If you missed last week’s recap, check it out here.
This episode first takes us to the airport where a couple is standing in line. An airport security officer asks the couple to step out of line so he can help them at the next window. They thank the man and proceed. The officer asks what brings the couple (Angela and Russell Chambers) from Montreal to Washington D.C. The husband says it’s to visit her sister and it’s also their babymoon. Suddenly, the couple arrives at a very run down, abandoned area and they get out of the car. Her demeanor has totally changed as she happens upon an operating room where the doctor says she looks like she is about to pop and if she had any problems on the way. She says no but she just wants him to remove it. She goes into surgery, and the doctor removes what looks like a placenta from her stomach. He cuts it open and it’s not a baby, but bags of drugs. He opens a bag and what looks like crystal meth. The doctor calls a man named Sarkany and says “it’s a boy.”
Sarkany is on the other line saying that he will celebrate its safe arrival “like a proud papa.”
Reddington is in his cell with lookout Vontae Jones, who we met in episode four this season. He finds the phone from the pipe in his cell and calls Dembe. Dembe said he looked at Dr. Nikkila’s files and found an address to where something was sent, and a name — Michael Falkirk — an alias in London, who Raymond orders not to do anything to unless they know what he plans to do with the toxin. Raymond says he may be able to use the information about the toxin in exchange for his freedom. Suddenly, Vontae warns Red of guards on their way, and he hangs up on Dembe, telling him he needs to go. There is commotion by their cell as many men are throwing punches and fighting. Vontae is worried soon there will be a riot.
We hear Liz’s voice as she exclaims she found Marguerite Renard. Liz has pictures of her walking her dog in an upscale neighborhood, which a normal nurse practitioner wouldn’t be able to afford. Jennifer asks if Liz spoke to her, but Liz says that she probably wouldn’t talk to a random stranger, especially if she changed the identity of criminals. Jennifer asks what their next steps are. Liz says that since they can’t use the FBI but they need to ask her what she knows. Jennifer asks, “Like, kidnap?”
Liz explains that this woman was in the room when the Reddington we know, was not who he says he was before. “She knows who he was. She knows everything.”
Jennifer is clearly against the idea, but Liz persuades her because their plan is working and they just need answers to know the truth. Jennifer agrees and asks what she has to do, but Liz says she will take care of it — all she has to do is drive.
Oh, you need Red's help? #TheBlacklist pic.twitter.com/4mq51lRqa6
— The Blacklist (@NBCBlacklist) February 23, 2019
Reddington and the warden are having a chat, and the warden says that he has been accommodating Red, and he feels Red should now accommodate him. Red asks if it has to do with the fighting that transpired earlier and the warden says that two rival gangs are brewing a war. One gang is a motorcycle club called “The Cyclops.” He continues that one of their younger members, Oscar, did some gambling with someone from a group of southern inmates called the “Rock River Crew.” Apparently, the man from Rock River never paid his debt. Now, Cyclops has to hold up their reputation.
“If someone doesn’t mediate, more people are gonna die.” Reddington says that he is too busy preparing for trial and others respect him because he minds his own business. The warden says that if Red isn’t gonna help, as he picks up the classical music record, that he isn’t gonna get and he slams it against the jail cell.
In Baltimore, Liz and Jennifer are in the car watching Renard walk her dog. Liz asks if Jennifer is okay and she states she will be when this is over. Liz gets out and asks Renard for directions and as Renard begins giving the directions, Liz pulls her gun and tells Renard to get into the car. She yells for Jennifer to drive when a car stops them in their tracks. A man with a gun tells them to get out of the car and he breaks the window and grabs Jennifer. Another man grabs Liz and throws her to the ground. Renard gets out and gets into the other car as Liz is being choked and she shoots the man. The car drives off with Jennifer and Renard.
Liz walks up to an apartment, with blood on her hands and knocks. It’s Ressler and she says that she is in trouble and needs to show him something outside. Hannah, Ressler’s associate walks up to the door to see Liz standing with blood on her hands. Ressler tries to explain and he introduces Liz as his partner. Liz says it might be a while and Ressler explains he will grab his coat. As Ressler and Keen leave, Hannah tells him to be careful. As they are walking down the hall, Ressler asks what’s going on. Keen says she has a stolen van downstairs, with a dead body inside.
Ressler and Keen are inside the stolen van as Keen is explaining everything. Reddington isn’t who he says he is and he is an impostor. Ressler said that since she turned him in, he is in jail and facing the death penalty. She said that if she had gone to the FBI, then Red would’ve found out about Jennifer and Liz knowing the truth. Ressler asks how she is sure that he doesn’t already know and Liz whispers that all she knows for sure, is that he will do anything to keep people from finding out the truth. Liz reminds Ressler of Hans Koehler, the plastic surgeon. Liz tells him that Koehler is the one that changed the imposter into Reddington. Ressler remembers Red giving them the files of Koehler’s patients, but Liz tells him, “Yes. Every file except his.”
Ressler asks how the dead guy in the back of the van is connected and Liz fills him in on finding the nurse, and getting jumped by two armed guards, one who took Jennifer, and the other one who is dead. Ressler connects the dots which include, Tom’s death, the bag of bones, Kaplan’s suicide, and Liz says in the process to find the truth, she lost her sister. Ressler says that they will find her. Ressler gets out of the car and Liz asks her how they are going to find her sister. Ressler gets a fingerprint off the car and says that they will do what they always do, find evidence.
Ressler and Keen scan the fingerprint through the system to see what they get for matches. Liz exclaims that she tracked her sister’s phone and she is on a plane. Her phone stopped tracking as they got higher altitude heading over Vermont. Ressler is glad that it sounds like she is still alive. Keen is tracking every private plane that has left some specific areas in the last few hours. Ressler asks about Renard saying that he wonders if Reddington had her guarded. Liz answers and says that she doesn’t think it was Reddington. Ressler gets a match on the fingerprint matching it to a man named Tristan, a Hungarian that works for Marko Jankowics, our Blacklister. Marko is Hungarian and there was a joint DEA Taskforce dedicated to tracking down Jankowics. He moves LSD because in order to make the drug, he needs a special kind of fungus, which he can come by more easily in Hungary. Marko moves LSD from Montreal to the U.S. He is also called Sarkany, a name from Hungarian folklore about a multi-headed dragon.
Jankowics walks into a room and Jennifer is sitting, tied to the chair. Marko asks Jennifer questions about who she is and who she works for. She gives him her name but she is hysterical and scared. He has her phone and says it should give him plenty of information about who she is. She begs and pleads with him that she doesn’t know anything about him as he leaves the room with some guards.
Ressler brings information for what they had about Marko. They discover that Marguerite Renard is Marko’s girlfriend which explains why she had guards and why she could afford her penthouse. Ressler says that the plane must be headed to Montreal since that’s where Jankowics has ties. The plane has most likely crossed the border and could be anywhere now. Keen says that she needs to call it in and talk to Cooper. Ressler says that that’s what she should’ve done from the beginning but they’re way past that now. Ressler suggests that she goes should go to Reddington since Jennifer is his daughter, too. He says that Reddington runs a criminal empire and if anyone can find Jennifer, it’s him. Liz says that she can’t lie, but Ressler reminds her of what she has been doing for months and that Red cares about her. He says if Keen asks for help, Red will do anything.
A guard wakes up Reddington and tells him he has a visitor. Liz’s seen sitting at a table as Red is brought into the room. Red is surprised to see her at three in the morning, and he tells her the good dream he was having. Liz tells him that she needs his help. Red asks her what is going on. “It’s Jennifer. She’s been taken.”
Liz explains to Red that Jennifer was kidnapped by guards working for Marko. Red is astonished to know that Jennifer and Liz were still in contact. Liz tells him that they weren’t and she hadn’t heard from Jennifer in months. She says that Jennifer called her the night before, crying, saying that she was on the run and scared. Red asks if she was running from Sarkany. Liz leans forward and asks if he knows him. Red asks about Jennifer’s drug use and Liz states that all she knows is that Jennifer was stranded at Federal Hill in Baltimore. Liz continues that before Jennifer could thank her for picking her before a SUV blocked her car. She shot one guard and the other took Jennifer before she could save her. Liz tells Red about the print she got off the car from the dead guard and his fingerprint shows that he works for Jankowics. Red seems suspicious and asks what she isn’t telling him. She says that what she told him is all she knows. Red says that Sarkany distributes LSD and is in Europe, even if Jennifer was using, it wouldn’t be worth Sarkany’s time. Liz persists that she doesn’t know anymore. He says that he usually minds his business when it comes to drugs but other inmates do not share his view. He says he will ask around. Liz asks if they might know where to find him or how to contact him and he says that he hopes so for Jennifer’s sake. He also is having a bit of a tough time with the warden so this might be what he needs.
A guard escorts the warden to Red’s cell where Red tells him, “I’ve decided our interests have aligned.” The warden seems satisfied and Red continues. Red asks for Oscar Sandoval to meet him in the mess hall, which is fairly early since Liz just woke Red up a short while ago.
Obviously. #TheBlacklist pic.twitter.com/OZioAtl2V7
— The Blacklist (@NBCBlacklist) February 23, 2019
Oscar is seen sitting and as Red walks up, Oscar asks if their meeting is about the money. Red says that it is somewhat the reason for their meeting. Oscar explains that he doesn’t want to kill Salinas because if he does, he will never get out. He just wants to do his time and then have a life, a family. Red asks if Oscar knows who he is. “Everyone knows.”
Red says that they can help each other. Red has a problem and if Oscar helps him with his, he will take care of Salinas. Red gives him the information that leads to Federal Hill in Baltimore. He says that they should be able to follow the lead from there.
Back to Jankowics and Jennifer, she looks slightly beaten up. He tells her that he found her last contact to Elizabeth Keen, an FBI agent. Jennifer explains that Keen is her sister and that their father is Raymond Reddington. Jankowics states that Raymond is in jail and that the authorities aren’t looking for him anymore. She tells him that her and Liz were looking for information about who he was, before Renard changed his identity. This angers Marko as he tells her to stop lying, his girlfriend wouldn’t do that. Jennifer says that it’s true and Renard must have been lying to him. He punches her and she yells out in pain.
Oscar shows up to Red’s cell and tells him that Sarkany owns a place in Baltimore, but doesn’t live there. Red asks who does and Oscar says that his girlfriend does. Some French lady, really fancy name, and he is finally able to spit out the name Margeurite Renard. Red pauses after the name is spoken. Red asks what else he knows, but Oscar wants to make sure that after he solves Red’s problem, that Red will solve Oscar’s. “Because based on what you’ve already told me, I’m deeper in your debt than you could ever be in mine.”
In London, Dembe is seen breaking into a house by taking out the glass in a window and he finds a desk with a computer and files laying on it. He looks through them and then takes a picture of the files. All of a sudden, a man in a black hoodie is seen in the reflection of the computer screen. A shot is fired at the computer and Dembe and the man fight. The man has Dembe on the ground but Dembe gets out his knife and stabs the man in the side. The man hobbles away and makes a getaway from the window Dembe came in. Dembe grabs his gun and follows the man’s trail, watching him out the window crossing the street and getting away.
Dembe is on a plane and is on the phone with Raymond. He found a Blackchain wallet ID and sent it to Tadashi who accessed the account. Five million dollars was sent to Axion Cryptosolutions. Dembe asks Red if he wants him to look into the company. Red says that he has something more urgent for him to address. “Elizabeth knows.”
He says that she knows he was once a different person but doesn’t know who and that Dembe needs to get to Renard before she does. Dembe ponders how she even found out about Renard but Red says he doesn’t know and they don’t have time to find out. After Red finds out how to locate Renard, he is also going to tell Elizabeth. Red tells Dembe that Jennifer was taken possibly the same place that Renard is located and it may be the only way to save Jennifer. “You’re doing the right thing,” says Dembe. Red says while that may be true, Dembe needs to get to Renard before he regrets it.
Red tells Liz that the way to find Marko is through a woman named Alexandra Ivers. She is a courier and she is arriving at the airport to deliver product.
Liz and Ressler are at the airport as Ivers is seen walking. They try to get her attention but she walks swiftly before she falls. It makes a scene but Ressler shows his badge and says that they need to ask her some questions but try to make sure her and her “baby” are okay. They arrest her and take her to Ressler’s apartment and zip tie her hands. Keen asks about Marko and where to find him as Ressler’s girlfriend walks in the door. Ressler tries to explain that it’s for work as Keen is still interrogating Ivers. Ivers tries to maintain her alias but Liz knows better. Liz tells her that they have her sister Jennifer. Liz finds her phone and takes a picture of her and finds a number saved on speed dial. Hannah tells Ressler to call her when he is done and she leaves the apartment, upset. Liz shows the number to Ressler and says that if Marko trusts Ivers for making deals, he might be willing to trade Ivers for Jennifer. Keen tries to reassure Ressler that Hannah will be okay but he disagrees.
Marguerite is brought into the room where Jennifer is being held and she is being escorted by a guard. She arrives and asks Marko what is going on and ask about Jennifer. Marko asks her if she ever worked for Hans Koehler, she hesitates and says yes. Marko seems disappointed as she says it was a lifetime ago. Jennifer chimes in that she must know Reddington and who he was before. Renard asks how Jennifer found her and Marko says that she didn’t, the FBI did. A few seconds later, Marko gets a call from Alexandra. He says that Marguerite better hope the FBI didn’t get her as well. After Marko leaves to take his call, Renard tells Jennifer that she never talked to Reddington or the woman who arranged the surgery, a Russian woman. Jennifer asks if that woman was Katarina Rostova. Renard doesn’t say anything as Jennifer asks again and again.
Marko answers the phone but Ressler says that she can’t come to the phone. He tells Marko that he took a friend he has Alexandra. Simultaneously as the phone call continues, Alexandra is burning up. Liz says that they need to get her to the hospital because she may be in labor. Alexandra tells her that there is no baby. She tells Liz that when she fell at the airport, the bag inside her must have ruptured, so she is overdosing. Ressler is talking to Marko about a meeting place but he needs to know that Jennifer is alive. Marko assures him that she is as Liz yells for Ressler. Liz tells him that he needs to cut her open and grab out the plastic bladder of drugs before she dies. She begins puking as Ressler cuts open the stitches and pulls it out. Unfortunately, she doesn’t make it as Liz gets 911 on the phone.
In the prison, Vontae brings a man to Reddington who is the big boss of Rock River. Reddington tells him that he needs the war between them and the motorcycle gang to stop. The man says that it has nothing to do with Reddingon. Red says that Vontae said he was a reasonable man and not making his associate pay “a legitimate debt is confounding.” He tells the man to have his associate pay the debt. The man looks at Reddington and thinks but finally says, “I’ll see what I can do.”
Liz and Ressler are in the stolen van with Alexandra’s dead body as Ressler says there was nothing more they could do. Liz says that this monster, who used this poor woman, has her sister. Ressler reassures her that they have 50 million dollars of his product and that they will get Jennifer back. Liz asks about Hannah and how serious his relationship is to her since she has a key to his apartment. He says that not everything is as it may seem and he gives the example that he chased Reddington for ten years, not knowing he was an imposter the whole time. Liz says that she can relate because she thought Tom (her deceased husband) was just a school teacher and that Reddington was her father. Ressler tells Liz that Hannah is an actor from Alter Ego that he paid to be his girlfriend and take to his cousins wedding. As soon as they end that conversation, Marko pulls up.
Marko steps out saying that he usually avoids the FBI but it looks as though they don’t want the FBI knowing about their meeting. They ask about Jennifer and he orders his guards to bring her out of the car. Marko asks to see Alexandra but Liz explains her bag ruptured in her stomach and they tried saving her. He asks about his product and Ressler says he will get it as soon as he hands over Jennifer. He agrees and Liz runs up to Jennifer, putting her in the car. Jankowics orders his men to grab Alexandra’s body and put it in the car. Ressler grabs the drugs and hides his gun behind it. Marko says that in case they decide to tell the FBI, he can’t let that happen so he grabs his gun and prepares to shoot but Ressler shoots first. Keen and Ressler kill the rest of the associates.
Back at the jail, everyone is sitting in the mess hall when Oscar is stabbed. Reddington walks in and asks what he has done. Red explained that he had it handled and the man was going to pay. The gang member explains that he couldn’t get it done so they took him out because he brought disrespect. Vontae exclaims, “This is nuts.”
As the gang member warns Vontae, Raymond gives him a warning of his own. “In fact, I’d keep all three of your eyes open. You never know when you’re going to run into a hero with a flaming stick.” The inmates are escorted out of the mess hall.
Ressler and Keen put the bodies in the trunk with the drugs and closes the trunk. Liz goes to talk to Jennifer and Jennifer says that she talked to Marguerite Renard. She continues that Renard never talked to Reddington but knows a Russian woman who set up the surgery. Liz asks if it was Katarina but Jennifer says that Renard couldn’t confirm. Renard knows more than she is saying and Jennifer says that Liz needs to get to her, and she knows how.
Ressler, Keen, and Jennifer arrive at the mansion where Jennifer was held but Renard is still. There was guards but they might have heard the word about Jankowics so they split. Keen says that once they do this, it will all be over and they will know the truth. Ressler asks where Renard is and Jennifer said she is in a back bedroom. Jennifer thanks Ressler for saving her and he says not to thank him yet. Ressler and Keen get out of the car and head inside. Ressler is seen looking but we hear Liz call him and he comes running. He walks in to Liz standing in the bedroom, and Renard is no where to be found.
Reddington is walking to his cell as the warden greets him. The warden says that since he accommodated him, he will accommodate Red. Red sees his cell and hears classical music playing as his cell has been upgraded with new accessories. Raymond tells him that a man is still dead, the man he was trying to save and the warden tells him that he talked to Anton, the leader of the Rock River to have him change his mind. “You lost the battle, you stopped the war. In my book, that’s a win.”
Red says that he could prosecute Oscar’s killer but the warden says he is already doing life without parole. Red thanks him for his new cell. Before the warden leaves, he asks if Red needs anything else. Red wants a job in the kitchen and the warden says it will be done.
Liz and Jennifer are talking in Liz’s apartment and she says that without Marko, Renard won’t have the resources to run so they will be able to find her again. Jennifer disagrees and says that she can’t do this anymore. She is afraid of what Reddington is turning her into and that’s why she spent her life avoiding him. Liz says that they are so close to finding it but Jennifer asks what that is. Liz says she knows how Jennifer feels, but Jennifer persists. She asks where Jennifer will go and she says she has a friend in Long Island where it’s peaceful. She apologizes to Liz and they hug. “This will end. And when it does, I’ll find you.”
Hannah and Donald are seen sitting at a restaurant where she explains that she never should’ve gotten involved with a client. Ressler wants to tell her but he can’t. She says that she knows all about secrets from her job working for Alter Ego but she can’t deal with them in her personal life. She takes off the key to his apartment from her keychain, sets it on the table, and leaves.
Keen and Ressler are seen chatting about their eventful weekend where Jennifer left her and Hannah left him. Suddenly, Aram walks in, turns on the lights and tells them they got their early. He comes over to have a bagel and wants to tell them a story about his weekend.
Dembe is talking to Reddington on the phone and he tells Red that he has Renard. Red asks if she said anything and Dembe says that she told Jennifer that Katarina arranged the procedure. Dembe says that is the only thing she said but Raymond says it’s already way too much. Since she mentioned Katarina, Liz will stop at nothing to find Renard. He tells Dembe that he knows what needs to be done and he hangs up with Dembe. Dembe walks over to Marguerite to pet her dog and asks her if she has ever been to Scotland. He says its a beautiful place to be and she’s never been.
Don't mess with Raymond Reddington. #TheBlacklist pic.twitter.com/Iyv5d1VjxB
— The Blacklist (@NBCBlacklist) February 23, 2019
Reddington is in the kitchen watching for Oscar’s killer. He decides that he needs to wipe down the tables. As he walks out with the bucket and the rag, under the rag is a thermometer, a sharp one that is used for turkeys. In slow motion, we see Red walk right by the killer, stabbing him in the chest and continuing on to clean the tables. There is commotion as the killer hits the floor and others gather around him but Red continues to mind his business. The camera closes in to the thermometer in the man’s chest and it says “well done.”
The second half of this two part finale will be coming soon so stay tuned!
The Blacklist airs Fridays at 9 p.m. on NBC.