The Blacklist - S3E1 - The Troll Farmer (No. 38)

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Previously on The Blacklist

Smooth Criminals

Red and Liz seem to think they’ll be able to make a clean get away. Well, Red thinks so; Liz does what she always does: simmers in doubt and questions. Ressler is hot on their trail and he is pressed to find them, especially Liz. Aram and Navabi find them travelling down a highway and alert Ressler, but his team isn’t quick enough to get them. Scratch that, they’re too slow to realize Red and Liz disappeared by pulling the van up on to the car transporter right in front of them. How else would they escape a tunnel? I figured it out immediately. Where’s my badge?

Show him, Dresser!

At the Post Office, Ressler plays good cop/bad cop with Cooper. He’s a regular one man show. Cooper confirms what his wife told the team; Tom Connolly tricked him into thinking he was sick so he could pull his strings. But that doesn’t mean he helped Liz kill the asshole. With his wife still in custody, he tells Ressler he told Liz to run and he can do what he wants with that information, but he better let his wife go.

Quick Draw, Red

Red and Liz get to their hideout only to find the man helping them has a visitor he shouldn’t have. Red’s gun came out so fast, I’m sure she pissed her pants. I know I would have. He and Liz make their way under the floorboards to wait for the help he’s arranged.

Across town, a menacingly charming man breaks into a woman’s home and kidnaps her baby, demanding to see her father.

Red and Liz watch a news report that says she’s a Russian terrorist and Russia is denying that shit long and loud. Since Red released The Fulcrum to the press, The Director has to go on the record to defend himself. That won’t backfire at all. Red pours himself a glass of wine while Liz serves a helping of woe is me. I need her to listen to and fully trust Red one time.

I ain’t scared of you

At the Post Office, Aram lets Ressler know he don’t have time for his shit. He doesn’t believe Liz is guilty and he wants her to get a fair shake. Not with Ressler all up in his feelings, she won’t. Another agent alerts them that the D.C. field office got a tip on Liz and Red. That sister looked pretty shaky…snitch.

The Director finds the charming man in his office. I swear he called him “ass”, but my closed caption said “Mateus”; those words don’t sound the same. Mateus tells the Director he’s getting sloppy and the organization is not happy with having to clean up his mess. He smiles at The Director the entire time he issues his threat. I need this character to stick around until at least the mid-season finale. He is quite compelling and Edi Gathegi is playing the shit out of it. I’ll start the online petition.

Pretty sneaky, sis

Red tells Liz a story about fear and lemongrass when they hear a scuffle in the bar above them. That sneaky-ass sister called the FBI tip line. She don’t even understand the shit storm she just created. Agents show up to speak to her; Red tells her if he she tells them anything, he’ll kill her brother. I hope she’s happy. The sister tells them she didn’t call and they find nothing when they search the bar, but Ressler tells Aram to call the lady back. Red is slipping! He didn’t cut off the ringer, so Ressler knows they’re in the building. Luckily, they escape; by the skin of their damn teeth.

The mother of the kidnapped baby is Dembe’s daughter. She says the guy wanted him and Dembe promises to get the back the baby. Mateus done did it.

Blondes have more fun

Red and Liz break into some rich guy’s apartment to regroup and advance their plan with The Troll Farmer. Although he had a week to create a diversion for them, they need to get away pronto. Liz shows him her new look: blonde hair, which looks so good he can barely speak. Awkard…you know, because she looks like her mom. Should Red’s nickname be Littlefinger?

The Blacklister

The Troll Farmer uses social media to help governments, criminals, and such, by creating fake events and hoaxes designed to throw the scent off real crimes or whatever his client needs. He’s been on Red’s payroll for a few years.

Yahtzee!

Having reviewed all hotel footage, Navabi tells Ressler that Cooper wasn’t complicit in Connolly’s death. But she knows he helped Liz escape the Post Office. So that’s why his knickers are in a twist. She calls him on his bullshit and tells him she doesn’t trust his instincts.

Red and Liz make their way to The Troll Farmer, a guy named Chang, who has a house full of people [pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”#4A7097″ class=”” size=””]”You know as my father used to say to me, just because you’ve been bumped up to First Chair in the orchestra, doesn’t mean you can compose a symphony.” – Red[/pullquote]

working on computers. Red tells him he has to get them out of the city ASAP. Only problem: they have to create a virtual fingerprint for Liz. She’s whisked away to have fake papers made while the people on computers work out their plan.

Cooper and his wife are released from custody, but not before Ressler confesses that he helped Liz escape. Confession is good for the soul; hopefully he gets up out them feelings.

While waiting for Chang to get them together, Liz questions Red about her mother…again. I guess it’s an opportune time to ask, but I wish she would just stop. Fortunately Red is saved by the bell; Chang says it’s time to move. The first diversion works, leading Ressler and his team to a drug lab run by a local gang. Navabi gets gripped up by a gang member (because it wouldn’t be The Blacklist if someone didn’t get gripped up), taunting Ressler. In a move no one expected, Ressler ducks out from the wall and quickly shoots the guy. I have to admit, it was a little hot, but he could have hit Navabi and I would have been pissed. Navabi wasn’t too happy with that stunt either.

The Getaway?

As his crew organizes the transpo, Chang tells Red he’s had enough and he’s done with him. Blasts are sent to social media sites with fake sightings of them in the north, too many in fact. Ressler realizes they must be headed south, so he directs units that way. Red makes it through the checkpoint, but Liz is about to be caught. He calls her and tells her she’s on her own and she whines about how she can’t. I need Liz to put on her big girl drawers and get herself together. Red tells her how fly her mom was to build up her confidence. She gives the driver an address and Red disagrees with the location. But what’s he gonna do? He got away.

Dembe drops a few dudes to get to Mateus, who doesn’t even stop eating when he sees his men get shot. I think I like him.

What can I do for you?

By the time Ressler gets to the transport van, Liz is long gone. Red calls Ressler and offers up Chang; not as a trade or bribe. I guess Chang shouldn’t have been so hasty. All he wants is Ressler’s word that he’ll give Liz the benefit of the doubt.

Mateus calls Dembe’s daughter and gets her to send a photo of the baby as proof of life. He poisoned the baby, so if Dembe kills him she’ll die. This bastard. He gives Dembe a mask and makes him breathe in a drug that knocks him out. I take it back; I don’t like this guy.

Not able to find Liz, Ressler and Navabi realize that her mother being a Russian spy, Liz would go to the Russian Embassy. And that’s where they find her ass, jumping a fence and asking for asylum.

Thoughts:

I want to give this episode a 10, but Liz won’t let me. She’s scared, I get it, but she needs to follow the five G’s: Good God girl, get a grip! All these questions about her mom can be answered after she clears her name. And the lack of confidence is aggravating.

If Dembe dies, I riot.