S04.E19: Dr. Bogdan Krilov

[MostlyC]

Quote

Red sets the task force on the trail of a blacklister who has the tools to manipulate memories; Ressler receives a new lead on the disappearance of Justice Department official Reven Wright.

[DrScottie]

So the plot for Hans' abduction was basically the movie Fargo. Hire two crazy people to kidnap someone to exhort a ransom out of their father and blood was shed.  Except in this case, it wasn't really about the money. 

[crowsworks]

Puh-leeze tell me Enrico...CIRay isn't going to be a regular. Buy the man a neck brace AND some acting lessons. Wow. Terrible acting - almost unwatchable.

[Princess Lucky]

Someone tell me why I shouldn't be rooting for Mr. Kaplan. This episode especially made me root for her 100%. Am I supposed to cheer when she inevitably meets her demise? That's going to be the season-ending plot development that's supposed to satisfy me as a viewer, after a long and less than satisfying season? Eh.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Out of the gate, I'm offended that they used Supertramp as the background music -- I don't want their songs tainted by an association with this show.

Oh come on -- Lizzie carries around her rent check with her while on a case.  Why not ? It makes about as much sense as anything else on this case.
And we get another example of Lizzie's mad manual dexterity skills -- that no one remembers she is supposed to have or cares about.

Now this is just lazy and shows that the producers are truly phoning it in -- the first train that they show Red to be on is 3 cars long and is mostly silver, the 2nd train they show Red to be on is 9+ cars long and is entirely red.  Red didn't change trains because he was seated in the same car and the same conductor was working on it.  

Since when do flashbangs throw people across the room ?  That's not what they are designed to do -- ergo, the name.  And wouldn't head trauma mess with any memory implant process.

Mr. Kaplan's plan all along was to setup Ressler to kill NSA Hitchens -- really ?  How is that part of Kaplan's plan to get back at Reddington exactly ?

Ressler is what's best about this country -- except for that whole painkiller addiction phase.

Julian Gale needs to exit this show ASAP -- he's even more annoying than Lizzie.

So Ressler just took Det. Elijah Bell's word over the phone -- didn't check to see if he was an actual detective first.  This was just plain stupid on so many levels, and makes Ressler look like a complete idiot.  And if Ressler wasn't a complete idiot none of Kaplan's plot would have gone anywhere.  The writers are just so bad on this show.

 

[TheGreenWave]

4 hours ago, Princess Lucky said:

Someone tell me why I shouldn't be rooting for Mr. Kaplan. This episode especially made me root for her 100%. Am I supposed to cheer when she inevitably meets her demise? That's going to be the season-ending plot development that's supposed to satisfy me as a viewer, after a long and less than satisfying season? Eh.

1000% this.  Probably due to outstanding acting by Susan Blommaert, I am totally in her corner as well.  I am enjoying Kaplan systematically destroying Red and doing it with such precision and coolness -- I find myself saying, F*CK YEAH! every time she takes a little piece away from him.

 

3 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

And we get another example of Lizzie's mad manual dexterity skills -- that no one remembers she is supposed to have or cares about.

Not only that, what was up with Samar's fawning all over Liz about how she is so "tough"???  What was Samar saying, oh I thought you were "pink" and whatever?  Sorry writers, no matter how many times you try to paint Liz as some bad ass with skillz, it just doesn't work.  Also, if I hear Liz say "You're lying" one more freaking time!  Ugh.  No, Liz, you idiot, they are NOT lying to you...haven't you figured that out yet??!?  HE wasn't lying, RED was lying.  Yes, Red had him wipe out your brain two years ago (by the way, does anyone remember what happened two years ago to be wiped out?  I'm too lazy to Wiki the episodes to look) - RED HAS ALWAYS BEEN USING YOU!

 

3 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

Julian Gale needs to exit this show ASAP -- he's even more annoying than Lizzie.

Definitely not enjoying this guy's acting choices, but I am glad that Gale's purpose with calling Liz was to get her to come down and look at the bodies...not that he actually needed her help.  And he knew about the task force (which makes Ressler's beating-around-the-bush look dumb)...and I'm hoping that he is working with Kaplan.

[Chaos Theory]

5 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

 

Mr. Kaplan's plan all along was to setup Ressler to kill NSA Hitchens -- really ?  How is that part of Kaplan's plan to get back at Reddington exactly ?

Ressler is what's best about this country -- except for that whole painkiller addiction phase.
 

Despite Hitchens being a murdering murderer she does keep the BlackList as a blackops units.  If Ressler murdered her who knows who would replace her.  Also there would be an investigation and if some ELSE from the unit killed a high ranking official Red's government protection would be definitively at risk. 

And yes despite his pain medication addiction I would count Ressler as one of the more honest people in the unit.  People make mistakes that doesn't make them horrible people.  The merit of a man is how they respond to their mistakes.  Ressler ultimately asked for help.

Also Ressler ultimately chased down a friend that couldn't have been easy for him.

Edited May 5, 2017 by Chaos Theory

[milkyaqua]

I don't know if I'm supposed to be scared or amused by how easily Ressler was to brainwash.

Anyway, yes, Lizzie, Red is lying to you.  That's what he does but you keep taking him at his word.

I liked Enrique Murciano on Without A Trace, but his Gale character can leave anytime.  At least he wasn't doing his Horatio Caine impression this epi.

Red has a guy working inside another criminal organization for 25 years?  Really?  Okay show.

And oh, next week Red and Mr. Kaplan team up to find an in jeopardy Liz...  Can't they just let the Blacklister have her and be done with it?

Edited May 5, 2017 by milkyaqua

[Dowel Jones]

During Ressler's scene with Hitchens in her car, they make a specific point of showing him leaving an object (cellphone?) underneath the seat as he exits the car.  Was this a memory inserted by Dr. Krilov, or did he actually have the conversation and plant a tracker on her car?  Neither came up in the rest of the show.

[orza]

17 minutes ago, Dowel Jones said:

During Ressler's scene with Hitchens in her car, they make a specific point of showing him leaving an object (cellphone?) underneath the seat as he exits the car.  Was this a memory inserted by Dr. Krilov, or did he actually have the conversation and plant a tracker on her car?  Neither came up in the rest of the show.

It did come up. The conversation with Hitchens and leaving the phone in her car was an implanted memory. Unconscious Ressler was then put in the car parked in front of Hitchens's house. He woke up to see the computer screen showing the location of his phone at her house and "remembered" driving to the house while following the GPS signal from his phone.

[paigow]

Agent Gale talks like John Turturro ... If Captain Dathon from TNG episode Darmok was recapping this episode it would be:  Geordi- when the Romulans hacked his visor...

[VinceW]

2 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

During Ressler's scene with Hitchens in her car, they make a specific point of showing him leaving an object (cellphone?) underneath the seat as he exits the car.  Was this a memory inserted by Dr. Krilov, or did he actually have the conversation and plant a tracker on her car?  Neither came up in the rest of the show.

The disposal of the device was part of the memory implant regimen. Otherwise, the scene with Hitchens in the car pulling up randomly at the witness house made no sense. If Ressler did complete the mission and kill Hitchens, he could have used the device to prove that he was setup and it could be used in his defense.  Liz confronted Hitchens afterwards in her home as if her guilt over Wright was well known by the entire group.  

Edited May 5, 2017 by VinceW

[TigerLynx]

While I am enjoying watching Mr. Kaplan destroy Red's criminal empire, I still have the same question I've had from the very beginning.  What is the point of Lizzie?  They have to save Lizzie.  They have to protect Lizzie.  They have to have Lizzie's memories erased.  And so on and so forth.  I would much rather watch Mr. Kaplan ruin Red, and then move on to ruining some other criminal enterprise.  It's way more entertaining.

[calipiano81]

I enjoyed how jam packed this episode was and how it tied in so many aspects from all four seasons of the show.

Even if you don't like Red, "Red does not lie to Liz" is an established principle of this show and BL writers and producers have reiterated this on social media and various interviews over the years. He withholds a lot of information from Liz (and she knows he does) and chooses his words carefully, but he does not tell her non-truths. 

Therefore, when Red said he did not hire Dr. Krilov two years ago and only used him once when Liz was a child, I believe him. Even moreso since he didn't try to evade the question or change the subject like he has done in the past. 

Furthermore, Dr. Krilov told Liz that "a mutual acquaintance" hired him two years ago and indicated it was a male, but he never said Red hired him. Some people think it could be Cooper.

Edited May 6, 2017 by calipiano81

[calipiano81]

6 hours ago, TigerLynx said:

While I am enjoying watching Mr. Kaplan destroy Red's criminal empire, I still have the same question I've had from the very beginning.  What is the point of Lizzie?  They have to save Lizzie.  They have to protect Lizzie.  They have to have Lizzie's memories erased.  And so on and so forth.

One thing struck me...Dr. Krilov called Liz "princess." Back in Season 2, Luther Braxton also referred to Liz as "princess." Could she be heir to some important lineage that needs protecting?

[VinceW]

23 hours ago, calipiano81 said:

One thing struck me...Dr. Krilov called Liz "princess." Back in Season 2, Luther Braxton also referred to Liz as "princess." Could she be heir to some important lineage that needs protecting?

Good sleuthing.  It seems likely that the "princess" reference by him is important to the story rather than just spoken because he worked on her memory at such an early age. It still depends on the real identity of the person Liz killed during the house fire. Viewers were never told how the mother found the child at that house. Red was there when it happened. Maybe Red is protecting her because she is in line for some kind of succession in the Russian criminal world or even government.

Edited May 7, 2017 by VinceW

[mandigirl]

7 hours ago, TigerLynx said:

While I am enjoying watching Mr. Kaplan destroy Red's criminal empire, I still have the same question I've had from the very beginning.  What is the point of Lizzie?  They have to save Lizzie.  They have to protect Lizzie.  They have to have Lizzie's memories erased.  And so on and so forth.

This. 100 times this. We were just told that Red became a traitor and a criminal, built a massive criminal enterprise, abandoned his own wife and daughter (on Christmas Eve right?) all to protect Liz.  That's... A LOT. The reason for that has to be equally weighty, and I'm just not sure if that reason will make sense. They've already massively retconned Mr. Kaplan's relationship with Liz. I don't care because Mr. Kaplan is awesome, but I hope they are moving (quickly) towards some answers. calipiano81's theory is as good as any other. Liz being the 'special snowflake' gets more outrageous by the episode. 

13 hours ago, TheGreenWave said:

Not only that, what was up with Samar's fawning all over Liz about how she is so "tough"???  What was Samar saying, oh I thought you were "pink" and whatever?  Sorry writers, no matter how many times you try to paint Liz as some bad ass with skillz, it just doesn't work. 

Ugh, thank you! I was going to say much the same thing. Mostly, I have no problem with Liz. But when they have other characters lay it on so thick "Wow, look! She's a BADASS", I can't stand it.  I see they're making Liz the damsel in distress yet again next week. As usual, Liz's characterization is all over the place. 

[Dowel Jones]

So, if Liz had memories implanted, suggested, or whatever, does this mean, possibly, that the dog never existed?

[paigow]

8 hours ago, calipiano81 said:

Furthermore, Dr. Krilov told Liz that "a mutual acquaintance" hired him two years ago and indicated it was a male

Tom Keen ?????

[ottoDbusdriver]

20 hours ago, milkyaqua said:

Red has a guy working inside another criminal organization for 25 years?  Really?  Okay show.

Talk about planning ahead.  Somehow seems unlikely.

6 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

So, if Liz had memories implanted, suggested, or whatever, does this mean, possibly, that the dog never existed?

Yet another episode with no sign of the dogs (plural -- Tom and Liz have had 2 dogs that have both disappeared) and no sign of Agnes either (I don't even think Agnes was mentioned).  Does Red have Agnes stashed away in the SHU (to borrow a phrase from Orange is the New Black) for her own protection  after last episode's incident with Mr. Kaplan ?

[Chaos Theory]

21 minutes ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

Talk about planning ahead.  Somehow seems unlikely.

Yet another episode with no sign of the dogs (plural -- Tom and Liz have had 2 dogs that have both disappeared) and no sign of Agnes either (I don't even think Agnes was mentioned).  Does Red have Agnes stashed away in the SHU (to borrow a phrase from Orange is the New Black) for her own protection  after last episode's incident with Mr. Kaplan ?

This is why I don't like animals in shows unless they are required for the show to function. It's cute that Liz has dogs but ultimately irrelevant.

[saber5055]

Dowel, your theory that the dogs were memory implants made me snort through my nose. Best comment ever. Meanwhile, this episode made me HATE Red, I now cannot stand Spader even, and I hate Lizzie even more than I hated her before this episode. I want Mr. Kaplan to murder Red, then just shoot Lizzie point blank ala Indiana Jones and that sword-wielding villain. I laughed that the flash-bang knocked big tough Ressler unconscious yet the woman in the room with him was unphased. And I guess I'm the only one who likes Agent Gail. I'm on his team 100 percent. Take down the stupid task force, including Lizzie and Samar, partner back up with Donald, and "accidentally" kill Red while Mr. Kaplan makes a clean getaway. That's how I'd write this show from here out.

[ottoDbusdriver]

1 hour ago, saber5055 said:

Dowel, your theory that the dogs were memory implants made me snort through my nose. Best comment ever. Meanwhile, this episode made me HATE Red, I now cannot stand Spader even, and I hate Lizzie even more than I hated her before this episode. I want Mr. Kaplan to murder Red, then just shoot Lizzie point blank ala Indiana Jones and that sword-wielding villain. I laughed that the flash-bang knocked big tough Ressler unconscious yet the woman in the room with him was unphased. And I guess I'm the only one who likes Agent Gail. I'm on his team 100 percent. Take down the stupid task force, including Lizzie and Samar, partner back up with Donald, and "accidentally" kill Red while Mr. Kaplan makes a clean getaway. That's how I'd write this show from here out.

I completely missed the fact that the "witness" went completely unscathed from the flashbang.  Did a quick rewind and she barely flinched from the flashbang.

Here's the problem with this part of Mr. Kaplan's plan -- what if Lizzie or maybe Samar went with Ressler to visit this "witness".  It entirely relied on Ressler being there alone -- it's not like they would kill Lizzie though, but might kill Samar just because they might have heard rumors that she was being a beyotch to Aram.

I still can't get over the fact that they used stock video clips of 2 completely different trains with the exact same conductor -- and tried to pass it off as if they were the same train. Because Red was sitting in the same cabin in both segments.

On that list of identified bodies on the tablet Dembe gave Red (while riding the train):

-- Diane Fowler -- killed by Red in S1E13 "The Cyprus Agency"
-- Geoff Perl -- killed by Red in S2E6 "The Mombasa Cartel"
-- Alistair Pitt -- killed by Red in S3E13 "Alistair Pitt"
-- Milos Kirchoff -- killed by Red in S2E8 "The Decembrist"
-- Tiger Branson -- no idea who this is
-- Lou Capote -- no idea who this is
-- Hans van Hauser -- no idea who this is
-- Junior Wallace -- no idea who this is
-- Everett Oldfield -- apparently the dead guy in the wall at the motel

Tiger, Lou and Junior were all guys that Ressler tried to turn before they ended up dead (that's what he told Gale last episode) -- but no specifics what their connections to Red were.

The sad part is that this show is so unmemorable that I can't for the life of my remember who the Cyprus Agency or the Decembrist were -- kind of remember the Mombasa Cartel only because the plot was so ridiculous.

[paigow]

7 minutes ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

I can't for the life of my remember who the Cyprus Agency or the Decembrist were 

Dembe probably feels the same....

[atlantaloves]

Well, I stopped watching this show last year because I was sick of Red always having to save the precious snowflake...however a friend begged me to give the last couple of episodes a try because of the wonderful Mr. Kaplan. All I can say is, WOW....I love this woman, and want her to live forever and kill Red. Yeah, I said it. Has this show been renewed, inquiring minds need to know???? Help. Thanks. 

[VinceW]

9 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

On that list of identified bodies on the tablet Dembe gave Red (while riding the train):

-- Diane Fowler -- killed by Red in S1E13 "The Cyprus Agency"
-- Geoff Perl -- killed by Red in S2E6 "The Mombasa Cartel"
-- Alistair Pitt -- killed by Red in S3E13 "Alistair Pitt"
-- Milos Kirchoff -- killed by Red in S2E8 "The Decembrist"
-- Tiger Branson -- no idea who this is
-- Lou Capote -- no idea who this is
-- Hans Von Hauser -- no idea who this is
-- Junior Wallace -- no idea who this is
-- Everett Oldfield -- apparently the dead guy in the wall at the motel

Tiger, Lou and Junior were all guys that Ressler tried to turn before they ended up dead (that's what he told Gale last episode) -- but no specifics what their connections to Red were.
 

Hans was the son of Verner Von Hauser, the weapons dealer and smuggler. The son was kidnapped under Red's direction as a ruse in order to set up a working alliance with the criminal father, but the son was killed by the captors hired by Reddington.

Edited May 7, 2017 by VinceW

[saber5055]

Otto, you must have been the only viewer who cared enough to pay attention to what train Red was on, and noticed that he teleported from one to the other. And I'm all for the idea for someone shooting Samar for being a beyotch to Aram. Anyone, feel free to do this. Then, shoot Lizzie and Red. Dembe doesn't have any friends exceot BFF Red, but I could see Mr. Kaplan giving him a place to live. Then they could open Red's paper-bag-wrapped gift to Dembe together.

And good on that one guy for being on TWO payrolls at once. Smart move on his part. His off-shore account must be staggering, getting payola from two of the world's richest bad guys.

[calipiano81]

I am still Team Red.

I was very disheartened when Red chose to shoot Mr.Kaplan at the beginning of the season, but the way Kaplan is acting now, I am over it. I don't necessarily hate Kate either, but she knew and understood the risk when she decided to fake Liz's death. I agree with Marvin Gerard that when Kate managed to escape death, she should have just disappeared and started a fresh life. If/when Red catches up to her now, he will definitely make sure he doesn't miss.

I also hated that Red had to kill Werner von Hauser this episode, but in this case, I understand the reasoning. If Red didn't kill Werner, Werner would find a way to kill him. Red felt remorse over it, but that's the way criminals have to survive in that world.

Edited May 6, 2017 by calipiano81

[ottoDbusdriver]

1 hour ago, VinceW said:

Hans was the son of Werner Von Hauser, the weapons dealer and smuggler. The son was kidnapped under Red's direction as a ruse in order to set up a working alliance with the criminal father, but the son was killed by the captors hired by Reddington.

Thanks @Vincew -- I must have nodded off during that part, I didn't even pay attention to the fact that that guy's last name was van Hauser.  My bad.  :)

36 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

Otto, you must have been the only viewer who cared enough to pay attention to what train Red was on, and noticed that he teleported from one to the other. And I'm all for the idea for someone shooting Samar for being a beyotch to Aram. Anyone, feel free to do this. Then, shoot Lizzie and Red. Dembe doesn't have any friends exceot BFF Red, but I could see Mr. Kaplan giving him a place to live. Then they could open Red's paper-bag-wrapped gift to Dembe together.

Count me on board for that show -- it's gotta be better than this one.  As discussed many times before, even just ditching Lizzie would be a huge improvement.

[mandigirl]

49 minutes ago, calipiano81 said:

I was very disheartened when Red chose to shoot Mr.Kaplan at the beginning of the season, but the way Kaplan is acting now, I am over it. I don't necessarily hate Kate either, but she knew and understood the risk when she decided to fake Liz's death.

I think it was a mistake for Red to have shot Mr. Kaplan. Yes, she knew the risks, but I think she over-estimated Red's loyalty to her. She clearly had dirt on him that could have saved her, but she never brought it up before Red took her for that long drive into the woods.  I am on board for whatever revenge scenario Mr. Kaplan wants to play out since after decades of helping Red, he shot her like a sick dog in a pasture.

The fact that Mr. Kaplan dismantling Red's empire has less to do with her justifiably being pissed off, and someway, somehow has to do with freakin' Liz is extremely frustrating. Is nothing on this show about anything other than Liz? Heck, maybe Samar and Aram are getting together so Liz and Tom will have a double date partner. 

[VinceW]

14 hours ago, iheartET said:

1) The Mr. Kaplan vs Red war is getting boring. And Mr. Kaplan is acting so immature right now.

2)Why did Red .kill the priest guy? That was a shock and unexpected.

3) Gale and Liz would make a cute couple. I saw some chem there.

Red did not kill a priest. The man he shot and killed was his criminal business partner Verner Von Hauser. Things went sideways between them after the man discovered from Mr. Kaplan that Red was behind the fake ransom kidnap of his son who died while under captivity.  Red never told him the truth about what happened.

Edited May 7, 2017 by VinceW

[calipiano81]

8 hours ago, mandigirl said:

I think it was a mistake for Red to have shot Mr. Kaplan. Yes, she knew the risks, but I think she over-estimated Red's loyalty to her. She clearly had dirt on him that could have saved her, but she never brought it up before Red took her for that long drive into the woods.  I am on board for whatever revenge scenario Mr. Kaplan wants to play out since after decades of helping Red, he shot her like a sick dog in a pasture.

At the time, I also thought it was a mistake for Red to shoot Kaplan. But everything she is doing now is exactly why Red felt he had to eliminate her -- if they were ever at odds, this is the kind of havoc she is capable of creating. And while I understand Kaplan's side as well and get her motivations for what she's doing...by not going away quietly and proving how wrong and unnecessary it was for Red to try and kill her, that she could still be trusted even though they had different ideas on protecting Liz, she is now proving that Red's actual mistake was not checking to make sure she was dead.

Edited May 7, 2017 by calipiano81

[paigow]

Mr Kaplan has been merciful lately - leaving Marvin, his sister and the guy from the bar alive. Therefore, Dembe has a good chance of surviving if Kaplan wins the war. 

[Princess Lucky]

I used to love Red, but this season he's giving me House vibes. As in, he's a total asshole but we're expected to root for him because he's played by a great actor and he's the lead of the show. That's the only reason we're supposed to be on his side (Lord knows he's done nothing to earn my sympathy lately). Meanwhile, Mr. Kaplan is also played by a great actress, and as a character she has a motivation I can get behind. She did not deserve what she got, and she's been far more merciful than Red, and she's nowhere near as villainous and murderous, so I'm on her side. I want her to kill Red. I'd also settle for her sparing his life and letting him know he is only alive because of her, but we know Red would murder her one second later, because loyalty means nothing to him unless he benefits from it, so that's out. And he can't really get incarcerated, not on this show. So death it is. And I'm going to be very sad when it's Mr. Kaplan who bites it. I already don't like Red, and when he kills her that'll be irredeemable, in my eyes. Dare I hope for a last-minute twist?

That said, I agree with this:

On 6/5/2017 at 6:44 AM, calipiano81 said:

Furthermore, Dr. Krilov told Liz that "a mutual acquaintance" hired him two years ago and indicated it was a male, but he never said Red hired him. Some people think it could be Cooper.

I think it'll be Cooper too. Just for the twist.

As for Agnes and the dogs, truly, what was the point? They never should have written in Megan Boone's pregnancy. I have to admit it did give us some fun episodes (before the birth), and the fake death was a good plot, but now it's obvious just how extraneous a baby is to a show like this.

That said, Ryan Eggold did a twitter Q&A for Redemption and he was asked who's watching Agnes. His answer? Our dog. So there's a thought.

[Ottis]

This show has the amazing ability to ignore interesting paths and choose boring ones. Never cared about Lizzie. And I don't care about Kaplan vs. Red. 

And Agent Gayle  is annoying. He reminds me of a mix of Negan from TWD and old school comedian... Richard... can't think of his last name. Used to appear on Carson and Letterman. He wasn't funny. Gayle is too over the top. 

Edited May 7, 2017 by Ottis

[ottoDbusdriver]

4 hours ago, calipiano81 said:

At the time, I also thought it was a mistake for Red to shoot Kaplan. But everything she is doing now is exactly why Red felt he had to eliminate her -- if they were ever at odds, this is the kind of havoc she is capable of creating. And while I understand Kaplan's side as well and get her motivations for what she's doing...by not going away quietly and proving how wrong and unnecessary it was for Red to try and kill her, that she could still be trusted even though they had different ideas on protecting Liz, she is now proving that Red's actual mistake was not checking to make sure she was dead.

The really sad part is that this whole Mr. Kaplan near-execution/revenge on Red was the best the writers of this show could do -- and it kind of sucks because it comes off like they phoned it in or just put their name on scripts written by the interns.

And for good measure, it's even more underwhelming than the months of episodes that lead up to Berlin's confrontation with Red -- and then Red shot him and moved on. That was it.

[saber5055]

Calipiano said: "But everything she is doing now is exactly why Red felt he had to eliminate her -- if they were ever at odds, this is the kind of havoc she is capable of creating." Using that theory, then Red needs to shoot Dembe now, before he has a chance to turn on him.

[VinceW]

4 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

And for good measure, it's even more underwhelming than the months of episodes that lead up to Berlin's confrontation with Red -- and then Red shot him and moved on. That was it.

Exactly. This will end the same way. The same with Samar/Aram relationship. Nothing will happen because she won't let someone in her life who could make her happy.

Edited May 7, 2017 by VinceW

[calipiano81]

3 hours ago, saber5055 said:

Calipiano said: "But everything she is doing now is exactly why Red felt he had to eliminate her -- if they were ever at odds, this is the kind of havoc she is capable of creating." Using that theory, then Red needs to shoot Dembe now, before he has a chance to turn on him.

Unlike Kaplan, Dembe hasn't done anything yet that Red views as betrayal. Unfortunately, I think if he ever did, Red would deal with him the same way. The only person he would spare for going against him is Liz.

[calipiano81]

6 hours ago, Princess Lucky said:

I used to love Red, but this season he's giving me House vibes. As in, he's a total asshole but we're expected to root for him because he's played by a great actor and he's the lead of the show. That's the only reason we're supposed to be on his side (Lord knows he's done nothing to earn my sympathy lately). 

Red does asshole-y things, but I don't think he is an asshole. As he said a few episodes ago, he actually hates violence. He feels remorse and regret for the horrible things he does, but he has to do them to survive in his criminal world. And the reason why he is in the criminal world has everything to do with Liz, which we are waiting for the show to fully explain.

Edited May 7, 2017 by calipiano81

[Princess Lucky]

44 minutes ago, calipiano81 said:

Red does asshole-y things, but I don't think he is an asshole. As he said a few episodes ago, he actually hates violence. He feels remorse and regret for the horrible things he does, but he has to do them to survive in his criminal world. And the reason why he is in the criminal world has everything to do with Liz, which we are waiting for the show to fully explain.

That's a good in-show explanation, but as a viewer, if I subscribe to that theory (that in the criminal world it's "kill or be killed"), then why shouldn't I root for another criminal (in this case, Mr. Kaplan) to kill Red, so she herself is not killed? Why should Red be the criminal who always kills others? Let somebody kill him. The only reason that doesn't happen, is that Spader is the lead. It makes no sense. Red has a huge weakness (Liz) and yet no one has managed to kill him by using his love for her.

That's the case on most tv shows, of course, the leads survive because otherwise there'd be no show, but with most other shows I actually want the leads to survive. I felt the same about Red, I wanted him to win against all the previous "major" villains (most of whom have been underwhelming) and the FBI itself (because they're incompetent), but now that he's up against Mr. Kaplan, I just can't root for him. It's kill or be killed, he tried to kill her, he failed, and now it's her turn to kill him. She is amazing. If Red kills her, I'll just be disappointed (which is why I'm hoping for a twist).

[calipiano81]

1 hour ago, Princess Lucky said:

That's a good in-show explanation, but as a viewer, if I subscribe to that theory (that in the criminal world it's "kill or be killed"), then why shouldn't I root for another criminal (in this case, Mr. Kaplan) to kill Red, so she herself is not killed? Why should Red be the criminal who always kills others? Let somebody kill him. The only reason that doesn't happen, is that Spader is the lead. It makes no sense. Red has a huge weakness (Liz) and yet no one has managed to kill him by using his love for her.

That's the case on most tv shows, of course, the leads survive because otherwise there'd be no show, but with most other shows I actually want the leads to survive. I felt the same about Red, I wanted him to win against all the previous "major" villains (most of whom have been underwhelming) and the FBI itself (because they're incompetent), but now that he's up against Mr. Kaplan, I just can't root for him. It's kill or be killed, he tried to kill her, he failed, and now it's her turn to kill him. She is amazing. If Red kills her, I'll just be disappointed (which is why I'm hoping for a twist).

I get it. It is very understandable to be Team Kaplan and the show is counting on that to build up the hype of this Kaplan vs. Red war. 

I don't wish for Kaplan to die either, although it may come to that. It may not be Red who kills her, though.

[VinceW]

2 hours ago, iheartET said:

Oh I thought when Kap went to go visit and Red went to go see him, that it was at a church. My mistake, I could of been so sure it was a church. 

I noticed things going sideways when Red went to go visit him and all their were guards outside and then Verner wanted Red and Dem killed. I don't know why Red didn't try to make things right with the man on the phone.

Mr. Kaplan went to a warehouse location where Krilov does his memory implants. She asked to meet him for lunch to do business. Red found out from a photo that Mr. Kaplan had met with him at the restaurant. Red knew she was spilling the truth about the son after he found out she was going to meet Krilov in person. Red only agreed to meet him at his residence because he knew things between them were lost and Red had a mole inside Krilov's organization to protect him if things went sideways.  Even if Red had told him first about the son, I doubt things would have worked out between them.

Edited May 8, 2017 by VinceW

[calipiano81]

2 hours ago, iheartET said:

Oh I thought when Kap went to go visit and Red went to go see him, that it was at a church. My mistake, I could of been so sure it was a church. 

I noticed things going sideways when Red went to go visit him and all their were guards outside and then Verner wanted Red and Dem killed. I don't know why Red didn't try to make things right with the man on the phone.

Yeah, by that point, things couldn't be made right. Red just wanted to express remorse to Werner and then kill him personally.

[Mrs OldManBalls]

On 2017-05-05 at 5:54 AM, Princess Lucky said:

Someone tell me why I shouldn't be rooting for Mr. Kaplan. This episode especially made me root for her 100%. Am I supposed to cheer when she inevitably meets her demise? That's going to be the season-ending plot development that's supposed to satisfy me as a viewer, after a long and less than satisfying season? Eh.

I like Mr. Kaplan, and I'm rooting for her. I know Reddington has to win because it's his show, but I'm glad Mr. K is formidable and I'll miss the character very much. 

I'm super over Samar being a bitch to Aram. 

[saber5055]

Quote: "Red does asshole-y things, but I don't think he is an asshole. As he said a few episodes ago, he actually hates violence. He feels remorse and regret for the horrible things he does," I think after murdering more than 85 people (the bodies in the skating rink) there is no way he feels remorse or ANYTHING when he kills someone. He just does it with no more afterthought than putting on his shoes. He even smothered Lizzie's adoptive dad, and WTH was THAT for, so he wouldn't tell Liz she wasn't his bio child? So what, big deal. And speaking of, with all of Lizzie's Russian mother's associates, she couldn't find a better person, or couple, to take Liz than a grifter? And interesting that this ep Liz says her "dad" was a grifter. What does that have to do with anything? But I digress. I don't think Red is an asshole, he's just a total and completely unlikeable person who needs to be killed himself. Go Team Kaplan! And how funny would it be if Red's paper-wrapped gift to Dembe, the one he's suppose to open when Red is gone, is a bomb that will explode and kill Dembe, too. Then they an be BFFs forever through eternity!

[TheGreenWave]

8 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

And how funny would it be if Red's paper-wrapped gift to Dembe, the one he's suppose to open when Red is gone, is a bomb that will explode and kill Dembe, too. Then they an be BFFs forever through eternity!

I'm so glad I wasn't the only one that thought Red's "gift" would cause Dembe instant death.  But, of course, there would be some sort of off-shore account to take care of Dembe's daughter and grandchild, so that Liz and the taskforce folks wouldn't feel like total a$$holes for supporting Red this entire time (although I'm still disturbed that they seem to have no problem with Red trying to kill Kaplan).  I couldn't imagine it being an engraved shot glass or something....

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 5/5/2017 at 7:09 AM, ottoDbusdriver said:

Mr. Kaplan's plan all along was to setup Ressler to kill NSA Hitchens -- really ?  How is that part of Kaplan's plan to get back at Reddington exactly ?

I think Samar said that the Task Force had the chance to abandon Red and didn't, so now they are fair game.  Taking them out will expose Red even more.

Even if Ressler is cleared, I don't see how he can be trusted anymore.  Who else knows what was implanted in his brain., no matter what Krislov says.  Isn't that kind of the plot of The Manchurian Candidate?

On 5/5/2017 at 7:09 AM, ottoDbusdriver said:

Oh come on -- Lizzie carries around her rent check with her while on a case.  Why not ? It makes about as much sense as anything else on this case.

That was pretty funny.  I guess with Tom out of town, she has to do everything.

 

On 5/5/2017 at 11:04 AM, TheGreenWave said:

Definitely not enjoying this guy's acting choices, but I am glad that Gale's purpose with calling Liz was to get her to come down and look at the bodies...not that he actually needed her help.  And he knew about the task force (which makes Ressler's beating-around-the-bush look dumb)...and I'm hoping that he is working with Kaplan.

He needs to learn about personal space.  He was breathing on her.

On 5/6/2017 at 8:56 AM, ottoDbusdriver said:

On 5/5/2017 at 0:44 PM, milkyaqua said:

Red has a guy working inside another criminal organization for 25 years?  Really?  Okay show.

Talk about planning ahead.  Somehow seems unlikely.

He also had a long term mole in the Harem, but not nearly that long term.  How he was sure the guy would still be loyal to him?

On 5/7/2017 at 8:50 AM, paigow said:

Mr Kaplan has been merciful lately - leaving Marvin, his sister and the guy from the bar alive. Therefore, Dembe has a good chance of surviving if Kaplan wins the war. 

If Marvin hadn't convinced Red that he was not his poisoner, Red would have killed him, too as a result of Mr. Kaplan's plan.  I suppose it is accurate to say that she has not directly ordered people's deaths, but Ressler likely would have been shot, too, if he had succeeded in killing Hitchens.  She seems to be ok with collateral damage.

[NeverLate]

I used to love Mr Kaplan, now, sadly, not so much.

I'm totally in love with James Spader.

[calipiano81]

4 hours ago, saber5055 said:

He even smothered Lizzie's adoptive dad, and WTH was THAT for, so he wouldn't tell Liz she wasn't his bio child?

Sam actually consented to have Red smother him. He was in a lot of pain from his illness and wanted to be put out of his misery. Protecting the secret of Liz's father's identity was a result, but not the motivation. And when Red tells Liz about it later, he is on the verge of tears and says it was one of the most difficult things he's ever done in his life.