Major spoilers for The Blacklist are below.
The Blacklist has been bringing plot twists left and right in the latter chunk of Season 3, and tonight’s season finale pulled off the rare twist-atop-a-twist that other dramas could only dream of. (Probably while also dreaming about looking as good in hats as Red does.) “Alexander Kirk: Conclusion” dropped the reveal that Liz is not dead as previously thought, and that she actually faked her death so that she could specifically fool Red into thinking she’s gone. Apparently this is the end of the line for Liz and Red’s tried and tangled partnership, at least in its most recent form, and her motives can now exist outside his bubble of influence.
We also found out that the villainous Alexander Kirk is apparently maybe perhaps Liz’s father, and while we’re certainly interested in learning more about Liz’s heritage (considering the lack of information there has played a large part in the character’s development),we’re more concerned right now with why Liz’s need to be away from Red would require a scheme as grand and as complicated. Here’s why actress Megan Boone says it’s necessary for Liz to escape Red’s vicinity.
I can say that it’s clear at this point that the answers Liz seeks about her mother, her past, and her connection to Red aren’t going to come from Red. When Liz asks Red a question — possibly one she’s asked him many times before — he is persistent in steering the conversation to a different subject. He is consistently evasive, so it’s timely that she try other avenues to get the answers she seeks as well as actively seeking out the life she wants. It’s a good point in the series for Liz to break away.
That’s the kind of direct truth that you just won’t get from Red no matter how genuinely interested you are in something. He’s always got an angle, which obviously makes it extremely hard to remain in his close company for too long while sincerely seeking information from him. And really, who needs to ask Red about unknown family members when one of those very people is more than willing to kidnap Liz and reveal his genetic role in her biology?
It isn’t just a matter of redacted talking points and twisty head games, either. If you’ve been watching The Blacklist over the past 67 episodes, you’ve noticed that quite a bit of physically threatening events seem to follow Red around wherever he goes. (Which is kind of why we love him, but anyway.) And Liz the Mother just couldn’t have that, according to Boone.
When she saw that the life of her baby was at risk because Red was in her life, it had gone too far. No matter what her personal reasons for engaging with Red before, they all fell away with the birth of her child.
If somebody goes through the trouble of changing their name and their entire identity just to get away from you, perhaps it’s time to do some soul searching. Red, you troublesome coot. So moving forward, hopefully Liz will get a little breathing room to readjust and plow forward in her missions without a particular someone butting in.
The Blacklist may be done with Season 3 for now, but 2016 is going to feature a whole lot more from this universe, as both Season 4 of the flagship series and Season 1 of the upcoming spinoff will likely debut on NBC in the fall.
Were you guys shocked by tonight’s episode, or did you totally see all of it coming from a mile away?
