‘The Blacklist’ Season Six Episode 22 Recap: “Robert Diaz”

Kailey
13 Min Read
Jennifer Ferrin and Ben Horner in The Blacklist. Courtesy of NBC
Jennifer Ferrin and Ben Horner in The Blacklist. Courtesy of NBC

If you missed last week’s recap, check it out here.

This episode begins with the Task Force taken into custody and put into separate rooms. Anna calls President Diaz and says that they are all in custody except Keen and Reddington. Anna says that Liz and Reddington will come for their friends and she isn’t worried about making a case against the Task Force and Reddington. She makes sure the President is still up for the plan. He says that it’s what has to be done and he wants a clean kill shot. President Diaz hangs up and meets his wife, telling her it is a big day and that he will do what she has been asking. He says it has haunted them for too long and she is relieved to hear it.

Anna tells Cooper that everyone will be tried and convicted and she has the dossier. She offers to help him if he calls Liz and gives her location but he is not selling her out. Liz calls Red and says that she needs his help to get her team out so they can stop the President and she can bring Agnes home. She needs Tadashi Ito and Ruddiger for help.  Red meets with Ruddiger and “The Shadow Five” in order to help Liz. Tadashi is at his prom but sneaks away to help Liz get Cooper, Aram, and Ressler out of the rooms where they are being held. Liz and Tadashi unlock certain doors and Cooper, Aram, and Ressler all meet in a hallway to make a run for it but are caught by Anna’s team and taken into the box. Liz calls Red and tells him the team is in the box, just as they wanted. McMahon talks to Cooper and says that she tried to extend a helping hand. Cooper asks about Agent Keen and she says she hasn’t found her yet. He says that he doubt she will.

Red’s team arrives on to the Task Force as Liz secretly talks to Aram, Cooper, and Ressler and tells them about looping the camera feed. Right on track, Tadashi loops the camera feed and Reddington’s team moves in. Ruddiger and his team are sent to a room for their job. Red calls Tadashi to tell him to cut the loop and Anna’s team sees the camera feed and send a team after Ruddiger and his associates. Ruddiger’s team escapes and as Sandquist and other agents arrive, he tells Anna that it was a diversion. Liz and Red meet and take over the room where the rest of the Task Force is held. They get Aram, Cooper, and Ressler out and put the guards in their place. Anna takes her team to the box but finds the her team where the Task Force Team had been.

Diego Klattenhoff and James Spader in The Blacklist. Courtesy of NBC

They find safe haven at a place set up by Reddington and decide their next move. They all sit down for a meal as Red discusses the plan. Liz and Ressler will be undercover as MPD, Aram will be undercover as a college student, Cooper will have to call in a favor from a friend at the MPD to allow Liz and Ressler to be at the Presidential Debate, and Vontae Jones (Red’s young partner from prison), will create the diversion by recruiting some friends. Simultaneously, we see these activities being played out as the team discusses the plan. At dinner, Liz announces she is bringing Agnes home. As the team congratulates her, Reddington calls Ressler to the side to discuss about the Russians approaching him regarding Katarina. Ressler tells Red what he knows and what he suspects but also tells Red that the secret of his identity is safe.

The team is in place at the debate. Protestors are shown outside as Vontae and his team arrive. Cooper is watching from above and Aram from the van where he is stationed. Aram tells Cooper that he believes the shooter will be in the lighting booth where the camera is offline because the booth has a direct line to the stage. Anna and Sandquist arrive where the President is getting ready and tells the First Lady about the big day. “It’ll be a day to remember.” Robert holds hands with his wife and leaves her backstage as he is presented.

Red meets with a confidant about the search for Katarina, Masha (Liz), and what her grandfather, Dom, told her. He says that he worries that Agent Ressler’s inquiry into her has somehow restarted the search for her, it could be bad news. Red tells him that the task he wants done needs to happen before Masha brings her daughter home. The man and Red’s past goes back to when they were children. Red states, “I love you because I can trust you.”

Cooper has Vontae start making some noise in the crowd of protesters and throws small bombs that create tension within the crowd and the guards. Liz, Ressler, and the rest of the security team can’t hold the line so Liz and Ressler go inside. They give orders to other officers and proceed upstairs. They get in touch with Aram who is giving them directions to the lighting booth. Guards let Anna know that Ressler and Keen are in the building. Sandquist heads up to the booth with Liz and Ressler after him, and other agents after them. Sandquist gets in position as Liz and Ressler have almost reached the room. At the same time, President Diaz has just finished his debate and his wife walks on stage, seemingly disappointed and angry he didn’t fulfill her request. Suddenly, Keen and Ressler bust into the lighting booth but Sandquist makes his shot. He hits the First Lady. Diaz is taken away for protection and people surround his wife to help. Sandquist and Ressler struggle but guards that were after Keen and Ressler show up and take them into custody.

Liz and Ressler are put in the back of a van with a bloodied Aram. They are transported and Cooper calls Red to tell him he needs Red to call his friends in Homeland for help. Robert calls Anna and Milian Sandquist and tells them to fix what they have done. Liz, Ressler, and Aram discuss who the intended target was because Sandquist is a skilled shooter. As the conversation ends, the van stops. Sandquist orders them to exit the car but suddenly and quickly, a car drives up the road and hits the van holding the team, sending it on its side. They are able to get out and a shootout begins. Red and his team are there to help as Liz and Ressler are shooting at the Secret Service. Red’s driver is hit and he moves him away from the car, where the oil and gas are leaking. Aram grabs a gun to help shoot and seeks coverage by Red’s car but Sandquist throws a grenade and the van blows up. The team is fine and Ressler shoots Sandquist several times.

Red tells someone to call and ambulance but a gun is put to Red’s head. It’s Anna McMahon and she says to put the phone down. Liz tells her she has no play and Anna says she knows. Ressler tells her that if she shoots Red, he will shoot her. Tensions escalates and she almost shoots but is shot in the head. Who was it? Dembe! Dembe has returned to save the day!

The team returns to the safe house and determines that Diaz was not the intended target. Dembe tells Red that he followed his own path but the path led him back to Red. Red and Dembe walk into the room with the rest of the team as they are discussing the events that happened and Red says that perhaps Sandquist didn’t miss.

Reddington is handcuffed with Cynthia Panabaker and Harold Cooper by his side, along with armed guards. Reddington, Panabaker, and Cooper talk to the First Lady in her hospital room about Diaz and why he would want to kill her. She is in disbelief but tells them that years ago they were away on vacation and Diaz, being drunk, hit a mother and her son. They kept it quiet for fear of ruining President Diaz’s reputation and that’s what he used the Russian money for.  The First Lady couldn’t bear to live with herself and asked Diaz to tell everyone the truth. When he refused, she put together proof from the man who made the crime disappear. She asks if what happened was a mistake and Red tells her, “But this was not a mistake Mrs. Diaz.”

News stations are covering the story of Diaz’s resignation as news of the attempt on his wife’s life has spread like wildfire. He is told by Cooper and Panabaker that a criminal trial will be conducted once his resignation is in place. He asks how a fugitive catches the President in the act and Cooper replies, “with pleasure.” Panabaker said that the President did this to himself.

Liz is prepping her apartment for the arrival of Agnes and remarks to Red about how good she feels. Agnes runs into Liz’s arms, excited to be home, and Red decides to leave them to have quality time. Red once again meets with his confidant and the man tells Red that he found her. Red sees the picture and ask where she is located. The man tells him that she is in Paris. We see a woman walking in the street and behind her is Reddington. He calls her name, “Katarina.” The woman stops and walks up to Reddington. They share a few kisses and he says that it is not safe. Suddenly, we hear a gasp from Red as he looks down and Katarina has just stabbed him. He collapses and a van pulls up, puts him the van, and drives away. All that is left is his hat, and Katarina takes it with her walking down the street.

That is it for season six! Thank you so much for reading along and enjoying this season with me. Catch The Blacklist when it returns this fall for season seven! What are your thoughts? Tweet or comment below and let us know what you think!

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By Kailey
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Kailey has been a writer for Nerds and Beyond since 2018. She received her bachelors degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders in May of 2020. Some of her favorite TV shows are The Blacklist, Supernatural, and Prodigal Son, to name a few. She also loves all things Disney! You can check her out on social media @kaileygross.
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