S05.E01: Smokey Putnum

[MostlyC]

Red, with his criminal empire in ruins, enlists Liz in an unlikely plan to earn cash and deliver a new Blacklister to the Task Force; Ressler finds himself in a precarious position.  Tom weighs his Options

[david gideon]

This was almost like a comedy episode: a Blacklist version of Midnight Run. Odd.

[CarolMK]

Loved that car he was driving in the opening scene. My husband said it was a 55 Corvette. I did enjoy it, seeing Liz and Red working together well was fun to watch. And seeing Tom at the end was great too.

But where is their baby? I can't remember her name. 

[HollyG]

Loved that they played "Don't you forget about me" by Simple Minds at the end when Red was dancing with Liz. It's so closely associated with John Hughes movies, one of which Spader was in (Pretty in Pink). 

[Surrealist]

53 minutes ago, CarolMK said:

But where is their baby? I can't remember her name. 

Agnes. ?

I enjoyed this episode. I look forward to seeing Red's new team in action. I'm also curious about that shit with Tom. It looked as if he was shot to death in the preview.

I thought Red was driving an Alfa Romeo in the opening scene. But my eyesight isn't the greatest and I wasn't sitting close to the TV. 

Edited September 28, 2017 by Surrealist

[dwmarch]

Well, that was alright I guess.

I was surprised to see Lizzie in some regular blue jeans at the beginning of the episode. Of course for the action parts she's in some black skinnies but I thought it was interesting that they switched up her look a slight bit.

Red doesn't have giant stashes of money hidden away, or dozens of small stashes? He has to resort to recruiting from the bail bonsdman's office?

I would have paid money for this scene:

Lizzie, after coming home: It smells like a dead body that's been stuffed in a suitcase in here!"

Tom, ever-quick on his feet: That Agnes, face of an angel and farts from Hell!

Edit: the writers of this show know how diabetes works. They had Cooper pretending to be pre-diabetic at one point and Lizzie solving a case by tracking an insulin pump. So in this show the Blacklister claims to have forgotten his insulin and as a result of this requires a shot of orange juice or a piece of pie (which we see him eating). Since we never saw this guy explaining how he had taken two shots of insulin when he only meant to take one, the condition this character is describing is hypoglycemia where the blood sugar goes dangerously low. Diabetes is the exact opposite, the blood sugar being too high and if that was the case that piece of pie would have killed him... painfully.

Edited September 28, 2017 by dwmarch
No I don't want cake... I'm diabetic!

[paigow]

Smokey: I need food

Red: You have a cold?

Smokey: I need sugar...I got diabetes

Red: Feed a cold, starve a fever...how about eating a bullet???

[mytmo]

11 hours ago, HollyG said:

Loved that they played "Don't you forget about me" by Simple Minds at the end when Red was dancing with Liz. It's so closely associated with John Hughes movies, one of which Spader was in (Pretty in Pink). 

Please oh please have Molly Ringwald make an appearance

Edited September 28, 2017 by mytmo
Can't spell when I'm excited

[Chaos Theory]

Honestly I liked it more then I thought I would.  I really hated last season and I expect the show to go off the rails really quickly but I like Red and Liz being happy together.  The show is at its best when they are off having crazy semi legal adventures together.

[Kelda Feegle]

Agnes is off looking after the dog.

This was fun.

Aram and Samar - meh.

Ressler - dickhead - how was that never going to bite you in the ass.

Liz - shirt in, shirt out, shirt in, shirt out - all in the same damn scene - that sort of continuity error drives me nuts.

[Doyounot]

I like that it was a more comedic episode red is hilarious! I hope they keep it light even when they are dealing with serious stuff. I died when red said please dont make me return the car!

Red did seem like he was having more fun then ever. I feel like they used music more than before, i mean they were always good at using it but this episode was the most i noticed it (they always have cool covers of songs). The father daughter dance at the end was nice using dont you forget about me (like others have said the spader john hughes connection was what i immediately thought of).

Keen seems alot happier this episode too i hope red doesnt fuck it up (tom doesnt want to either i guess but u just know its gonna shit on her day one day).

[edhopper]

12 hours ago, HollyG said:

Loved that they played "Don't you forget about me" by Simple Minds at the end when Red was dancing with Liz. It's so closely associated with John Hughes movies, one of which Spader was in (Pretty in Pink). 

The version they played was by Paul Stone. And the song was from Breakfast Club, a Hughes movie without Spader.

I like the poor, fun Red. Nice complicated plan (as always) to start the rebuild.

Red shooting Tom in the foreshadowing scene has to be a misdirect.

[milkyaqua]

6 hours ago, Kelda Feegle said:

Agnes is off looking after the dog.

This was fun.

Aram and Samar - meh.

Ressler - dickhead - how was that never going to bite you in the ass.

Liz - shirt in, shirt out, shirt in, shirt out - all in the same damn scene - that sort of continuity error drives me nuts.

This was my feeling as well.

My mom asked where was Agnes and I said, she was off with the dog somewhere...

I'm already tired of Aram and Samar.

And Ressler is and has been for a long time, a total twit.

Also show, was the audience just supposed to ignore the time differences?  Tom getting the bones and Ressler killing Hitchins juxtaposed against Red seemingly having been living in the motel for at least several weeks, wasn't supposed to be noticed?

Liz at least seemed to not have as big a stick up her butt as usual so that was good.  It's also going to be interesting to see Red rebuild his empire (please just don't let it all be done by November sweeps).

[Chaos Theory]

Just now, milkyaqua said:

This was my feeling as well.

My mom asked where was Agnes and I said, she was off with the dog somewhere...

 

I was playing on twitter while watching the show and my response was "With Tom  since his show got canceled."  Then Tom walked in the door and there went that theory.  

This is another show where i don't care about realism.  Red could fly on screan and it wouldn't faze me.  I just watch it for empty fun.  Plus I kinda like Red and Liz adventure hour.  It's always fun when they go on a semi-legal road trip.  

[cali1981]

I really enjoyed episode.  Even more than usual, James Spader dominated almost every scene with style and some good comic timing.  Loved how Tom slid the suitcase out of sight after Lizzie told him that Red was papa. It looks like Red's rebuilding his criminal empire with the help of Lizzie and the FBI while they try to dodge the Washington suits is going to be fun.

[Drusilla]

12 hours ago, milkyaqua said:

This was my feeling as well.

My mom asked where was Agnes and I said, she was off with the dog somewhere...

I'm already tired of Aram and Samar.

And Ressler is and has been for a long time, a total twit.

Also show, was the audience just supposed to ignore the time differences?  Tom getting the bones and Ressler killing Hitchins juxtaposed against Red seemingly having been living in the motel for at least several weeks, wasn't supposed to be noticed?

Liz at least seemed to not have as big a stick up her butt as usual so that was good.  It's also going to be interesting to see Red rebuild his empire (please just don't let it all be done by November sweeps).

I'm already tired of Liz.

I'm beyond tired of the whole Red Runs The Feds shit too. This used to be a crime drama, now it's like something from Syfy channel, and all that that implies.

[Chaos Theory]

11 hours ago, Drusilla said:

I'm already tired of Liz.

I'm beyond tired of the whole Red Runs The Feds shit too. This used to be a crime drama, now it's like something from Syfy channel, and all that that implies.

Well if it was from the SyFy Channel they would have cancelled it by now.   Besides SyFy does put out good stuff they just cancel it on a dime.

In this shows news.  I am one of the few who likes Liz and thinks the show does better with her in it.  I would rather get rid of Ressler and the FBI and just have Red and Liz try to rebuild Red's  empire.

I do wonder what Liz might have become if her parents had raised her.  A Russian spy for a mom and the Concierge of Crime for a dad.  I hope the show focuses on that.  The born vs bred question.   

[Just my 2 cents]

On ‎9‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 11:23 PM, CarolMK said:

But where is their baby? I can't remember her name. 

She's where she always should have been, no where on this show.  The storyline was ridiculous and they could have found another way to keep Tom connected to the show.  A baby has no place here.  They're always off traveling for hours and days at a time.  Of course from the little they've shown of Liz's childhood with Katerina and Constantine (Alexander Kirk) I suppose it's normal.  Poor baby should have been given up for adoption to a family that would be home more than Tom and Liz.

[saber5055]

This episode brought back how much I dislike Lizzie. I can't even stand looking at the actress. Keen's a big 'ole badass one scene, ("I'll take out all these MARSHALLS by myself ..."), then she's totally incompetent the next. At the very end when Tom appears, they each have something to tell the other. "You go first." "No, YOU go first." (Ha ha, we used to do that in grade school.) Anyway, Lizzie goes first to tell Tom what ALL OF US have known since S1 E1. Then Tom decides not to tell her his news, that Agnes is dead. At least that's what was in my head during that scene, since her parents are galavanting all over the place and Mr. Kaplan and the long-hair bodyguard babysitter are both "gone" now. RIP Mr. Kaplan. Still.

[paigow]

Red recruited a Soprano and a hillbilly...who might be a redneck racist to boot...but now Dembe has a playmate whenever Red needs a noisy distraction....

[mandigirl]

This episode feels a little like a reboot. The tone was much more comedic and the episode was more focused on Red and Liz. Don't know if that's just for the premiere, or if that's where they're going this season. Without Red, the Taskforce really is obsolete (what exactly did they do this episode??)  While it's kinda fun watching Red rebuild, there's not much for everyone else to do while he does.  So I hope he rebuilds quickly. 

On 9/28/2017 at 8:34 PM, cali1981 said:

Even more than usual, James Spader dominated almost every scene with style and some good comic timing. 

Yeah... James Spader/Red was all there was to watch in this episode IMO. Which is a problem. James Spader has always had to carry this show, but at least there were decent FBI stories going on so it wasn't 100% on the Red character. This season (so far) there FBI stories are horrible.  I don't think I can articulate how much I don't care about the Ressler getting blackmailed story line. I've been rooting for Aram/Samar for a long time, so I was disappointed that they started off so lame. We didn't even get to see them start the relationship, which sucked.  If all the Taskforce is going to do is fool around with the Hitchens case (when we already know what happened) and battle politics with the new director... that's not much of a storyline.   Guess we'll see. 

ITA with others, music was particularly great. This show really excels at that. 

[Drusilla]

13 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

Well if it was from the SyFy Channel they would have cancelled it by now.   Besides SyFy does put out good stuff they just cancel it on a dime.

In this shows news.  I am one of the few who likes Liz and thinks the show does better with her in it.  I would rather get rid of Ressler and the FBI and just have Red and Liz try to rebuild Red's  empire.

I do wonder what Liz might have become if her parents had raised her.  A Russian spy for a mom and the Concierge of Crime for a dad.  I hope the show focuses on that.  The born vs bred question.   

You see I could go with that premise (as long as Liz was played by someone who can actually act, not just some jaw-wired woodentop who phones in her lines). It would have been much better had it been FBI vs Red and Liz, who was never a Fed in the first instance. But the writers are a bunch of sexist jerk offs and have little or no imagination. They're gonna run with this ridic Ressler story this season, may the gods wreak vengeance by having NBC pull the plug.

[saber5055]

Did Red refer Ressler to that blackmailing cleaner? I don't remember from last season. If so, why doesn't Donald go to Red for help with the cleaner? If not, why doesn't Donald go to Red for help with the cleaner? I did laugh (inwardly) that everyone is aghast that Red is living in a MOtel, not even a HOtel. I'd think he'd have some extra luxury shipping crates around he could move into. Or move in with Lizzie, since her not letting him see Agnes isn't a problem any more, since Agnes isn't a problem any more. I still don't see why Lizzie is so golden that she's back in FBI good graces after all she's done, plus now her resume pretty much sucks for being cleared for federal law enforcement. (Who's your daddy? Who's your mother?) More believable would be if Harold Head Of Task Force were her dad. Yeah, now THAT would be a twist. Meanwhile, LOL at Lizzie shouting, "FBI! I'm FBI!" in all situations, w/o ever showing her credentials. Yeah, like THAT would work IRL.

[mandigirl]

1 hour ago, saber5055 said:

Did Red refer Ressler to that blackmailing cleaner? I don't remember from last season. If so, why doesn't Donald go to Red for help with the cleaner?

As best I recall, saber5055, Red helped Ressler track down the cleaner because he was the same one who cleaned the crime scene after Hitchens killed Raven Wright (sp?). The cleaner had kept Wright's body and Red and Ressler used the evidence to blackmail Hitchens into dropping the inquiry into the Red Taskforce that was initiated by Mr. Kaplan.  Sooo... that's right-- Ressler KNEW that this particular cleaner keeps insurance policies on all his clients, but still hired him any way. Reason 18,273,098,720,983 why the Ressler storyline makes absolutely no sense. 

1 hour ago, saber5055 said:

I'd think he'd have some extra luxury shipping crates around he could move into.

 I'm a little surprised that Red has no resources too. I'm not sure if he's "slumming" just for fun or did Kaplan steal all of his money? I would have expected that he would have a few million in cash stashed somewhere. 

[Surrealist]

On 9/28/2017 at 0:21 AM, dwmarch said:

the condition this character is describing is hypoglycemia where the blood sugar goes dangerously low. Diabetes is the exact opposite, the blood sugar being too high and if that was the case that piece of pie would have killed him... painfully.

I'm glad you mentioned this because I said something similar to my mother when we were discussing the episode. 

I brought up a relative of ours who is hypoglycemic. I remember going on a walk with her one day and about halfway through, she asked if we could stop to get something to eat because her sugar level was dropping. Something to that effect. 

My dad had two relatives who were diabetic. They, of course, had the opposite problem.

I was surprised that the writers would mistaken the two. They're not one in the same condition.

[Chaos Theory]

49 minutes ago, mandigirl said:

As best I recall, saber5055, Red helped Ressler track down the cleaner because he was the same one who cleaned the crime scene after Hitchens killed Raven Wright (sp?). The cleaner had kept Wright's body and Red and Ressler used the evidence to blackmail Hitchens into dropping the inquiry into the Red Taskforce that was initiated by Mr. Kaplan.  Sooo... that's right-- Ressler KNEW that this particular cleaner keeps insurance policies on all his clients, but still hired him any way. Reason 18,273,098,720,983 why the Ressler storyline makes absolutely no sense. 

Desperation.  He had just murdered someone and I doubt Ressler knows too many people who are in this line of work so I can buy him going to the one he knows and using a fake name. (Which he did).   The cleaner did some investigating of his own and figured out who Ressler was.  Honestly I don't think Ressler had too many options.  

 

49 minutes ago, mandigirl said:

 I'm a little surprised that Red has no resources too. I'm not sure if he's "slumming" just for fun or did Kaplan steal all of his money? I would have expected that he would have a few million in cash stashed somewhere. 

Even Red doesn't have unlimited resources and Kaplan knew where all/most the bodies were buried (quite literally in some cases because she buried them).  I am guessing that his war with her burned alot of bridges and capital.   Red could legitimately be broke or what passes for broke in his world and using what little money and influence he has left to rebuild which means he need people to help him build.  And even if he has a few million in cash somewhere it is only a few million an not nearly enough to keep himself and the people he loves safe from those who will undoubtedly come after him.   It was ultimately his empire of crime that kept him and Liz safe.  That is now gone.   He needs to rebuild it.  

Edited September 30, 2017 by Chaos Theory

[crimsongrl]

32 minutes ago, Surrealist said:

I'm glad you mentioned this because I said something similar to my mother when we were discussing the episode. 

I brought up a relative of ours who is hypoglycemic. I remember going on a walk with her one day and about halfway through, she asked if we could stop to get something to eat because her sugar level was dropping. Something to that effect. 

My dad had two relatives who were diabetic. They, of course, had the opposite problem.

I was surprised that the writers would mistaken the two. They're not one in the same condition.

At the end of the episode the character admits to lying about having diabetes when Red offers him wine.

[saber5055]

What happened to the FBI guy who was uncovering all of Red's dead bodies in that ice rink? The guy who was "best buds" with Ressler from last season? Most here thought him creepy, but I really liked him and hoped he would stay around. So all those bodies on ice were just ... forgotten about? The FBI guy getting close to knowing Red works with the Task Force ... forgotten about? I don't pay a lot of attention to details. Like Mandigirl does! Thanks for the back story on that cleaner, which I had completely put out of my mind.

[Happytobehere]

On 9/28/2017 at 0:57 PM, edhopper said:

Red shooting Tom in the foreshadowing scene has to be a misdirect.

Not if this is the final season of the show.

[Just my 2 cents]

32 minutes ago, Happytobehere said:

Not if this is the final season of the show.

No it has to be.  I know this because it was like a dream come true and that never happens for me! 

[ottoDbusdriver]

On 9/28/2017 at 9:12 AM, Kelda Feegle said:

Agnes is off looking after the dog.

Dogs -- plural.  Tom and Lizzie have had 2 dogs that have up and disappeared like a fart in the wind.

Even Tom didn't ask about Agnes.  Maybe Tom isn't really Agnes' father -- and they will drag out that "mystery" for 4 seasons.

I bet Red isn't her real biological father -- remember that Liz was convinced that Alexander Kirk was her father based on the results of a DNA test.
I suspect the bones in the suitcase are Liz's real father.

Lizzie had one job this episode -- and managed to lose track of Smokey TWICE !!!  She is just so bad at her job.

Laurel Hitchin was the National Security Adviser -- and her body would have been found the very next day because you know that she must have a security detail.  But Red has been acting like he has been living at that crappy travel lodge for days if not weeks.  Did Ressler kill Hitchin on the Friday of a long weekend ?

Red should have fat stacks of Benjys stashed all over the place so I'm not believing the homeless Joe routine -- he's working an angle.  He still has all his connections -- as indicated by the crew that picked up Hawkins.

Smokey Putnum was right up there with the Kings of the Highway for blacklister qualifications -- a carnie helping launder money for a white supremacist drug gang barely registers let alone rank #30.

Would they please just stop with Amar and Navabi ?  Amar can do so much better than her.

Edited October 1, 2017 by ottoDbusdriver

[mandigirl]

22 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

I doubt Ressler knows too many people who are in this line of work so I can buy him going to the one he knows and using a fake name. (Which he did).   The cleaner did some investigating of his own and figured out who Ressler was.  Honestly I don't think Ressler had too many options.  

Yeah, you're right.  I figured that's where they were going with it, but I just despise this trope in general. A couple of things make this current Ressler situation just grate. For one, this is unprofessional for the cleaner. He was dealing with high-powered people like Hitchins. I would think that for someone in his profession, blackmailing your clients would be bad for business-- and also your health. 

The other thing, Ressler is in the EXACT SAME position he would have been without the cleaner's help.  Honestly, I'm not sure what the cleaner did besides make the surveillance video disappear, which Ressler could have done himself. Ironic? Yes. Pointless? Absolutely. 

I wouldn't be surprised if the "evidence" the cleaner has is Ressler's phone call asking for help.

21 hours ago, saber5055 said:

So all those bodies on ice were just ... forgotten about? The FBI guy getting close to knowing Red works with the Task Force ... forgotten about?

I'm sure we haven't seen the last of that guy. He'll reappear-- probably perfectly timed with March sweeps. 

16 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

Would they please just stop with Amar and Navabi ?  Amar can do so much better than her.

Lol-- I was just thinking the opposite! I love Aram, but he's kind of ridiculous sometimes. That weak ass crap he pulled in telling Cooper about his relationship with Samar is exactly the kind of thing that will have them breaking up-- and is one of the reasons Samar probably didn't want to date him in the first place. Aram didn't even consult her before talking to Cooper!

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 9/28/2017 at 0:57 PM, edhopper said:

Red shooting Tom in the foreshadowing scene has to be a misdirect.

Yes.

I also don't believe that Red is Liz's father - did he ever say it directly to her?  He made a slight face when she said he was her father, as if he was uncomfortable with what she was saying.  That whole discussion of DNA and nature vs nurture is a misdirect.  Liz' bad behavior is all nurture.

Agnes' absence is beyond ridiculous.

With regard to the opening scene where Red had his fun causing the two police cars to crash, one of which flipped over, are we supposed to ignore the possibility that the officers in said car were badly hurt, if not killed?

[Ottis]

Liz does OK when she isn't driving anything in the plot. Going along for the ride with Red works. The dad stuff and suitcase, meh.

The guest star black lister was very good. Relatable and clever. 

I don't usually pay much attention to these things, but Spader should at least try to get into better shape while he plays a character on the run. I thought he was going to start  wheezing at one point. 

[Ottis]

15 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

With regard to the opening scene where Red had his fun causing the two police cars to crash, one of which flipped over, are we supposed to ignore the possibility that the officers in said car were badly hurt, if not killed?

I was waiting for the classic "A-Team" shot, where people are shown crawling out of the flipped cars afterward. Didn't see it.

15 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I also don't believe that Red is Liz's father

Me, neither. Another "red" herring we have to wait to play out. It gets tiresome at times. End this plot point, move on.

16 hours ago, mandigirl said:

The other thing, Ressler is in the EXACT SAME position he would have been without the cleaner's help. 

Maybe worse, if there was actual footage of what happened, her death was an accident.

On 9/30/2017 at 4:38 PM, Chaos Theory said:

Red could legitimately be broke or what passes for broke in his world and using what little money and influence he has left to rebuild which means he need people to help him build.  And even if he has a few million in cash somewhere it is only a few million an not nearly enough to keep himself and the people he loves safe from those who will undoubtedly come after him.   It was ultimately his empire of crime that kept him and Liz safe.  That is now gone.   He needs to rebuild it.  

I'm actually interested in this plot for the season, and the more they can show this - and showcase the skills that made Red what he was before he lost so much - the better. This is far more interesting than who is Liz's dad.

 

On 9/29/2017 at 1:15 PM, Chaos Theory said:

In this shows news.  I am one of the few who likes Liz and thinks the show does better with her in it.

There were a few eps mid last season where Liz was shown to be competent. Aside form those, she has never been good at her job, despite the throw away words about her being so, AND every plot involving her (who is my dad? where is my baby? what do I do about Tom?) are the worst things about Blacklist. Her acting aside, they just are uninteresting and make her seem selfish and blinded by her own needs. They drag the show down. I've given up that they'll get rid of the character, and will settle for her being an accessory that is carried along but doesn't drive any events. She should be Aram, basically, but in the field.

[paigow]

On 9/30/2017 at 6:38 PM, Chaos Theory said:

 Red could legitimately be broke or what passes for broke in his world and using what little money...   

to pay Verizon for himself and Dembe....

[milkyaqua]

On ‎9‎/‎30‎/‎2017 at 4:33 PM, saber5055 said:

What happened to the FBI guy who was uncovering all of Red's dead bodies in that ice rink? The guy who was "best buds" with Ressler from last season? Most here thought him creepy, but I really liked him and hoped he would stay around. So all those bodies on ice were just ... forgotten about? The FBI guy getting close to knowing Red works with the Task Force ... forgotten about? I don't pay a lot of attention to details. Like Mandigirl does! Thanks for the back story on that cleaner, which I had completely put out of my mind.

I'm sure it's in the Media thread but they said pretty much after the season finale that Enrique Murciano was not coming back which was fine with me.  His Horatio Caine impersonation was annoying.

On ‎10‎/‎1‎/‎2017 at 2:28 PM, mandigirl said:

Lol-- I was just thinking the opposite! I love Aram, but he's kind of ridiculous sometimes. That weak ass crap he pulled in telling Cooper about his relationship with Samar is exactly the kind of thing that will have them breaking up-- and is one of the reasons Samar probably didn't want to date him in the first place. Aram didn't even consult her before talking to Cooper!

I like Aram for the most part but he and Samar are annoying together.  I'm still mad that she dumped Oded Fehr.

On ‎9‎/‎30‎/‎2017 at 7:41 PM, ally said:

No it has to be.  I know this because it was like a dream come true and that never happens for me! 

Ha!  Glad to know I'm not the only one who doesn't care for Tom.  Though I do think the scene was a misdirect.

[paigow]

6 hours ago, milkyaqua said:

I'm sure it's in the Media thread but they said pretty much after the season finale that Enrique Murciano was not coming back which was fine with me.  His Horatio Caine impersonation was annoying.

Also, he lost his star witness - Kaplan - so the case fizzled out.... 

[Dowel Jones]

On 10/1/2017 at 3:16 PM, ItCouldBeWorse said:

With regard to the opening scene where Red had his fun causing the two police cars to crash, one of which flipped over, are we supposed to ignore the possibility that the officers in said car were badly hurt, if not killed?

Not to mention the fact that a few more than just two cars would be involved in the chase.  But remember,  tv police are always incompetent.

As soon as the skinhead SUV pulled them over on the highway, I said "Texas plates?  Fake Marshals!"

[TheGreenWave]

I just got around to watching this one and episode two, because, I feared I would be disappointed (because I loved, loved Mr. Kaplan so darned much!) and it certainly lived up to my expectations.  I hated this season premiere (agree, @mandigirl, this felt like a reboot it was so off-tone).  Great, now we are going to have to watch Red REBUILD HIS EMPIRE for the first half of this season with the most compromised group of FBI agents on the planet, two of whom are making out in the elevator at work, and his wise-cracking comic sidekick "daughter."  Vomit.  

Other annoyances: Harold goes back to saying some variation of: "why should I help you?" "We are the FBI, we don't do that." "I need another blacklister." Ugh.  Ressler's garbage storyline - seriously, after Mr. Kaplan's body part farm, you don't think "Cleaners" keep insurance policies you dumb ass??

[Valmarmar]

Disappointed.  

[andipandi]

I enjoyed Red at the motel and having to rebuild.

I was almost liking him until he killed Mr. Kaplans suitcase guy, with tom peeking.