‘The Blacklist’ Season 7, Episode 8 Recap: “The Hawaladar”

Kailey
14 Min Read

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

This episode begins with Dembe and Red busting through the door of Ilya’s house to try and save Ilya (Bloom) from Katarina, but after examining the room, it looks as though there was a struggle and Katarina has him. We see Ilya in Katarina’s apartment strapped to a chair, bloodied. Katarina and her associate are in the kitchen and he tells her that this is a bad idea to do this in her apartment as they are waiting on another associate to get them the information they need from Ilya.

Red arrives at a house and goes upstairs to where Skip Sutherland is being taken care of. Red seems to be there to end his life but Skip gives him information about how he received his money from Katarina and how Red can find out who else. It was a restaurant in London called the “Clay Elephant.” Liz is talking to Agnes when she gets a call from Maddy Tolliver (Katarina) who says she is at the train station because an old friend is in town and she will try to take care of Agnes. Liz tells her that Beth can take care of Agnes and to have a good time with her friend. Red arrives at the “Clay Elephant” and speaks to a man who delivered the money to Skip Sutherland from Constance Drucker. He explains the request came from the main office in New York, they run the outposts and use restaurants as a front. Red calls Liz and tells her he has a new blacklister, Bhavish Ratna.

Liz briefs the team on Ratna and how the hawaladars do transactions for the worst of the worst all around the world, a bank outside a bank. We see a man make a call to Ratna for his boss about another transaction. Rhatna answers and the transaction is being processed. Liz tells the team that Red gave the team this case for information on the woman who took him in Paris. Cooper tells the team to head to New York for surveillance on Ratna. Katarina is talking to a bloodied Ilya and says that she never thought he would betray her. He says it’s complicated but he will die before he tells her anything. She says that an associate is coming the following day and before he knows it, he will give her all the information she wishes to know.

The team is in New York and are tailing Ratna. He steps outside the restaurant and takes two bags in his hands and begins walking. The team follows but sees that he has two guards protecting him. Ratna stops at a park and Reddington is there waiting. Reddington tells Ratna the FBI are after him and if he gets in the car, where Dembe is seen waiting, he can offer protection.  As they talk, the team tries to see who Ratna is talking to and discover it is Reddington. Ratna tells Red he won’t give information out about his clients but Red says that he might change his mind. Ratna isn’t biting so Red leaves and gets in the car. Ratna looks around and then makes a run for it but Park goes after him and Ressler and Keen put their guns up to the body guards. Ratna makes it to Red’s car and they drive off as the body guards are arrested.

Ratna is at Red’s safe house and Ratna discusses how he and his team were so careful. All the clients’ information and workers, the restaurant, they all are going to jail, his resources will be gone, etc. Ratna says that he was transporting 3.5 million for the Zhao Triad to Eli Atticus. Red says he can loan Ratna money for what he lost but will charge him 19 percent. Red makes a call and has his men bring down the loan for Ratna. Red asks about other payments Constance Drucker has made through Ratna’s network. He pulls out his notepad and says the other one besides Skip Sutherland was to “Orion Relocation Services.” Red makes a call to Glen and tells him to find “Orion Relocation Services.”

Courtesy of IMDb.

Katarina gets a call about the other associate arriving and that there has been a delay. The associate and Katarina argue about their plan as Ilya breaks free from the chair he was strapped to. Katarina tells her associate that she doesn’t care what happens, she wants to use every last option they have to get the information they need.

Cooper calls Red with Ressler and Park listening and wants an explanation on why he crossed them in New York. Red tells him that Ratna is in his debt and he set him free. Red tells them that a friend is missing and he did what he had to do to get information. Red does give them a tip about the money Ratna was moving for the Zhao Crime Syndicate to Eli Atticus. He tells them that Atticus is an extraction expert and if the Zhao lost someone, they want them back. Red doesn’t know who but he does know it will be bloody. Park is upset but Cooper says they need to get moving on Atticus.

Courtesy of IMDb.

Liz gets a call at work from Beth, who is watching Agnes. She tells Liz that Shelley and Agnes were drawing and Agnes drew a picture of a dead guy. Liz is visibly worried and confused and tells Beth that Agnes must’ve walked in on Liz watching a bad television show. Liz hangs up and the team meet to talk about Atticus. Aram tells the team that the next stint may be local. Park chimes in that the DEA did an investigation on PPR Global company, who launders money for the Zhao Crime Syndicate. One of the associates, Alfred Yang, is in stable condition at Nations First Hospital and seems to be Atticus’ next stint. Cooper tells Liz to warn the DEA and sends Park and Ressler to the hospital to retrieve Yang.

Ressler and Park arrive and meet a DEA agent as gunshots are heard. Park and Ressler split up. Park arrives on the other side of the wing and sees hospital staff and security detail dead. One agent is still alive and he tells Park they took Yang. Park radios to Ressler as he takes the staircase and meets Atticus’ men. He pulls his weapon and there is a shootout. A DEA agent is shot and as Ressler goes to help, one of Atticus’ men chokes Ressler. They struggle and Ressler grabs a hospital ID badge. Park arrives and shoots Atticus’ man and runs to Ressler. She tries to run after the man but he gets away.

Red goes to Glen’s office but Glen is busy with his “Casino Night.” Red tells him it’s important that he finds the “Orion Relocation Services.” Red hangs up the call Glen takes and Red gets stern. Red says there is nothing but Glen finding out any information on “Orion.” He explains to Glen that a friend was taken by the woman from Paris and as he talks, we see Katarina and her associate save Ilya as he is seen hanging himself. Katarina cries and doesn’t understand why he was willing to die for “him.”

Liz calls Red and tell him that Atticus’ men got to Yang. Red says that it doesn’t make sense for Zhao Wing to hire Atticus to shoot up a hospital to save Yang unless it was desperate. Liz figures out why Yang was so important as she talks to Red. Yang arrives at a garage where Zhao Wing welcomes him back. He goes to hug Yang and stabs him in the stomach. Yang was an undercover agent for the DEA and Liz tells the DEA agent that they are going to kill him if they don’t find Yang. Ressler approaches them and tells them that when he was being choked, he slipped a hospital ID badge in the man’s pocket, which they should be able to track. Next, the FBI bust through the garage and a shootout occurs. Ressler takes Zhao and Liz finds Yang still alive and calls for an ambulance.

Red goes back to Glen’s office and asks why he isn’t working. Glen hasn’t found them yet because he is hungry and he has “Casino Night”, but Red becomes angry and throws Glen’s sandwich. He tells Glen that he tolerates him and that their relationship is business. “You’re a finder. You exist to me because you find things.” That’s the only reason Red is keeping him around. He tells Glen to find “Orion Relocation Services” and leaves Glen’s office.

Park is in Cooper’s office and he doesn’t understand why she is upset. They saved an agent, the Zhao are being prosecuted, and they are investigating all the clients from Ratna’s restaurant. She tells Cooper that she thinks Red is over his head and she doesn’t want the team to get involved in whatever it is he is dealing with.

Liz hugs Agnes and she asks Agnes about the picture she drew at Beth’s. Agnes reveals the truth that she saw the man at the park with Tolliver. Katarina and her associate have Ilya back in the chair and she says that all the preparation is for an old associate who is excited to meet him. A knock at the door takes Katarina away. It’s Liz and she wants to talk. They go to her apartment and discuss Agnes’ picture. Katarina says that she didn’t see anything and maybe Agnes is drawing this picture out of fear of what Liz does as an FBI agent. Liz becomes defensive and Katarina says that nothing happened at the park.

Red again goes to Glen’s office and apologizes for the way he acted earlier. Glen hands him a file folder and says that it’s everything he needs to know about “Orion Relocation Services.” Red says that he is in his debt and again apologizes. Glen tells him not to worry about it and he gets ready for his “Casino Night.” “And you know, I always bet on red.” Liz is at the park where Agnes and Katarina went and she brings the picture. She looks around and doesn’t see anything, seemingly worried for nothing. She goes to wash off her shoes in the bathroom when she discovers blood and a busted mirror. She knows that something has happened.

Katarina’s associate arrives and he meets Ilya. He tells him not to be afraid and says “It’s okay. We are just going to have a little look at some of your memories.”

Thanks for reading!

Here is the promo for the next episode in two weeks!

The Blacklist airs Fridays at 8 p.m. EST on NBC.

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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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