized I had forgotten about blonde Lizzie. I had to shield my eyes from that. 

We mourned Tom’s passing much more than Lizzie’s.

When she asked if Red was the one holding the camera in that childhood photo, that gave me hope that Red is not Katerina.

Part of me was waiting for Ressler to intervene and be the one Lizzie shot.

[Brian Cronin]

3 minutes ago, Neiman said:

When she asked if Red was the one holding the camera in that childhood photo, that gave me hope that Red is not Katerina.

When Liz asked if Red was holding the camera and he instead said that he was there, which obviously isn't what you say when someone asks if you were holding the camera, how does it not even OCCUR to Liz what the truth is? "I don't get it, you know my mother better than anyone? You won't tell me who you are until you're dead because I wouldn't kill you if I knew? Who could you be? Gee, I wonder..."

[Yokosmom]

See, I thought that Ressler was going to shoot her. 

[Brian Cronin]

When all is said and done, Liz got killed by the lead henchman of a villain who only was involved in this story because LIz ACTIVELY BROUGHT THIS PSYCHO KILLER INTO HER LIFE to help her hunt down Red. 

So, well, play stupid games, win stupid prizes, Liz. 

[Surrealist]

9 minutes ago, Yokosmom said:

See, I thought that Ressler was going to shoot her. 

Now that would have been a twist ending.

[Bulldog]

Well, they didn't come right out and say it, but the juxtaposition of Katerina and Red in the final scene made it seem fairly obvious that they were one and the same.  I honestly thought that Liz's final vision would be Katerina morphing into Red.  I'll admit I never paid much attention to all the internet chatter thru the years that supported the theory, but I'm convinced now.  Of course, with Boone leaving, and Liz presumably dead, I don't know why they didn't just come out and make the big reveal.  If they are saving it for later, it simply won't have the same impact without Liz to react to it (never thought I'd type those words).  Honestly, with Liz being gone, Red's identity basically becomes a moot point.  

[Cardie1]

Liz and Tom are both dead and not coming back, IMO.  With Liz dead, the urgency of learning Red’s identity is gone, so they can string us along forever.  But I thought that the way Liz’s montage was edited implied that at the very end she realized Red was Katarina.

So, will Agnes go live with Pinky?

 

[Brian Cronin]

1 minute ago, Bulldog said:

Well, they didn't come right out and say it, but the juxtaposition of Katerina and Red in the final scene made it seem fairly obvious that they were one and the same.  I honestly thought that Liz's final vision would be Katerina morphing into Red.  I'll admit I never paid much attention to all the internet chatter thru the years that supported the theory, but I'm convinced now.  Of course, with Boone leaving, and Liz presumably dead, I don't know why they didn't just come out and make the big reveal.  If they are saving it for later, it simply won't have the same impact without Liz to react to it (never thought I'd type those words).  Honestly, with Liz being gone, Red's identity basically becomes a moot point.  

I think with Liz dead, Agnes becomes the new character he has to protect, so it's still kept a secret until the series finale, just with Agnes being the one he can't tell his true connection to. 

And yes, after this, "Under his protection" doesn't have a whole lot of meaning, but still...

[Utpe]

Good riddance to Megan Boone.  No more wooden acting.

[mxc90]

My man Van Dyke for the fucking WIN!!!!!! The Season 8 MVP we NEED! This man did what Red and other bums couldn't do. You have my deepest gratitude and respect sir! #JusticeforAnne!

Hallelujah this season is over!!! Felt like it was 80 episodes! Another season of this? Good Grief! To binge this season should be considered an Olympic event.

Megan Boone. I would say thanks for the memories but I refuse to lie on the internet. 

In honor of Townsend, Dembe should have put a boxing glove on his severed hand for old times sake!

No sadness from Red for all his employees that were killed at the epicenter? 

There were a few "Agent Keen" mentioned. These assholes just couldn't resist! Give it up!

I'm sure Cooper will petition Panabaker to have a plaque made in Liz's honor displayed at FBI headquarters! Hope she slaps Cooper and takes away his brandy!

Harold is a "Wise" counselor to Liz? Red must be really sick!!!!

Red to Dembe: "What I've got won't go away, it takes a pause, regroups and comes back stronger". Those were probably the same words pitched to the NBC executives to renew for a 9th season and those fools bought it.

Liz is no Russian princess! Stop filling Agnes with lies Red/Pinky.

So Liz and all her people died after stealing Red's money and now no one can access the bank accounts. Good job Red!

Liz drove to pick up Cooper like he was a hooker. Cooper knows she is wanted fugitive and will not honor his sworn duty to arrest her. 

Was that the same hospital Liz tried to blow up?

Ressler in bed was hoping Liz would give him a "handy".

Why is not Dembe considered to take over?  

Beth Ryker doesn't keep up with current events to know Liz is a fugitive? Now she's dead, shame Beth will go believing she's a hero.
What was the point of Liz wearing the cap. Beth spotted her in 2 seconds. She did a better job than the US Marshals and other law authorities supposedly looking for Liz.

For people coming after Liz, Red and she had no problem walking freely in the park.
So was the plan to  have Liz pose for a picture standing over Red's dead body with one foot on his chest (Captain Morgan style) and proclaim to the reporter she is in control of the organization? Seems like a dumb plan, as Red can have a Blacklister fake his death and then hide away on some island to live the remainder of his life.

Can't properly end the season without having Ressler run and show up late for the save. Surprised the the nurse didn't catch him. Ressler thought he was going to have a heroic moment and came up short once again. The TV gods hate you! Retire now Ressler! Hope to not see you next season. Park you can go back to Alaska too!

Edited June 25, 2021 by mxc90

[paigow]

4 minutes ago, mxc90 said:

My man Van Dyke for the fucking WIN!!!!!! The Season 8 MVP we NEED!

But not the one we DESERVE...

[buttersister]

I didn’t know Megan was leaving to imagine my delight when the thing I’ve wanted for all these seasons, happened!

Edited June 24, 2021 by buttersister

[crowsworks]

1 hour ago, Brian Cronin said:

It was renewed through Season 5 after Season 2, so yeah, he's too busy, but it'd still be funny. Maybe Mr. Kaplan can show up alive, too. 😆

Maybe Tom's mom - Spymaster Jean Gray - will show up. (Blacklist Redemption - Tom's spinoff)

55 minutes ago, Danielg342 said:

Well...they tried.

T

I like Ressler and Red

[anthonyd46]

More non answers like usual. I see a lot of people on twitter just are jumping to assumptions he must be the mother and while that's obviously not out of the question I think there is still other alternatives. 

Basically why withhold the identity at this point if she is dead? I guess the life lesson here is that Liz got way too far in over her head and aligned with the wrong person to get answers. 

So I'm going to assume we either start season 9 with her funeral or her character is sent for medical treatment and we get sporadic updates (similar to most of this season where shes mentioned, but not seen) until they decide to end this show and she returns for the series finale and finds out the truth.

I guess Red is going to "protect" Agnes now. Will there be a time jump possibly? 

Anyway I don't think the answers are as black and white as some think they are, because if they were why withhold them and not just reveal them here. 

Another 4-5 months until this continues. Since 10 is a nice round number I feel like 9 isn't the last season either.

[Brian Cronin]

24 minutes ago, anthonyd46 said:

Anyway I don't think the answers are as black and white as some think they are, because if they were why withhold them and not just reveal them here. 

It's just a hallmark of these shows built around a central mystery. They never reveal them until the end of the series. I agree that it is stupid, but it is what it is. 

There's at least a chance that they keep Liz in a coma or put her into hiding or give her plastic surgery or some stupid shit like that, so that at least the reveal will still have a LITTLE meaning when they finally come to it. Honestly, though, I could also see Harold's deep voice giving the reveal a bit of gravitas, as well, if Liz is definitely dead. "YOU'RE Katarina Rostava." (but just imagine in that deep voice of his). 

[milkyaqua]

Can't add much to what's already been said.

Liz is dead (probably?).  Her life flashing before her eyes was one of her better scenes.  Also, her having second thoughts about killing Red?  Really, Liz?  You've been trying to kill him for at least a couple seasons now.  Nothing like him dangling that letter in front of you like a carrot.

I'm guessing Red was her dad but I've never cared so, eh.  I never expected an answer because I don't think Bokenkamp and company know what the ending would be (like pretty much all these shows who set-up these big mythologies and then fumble the ending).

Her coworkers are all like she's a good person and couldn't possibly take over Red's criminal enterprise.  Were they not paying attention to all the folks who died while she was on her crusade?  They all need to put down all the chemical altering substances they've been partaking in.

She gets taken out by Townsend's man (and yes the irony about how that all came to pass, serves her right).  Wasn't he in the bunker with them?  Argh!  Ressler showing up a day late and a dollar short wasn't surprising and yes, I thought he'd shoot Liz as well.  And why are they in the open when she's got a burn notice on her (the park, the hospital, at Pascual's)?  No one from any law enforcement agency is on the look out for her?  What the heck?

And yes, why not just do a deep fake out?  Surely Red could have done that especially since he and Red had arranged for his body to not wind up in any hospital/morgue.  The "body" would just disappear and all the criminal world is to believe that and not question whether the whole thing was a fake out or not?

I hope for next season they quickly get past this (I'd be fine if they didn't mention Liz at all) and reset the show and stop with the big mysteries that no one probably really cares all that much about (at least I don't).

[rr2911]

35 minutes ago, milkyaqua said:

 

She gets taken out by Townsend's man (and yes the irony about how that all came to pass, serves her right).  Wasn't he in the bunker with them?  Argh!  Ressler showing up a day late and a dollar short wasn't surprising and yes, I thought he'd shoot Liz as well.  And why are they in the open when she's got a burn notice on her (the park, the hospital, at Pascual's)?  No one from any law enforcement agency is on the look out for her?  What the heck?

 

Townsend's henchman was someplace else and wasn't in the bunker!

[rr2911]

Well what a waste of time and a load of crap!  Even though in the final scene of Liz dying, you do get the feeling that the producers are telling us that Red is Katerina. However, I really don't think that anymore. I think Red was the man Katerina married, and Red (Spader) was actually Liz's real father.  The show is just stretching things until the series finale.

 

I actually thought Red was going to convince Liz to have plastic surgery to change her appearance and move away safely. After of course Red reveals that he is her "father"!

 

 

 

 

Edited June 24, 2021 by rr2911

[Danielg342]

3 hours ago, crowsworks said:

I like Ressler and Red

I actually like the characters on this show. Pretty much all of them. It's why I stuck with the show for so long after it debuted.

However, there's a difference between "liking" and "caring". You can like a character but not find the story they're in to be very interesting. Therefore, it's easy to lose the investment you made in the character, because the story they're given isn't one that you find it worth investing in.

Which I think is The Blacklist's ultimate problem. Beyond that initial phase where you grow to like the characters, there's not much there to hook you in and keep watching those characters, especially for the long haul. They're all kind of just "there", going through the motions of whatever that episode's particular plot calls for them to do and that's just not sustainable long term.

I grant this is all subjective, but watching tonight, I'm not sure the characters have really grown since I first started seeing them in S1. Worse, I feel that the questions that fueled the show in S1 haven't moved past their initial point, and we've completed eight seasons already. Sure, we've found out a lot of things, but they haven't advanced the initial storyline all that much.

I mean, mysterious people were hunting Red and Liz all the way back in S1, and Liz has been asking the same questions- "who are these people and who are you, Red?"- for eight years now. It's well past the point where we should have some concrete answers to those questions.

There's only so much dragging out until I, well, check out...and I have. Which is a shame because, if this show were better written, it really could have been a special show.

Instead, I'm left wondering what could have been.

[Dowel Jones]

Poor Dembe.  Another season of driving Red around and doing all the scut work, when he could be hanging out at the horse track or a football game.

Poor Ressler.  Looks like he's never getting laid again.

Why didn't Liz's flashbacks at least show the dogs?

What was the significance of the episode title?

[Danielg342]

13 minutes ago, Dowel Jones said:

What was the significance of the episode title?

"Nacahlo" is Russian for "The Beginning".

"Konets", conversely, means "The End".

[tv echo]

What an awful episode...

Liz committed a lot of crimes and enabled the commission of a lot of crimes. Yet Red, Cooper, Ressler and Aram were all about how Liz is a good person (criminal or not) and must be protected at all costs.

It was not believable that Liz hated Red for so long and then suddenly forgave him and was holding hands with him in the park, especially given that he still refused to tell her his real identity (unless she committed cold-blooded murder).

It was also not believable that Liz was able to walk around so freely without being picked up by any law enforcement, given she was on the FBI's most wanted list.

And what a crap plan, Red! So his solution was to have Liz kill him for real, thus leaving her with the guilt of having murdered someone she loved in cold blood (maybe even her own mother). And Red's supposed to love Liz?

I don't know why, but I was really expecting them to reveal Red's true identity. Considering last episode, I shouldn't have been surprised that they're still keeping that secret.

Liz's death was also a surprise. But again, it shouldn't have been. During Liz's flashback death montage, I was most touched by the shots of her late husband, Tom (played by the much-missed Ryan Egold).

I guess I also shouldn't be surprised that they didn't give Liz a happy send-off. Instead, they killed a female character, whose death will fuel the male lead's storyline next season. Now Red will have both the continuing mystery of his real identity (I'm not convinced that he's Katarina, could be a red herring) and his journey of grief and vengeance (against Townsend's associates and other Blacklisters?) - and continuing to work with the FBI Team. We know that Red's not dying because NBC keeps renewing this show and because Dembe said that his condition was improving.

Edited June 24, 2021 by tv echo

[paigow]

47 minutes ago, tv echo said:

And what a crap plan, Red! So his solution was to have Liz kill him for real

Liz: How could you expect me to kill you?

Red: Because you have tried so many times and failed, I need to make it easy for you-  dumbass!!

[SunnyBeBe]

I suppose that Liz’s flashback should have been touching, but for me it just seemed like more manipulation.  I was more than ready for her to move on.  I lost interest in how Red was related to her long ago, because I don’t think the writers know. They have painted themselves into a corner trying to be clever and have ended up with nonsense.  Spader deserves better, but he’s the one who signed up for the silliness.  

Edited June 24, 2021 by SunnyBeBe