S05.E05: Ilyas Surkov

[MostlyC]

When Red provides intel on an international terrorist, it puts Liz and the Task Force on a collision course with a rival CIA unit; Red and Hawkins lay groundwork for their new business venture; Tom goes undercover to find information.

[saber5055]

Lizzie cries to Tom in the cemetery that they've "lost so many friends." I can't come up with one name ... can anyone help with a list of the "so many?" Mr. Kaplan wasn't a friend, Masha didn't even remember she was her care giver. I didn't see last week, but Tom made it obvious he killed the doctor. (Or did he?) And was that AGNES? Holy cats!

[ItCouldBeWorse]

Tom didn't kill Nik.  Why would he? Nik was helping him.

Now we know that Rose takes care of Agnes sometimes.

I don't think a drug trial would switch to a drug with more dangerous side effects without having the "guinea pig" sign a new release, would they?  Did that first release cover cyanide, too?

I thought that Liz's slightly crimped hair looked very nice.

[ottoDbusdriver]

1 hour ago, saber5055 said:

Lizzie cries to Tom in the cemetery that they've "lost so many friends." I can't come up with one name ... can anyone help with a list of the "so many?" Mr. Kaplan wasn't a friend, Masha didn't even remember she was her care giver. I didn't see last week, but Tom made it obvious he killed the doctor. (Or did he?) And was that AGNES? Holy cats!

Still no sign of the dogs , but that definitely appeared to be Agnes.  Lizzie can't decide between crawling into a fetal position or becoming a vigilante -- neither of those options makes for good parenting.

How was Nick such a close friend ?  I don't see it either.

Folks are none too bright in Leeds, England if they think that was snow falling on a bright sunny -- and warm -- day, so warm that a lemonade stand was a good idea.
 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

11 minutes ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

How was Nick such a close friend ?  I don't see it either.

Nik (that's the way it's supposedly spelled) risked his life for her by faking her death.  That might make her feel close to him.

[Just my 2 cents]

20 minutes ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

How was Nick such a close friend ?  I don't see it either.

Nik proposed marriage to Liz and she turned him down.  He later came into her apartment to find Tom making coffee in his underwear.  I assume at some point they dated since it appears he still had a key to her home.  I would say he really dodged a bullet, but due to her calling on him during Red's crisis, he ended up back in her life and now he's dead. 

 

1 hour ago, saber5055 said:

And was that AGNES?

I'm not sure since she was almost walking back in May and had her one year birthday.  She looks like she's gotten younger.  It's just as well, we probably won't see her again until the end of the 5th season.

[saber5055]

Well, supposedly Nick/Nik and Lizzie were a hot item before Red tossed Tom into the mix. So there's that. As for Lizzie's hair, I found it interesting she had it pulled back for the funeral yet goes out to fight bad guys, get in gun fights, have hand-to-hand combat with it hanging down and blowing around in her face. It creeps me to have even one hair blow in my eyes when I'm outside doing anything, and I'm not gun fighting with bad guys and saving the world. At least not lately. Those folks in Leeds might have thought hell had frozen over and that's why it was snowing. I'm expecting that to happen here any day now.

Ally beat me to the Nick/Nik/Lizzie connection, and obviously remembers more about it than I do. Memory loss ...

[ottoDbusdriver]

7 minutes ago, ally said:

Nik proposed marriage to Liz and she turned him down.  

I really don't remember that at all.

[Just my 2 cents]

39 minutes ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

I really don't remember that at all.

Yeah, Nik had an attitude about it.  It was when he went to inform Liz and Tom of the surgery he had to perform on Red and told them he had student loans to pay off.  He would only do the surgery for that amount.  Luckily Mr. Kaplan had an emergency stash of $500,000 to give him.  He paid off his loans and had extra.  Unfortunately, he didn't heed Tom's advice and ended up indebted to Reddington.

 

1 hour ago, saber5055 said:

As for Lizzie's hair, I found it interesting she had it pulled back for the funeral yet goes out to fight bad guys, get in gun fights, have hand-to-hand combat with it hanging down and blowing around in her face.

I found it interesting that she looked more professional dressed for a funeral than an FBI agent.  I agree about the hair and it looked much better.  IRL she wears her hair much nicer.

 

1 hour ago, saber5055 said:

Ally beat me to the Nick/Nik/Lizzie connection, and obviously remembers more about it than I do. Memory loss ...

They're counting on this for most of the show and prior seasons.  It's interesting that Liz isn't excited about having a sister somewhere in the abyss that she's never met since Raymond Reddington had a daughter named Jennifer with his wife Naomi.

[VinceW]

Glad to see Aram requesting of Cooper to get operative training which makes sense given his newfound relationship with Samar. This is probably happening in order to put him with Samar on screen outside the lab actually fighting the bad guys together.  When the team confronted the rogue CIA group after the vehicle chase, Aram had to hunker down alongside a wall without a weapon unable to help protect Samar from perceived danger.  

[ItCouldBeWorse]

44 minutes ago, VinceW said:

Glad to see Aram requesting of Cooper to get operative training which makes sense given his newfound relationship with Samar. This is probably happening in order to put him with Samar on screen outside the lab actually fighting the bad guys together.  When the team confronted the rogue CIA group after the vehicle chase, Aram had to hunker down alongside a wall without a weapon unable to help protect Samar from perceived danger.  

Will he also learn to drive?

[ottoDbusdriver]

6 hours ago, ally said:

They're counting on this for most of the show and prior seasons.  It's interesting that Liz isn't excited about having a sister somewhere in the abyss that she's never met since Raymond Reddington had a daughter named Jennifer with his wife Naomi.

It's Lizzie were talking about here, so we're lucky she still remembers who Tom is.  She barely remembers Agnes, and has completely forgotten about the dogs.

[mytmo]

-ZZZZ-

Red talking to someone that really needs to get laid bad.  Geez lady!

-ZZZZ-

Nope Lizzie didn't get killed.

-ZZZZ-

[Chaos Theory]

This is the kind of episode I like.  High on action.  Low on drama.  Liz was productive and useful....and a bit shady.   Red was very shady but still funny.  

Still wish the show would just get rid of Tom.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

4 minutes ago, mytmo said:

Red talking to someone that really needs to get laid bad.  Geez lady!

That's going to get old real fast.

It must be painful for the actress to keep saying.

Edited October 26, 2017 by ItCouldBeWorse

[Loandbehold]

So Red has found a not-for-profit dog grooming place to launder his money. First off, I don't know if a dog-grooming shop can be a not-for-profit. A shelter can. A vet maybe if they stick to administering to shelter animals. But, dog grooming? But, putting that aside, Red thinks this will mean less oversight by government then a for-profit business? Not-for-profits have to file disclosure forms with the IRS. In New York, they have to file even more extensive disclosure forms with the Attorney General's office. And, both receive numerous complaints about these entities. So, instead of less oversight, Red's new business will now have more.

[milkyaqua]

1 hour ago, Loandbehold said:

So Red has found a not-for-profit dog grooming place to launder his money. First off, I don't know if a dog-grooming shop can be a not-for-profit. A shelter can. A vet maybe if they stick to administering to shelter animals. But, dog grooming? But, putting that aside, Red thinks this will mean less oversight by government then a for-profit business? Not-for-profits have to file disclosure forms with the IRS. In New York, they have to file even more extensive disclosure forms with the Attorney General's office. And, both receive numerous complaints about these entities. So, instead of less oversight, Red's new business will now have more.

Oh see, there you go looking for logic.  You sound like Mom.  She's always complaining about how TV insults our intelligence.  Ha!

I wouldn't be mad if Tom got whacked but some fans have expressed they'd be up in arms if he gets killed out...go figure.  And hey, he bounces thoughts off of Agnes (she still exists!).  Of course, trusting a flaky third party and having it come back to bite him (and more permanently, Nik) wasn't the most stupid thing he could've done because NOBODY saw that coming at all.  Now Red knows.

I'm hoping Aram getting trained (and yes, the driving thing would be necessary) won't be as silly as Erik on NCIS:LA or NCIS;NOLA's Sebastian becoming field agents.

I also thought Liz being that broken up over Nik was a little over the top but hey, we got see the actress "emote" so there was that.

[VinceW]

12 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Will he also learn to drive?

Aram/Samar shower scene first.

[saber5055]

A big NO THANKS to that shower scene VinceW. And I totally believe that a computer/IT nerd is now all about getting weapons and hand-to-hand combat training. NOT. Aram, just let Navabi save your ass every week, that's her job. It's 2017, not 1950. I really can't get my head around Red using a shop that grooms rescue/shelter dogs to launder money. Groomers bathe/trim shelter animals pro bono, they do it to help dogs find a home by making them look cute and smell good. I wonder which show runner owns the overweight Bulldog. Wrong breed to pick to show "great grooming," all they need is a bath But now there I go, looking for logic!

[Kelda Feegle]

That bulldog was cruelty level overweight. 

I'd be happy to see Aram stay unfield trained.

Accountant Lady needs to stfu.

[VinceW]

5 hours ago, saber5055 said:

A big NO THANKS to that shower scene VinceW. And I totally believe that a computer/IT nerd is now all about getting weapons and hand-to-hand combat training. NOT. Aram, just let Navabi save your ass every week, that's her job. It's 2017, not 1950. I really can't get my head around Red using a shop that grooms rescue/shelter dogs to launder money. Groomers bathe/trim shelter animals pro bono, they do it to help dogs find a home by making them look cute and smell good. I wonder which show runner owns the overweight Bulldog. Wrong breed to pick to show "great grooming," all they need is a bath But now there I go, looking for logic!

What does a shower scene have to do with 1950? Makes no sense. Aram just wants to get training to become a more valuable team member. Cooper put him in a situation where he was not prepared to protect himself or others on the team. It has nothing to do with him becoming some kind of bad ass. 

Edited October 27, 2017 by VinceW

[paigow]

17 hours ago, VinceW said:

Aram/Samar shower scene first.

[Loandbehold]

22 hours ago, milkyaqua said:

Oh see, there you go looking for logic.  You sound like Mom.  She's always complaining about how TV insults our intelligence.  Ha!

I know. Sometimes the pedant in me comes out. And, Mom's usually right. Well, at least your mom is.

[saber5055]

"What does a shower scene have to do with 1950? " Nothing. I just don't want to see your proposed shower scene with Aram and Navabi, whether it takes place in 1950 or 2017, if that answers your question. I am just disgusted with Aram, the computer nerd, now wanting to "protect" Navabi like it's 1950 "Man Has To Protect His Woman." His role on the team is computer skills, but he obviously has a problem with Navabi being able to take care of herself and others without considering no one else can do computers like he can. If he's killed, the team is screwed. I also appreciate that in 2017 women can now be shown on television as more than the clichéd house-dress, apron-and-heels-wearing homemaker ala 1950s Leave It To Beaver. YMMV, of course.

[paigow]

Does Red have a rating app for his USPS BnB? Do his crime scene cleaners sanitize the houses after departure?

2 hours ago, saber5055 said:

 I am just disgusted with Aram, the computer nerd, now wanting to "protect" Navabi like it's 1950 "Man Has To Protect His Woman." 

Part of this has to be feeling inadequate about protecting himself...If June Cleaver took one to the head trying to extract a cowering Ward... Wally would lay a beating on his old man while Beaver & Lumpy cheered....Eddie would administer first aid...

[VinceW]

8 hours ago, saber5055 said:

"What does a shower scene have to do with 1950? " Nothing. I just don't want to see your proposed shower scene with Aram and Navabi, whether it takes place in 1950 or 2017, if that answers your question. I am just disgusted with Aram, the computer nerd, now wanting to "protect" Navabi like it's 1950 "Man Has To Protect His Woman." His role on the team is computer skills, but he obviously has a problem with Navabi being able to take care of herself and others without considering no one else can do computers like he can. If he's killed, the team is screwed. I also appreciate that in 2017 women can now be shown on television as more than the clichéd house-dress, apron-and-heels-wearing homemaker ala 1950s Leave It To Beaver. YMMV, of course.

There has been nothing put forth by the writers to suggest that Aram is obsessed with protecting Samar. She is a Mossad agent; A trained assassin. Samar was abducted and put in a vulnerable situation. It was natural for Aram to want to protect her as well as keeping himself out of danger. The 1950s references are irrelevant to the story and present more as worn out feminist talking points.

Edited October 28, 2017 by VinceW

[paigow]

20 hours ago, Kelda Feegle said:

That bulldog was cruelty level overweight. 

Accountant Lady needs to stfu.

Doggie Day Spa...Mobile Liposuction

Janice was lucky Tony had so many other issues that he could never slap her into silence

[TheGreenWave]

On ‎10‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 5:18 PM, saber5055 said:

What does a shower scene have to do with 1950? " Nothing. I just don't want to see your proposed shower scene with Aram and Navabi, whether it takes place in 1950 or 2017, if that answers your question. I am just disgusted with Aram, the computer nerd, now wanting to "protect" Navabi like it's 1950 "Man Has To Protect His Woman." His role on the team is computer skills, but he obviously has a problem with Navabi being able to take care of herself and others without considering no one else can do computers like he can. If he's killed, the team is screwed. I also appreciate that in 2017 women can now be shown on television as more than the clichéd house-dress, apron-and-heels-wearing homemaker ala 1950s Leave It To Beaver. YMMV, of course.

I got this vibe too.  It wasn't like Sebastian in NOLA stating that he wanted to become a field agent because he wanted to get in on the action along with the other agents.  It was to protect Navabi, which is how Aram presented it to Harold in that scene.  Completely annoying and totally unnecessary plot point.

Additionally, I'm now disappointed that they've given Red the upper hand over Tom already.  We still don't know why experimenting-doctor guy would ghost over the DNA search and Nik's murder (and if he is the one that did it and took the bones).  I would have liked the storyline to continue a bit more before Red finding out that the person Nik was calling on a regular basis was Tom.

[VinceW]

On 10/30/2017 at 10:31 AM, TheGreenWave said:

I got this vibe too.  It wasn't like Sebastian in NOLA stating that he wanted to become a field agent because he wanted to get in on the action along with the other agents.  It was to protect Navabi, which is how Aram presented it to Harold in that scene.  Completely annoying and totally unnecessary plot point.

On 10/27/2017 at 7:59 PM, paigow said:

Part of this has to be feeling inadequate about protecting himself...

 

On 10/27/2017 at 2:21 AM, VinceW said:

Aram just wants to get training to become a more valuable team member. Cooper put him in a situation where he was not prepared to protect himself or others on the team.

 

When Aram had to hunker down alongside a wall without a weapon at the end of the car chase as well as during the safe house shootout, it presented more on screen that his request to Cooper made sense for his own future safety and not so much about Samar. IMO.

Edited November 1, 2017 by VinceW

[saber5055]

Oh, Aram's incompetence in the field with firearms and self-defense (and Navabi defense) will all be solved after he takes that weekend FBI Speed Defense Course. Then he can competently shoot bad guys and do some karate chops with one hand while he types in GPS locales with the other. Or steers his bike with the other. Case closed! Or so says the "old worn out feminist."

[VinceW]

On 11/2/2017 at 6:04 PM, saber5055 said:

Oh, Aram's incompetence in the field with firearms and self-defense (and Navabi defense) will all be solved after he takes that weekend FBI Speed Defense Course. Then he can competently shoot bad guys and do some karate chops with one hand while he types in GPS locales with the other. Or steers his bike with the other. Case closed! Or so says the "old worn out feminist."

 It is adorable to now watch Samar hang so close to "bad ass" Aram in the lab while in front of the whole group after watching Samar last season in the same setting act so miserable towards him. 

Edited November 5, 2017 by VinceW