S02.E13: Name Not One Man

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

The team gets a major break in the Sandstorm case when they discover Shepherd's true identity...   and a decades-old connection between her and Weller.

 

[slf]

If this is a taste of what a Weller-led show would be like...no, thank you. Sullivan Stapleton's weird grit-mouthed line deliveries have bothered me more this season than they did last year, but, oy, this ep was like peak grunting. 

Also they've lost me with Shepherd. They did such a good job of making Sandstorm understandable, to the point where by the end of last season I was left wondering why Jane would even want to work with the US government. But they've taken Shepherd to some weird (creepy leg-rubbing) place where she just seems so...small.

Edited February 9, 2017 by slf

[djinn]

I don't know what - or even WHY - they are doing with Reade. It would have been much, much simpler to just leave his personal life totally out. Ugh.....

Roman and Jane/Remy were the best parts of this episode. But Roman is horribly underused.

[mandigirl]

2 hours ago, slf said:

But they've taken Shepherd to some weird (creepy leg-rubbing) place where she just seems so...small.

Seriously. I was coming on here to say something similar.  Shepherd was an intriguing and complicated character when introduced. Now she's just mwah-ha-ha-ing from the shadows and it sucks. I really couldn't care less why she was interested in Weller. She basically said she shoehorned him into her plan at the last minute so I'm fairly certain that whatever "twist" they have planned isn't going to be worth all this build-up.

Quote

But Roman is horribly underused.

Like for reals. They need to get wherever they're going with Roman now. Given how improbable it is for Jane to be working with them, I don't see why they can't get Roman to work with the team too. I'll fanwank whatever crazy plot device they use to get him part of the team, but right now, they've just got him on pause. I can't really see where they're going with the Roman character.

[omgsowicked]

Well, I'm glad they finally showed us the Shepherd/Weller connection but I can't say I understand any of it, particularly the part where Weller's so damn special he had to be singled out like this. She funded his education and directed him to New York for this big plan of hers because he hates injustice just like she does? And she thought she'd be able to bank on that moral righteousness but because he isn't willing (as he hadn't been brainwashed by her), she's framed him for murder to force him to work with her? "How many more people have to die, I'm doing the right thing, it's totally not terrorism when I do it!" She's such a tool at this point, I roll my eyes whenever she's on screen. I hope Weller will be smarter than Reade and Zapata have been and not try to hide the murder. "In another life, we could have been family." With the way she was rubbing his legs, now I'm wondering if she did anything to Roman (and/or Jane), especially considering Roman's comments about feeling something he couldn't describe for her. Yuck.

I was extremely excited to see Jonathan Patrick Moore's name in the opening credits*, as I have fond memories of him on The LA Complex. I didn't think we'd see him again after Jane ditched him on their first date, so I'm happy they went on another one... however, I'm worried he'll be used as bait and killed by Shepherd (because he's way too nice and smiley, which usually means they're going to Deadsville, plus Weller/Jane is likely still endgame so he's gotta go). Maybe he'll be yet another FBI asset instead. Wishful thinking. :P

* I was also extremely confused when I saw Marianne Jean-Baptiste's name but it was just a voicemail... I also saw Ukweli Roach in the credits but I don't recall seeing him in this episode.

Patterson fainting will likely be brushed off as her just not eating but I still think Shepherd bugged her and/or there's other lasting damage from being tortured.

Officially ignoring Reade's plot, what a disappointment. Also disappointed that we're going to see Rich Dot Com next week (nothing against the actor but I was really hoping not to see him for another season).

[dwmarch]

7 minutes ago, omgsowicked said:

Patterson fainting will likely be brushed off as her just not eating but I still think Shepherd bugged her and/or there's other lasting damage from being tortured.

Next week on Blindspot, the team investigates if Patterson's fainting spells are related to a tattoo on Jane's ass of Wilford Brimley and the ominous code "DIABEETUS". Will Patterson's commitment to healthy living keep her blood sugar between 4 and 7 or will a high-sugar, high-carb vending machine diet drop her yet again?

[BBG]

FTR, ANFO = ammonium nitrate fuel oil, no aluminum nitrate fuel oil (which is what Reade said).  

[Johnny Dollar]

Gotta give credit to Shepherd. Rising to the rank of major general in the US Army at the age of 30-ish, all while raising two rambunctious adopted terrorists in training (in South Africa no less) and developing a sophisticated terror network while still maintaining her military career. Who says you can't have it all?

Hey Weller.  Maybe your other agents wouldn't feel like they have to work their own off-the-books missions if you paid just a little bit of attention to them once in a while.  This show makes it seem like the NYC office of the FBI is manned by four people.  Donald gives Tiffany more attention.

ETA - I actually like the Rich Dotcom character. Anyone who tries to get that giant stick out of Weller's ass is OK in my book.

Edited February 9, 2017 by Johnny Dollar

[saber5055]

I am forced to watch this show with my brain turned off since I just can't with the Sheperd/Weller thing. And Weller is so special that she was his benefactor ... WTH? He's such a huge dick and totally not a "people person," which is needed to lead that team of misfit toys. My improvements to this show would be killing off Weller, having Jane and Roman take over the team, tell Reade what he does on his own time is his business, the audience doesn't care. And Jane's new boyfriend finds the implant in Patterson's head, extracts it, and Jane names her maid of honor when she marries skee-ball guy. Next season: Jane balances married life while she and Roman become FBI assassins!

[paigow]

Reade going to "fake-snort" coke??? Is there random drug testing at FBI offices? Are the GPS co-ordinates where she got the coke tattooed on Jane? Reade will bust the dealer network single handed and get transferred to DEA?

1 hour ago, Johnny Dollar said:

Hey Weller.  Maybe your other agents wouldn't feel like they have to work their own off-the-books missions if you paid just a little bit of attention to them once in a while.  This show makes it seem like the NYC office of the FBI is manned by four people.  Donald gives Tiffany more attention.

A lot of the others were killed by Sandstorm...Mulder & Scully [and Skinner] were always brought before the FBI disciplinary tribunal. Weller cannot summarily fire this agent without firing himself.

[Writing Wrongs]

Patterson's pregnant, right? That's the only reason women faint on tv.

[paigow]

When did Borden join "Doctors Without Condoms"?

7 hours ago, Johnny Dollar said:

Gotta give credit to Shepherd. Rising to the rank of major general in the US Army at the age of 30-ish, all while raising two rambunctious adopted terrorists in training (in South Africa no less) and developing a sophisticated terror network while still maintaining her military career. Who says you can't have it all?

 

CTU reports to the Secretary of Defense...What better place to learn about being a mole??

[KaveDweller]

Do we know what happened to Weller's mother? Because I can't think of any reason why Sheperd would be so obsessed with him when he was young if they are not doing some twist of them having a blood connection.

[thuganomics85]

So, the reason Shepherd took interest in Weller was because he snuck out of the Academy all the time?  And she apparently thought he had "moxy" or something because of it, so that's why he got included in her grand plan.  And she even shaped his entire career, pretty much?  That's kind of impressive.  I just wish she picked a more interesting agent then Mr. Buzzkill and his Stubble.

They're really going to make Reade a cokehead, now?  What the fuck, show?!

Tattoo of the week held no surprises.  Just your average domestic terror threat.  Sucks that the informant had to bite it though.

Only parts I care about now are Jane/Roman.  I'm at the point where I want both to abandon the FBI, and just do their own thing.

[Texasmom1970]

Only part of the episode I liked was seeing Weller get smacked in the face with the butt of the gun!

[paigow]

Hey! They killed the Bomb Squad guy from Lethal Weapon! [movies]

[MissLucas]

15 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

Do we know what happened to Weller's mother? Because I can't think of any reason why Sheperd would be so obsessed with him when he was young if they are not doing some twist of them having a blood connection.

I've already been down that road - timeline and her medical history rule her out as mother but I still think the glaring absence of Weller's mother will become significant at one point. I can't believe Shepherd's obsession with Weller comes down to her recognizing angry teenage Weller as soulmate.

I'm glad we got some explanation of the tie between Shepherd and Weller but I don't think that's all there is. As for the rest: Reade is being kept in the land of stupid sub-plots. Had to google Go-Gurt.... what can I say... Patterson you should know better. Roman and Jane remain the best part of the shows.

[romantic idiot]

Maybe older sister?

At this point the quality of an episode is directly proportional to the amount of J/R in it. This one was not good.

[Dowel Jones]

The entire sequence with Tess and the bomb van didn't make sense.   Anyone on the FBI should have been able to see that the detonator was not a deadman switch, and one head shot from behind would have taken her down before she could press the button.  But she gets out of the van and stands there challenging Weller and the rest of them, threatening to blow them up, which would have been what she was going to do anyway.  Now she goes down for murder and all the conspiracy adjuncts.

Jane didn't fight, wrestle, or kick box once this episode.  Not once.

[Bishop]

On 2/9/2017 at 0:51 AM, mandigirl said:

Like for reals. They need to get wherever they're going with Roman now. Given how improbable it is for Jane to be working with them, I don't see why they can't get Roman to work with the team too. I'll fanwank whatever crazy plot device they use to get him part of the team, but right now, they've just got him on pause. I can't really see where they're going with the Roman character.

I agree.  I don't care how they get Roman on the team - go as crazy as they need to - but get him on the team because he and Jane are the best parts of Blindspot.  I AM enjoying the show, and I'm glad that Weller has been extricated from the Nas/baby-mama drama.  I give some leeway to the writers to try and right the ship.  They know how badly they screwed up by ditching the first season premise of Weller working with Jane to uncover the clues and then gave him two women who have no business in the storylines.  The one really great thing about season two changes was the introduction of Roman.  I hate what they are doing with Reade and Zappata.  WHAT are they doing with Reade?  Now he's a coke-sniffing potential drug addict?  Zappata is a lovestruck partner? WTF?  

Basically, the show should now focus on Jane/Roman and Patterson and get Weller back on track (which seems to be happening).  At this point, I don't care abut Reade or Zappata, and that's sad.

Edited February 12, 2017 by Bishop

[LisaM]

The show would be greatly improved by having Weller killed in the line of duty and having someone else - anyone else - become the male lead. 

[John Potts]

When will TPTB learn that we just don't care about Stubbly*? I don't care how many people tell us that he's really important - you can't convince me he's a compelling character (or even a particularly admirable one). I don't care whether it's the FBI inexplicably promoting him or TerrorMommy weirdly trying to seduce him, he's just not interesting.

On ‎11‎/‎02‎/‎2017 at 2:08 AM, thuganomics85 said:

Tattoo of the week held no surprises.  Just your average domestic terror threat.  Sucks that the informant had to bite it though

His fate was sealed as soon as Stubbly took over the case!

On ‎09‎/‎02‎/‎2017 at 6:13 PM, Writing Wrongs said:

Patterson's pregnant, right? That's the only reason women faint on tv.

I was thinking that she was just going all fanatic "Must solve the tattoos!" trip since her capture & torture by Shepherd and had been skimping on food & sleep (which would be understandable) - but why go for what's sensible when you can go for the cliché?

* OK, some people may care about him, but I suspect they're a minority 

Edited February 20, 2017 by John Potts

[Beatriceblake]

I assumed Patterson fainted because she's Shepherd's leverage with Weller and she is residually sick from whatever Borden and Shepherd did to her while she was supposedly getting medical treatment from him for her gunshot wound.

Roman's existential crisis isn't a particularly compelling use of him. Although I did find it interesting that post-amnesia Jane's first instinct seems to be more towards saving/healing. She was the first run to run over to the Jarod the Wrongly Used Farmer. The flashbacks seem to suggest she was very manipulative and certainly capable of some pretty sociopathic behaviour.

Speaking of Shepherd, like most of the rest of you, I hate where they've taken the character. Her plan makes no discernable sense and has become far too elaborate. If she wanted to spark off a revolution it seems there would have been easier and cheaper ways to attempt it.

She's nearly as bad as Arnauld from The Invisible Man at this point.

Also Weller is such a crap boss. Who seems not to know what the NSA get up to if he was that shocked they were using illegal wiretaps. Not to mention that his unseen off-camera staff can apparently run their off books stuff for months without anyone noticing.

Edited February 17, 2017 by Beatriceblake

[Trini]

Finally catching up, and most of you all said it already, but I'd like to add to the chorus of WHAT are they doing with Reade?? and way to downgrade Shepherd to moustashe-twirler.   >:-(