S02.E19: Regard a Mere Mad Rager

[thewhiteowl]

Quote

Jane and Weller go undercover on a high stakes scavenger hunt run by powerful hackers. Shepard goes to Thailand to procure a dangerous weapon.

[omgsowicked]

The "lady hacker" was yet another actor who was on The LA Complex! I think that's four now, I love it. (ETA: I looked at IMDB and there's been at least eight actors in common.) I also loved all the digs at Weller... whoever realized that goofing on him was a good idea gets a high five from me. Patterson imitating Weller's standard, "we don't have time for that," made me cackle. Back to the hacker, she reminded me of Rich Dotcom. I found her whiplash snark entertaining to watch but I'm sure it would become tiring if they brought her back a bunch of times like they do with Rich (though I did enjoy his most recent appearances). I enjoyed the hacker plot, minus the Weller/Jane of it all. I'm happy for the shippers but it's still a no from me. Weller/Allie is the only one of his pairings I got a whiff of chemistry from (mileage may vary, of course) and she's been shipped off to Colorado.

I was surprised that Shepherd got repeatedly nabbed, with the frozen bank account, not getting the explosives, and being jailed... but of course she won out in the end. Didn't even need the money, she got her shit for free. At least the FBI got the hacker documents so they're in safe(r) hands, and they got somewhat of a lead on the Truman Protocol. Follow the cogs? No clue. I'm very surprised that Shepherd wants Weller dead now. He was supposedly a big part of her plan. And why just him? The entire FBI team has access to the (redacted) protocol, and if anything Patterson should be on Shepherd's list as well, since she's more likely to crack it (plus the fact that they know she got rid of their tooth bug now). Is this because Weller's the male lead and therefore everything needs to center around him, or does this protocol specifically affect him in some way? I really hope they intend to explain his importance, both to the original plan and to the Truman Protocol, and why, after twenty-something years, he's now expendable.

Sad for Reade, that the tape revealed that he was molested. Glad he's taking time off to get help, although I'm not so sure about him having sessions with Dr. Sun. It would be too much if she was another mole or some other baddie but I still don't know if she's meant to be suspicious or if her cool attitude is just who she is. As for Zapata, I foolishly hoped that this would be the end of it but now her evidence tampering is coming back into play, so I'm sure Reade sending Freddie away will come back as well.

Missed Roman this week. I know it's likely about actor availability but I wish they had at least mentioned where he was.

Edited April 27, 2017 by omgsowicked
added another detail

[david gideon]

Maybe it's a case of video deja vu but this whole plot idea with a bunch of hackers assembled at a secret location to compete with the winner getting something seems awfully familiar. I'd swear some other show used this set-up not that long ago but my memory is vague enough I can't recall which one.

[dwmarch]

1 hour ago, omgsowicked said:

The "lady hacker" was yet another actor who was on The LA Complex! I think that's four now, I love it. I also loved all the digs at Weller... whoever realized that goofing on him was a good idea gets a high five from me. Patterson imitating Weller's standard, "we don't have time for that," made me cackle.

Jewel Staite is well known to fans of Firefly as Kaylee. Excellent to see her again and I am glad she survived.

Agreed on Weller being the butt of much mocking. Patterson was on point when she growled on his behalf. I am not sure if it was that moment or another one but I also remember Weller being surrounded by the ladies of the team and all of them are trying not to laugh. Plus a red suit of humiliation! Thank you writers! If Weller is going to have such a big stick up his ass it's great to see the other characters being merciless about it.

42 minutes ago, david gideon said:

Maybe it's a case of video deja vu but this whole plot idea with a bunch of hackers assembled at a secret location to compete with the winner getting something seems awfully familiar. I'd swear some other show used this set-up not that long ago but my memory is vague enough I can't recall which one.

If the scene you're remembering featured a hacker gal in red leather biker jacket and black leather mini, you saw this contest on The Blacklist. That episode aired a couple months ago just before the show took a long hiatus.

[twoods]

I like the actress who was the hacker so was glad she wasn't a cold blooded killer and had a heart. Maybe we will see her again.

My Jane/Weller heart was happy but I want a real kiss, damn it. I do like that Weller was made fun of (a lot). I hope Zapada gets out of whatever jam she got herself into because with Reade on leave and Nas gone, the team keeps shrinking.

I thought Shephard was going to lose for once.  She needs to die already. Roman was missed.

[paigow]

Weller: I can solve puzzles...

Patterson: *SNORT*

[saber5055]

This was an hour of some of the worst writing ever, IMO, except for this line: Shepard: "Weller must die." Me: "YEAY!" Then the preview voiceover said something that made me say "Yuck," but I've already blocked that from memory.

[MissLucas]

Patterson's snark on Shepard saved this episode. Hackerlady definitely took a leaf out of Rich Dotcom's playbook - she was entertaining to watch. Other than that: where was Roman?(As for actor availability - he never showed up on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D's AU-arc where people expected to see him - so where art thou Luke Mitchell?) Also: whoever does the vetting for the FBI's shrinks is either Sandstorm or just really crappy at their job, geez. And just when I thought we're done with one boring sub-plot another one turns up *sigh* What really bugged me about this is that Zapata was very well-written this episode. She was calm and competent, occasionally giggling at Weller and doing a great job working with Patterson. The character works without additional drama that nobody wants to see yet the writers keep doing this to her (and Reade) and I have no idea why.

[david gideon]

dwmarch - That must be it. I watch The Blacklist too so I'm sure I saw that. Both shows on the same network using the same plot idea within months of each other. As some wag once said, 'Imitation is the sincerest form of television.'

Edited April 28, 2017 by david gideon

[LisaM]

Shepherd is one hell of a one-person fighting force. 

No desire to see Zapata in jail so I'll likely skip the next episode or FF a lot. 

I missed Nas. 

[blackwing]

I loved this episode.  The scavenger hunt concept was so cool, even if I didn't fully understand the solution to some of the puzzles (particularly the Rubik's cube one).  I loved the "Escape Room"-like puzzle at the end with the keys, although I wish there were more actual clues like the one on the typewriter instead of just randomly picking up objects.

One thing I don't understand... the green team (the one that booked for the exit and technically won) was a team that was planted by Shephard's lackey, right?  Wasn't that who was standing behind him when he told Shephard that he had a team that couldn't get the info?  If that's the case, when Hacker Lady was talking about how somebody was a cop, why didn't Green Team just tell her that Weller and Jane were FBI?  Would have taken them out of the game, and possibly gotten them killed.

Also... I am clueless as to why Zapata is being arrested?  Because Shephard said so?  Or is there some other reason?

I continue to not care about Reade, at all.  More Roman.  Less Reade.  His storyline is thoroughly uninteresting to me.

[saber5055]

One remarkable thing this episode was learning Shepherd is an amazing parkou athlete. She has to be in her 50s since I figure Roman and Remy to be 30-something. Shepherd needs to go on American Ninja Warrior since on that show they call 40-year-old people "old." So much crummy writing IMO. My attitude will improve if Shepherd manages to kill Weller though.

Make that PARKOUR athlete. Geesh. I can't spell any better than this show's writers can write.

[MissLucas]

I was actually wondering in the scene with Shepherd hanging from the truck if Michelle Hurd was doing her own stuntwork - it really looked like her.

[thuganomics85]

Kaylee from Firefly has a badass hacker certain makes sense on this show.  She was pretty fun.  Always kind of surprised that Jewel Staite never seemed to take off after that show.  I seem to be seeing Nathan Fillion, Morena Baccarin, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, and even Adam Baldwin in various things, but I think the last time I've seen her was on an episode of Legends of Tomorrow, I think?  I wonder if she just has other things going on compared to the rest.

I swear, the scene where Patterson mocked Weller's common "We don't have time!" phrase was one of those moments where I really wasn't sure if that was scripted, or Ashely Johnson just did that on the spot.  Overall, I definitely noticed that Weller was used as the butt of a lot of jokes this go around, which I approve.

That poor Chinese guard was so doomed.  Even done in by a slow Internet connection!  But Shepherd is apparently a one person wrecking crew.  Not bad.  I wonder if this is leading a big Jane vs. Shepherd moment (assuming Jane isn't too banged up after her showdown with Ronda Rousey next week!)

Reade is finally getting help, but now he is questioning going back on the field?  What would he do, then?  I don't see him (or the show) wanting to keep him behind a desk, and I don't see him showing any computer skills, so I wonder what area he could go in.

Zapata gets arrested.  I guess because of the whole covering up Reade's crime, thing?

Edited April 30, 2017 by thuganomics85

[Dowel Jones]

Poor Chinese guard was done in by his own dumbassery.  You don't approach a violent prisoner face to face.  You make the prisoner sit down on the other side of the cell and then put the glass of water on the floor.  If you give them a glass of water at all.  That being said, she probably would have picked the lock with a bobby pin from her hair anyway.

[saber5055]

Thuganomics85, you made me remember why I said YUCK out loud during the preview voiceover: Ronda Rousey. Yuck. (Again.) And yeah, could that guard be any more of a dumbass. He needed to listen to himself when he told Shepherd to shut up.

[Trini]

I did like the hacker scavenger plot part of this; but now I'm wondering how things would have went if it was Weller and Patterson.

Yay! for Reade getting help; boo! for Zapata getting arrested. But we knew that was going to come back and bite her, anyway.

[Ceindreadh]

On 28/4/2017 at 5:21 PM, blackwing said:

I loved this episode.  The scavenger hunt concept was so cool, even if I didn't fully understand the solution to some of the puzzles (particularly the Rubik's cube one).  I loved the "Escape Room"-like puzzle at the end with the keys, although I wish there were more actual clues like the one on the typewriter instead of just randomly picking up objects.

One thing I don't understand... the green team (the one that booked for the exit and technically won) was a team that was planted by Shephard's lackey, right?  Wasn't that who was standing behind him when he told Shephard that he had a team that couldn't get the info?  If that's the case, when Hacker Lady was talking about how somebody was a cop, why didn't Green Team just tell her that Weller and Jane were FBI?  Would have taken them out of the game, and possibly gotten them killed.

Also... I am clueless as to why Zapata is being arrested?  Because Shephard said so?  Or is there some other reason?

I continue to not care about Reade, at all.  More Roman.  Less Reade.  His storyline is thoroughly uninteresting to me.

Re the green team. At that point they knew Shepherd wanted Weller alive. Narking on him to the hacker might have gotten him killed and with no guarantee that they'd still get the documents. (Hacker Lady being so capricious that she could easily give them to team #3)