S02.E01: Lord Baltimore

[GarnetGirl]

Lee Tergesen has got to be coming back - it doesn't make sense that they would get him for just those few scenes. Didn't he escape with a gun during the shootout?

[Chas411]

I'm so confused by this show. I can't remember but is Red's daughter dead or alive or do we know?

 

Agree about the episode being lacklustre. The spark was missing. Red was awesome but with a useless supporting cast the only unity I've ever seen is between him and Liz. They didn't get to interact much last night so it all just felt very divided.

[willow2tree]

And...it's back!  In all its insane, stupid glory.  Megan Boone still can't act worth a damn.  And yet, and yet...Spader.  And so I watch.

 

The Mossad randomly shoots up fancy hotels and kidnaps people, with no repercussions or real evidence.  And yet...Spader.

 

The FBI agents are by and large wholly ineffectual.  First agent is shot by sniper.  Second one just stands there and waits his turn.  The bad guys are not much better.  Let's tase the agents first, then we'll walk around and shoot them dead at our leisure!  But wait!  The little, dumb woman suddenly becomes superwoman and gets up!  And yet...Spader.

 

Drug storyline?  Check for Ressler.  Unfinished business storyline?  Check for Lennix.  Emo betrayal storyline?  Check for Keene.  And yet...Spader.

 

Why would Liz keep the last name?  Why does she (try to) cry all the time?  Why does she let Red get away with never really telling her anything, but if he does tell her something useful and related to safety issues, she's all, "Why?  I don't get it!".  Really obnoxiously obvious way to get the wig out of the way.  The way she was prancing into the office the next morning, and jumped around grinning like a seal when the boss came back, one would never know that a colleague had recently been murdered.  Or an innocent woman was in the hands of a madman intent on slowly torturing her to death.  Or that the danger for all of them continues to be imminent.  But still...Spader.

 

This show has not even a passing acquaintance with continuity, consistency, intelligence, coherence or good storytelling.  I wish the character of Liz would die and give Red some real angst.  I wish there was more Dembe, Ressler, Aram, Mr. Kaplan.  I wish the whole father storyline would die with Liz.  But I will stay, for now...Spader.

 

By the way, totally agree that they better bring back Lee Tergesen in a bigger role, or else that was criminal underuse of a great guest star.

[Julia]

I'm so confused by this show. I can't remember but is Red's daughter dead or alive or do we know?

They're being ambiguous about that to drag out the Lizzie daughter question. He says she is, but what his wife said suggested he/they might have a daughter in witness protection. Might not be the same daughter, if she is.

Why does she let Red get away with never really telling her anything, but if he does tell her something useful and related to safety issues, she's all, "Why? I don't get it!".

Ya know? Nope, I don't care if you just handed us the target of the international criminal who murdered the FBI agents and nearly killed my boss, and she's a protected witness, and the bad guys are way ahead of us. I don't tell anyone until we play 20 questions. Edited September 24, 2014 by Julia

[picklesprite]

I stopped watching last season, and now I'm kicking myself for not recording those eps and just FFing to every Spader scene. Seriously.

[NorCalNut]

Best things for me:

 

-The dog is back! (even if they couldn't get the right breed, at least they tried.) I always wondered what became of it.  I think, at this point, that Ressler could use a canine companion more than Lizzie.  Doggie should go live with Ressler and keep him calm and off the pills!

 

-Aram has more to do (love him.)  Glad he's playing a bigger part.

 

-Loved all of the music.  It makes each episode all the more fun to see what will pop up.

 

Worst things  about it:

 

-Ressler is going to pop pills? Really? He's a tough, principled man.  This seems out of character.  But, Diego will do it justice so that's a good thing.  I'm more worried about his anger issues.  He's got a lot churning around inside.  Hope he can get it all out.

 

-Berline is starting to annoy me.  Weird character, hard to understand, don't know if I care.  Just want him to die.

 

-Hope Tom is not stalking Liz.  Tom just needs to be gone with Berlin. Go away already.  Boring....

 

-Massod Agent Lady....meh....cliche and a poor replacement for Meera (WHY did she have to go?)

 

-Cooper is back...meh...who cares.....

 

What I really want to see:

 

-If they do go the druggie route with Ressler, I want him to go all Sons of Anarchy and get a ton of tattoos and ride a Harley around in his off time.  He can get an Audrey tattoo, and one of Mako Tanida's severed head and Lizzie as the Virgin Mary.  He could hide it all under his bad ass Hugo Boss suits.  But, the Harley part could work for me and others..just saying...He also needs to help LIz celebrate her divorce and her haircut.

Edited September 24, 2014 by NorCalNut

[Mrs OldManBalls]

If anyone was tailor-made for a potential Blacklister, it would be him.  That was just weird, unless he's going to be involved in this somehow.

 

I was very surprised they gave him such a small role. That guy can handle some stuff, seems like a waste. (However, they didn't do much with KR and MLP either)

 

-Aram has more to do (love him.)  Glad he's playing a bigger part.

 

He's the only one with a little bit of spark and humour in that entire office. 

[leisawoo]

No, not SOA, it's too nonsensical so far this season. Oh, wait this is The Blacklist...lol.

[DrLar]

Mmm so if the twins' mom could tell them apart even with the split personality issue, she could see that the "bad" twin was the one alive, but I guess she was on it hiding the dead twin in a freezer in the van.

 

So Ritter from BB and MLP from Weeds.. I'm guessing MLP will still be on a few more episodes, but I'm also hoping "Rowan" will escape or something.

[Literata]

 

-If they do go the druggie route with Ressler, I want him to go all Sons of Anarchy and get a ton of tattoos and ride a Harley around in his off time.  He can get an Audrey tattoo, and one of Mako Tanida's severed head and Lizzie as the Virgin Mary.  He could hide it all under his bad ass Hugo Boss suits.  But, the Harley part could work for me and others..just saying...He also needs to help LIz celebrate her divorce and her haircut.

Amen to all of this.

 

Did anyone else see Megan Boone on Fallon? Am I the only one who thinks her teeth look really prominent and strange? And she's also gotten pretty skinny. 

[Julia]

Mmm so if the twins' mom could tell them apart even with the split personality issue, she could see that the "bad" twin was the one alive, but I guess she was on it hiding the dead twin in a freezer in the van.

 

If the "bad" daughter was molested for that many years without the mother figuring it out or acknowledging it when she was told, she's probably pretty good at ignoring unpleasant things. 

 

Did anyone else see Megan Boone on Fallon? Am I the only one who thinks her teeth look really prominent and strange? And she's also gotten pretty skinny. 

 

Oh dear. The poor thing. I think sometimes I forget that it's not her fault she was given a job she's patently unable to do. It must be really dispiriting for her. She's trying way too hard. 

 

I was more impressed with that fight when I saw it on Leverage.

[AConspiracy]

The bad twin was brought out by the old song. But what woke up the good one after? The good one walked out after the kidnapping but I missed the trigger for her.

[Julia]

The bad twin was brought out by the old song. But what woke up the good one after? The good one walked out after the kidnapping but I missed the trigger for her.

 

I think henchman guy played the song for her again.

[Lorimac]

 Am I making that up because I was so focused on finding an Easter Egg? Has Lost ruined me forever for regular suspense shows??

In most other shows, you would be rewarded for your scrutiny, but the plotting on this show SUCKS SO BADLY, that I really doubt that there is a connection. Don't give up though!

[ottoDbusdriver]

The bad twin was brought out by the old song. But what woke up the good one after? The good one walked out after the kidnapping but I missed the trigger for her.

 

Maybe something like a little GWAR, or similar death metal (since she was in the process of killing people). </snark>

 

Yeah, they did kind of gloss over the transition back to normal twin -- was evil twin on a timer after she was cued by the old music ?  But that just seems too stupid (except maybe on this show).

[paigow]

I think henchman guy played the song for her again.

After he carried the turntable, speakers, amp and LP to the sniper nest.

[Julia]

After he carried the turntable, speakers, amp and LP to the sniper nest.

I think it's just inside the range of possibility that Lord Baltimore's henchman has worked out how to get a song onto his PDA. Possibly even the one Lizzie took with her into the interrogation room. I doubt the evil alter would even own a turntable.

It's something reasonable people can disagree politely about, I guess :)

[Calamity Jane]

Just among all the other things I am scratching my head about plot-wise -- the whole disociative identity disorder thing is quite possibly the most aggravating.  It's not like one can reliably bring someone in and out of a particular identity. Many mental health professionals don't believe it actually exists, anyway, and there is no set template of behaviors whatsoever.  This one just strained my brain too hard. Ever since Sybil came out, people seem to have accepted this premise without further examination.   But, as noted above -- Spader. So I'll watch and try not to think too much about these things.  :-)

[Medicine Crow]

I bailed on Criminal Minds when it got so graphic & it would appear we're heading that way with The Blacklist (finger in box).  Geez.  Can't these shows set up tension by just alluding to gore, rather than putting it on blast???

[DrLar]

Don't ever watch Hannibal then... 

 

I quite remember Ressler leg scene way back, very gory and now he's like he never got injured.

[Bort]

I bailed on Criminal Minds when it got so graphic & it would appear we're heading that way with The Blacklist (finger in box).  Geez.  Can't these shows set up tension by just alluding to gore, rather than putting it on blast???

We got lots of body parts in little boxes last year with Berlin's origin story, this is hardly being blasted by it.

[Medicine Crow]

We got lots of body parts in little boxes last year with Berlin's origin story, this is hardly being blasted by it.

Mercifully, I forgot about that.  I was so happy to see James Spader back on TV last year, I'd have tolerated anything, but now I'm getting a little more selective about what I watch & how it's going to impact my sleep.  LOL.

[Goodnight]

Only James Spader could keep me watching this shitty show. I seriously tried to pay attention to the plot (I usually zone out until I laugh at some Spader snark), but was still like "huh?" Why does Berlin blame Red for his daughter getting chopped up or whatever? I'm seriously asking.

Lizzie is still the worst.

[Ottis]

I think I've figured out how to watch Blacklist. View it as a modern Miami Vice, but with Spader. So when you get a fun opening with kids driving a Jeep with Red as hostage, and Hellfire missiles that explode like fireworks, and Red says he has three and launches two (so really, what does the pirate dude have to lose at that point by killing Red? One small missile doesn't seem to pose much of a threat), just enjoy the tunes and the imagery and don't think too hard about it.

[Roxie]

Did anyone but me think that "Lord Baltimore" was a reference to "Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid"?

[Happytobehere]

I liked the episode. I think some interesting premises have been set into play. Is MLP the wife that has always been referenced? Do her comments mean the daughter is alive. If so, where is she and who is she? Or is this an entirely different family? Did Red actually dismember Berlin's daughter? Did he contract it out? Does Berlin simply blame Red for some as yet unrevealed reason? What is Wrong with Henry? Is he dying? Does the wife reveal mean back-story leading up to his demise? Is the mysterious illness a red-herring and the wife will be the one who dies?

More Dembe please.

I still can't stand Lizzie.

As for Mary-Louise Parker, emaciation and excessive plastic surgery is not your friend in HD.

[Danielg342]

Okay, so I really don't know where to begin on this one. I kept on thinking numerous times during the show that everything seemed so stupid and pointless, and I join the chorus of people that say that if it wasn't for Red, I probably wouldn't be watching this show.

 

(Let me catch that...Aram is awesome, and, in regards to this episode, Mozhan Marno killed it even though she had little to do...she spoke very convincingly and did well with her posture to convey a sense of power...plus, I gotta say Marno in the little black tank top was an absolute bombshell.

 

...but I digress. On to my issues with the episode)

 

First things first- do I really believe that's "Berlin"? Some madman psychopath who takes ice baths in a dilapidated apartment, cackles incoherently and doesn't seem to understand that by mailing Red things, he's only counting down the hours before he gets caught? Not knocking Peter Stomare, because I think he was great, but the characterization of "Berlin" left me thinking that this guy doesn't have the nerves, intelligence or the patience to build a highly functional criminal empire powerful enough to take down Red. Something tells me that Stomare really isn't Berlin and is just a red herring- which would make my eyes roll but it would allow for a more "believable" Berlin to appear.

 

Second of all...speaking of eye rolling, how about Donald Ressler popping pills? Like we haven't seen that before. Or the characterization of "guy who appears tough on the outside but is vulnerable on the inside". I like Diego Klattenhoff's ability to sell it, but Ressler is a tired cliche.

 

Then we get to what seems to be the show's staple and the dunderheads who work at the FBI. As soon as I saw Rowan Mills load up the sniper rifle I knew the FBI guys were a goner because I wouldn't expect this show to contemplate that the real FBI would likely account for such an event. Of course, as is often the case with lazy writing, you can't have your central character (Red) look smart unless everyone else is dumb, and this episode fit that to a tee.

 

As for the whole wife story...I really don't get it. As others have said, we've never even heard of Red's wife before this episode yet we're somehow supposed to care about her, because the best the show can do with the character is write her as a "damsel in distress". Really, show? Can't you do better than that? It just furthers my belief that "Berlin" is too loony to be Berlin, because I'd like to think a criminal mastermind would know that having "someone to rescue" would eventually mean that you'll be tracked down (since it makes you that much more "urgent" a target), especially if you make constant mailings. I also think "evil guy who uses other man's wife as his plaything" is done to death, and better fits a "midseason" type villain than someone major like Berlin, who I expect to be better developed.

 

I mean, this all could work if the wife's capture is merely a ruse to draw out Red and Elizabeth Keene, and I bet the show is going that route anyway...but if it is, why not establish that anyway instead of making us wait for the inevitable?

 

Lastly, for the things that bugged me about the episode...you know, I hate to be shallow about this but that scene where Elizabeth Keene is walking around in her underwear took the cake, for a number of reasons. First of all, I hate putting down someone's appearance because it's subjective and is something they (largely) can't help, but I didn't look at Megan Boone and found her exceptionally attractive...I see her as merely "better than average". I grant that part of the reason was the scene was constructed in such a way that she'd have poor posture (sitting and looking at pictures hunched over on her bed really made her gut stick out), but, in that case, why not put clothes on Boone and use a different scene as the "sexy" scene? Furthermore, why was Keene scantily clad in the first place? I get that nakedness usually portrays vulnerability, but I don't think it was necessary- the empty bed, the long wistful looks at photographs and the bareness of the house should have done enough, as well as Boone's acting. Maybe if they kept the lingerie parts to when she's in the bed (allowing for more "sultry" shots) it would have been better but the scene as a whole didn't work.

[ToxicUnicorn]

This show is so utterly ridiculous and yet, there I was, watching it again.  The Power of The Spader.

 

Every word of your post, mrsdagliesh.

 

I was pleasantly surprised through the mess to see the supporting cast being marginally more interesting.  Aram showed a bit of enthusiasm.  Harry Lennix managed a couple of expressions.  Lizzy cut her hair.  Everyone's right: Ressler's story is beyond trite at this point, but I feel like he gets the most improved since the pilot award.

 

Loved the guest villains.  The triumphant return of the Director and the Justice League ending was ridiculous.  Maybe the show should go into camp, at this point.  We all know Spader can do that.  Next season: The Purplelist!

[PurpleTentacle]

Krysten Ritter and Mary-Louise Parker in the same episode? Man this show really is minor-star studded.

That depiction of DID was dumb and I hate it, but what can you expect from this show?

[PurpleTentacle]

On 9/23/2014 at 6:43 AM, mrsdalgliesh said:

The primary misstep of the show, for me, was highlighted when Harry Lennix's character (note that I can't immediately recall his name) arrived back at work.  The music swelled, people applauded, I think they even did a little slow-mow at their "the gang's all back together" moment.  Except the first season never truly established these characters as the kind of team that you would root for or care about.  You didn't sense any of that familial bonding that other shows, even really formulaic procedurals, manage with ease.   Nothing.  I blame (a) the writers; and (b) Megan "My wigs have more personality than I do and they're horrible" Boone.  (I'm sure she's a nice person and trying hard blah blah fishcakes...)

That's true. Blindspot is basically the same show, but there you feel the team being a cohesive unit half way through season 1. Here, not so much.

On 9/23/2014 at 2:23 PM, terrymct said:

Must be Red's first wife or a girlfriend before Mary-Louise Parker's character.   The two actresses seem too close in age, unless we're supposed to believe Red took a child bride.

Mary-Louise Parker is 58, James Spader 62. Four years is not that big of a difference. Megan Boone is 39, so she could have been born when her mother was 19 and her father 23.

Edited November 24, 2022 by PurpleTentacle