Let’s start with the obvious. The first part of “Anslo Garrick” was handily the most action-packed episode of the entire series thus far. Directed masterfully by Joe Carnahan, The Blacklist turned into a Hollywood action film for a solid hour, with more gunfights, explosions, and gruesome gunshot wounds than we’ve seen in the previous episodes combined. As headquarters were infiltrated by Anslo Garrick and his gang, we were treated to the entire team really acting as a unit in close quarters for the first time all season, with Harry Lennix’s Harold Cooper keeping his cool the entire time…even with a gun pointed at his head. It was glorious. We got to see a deepening of the relationship between Agent Ressler and Reddington in a most unexpected way. As Ressler is bleeding out thanks to one of the more painful looking gunshot wounds I’ve seen on network TV in recent years, we get to understand a little more of why he’s so driven to bring Reddington down. And at one point, Red, always knowing exactly what to say, even seems to get through to him a little as he discusses what he wants out of life one last time as they both face certain death. It’s a fun moment that showcases Spader nicely, and the background music (which is rarely all that consequential on The Blacklist) subtly shifts from choir-like voices to a much more sinister tone as Red’s “true” nature once again shines through. Oh, and the improvised tourniquet and cauterization of the wound were…uncomfortable to watch. These moments, as Red saves the life of a man who has a professional reason to bring him down while a man with quite personal reasons for wanting to torture Red to death stands just outside the door, are almost what this show is all about. It’s almost enough to make me wish that The Blacklist was only a 10-13 episode season, so that these moments could be maximized, without having to wade through clunkers like “Gina Zanetakos” or “Frederick Barnes.” As Red is held captive by Garrick, there are more revelations to be had, though. Clearly, he could only have been tracked if there were a mole in the organization, and whoever it is, is watching everyone, all the way to the top. But the fact that Red is being held at a former black ops site, well…it raises eyebrows. And you know what really raised my eyebrows? Alan Alda showing up as the guy pulling the strings. There is apparently one secret (or set of secrets) that Red is beholden to never reveal, but at the same time, his death at the hands of his enemies might just reveal it. What could it be? Whoever Alda’s shadowy character is, one can only assume that his connections run deep into the US Government as well, and it’s all but certain that whoever the mole is must be on his payroll. There are far more questions than answers here, but if that means we’re going to see more of this character in future episodes, that’s a fine thing. So, it’s tough to rate this mid-season finale, really. The first episode was virtually flawless, putting these characters in some hot water we’ve yet to see them in. The second episode, while still quite good, felt like a bit of a step backwards, both in terms of storytelling and characterization. Still, the unveiling of Alan Alda’s high-ranking badass as a potential ultimate counterpoint to Red for future episodes of the series is way too promising to not feel like the bar has been raised a little bit. I’m not sure how long The Blacklist‘s (temporary?) new mission statement of “find Red Reddington” will carry over into the second half of the season. But if it means a shift away from the strict “villain of the week” format into something more insidious that threatens the whole team, that might work in the show’s favor. If, in the process, we get to spend more time with characters like Harold Cooper, Meera Malik, Aram Mojtabi, and new favorite, Jane Alexander’s Diane Fowler…not to mention Alan Alda as a villainous mastermind, that’s a huge bonus. The Blacklist returns on January 13th, and I’ll see you then!
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