The Blacklist - S3E23 - Alexander Kirk (Conclusion)

Previously on The Blacklist, “Alexander Kirk (No. 14)”

Red continues working with Diaz to get Alexander Kirk to come to the states so Red can kill him. That’s not why Kirk would show up, of course, but it’s what Red wants. Senator Diaz has a press conference, announcing his intention to have hearings about Kirk’s ties with terrorism. There’s a small problem though; it’s a lie, created by Red. Now that Red has Diaz deep in his pocket, after he kills Kirk he wants President Diaz to give Liz a full pardon.

Red knows Kirk, right? So he must know Kirk is no fool and is aware of what he’s up to. Besides, he’s too busy with his blood transfusions to take Senator Diaz seriously. His team of lawyers try to convince him to attend the hearings, but he declines; he won’t be showing because there won’t be any. His right hand man, Dr. Stalder, meets with a hitman, giving him a file on Jacob and Agnes. He’s to kill Jacob and take the baby. He uses Agnes’ doctor to get to Jacob, having him call to get a trace on Jacob’s location. Then he kills the guy because why not leave a trail of bodies?

Jacob, true to his word, lets Red have access to Agnes, but he doesn’t let up about Kirk. He doesn’t want to talk about the job Scottie offered him or anything else; just catching Kirk. They meet with the team, and Red explains that he took Kirk’s money to smoke him out. Since that didn’t work, he had Diaz fib about the terrorism, much to the team’s dismay. Now they want to balk at what Red does? Have they not been somewhat involved in everything he’s done since he met them? Have they not been knee-deep in it since Liz “died”?

Together, they come up with another elaborate plan, all in an effort to have Kirk’s employees arrested. It looks cool and all, very The Italian Job, but who cares? The plan sorta-kinda works, but Kirk could give a good got’damn about Red’s antics; because he’s dying. Still, he gets his plane ready for a trip to the states.

Now that the coast is clear, Jacob has an even more elaborate plan to disappear with Agnes. A plan that includes snatching someone else’s baby at the market. What? Why? He makes off for the airport and a flight to Cuba to meet up with, yep, Liz. Ta da.

The team gets word that Kirk is indeed coming, so Red takes a moment to tell Cooper he’s going to kill Kirk once he sets foot on American soil, but doesn’t want the team involved. Cooper says they all went in with their eyes wide open. Nah, bruh; judging by the panicked conversation between Aram and Mr. Goody-two Shoes Ressler, no, they didn’t.

Red says goodbye, because with Liz gone, there’s no reason for him to keep working with them. This actually makes sense because he did leave the team without a bye-your-leave. Red has a sniper set up across from the courthouse, so they can dispatch Kirk as soon as he exits his car. But they don’t take two things into consideration: Pollyanna Ressler showing up to stop them or Kirk sending someone in his stead.

Confusion reigns as everyone tries to figure out why Kirk would be cleared to enter America, but not show up. Oh yeah, because he’s making a pit stop in Cuba. Why is he visiting Cuba at this time of year? Because that’s where Jacob took Agnes. The team finds info about the private flight Jacob and Agnes took to Cuba and Red finds out who helped Jacob get there: uh-huh, Mr. Kaplan. She tells Red she did it because she didn’t want to watch him make the same mistakes with Agnes that he made with Elizabeth. Her explanation is steeped in bullshit. So, while driving Jacob and Liz from the hospital, she concocted this elaborate plan? And Red was none the wiser. C’mon, son.

She clues Liz and Jacob in on her master plan, which has to include Nik—who is already scared to death of Red and knows if Red finds out, he’ll be killed. But never mind about that. They fake Liz’s death and get her to Cuba. Of course, when Jacob slips away from Red’s men with the baby, Kaplan has no idea he’s been followed and leading Kirk right to the baby and Liz. See, this is why you can’t do shady shit like this. Kaplan had to know Kirk was after the baby. Doesn’t Red keep her in the loop about everything? This is how she got away with this sneaky shit. Red is super pissed, though it’s not clear if it’s her betrayal or the fact that Agnes and Liz are in danger because of it.

Jacob gets back to the house in Cuba, after shopping for the delicious pastries Liz loves, to find broken glass and a stranger about to grab Agnes. They fight, the bad guy’s gun goes off (shooting himself in the foot), and Jacob gets the best of him. As he’s choking the guy out, Agnes looks at him from the crib and he seems to feel bad. She don’t know what you’re doing, boo; kill that dude. Too late, he pays the price for his hesitation when the hitman mollywhops him. Red, Kaplan, and Dembe get to Cuba to find the house empty, with broken shit everywhere. There’s no sign of the Keens and a grim outlook for them and Kaplan, too, when Red asks what they’re gonna do with her. Holup, Red; all of this is on you, sir. Or blame Kaplan and kill her like everyone else.

Waiting in dark hallway, Liz gets her first glimpse of Kirk, though she doesn’t know who he is. He doesn’t waste time telling her; he’s Constantin Rostov, her daddy.

Best line: “Aram—set him up with someone for God’s sake. He’s like a kid with his first erection on a school bus.” ~Red

Second best line: “I didn’t betray you. I did what I’ve always done- protected you-this time from yourself.”~Mr. Kaplan