S10.E11: The Man in the Hat

[paigow]

When Red is identified as a possible hostage during a deli robbery in Philadelphia, Dembe and Ressler take action; back in D.C., Senator Panabaker evaluates the task force's dealings with Red while Siya digs deeper into her mother's past.

Airdate: May 7 /23

[paigow]

Only Idiots Of The Highway could bungle a deli robbery... Ending up with Dog Day Afternoon 

[dwmarch]

Overall I liked this episode although I have to wonder who in the writers' room said "you know what we need? Remember how in Die Hard the FBI shows up at the hostage situation and they just fuck everything up? We should do a story from the point of view of those FBI agents!"

It seems as though the writers for this season are only referring to recaps of previous seasons and skipping over those pretty lightly. For example, a plot about DNA results and agonizing over whether or not to read them? We already did that with Liz. And now all of a sudden Main Justice is concerned with Reddington leaving dead bodies on the floor of the Post Office? Reddington leaves bodies behind everywhere he goes! He has killed plenty of people at the Post Office and various other "Federal facilities" and he has often done it in plain view of many Task Force members! But now for some reason they care? Actually, knowing what I know about bureaucracy, that part is kind of realistic so maybe... but still!

For the civilians at the end there, getting the bags of cash... did the husband and wife have to split one? Shouldn't they each get one? Also, can all these folks be counted on to spend their ill-gotten gains wisely? I would hope Red gave them some insight as to how to absorb a giant duffel bag full of money into one's life without attracting various kinds of unwanted attention. Remember, they do live in an area where well-armed, healthy-looking crackheads remember to cut the DSL connection before robbing a store!

I have been giving the side-eye to Siya this whole season but after this episode I'm curious about Herbie too. Did Reddington figure out that Siya is obviously there to get revenge on her mother's behalf so he has set things up to just pull that particular rug right out from under her? Hey, guess what kiddo... you were adopted! No need to get revenge! She wasn't your real mom! Speaking of adoption, are you by chance in the market for a couple of cats or any of several dogs?

Edited May 8, 2023 by dwmarch
rogue apostrophe

[paigow]

That was a very expensive pit stop for Red... A million bucks for some peanut chews that Agnes cannot bring to school...

41 minutes ago, dwmarch said:

Remember, they do live in an area where well-armed, healthy-looking crackheads remember to cut the DSL connection before robbing a store!

Kings Of The Highway

The Easttown SWAT team must have been busy hunting some married cousins on a crime spree...

Edited May 8, 2023 by paigow

[paigow]

Red is starting another long con halfway through the final season... WTF??!!

• Voluntarily burns his leverage over Panabaker
• Recruiting additional minions

[Neiman]

I figure Red has additional copies of that recording somewhere.

Two episodes in a row that were pretty good

[milkyaqua]

I don't understand the whole Siya is adopted storyline.  Why now and who cares?  Also, I call shenanigans on that instant DNA test.

Leave it to Red to convince folks to lie for him expecting a pay off.  I mean, the viewers knew he was good for it but I guess this folks were just going on faith or were really scared he'd bump them off.

As for Panabaker and the recording, yeah, Red probably has a copy but it does make you wonder what the heck he's up to for these last episodes.  And of course, he'd go off the beaten path to get a candy bar.

[Dowel Jones]

Best part of the episode is the exasperated Reddington changing the brim on his hat for  the fall guy.

Didn't Wujing and Co. head for the fake PO, where he met his fate?  If so, that is not federal property.  Sorry, Panabaker.

Dembe must have shed some brain cells when he joined up with the FBI.  Someone who worked with Reddington for so long would know his MO in a situation like that.

[paigow]

3 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

Didn't Wujing and Co. head for the fake PO, where he met his fate?  If so, that is not federal property.  Sorry, Panabaker.

Troll Farmer did escape from Fake!PostOffice; however, he gave Wujing the address of Real!PostOffice...

[ottoDbusdriver]

That was painful to watch -- painful enough to almost make me re-watch the Kings of the Highway episode again, for it's quality writing in comparison to this episode.

So much filler to pad out the episode total until the end of the series.

As mentioned upthread, I don't care about Siya's mommy/adoption issues, really didn't care about the crackhead, really didn't care about Panabaker and her trip to fireworks factory threat to go to the attorney general only for it to go nowhere, and I'm really starting not to give a damn about Herbie.

Ressler's investigation "skills" were just terrible.

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

[Dowel Jones]

56 minutes ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

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

Unfortunately, Reddington also erased any mention of them, too.

[rr2911]

My initial impression of Siya was that she joined the Task Force to seek revenge on Red and maybe that still is the case.  Now she finds out that she was adopted.  So what does all this have to do with Red or anything for that matter?  Red's business dealings included the whole world.  He came in contact with many women I'm sure.  Soooo, what if Red is Siya's father?  Ridiculous I know!  That is the only thing that I can think of as to why this storyline is playing out right now.  Siya obviouly won't replace Liz but maybe Red will end up with a daughter afterall.

[paigow]

3 hours ago, rr2911 said:

Now she finds out that she was adopted.  So what does all this have to do with Red or anything for that matter?  Soooo, what if Red is Siya's father? 

One theory is that Red was originally a female KGB operative (Katerina) who had an affair with O.G. Raymond Reddington. Subsequently, she gave birth to Liz and eventually became a man. Thus, it is possible that Katerina is also the birth mother of Siya.

[rr2911]

5 hours ago, paigow said:

One theory is that Red was originally a female KGB operative (Katerina) who had an affair with O.G. Raymond Reddington. Subsequently, she gave birth to Liz and eventually became a man. Thus, it is possible that Katerina is also the birth mother of Siya.

Yeah, of course I know that theory.  I guess I'm hoping it's not going to be Red is an old lady afterall...lol!  I'm going on the premise that Red is a man and has traveled the whole world with his "business".  He's always telling stories.  Perhaps when all is said and done, we will find out everything through one of his stories that Siya is his daughter.

[seacliffsal]

I really enjoyed this episode as it was something different IMO.  I don't really pay attention to any of the FBI task force and really don't care about Siya-adopted or not, were you loved?  Were you accepted as part of the family?  Loved Reddington taking charge of the hostage situation.

[paigow]

The trope of SWAT Leader demanding blueprints of the store never happened... so nobody found the giant trapdoor... How many times did Ressler walk over it????

[paigow]

What is the average life span of goats? More specifically, those raised in Warsaw Pact countries. Wondering if Belka should be added to the MIA animal list since the Green Shed was NOT Slaughterhouse Five