S10.E02: The Whaler

[ottoDbusdriver]

Episode Descripton: 

The Task Force works to infiltrate a high-stakes poker game tied to Wujing with the help of new team member Siya Malik; Red and Cooper have opposing tactics when Agnes is bullied at school.

Air Date: Mar 5/23

[ottoDbusdriver]

The Whaler gets # 165.

They were playing fast and loose with travel times this episode. Not sure why they insist on putting destinations in Australia which is a 20 hour flight (even with a private jet) from DC -- Monaco would have been more believable.  Because they were given 48 hours to get to Sydney, but first Red had to stop by that theater to arrange for Siya to play in that poker game "to get noticed" (a game that coincidentally happened within hours of Red's visit), then Siya had to actually play the poker game, and then The Whaler had to arrange the private flight to Sydney after the poker game.

And then, while the poker game in Sydney was in progress, Reddington magically flies to Australia.

Oh no !! Agnes is getting bullied by a kid at school -- so Reddington takes it upon himself to buy off the father of the bully to leave town, setting up conflict between Cooper and Reddington.  Honestly, who cares ?  

Ressler has no grasp of the what the word 'subtle' means -- he's supposed to be Siya's "guest" but is blatantly taking pictures of the other guests. That's not suspicious at all. No wonder he was tied up and beaten.

Siya gets repeated warnings from Ressler not to trust Reddington.  I think once was enough.

All to get Reddington in the same room with Wujing -- so Reddington can take Wujing's money at cards.
All of which doesn't end well for The Whaler as it is implied that Wujing kills her (we don't actually see The Whaler begin killed so who knows for sure).

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

 

[paigow]

Ressler returned to his normal useless state after flashing some competence during the firefight last week...

Before Nigel laid a hand on him, Ressler gave up their real identities... Instead of saying We work for Reddington 

[milkyaqua]

I pretty much gave up on respecting timelines when it comes to TV shows/movies.  It's always eyeroll inducing.

Red having Agnes' bully's family transferred was standard Red.  Like Cooper said, he should have kept out of it.  Agnes has to figure these things out herself and how she wants to handle it.

Yes, Ressler was back to his usual Ressler self, sigh.  He can be such a shmuck.  Glad Siya was able to help him out.

So Red wanted Wujing to know he knows what he's up to?  Alrighty then. 

[paigow]

2 hours ago, milkyaqua said:

Red having Agnes' bully's family transferred was standard Red.  Like Cooper said, he should have kept out of it.  Agnes has to figure these things out herself and how she wants to handle it.

Objectively speaking, Agnes has no soccer aptitude. If that was a team practice and not a Phys Ed class, Red clearly blackmailed the Coach...

[Msample]

So the casino screens for weapons but lets people in with cellphones in a room where players probably treasure privacy among other things ?

[paigow]

6 hours ago, Msample said:

So the casino screens for weapons but lets people in with cellphones in a room where players probably treasure privacy among other things ?

Privacy does not exist in a casino... Almost everything you do there is recorded. Cellphones are never prohibited,; however, there are restrictions on where and how they are used.

[rr2911]

I don't think Siya can be trusted.  She believes Red is responsible for her mom's death.  Maybe Siya's plan is to ruin or kill Red, but learns Red wasn't responsible for her mom's death and the importance of the Task Force.  She'll learn to like the members of the TF

[Msample]

10 hours ago, paigow said:

Privacy does not exist in a casino... Almost everything you do there is recorded. Cellphones are never prohibited,; however, there are restrictions on where and how they are used.

In a public casino, sure. But in a private one like this catering to this sort of clientele I’d think they’d be more strict.

[NeenerNeener]

I miss Aram.

[Surrealist]

6 hours ago, rr2911 said:

I don't think Siya can be trusted.  She believes Red is responsible for her mom's death.  Maybe Siya's plan is to ruin or kill Red, but learns Red wasn't responsible for her mom's death and the importance of the Task Force.  She'll learn to like the members of the TF

I was thinking the same. That Siya has it out for Red.

[paigow]

4 hours ago, Surrealist said:

I was thinking the same. That Siya has it out for Red.

What is the over / Under for Ressler hitting on her? 2 episodes? 3?

[Surrealist]

5 hours ago, paigow said:

What is the over / Under for Ressler hitting on her? 2 episodes? 3?

I'm shooting for Episode 4.

[dwmarch]

18 hours ago, Surrealist said:

I was thinking the same. That Siya has it out for Red.

This show does love a traitor in plain sight reveal and since Red doesn't have a crew right now, the traitor must be on the Task Force. While everyone will eventually have their own reason(s) for betraying Red, Siya's is the most obvious.

14 hours ago, paigow said:

What is the over / Under for Ressler hitting on her? 2 episodes? 3?

I would not be surprised to find that Ressler is one of those dude-bros who thinks the way to hit on a woman is by insulting her so that would mean he was doing it in this episode.

The weird thing that jumped out at me was a moment where Red appeared to be hitting on Ressler by giving him a compliment that wasn't wrapped in snark while they were getting fitted for the casino infiltration. I don't recall exactly what he said but I do remember waiting for a punchline and being surprised when it did not come.

For the bullying sub-plot I think it would have been more interesting if Red had pretended to be a guidance counsellor and interviewed the bully to find out what her deal was. Maybe she's just a passionate animal rights activist and she knows who Agnes' mom is and what she has done.

Edited March 8, 2023 by dwmarch

[paigow]

8 hours ago, dwmarch said:

Maybe she's just a passionate animal rights activist and she knows who Agnes' mom is and what she has done.

Then the bully would be way ahead of the writers....

[paigow]

On 3/6/2023 at 7:17 AM, ottoDbusdriver said:

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

Maybe Malik 2.0 will find them...

 

[CaptainE]

On 3/7/2023 at 11:35 AM, Surrealist said:

I was thinking the same. That Siya has it out for Red.

If that’s the case, the task force will kill her because red must be protected at all costs, even when he murders, tortures, etc.  It has become so tiresome.  The purpose of the task force is now to grow his empire and keep him alive.  If a few crooks get wasted or arrested in the process, somehow that is all that matters.  Please end this garbage.