S06.E09: Minister D

[ottoDbusdriver]

Episode Description:

While Red fights in court to clear his name of treason once and for all, Liz and the Task Force investigate a Blacklister who has a reputation for leveraging dark secrets.

2nd hour of a 2 hour event

[NeenerNeener]

So That Red wasn't a traitor after all, no surprise there. What did surprise me is that Katerina Rostova is responsible for creating This Red. Have they ever mentioned  Katerina having any immediate family? Did That Red have any brothers that fell off the radar? This Red could be an uncle to Liz rather than her father.  

[Loandbehold]

Does anyone remember when Ressler was a by-the-book FBI agent? I mean, he was never a very good agent, but he wouldn't engage in criminal activity, kill people, and perjure himself on the stand. I know he killed the woman (I can't remember her job title) a few seasons ago and that resulted in being blackmailed by The Cleaner, but sheesh. He must have committed 18 crimes in these two episodes, Liz really is quite the influence on him.

[saber5055]

Eh, I kinda posted about this episode in the thread for the previous hour. To recap: Red gives a big speech in the courtroom (without a single "objection") and whatever he says is now the truth. So bogus.

And yeah, Ressler used to be the straight-and-narrow hard-nosed FBI guy. Now I'm waiting for him to hook up with Lizzie. Taking bets on in which episode that will happen. (Ugh)

4 hours ago, NeenerNeener said:

So That Red wasn't a traitor after all,

Or so he says. Because This Red has never told a lie or made up some story to save his ass.

[crimsongrl]

I can't keep any of this straight, when and how did real Red die?

It looks like by the time Liz gets all her answers she'll be just like Red. Then Red (or Dembe) will help her hide the same way Katarina did.

Ressler will hook up with Liz and be "killed" in the finale for knowing too much. It'll be a cliffhanger ending but he'll survive and be back to old Ressler and ready to take down Red (& Liz?) in the final season.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Minister D gets No. 99 on the Blacklist

This opening has shades of the movie 'Sliver' -- only this guy listens to important people in many locations.
Minister D has to be one of the most disappointing Blacklisters in the series, right up there with the Kings of the Highway.
I don't even think they explained why he was called 'Minister D', did they ?  Plus, they found him way too easily.
And what is with all the old school tech -- especially the rows of lightbulbs ? Because it looks like this guy hasn't upgraded the tech in his lair in about 25 years.

Lizzie: "Thanks to your tape, I think she just gave him back to me."
Is Lizzie talking about the RealRed ?  Or the FakeRed ? Her real father ?  Someone else ? 

Lizzie: " I don't know how I can feel so relieved and so pissed off at the same time."
Which pretty much, for me anyway, describes every episode of this show. 
There is a good show in there somewhere, they just need to ditch Lizzie.

Samar continues to have recovery issues -- now its migraines, and issues with focus.
Can Samar and Aram just get disengaged already ?

And Dembe knows that the Dynamic Duo of Lizzie and Jennifer ratted out Red to the cops.
Lizzie pleading with Dembe to be her secret keeper is just beyond stupid.

Of course Red is not guilty of treason, but is not a free man just yet.
And Dembe confirms that Liz did not make the call, he just neglected to tell Red it was Jennifer who made the call working with Lizzie.  FFS ! 
You know Red will find that out at some point.  Dembe has no reason to have any loyalty towards Lizzie. 

The hardest part I have believing is that at the end of the episode, in the confines of Cooper's office, Lizzie still refers to Ressler by his last name.
Come on, they've murdered people together and buried bodies together, I would think they would be on a first name basis by now.  Don ? Donald ? Donnie ?

2 solid hours of Blacklist on a Friday night, and still no mention of Agnes or the dogs. But at least we got a Tom reference, so we've got that going for us. :)

[Dowel Jones]

Since Dembe was billed himself as Red's "spiritual advisor", I thought the Minister D reference was going to him.  Wrong.

Even though "Reddington" was acquitted of treason on the shaky ground that he did not actually divulge the information about the submarine, I would think the Department of Defense would prefer charges of violating innumerable codes of conduct, and they would not be as likely to put up with the theatrics that he displayed in the civil courtroom. 

[mxc90]

I feel sorry for Sima and the judge. Just there to be Red's clown.

Every time the camera shows their confused faces, I get the feeling that's the actor telling the viewer what they really think about the script. But a paycheck is a paycheck!

[Loandbehold]

2 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

Since Dembe was billed himself as Red's "spiritual advisor", I thought the Minister D reference was going to him.  Wrong.

I believe Dembe was already given a Blacklist number in a previous season episode. However, I'm too lazy to look through all the episodes to make sure. 

[ottoDbusdriver]

1 hour ago, Loandbehold said:

I believe Dembe was already given a Blacklist number in a previous season episode. However, I'm too lazy to look through all the episodes to make sure. 

Yep, Season 4, Episode 16 -- Dembe Zuma

Dembe was #10 on the Blacklist.

[preeya]

In reality, the last line from RR should have been "THEN IT MUST HAVE BEEN JENNIFER"

I thought Reddington was much smarter than that. 

Edited February 24, 2019 by preeya

[NeenerNeener]

4 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

Come on, they've murdered people together and buried bodies together, I would think they would be on a first name basis by now.  Don ? Donald ? Donnie ?

Oh god, this reminds me of a line I loved from a Stephen King mini-series called Golden Years, back in the early 90s. Someone asked a character played by Felicity Huffman if she had an intimate relationship with her partner, played by R. D. Call. Her answer was "Very intimate. We used to kill people together".

[saber5055]

5 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

But at least we got a Tom reference, so we've got that going for us.

Yeah, that was Don, Donnie, Donald ... I mean RESSLER, confirming Tom really is dead* so he can put the moves on Lizzie. Nothing's more romantic than creating corpses, then burying them together.

*Because in Blacklist Universe, people don't always stay dead and that doctor show just might get canceled.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

How did Reddington know there was a tape or what was on it?  Katarina was blackmailed, not him.

How did Ressler lie? He has no evidence that Reddington is not Reddington. Even Liz is going by the say so of someone who had the report on the bones. Ressler's "knowledge" is at least double hearsay.

And did Reddington think Ressler was trying to avoid saying that he was not really Reddington, and wanted him to actually say it? And when Liz said the whole convoluted statement to Reddington at the end about her real father, etc, was she not admitting that she knew this Reddington wasn't her real father?

It's really annoying that no one will stick a needle in Red, a second needle in Liz, and just compare the 2 blood samples.

Finally, we were misled into thinking that if Red heard the tape of the call to the police, he would recognize Liz's voice.  She seemed very concerned about it. Not only didn't she make the call, she didn't even make the arrangement with the person who did make the call. That's some shady writing.

Edited February 24, 2019 by ItCouldBeWorse

[Just my 2 cents]

3 hours ago, saber5055 said:

*Because in Blacklist Universe, people don't always stay dead and that doctor show just might get canceled.

Fortunately for Ryan Eggold, New Amsterdam got renewed a few weeks ago.  It's just as well with it's renewal I'm almost certain it will last longer than The Blacklist.  Even if TBL is renewed for another season I have a feeling it will be a 6-13 episode season.  However, RE did say he would be more than happy to reprise his role on TBL.

[VinceW]

11 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

….Minister D gets No. 99 on the Blacklist…..I don't even think they explained why he was called 'Minister D', did they ?  Plus, they found him way too easily....
 

Reddington explained to Liz that Minister D takes his name from the villain in Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Purloined Letter' (The Minister was the criminal who stole the letter from the woman of royalty and hid it in plain sight in his home).

Edited February 24, 2019 by VinceW

[dwmarch]

12 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

You know Red will find that out at some point.  Dembe has no reason to have any loyalty towards Lizzie. 

There have been several scenes in prior episodes where Dembe is the one telling Red that his secrets won't hold out forever and he should just tell Lizzie the truth already. So while I agree there is no actual reason for Dembe to feel loyalty to Liz, it is established on the show already that he does for reasons we may or may not ever be privy to.

12 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

Since Dembe was billed himself as Red's "spiritual advisor", I thought the Minister D reference was going to him.  Wrong.

Although I am sure it is entirely by accident, I like that Minister D can refer to the actual villain, Dembe as spiritual advisor or possibly even Ressler, who would love to introduce Lizzie to his Minister D. And let us not forget the spirit of Denny Crane, whose influence could be felt in the form of legalistically questionable but emotionally stirring testimony.

[NeenerNeener]

17 hours ago, crimsongrl said:

I can't keep any of this straight, when and how did real Red die?

I think they're still going with the story that Liz shot him when she was just a little kid, at least for now.

By the way, Tom's mother, Scottie Hargrave, was also on the Blacklist. I guess you can end up on the Blacklist when you're just in need of an intervention.

Edited February 24, 2019 by NeenerNeener

[ottoDbusdriver]

4 hours ago, NeenerNeener said:

I think they're still going with the story that Liz shot him when she was just a little kid, at least for now.

By the way, Tom's mother, Scottie Hargrave, was also on the Blacklist. I guess you can end up on the Blacklist when you're just in need of an intervention.

Tom was also on the Blacklist (Season 2, Episode 16 -- Blacklist #7)

10 hours ago, VinceW said:

Reddington explained to Liz that Minister D takes his name from the villain in Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Purloined Letter' (The Minister was the criminal who stole the letter from the woman of royalty and hid it in plain sight in his home).

I was already bored that early in the episode, since it was scene with Lizzie, that I completely missed that (and I guess Grandmaster D and Chuck D were already taken).  :)

[anthonyd46]

3 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

Tom was also on the Blacklist (Season 2, Episode 16 -- Blacklist #7)

I was already bored that early in the episode, since it was scene with Lizzie, that I completely missed that (and I guess Grandmaster D and Chuck D were already taken).  🙂

I believe the only one we know in the top 6 is #4 Mr.Kaplan. 

I wonder if anyone in the FBI or Liz herself is in the Top 6. 

I'm still really confused so this Red is the imposter correct and NOT her father correct?

[VinceW]

Jon Bokenkamp:  “We have a beautiful and twisted and surprising love story between Samar and Aram that is going to change the dynamic of the show in a big way.”

After nine episodes, the first private conversation on screen between the newly engaged couple:

Aram:  Anyway, have you ever used a manual typewriter? Yeah, it's impossible. Just to make a mark, you have to slam on each key. (Big Smile)

Samar:  Do you have a point, or are you just being pointlessly ADORABLE?

At this pace, viewers will be lucky to get a Drive Thru wedding in Las Vegas after solving a big case.

Edited February 25, 2019 by VinceW

[VinceW]

Did the real Reddington become a wanted fugitive just over the treason charge or did that false accusation really lead to a different life path of further crime? The impostor Red implied during his testimony that the treason charge did lead to a troubled life thereafter which means the criminal charges can be split between both of them. Impostor Red seems to know about all of the past crime details which suggests he might have the upper hand in court against any further charges unless all of the bodies dug up by Mr. Kaplan and turned over to the feds belong to the impostor Red. Ressler was right to act puzzled when talking with Liz about impostor Red taking over the identity of the real one with a fugitive background and putting himself at risk for the death penalty. If there is an actual split among the criminal acts that might explain imposter Red taking over his identity because he knows which info will keep him out of jail while he continues on with his nefarious ways.

Edited February 26, 2019 by VinceW

[misstwpherecool]

This could be simple or tricky writing when it comes to the imposter. Red seem to know his academy roomates including the Blue Bloods guy/Admiral that Red went to for a favor. So does imposter Red have a highly detailed background on the real Red? Was original Red a KGB mole all along and someone wanted the ruse to continue. Your average criminal couldn't get the detailed background on Red's life so a KGB op from the get go would be one of the few things that could account for Red's knowledge. I'm still thinking that KGB mole training camp they found on BL Redemption will have a part in the imposter reveal.

So minister D was intelligence and used his training for blackmail? And how did Red know that his ex's conversations were recorded?

[NeenerNeener]

On 2/24/2019 at 4:07 PM, anthonyd46 said:

I'm still really confused so this Red is the imposter correct and NOT her father correct?

Yeah, I think so. The bag of bones she chased around last season was supposed to be her real father.

[TigerLynx]

Dembe and Mr. Kaplan should have gotten their own show.

So far, I'm still not seeing any reason for all the secrets, or why Red, Dembe or Mr. Kaplan did everything they did for Katerina/Red/Liz.

I doubt the big reveal will be a great payoff so I'm hoping Dembe snaps, and kills them all.

[milkyaqua]

Yes, the only thing I came away with was being afraid for Dembe after he "lied" to Red about the caller not being Liz.

The rest was just the usual dumb Blacklist shenanigans we've come to know and expect and that everyone has previously covered.  Because I kept thinking like everyone else, how are Liz and Ressler not being arrested?  No one is noticing all the dead bodies and blood?  No fingerprints?  Just how was all of the proof of their misdeeds taken care of?  It has to come back and bite them in the butt, right?  Especially Ressler since we know nothing will stick to Liz (insert big eye roll here)...  As for Jennifer, she can stay disappeared in the woods or wherever the heck she went.  And heaven help us if Liz and Ressler are the best the FBI has to offer and I've usually been able to give Ressler the benefit of the doubt but the past few seasons he's been as dumb as a box of hair which is still probably more than can be said for Liz.

So, is Samar finally going to tell Aram what's wrong with her or are we going to get more dumb scenes like her crawled up in his lap and him stroking her brow?

The payoff/wrap-up better be worth it but I doubt, heck, I'd just like it to make a little sense.  And still don't care if Liz is Red's daughter or not.  That's got to be the most boring plot point of this show.

[preeya]

I'm still trying to figure out how they are getting "stuff" through the pipe without the presence of the rodent. Last episode it was a cell phone.

[rur]

3 hours ago, TigerLynx said:

I doubt the big reveal will be a great payoff so I'm hoping Dembe snaps, and kills them all.

As long as Liz goes first.

2 hours ago, preeya said:

I'm still trying to figure out how they are getting "stuff" through the pipe without the presence of the rodent. Last episode it was a cell phone.

I think the phone was just hidden in the pipe, tied to a piece of string so it could be retrieved.

And the rat is probably in Scotland.

[crimsongrl]

5 hours ago, milkyaqua said:

So, is Samar finally going to tell Aram what's wrong with her or are we going to get more dumb scenes like her crawled up in his lap and him stroking her brow?

I thought there was a quick throwaway line about headaches being one of the symptoms, which implies Aram already knows.

Anyone remember this?

[VinceW]

5 hours ago, crimsongrl said:

I thought there was a quick throwaway line about headaches being one of the symptoms, which implies Aram already knows.

Anyone remember this?

Aram said he didn't know that she got headaches. Samar just said not before. I think he took 'not before' to mean not before the accident. I don't think he has a clue yet. Seems silly to keep it from him much longer, but writers want to drag it out as long as possible to avoid any wedding talk.

Edited February 26, 2019 by VinceW

[CaptainE]

I just watched this episode and didn’t realize that I missed the one before.

Thats an hour of my life I get to keep!

I can’t remember, how did Katarina Rostrova die? 

Does anyone remember that Dembe was absolutely fed up with Red last season?  I can’t stand how Harold enables Red.  His character is almost the worst written.  

[VinceW]

13 hours ago, CaptainE said:

...I can’t remember, how did Katarina Rostrova die?....

The original story put forth was that she committed suicide by drowning at an oceanfront location after making a final phone call, but going into this season and especially during this past summer there was widespread speculation on website blogs that impostor Red is really Katarina. Seems very unlikely at this point. IMO.

Edited February 27, 2019 by VinceW

[Johnny Dollar]

Liz to Ressler - “If the only way I’m going to find out the truth is for you to commit perjury, then it’s not worth it.”

Ressler - “But your sister was almost beaten to death for the same reason and you tried to guilt her into continuing with this stupid obsession.  What is wrong with you?”

Liz - “Gotta go. I think I hear Agnes crying.”

Edited February 27, 2019 by Johnny Dollar

[Lyanna19]

Me? I'm all for a Ressler and Liz hookup, I've been wanting those two to be a couple since the beginning, never did like Tom, sorry all you Tom fans.

But what will happen when Red finds out that Dembe lied...poor Red, surrounded by betrayals (which in fact is all he should be expecting if he doesnt trust those around him with the truth