If you missed last week’s recap, check it out here.
We see a man digging a box and breaking all the wires inside. He has something in both ears that seem to be hearing aids. He then arrives at Optimus Data Company and he goes to “fix” their computer system. The man works on their computer for a moment, then puts four bombs all around the server. When an employee from Optimus comes to check on him, the man leaves, trapping the employee in the room with the bombs. The man gets back in his truck and watches as the building explodes.
Aram and Elodie are in a plane about to go skydiving and he mentions that he is very scared and before he dies, he wants children. Elodie says that she thought it wouldn’t happen for her with Charles. Aram says she deserves to be happy and she says that she can’t leave Charles. She says staying is the right thing to do and that they don’t have a prenup. Aram questions where that leaves them and she says it hopes it leaves them together. The plane door opens and Elodie and Aram jump.
Reddington is talking to Glen Carter who eludes to Red that there is something they need to talk about face to face. Red presses him for answers but Glen says that it can wait. Red disagrees and says he will be there within the hour. Liz and Dembe walking on opposite ends, meet at Reddington. Reddington gets right to the point and says that there has been an attack from the same data company, Optimus, in two separate occasions. Liz says that she has heard about Optimus and their data is said to hold NSA information. Red had his sources check it out and believes that it is some form of domestic terrorism.
Liz briefs the team as Aram arrives from his skydiving date, which doesn’t make Cooper very pleased. The company works closely with Fortune 500 companies and government agencies. Liz says that they were running on a backup generator due power being cut. A power company was notified but couldn’t arrive until after the explosion. Ressler concludes that there was highly classified info from the DOD and could be why it was targeted which Liz agrees. She says that Red says it’s a domestic threat. Cooper orders Ressler and Park to check out Optimus. Liz gets a text on her phone, pertaining to a “Mr. X.” When she looks displeased, Cooper asks her about it and she explains that someone was helping her look for something but was having a difficult time.
A man is in a parking garage and realizes his car won’t start. The man from the beginning of the episode knocks on the window of the car. The suspicious man asks if he needs a jump and goes to “grab cables.” The other man opens his hood to find some that doesn’t belong. The suspicious man attacks him from behind and uses the hood to bash the man’s head.
Red’s blood pressure seems high, because Glen informs him that a Tokyo shipment truck that was supposed to go to Houston arrived in Scranton instead, because a VIN number was entered incorrectly. Red tells him that the truck held over $12 million in tritium and if this doesn’t end up right, it will mean bad business for him and everyone involved. Red says that Glen better get on the next flight to Scranton, buy the truck, and bring it there by Tuesday.
Park and Ressler bring the team information from Optimus. They pulled cameras from a nearby business and a truck actually arrived minutes after Optimus’ power was cut. Culpeper, the power company, said the same truck seen in the video was reported stolen. Aram concludes that someone cut Optimus’ power on purpose, arrived at the facility to fix it and then left. Liz asks if they ran the plate seen in the video and Ressler says that he was about to but he wanted to give Aram a backup drive of the information that was stolen. Ressler and Park continue their investigation as Liz gets a text from the same number from earlier, saying that whatever they were looking for was a dead end. Cooper asks her if she needs to take care of something but she says she can help Aram. Aram asks Liz advice about him and Elodie. He isn’t sure if he should stay with her if she doesn’t want children and Liz brings up Samar. All in all, she tells him that if he is meant to be with someone, he will be and he should be himself.
Red is meeting with a potential client and Glen calls Dembe. Red takes the phone and Glen explains there has been another “development.” The truck is a part of a giveaway competition where the last person who takes their hand off the truck, wins the truck. He tries to reassure Red and says that he plans to be there by Tuesday. Red says that he was coming down there himself and Glen has to go because their break is over but he believes he can “go the distance” as he says. Red tries to play it off to the client.
The suspicious man is Newton Purcell. He is keeping a man prisoner in his home, in what looks like a bathtub with speakers attached. He introduces himself to the man he’s captured and says that they have met once and discussed how sound can affect a man’s mind, body, and soul. He moves the keys on the soundboard and the man in the tub yells in agony. Newton explains that by changing the amplitude of the sound in the tub, it can stop blood flow, have effects on nerve damage, and more. The man begs him to stop but Newton proposes one question, one that the man won’t be able to answer. “Can a man be killed by sound?” Suddenly, Purcell pushes all the keys on the soundboard up as he watches the man die.
Liz and Aram tell Cooper that the data that was stolen had no government information on it. It was just company intel, personnel files, etc. Cooper says that Liz can take care of what she needs while Aram goes over the data again. Ressler comes in to say that they found information from the BOLO put out on the Culpeper company truck and it brought them to an abandoned alley in Annapolis. Ressler and Park arrive at Annapolis and find the stolen truck, with the body inside of the man Purcell tortured. Liz meets with her contact and he apologizes for not being able to find the man she is looking for but gives her the name of a P.I.
The team looks at the autopsy from the M.E. and they determined that sound is what killed the victim. They find out that the victim, Ryan Healy, was a city council member and worked for another Optimus facility. On the data file, there were a series of payments between Healy, Optimus, and a Libby Bishop, another city council member. Cooper tells the team to find her and put her in protective custody. Aram gets a text from Elodie that her husband is back in the hospital.
Purcell knocks on Libby’s door and claims he lost his dog that went into her backyard. She invites him to look when she gets a call from Park. Park tells her to stay calm and they are five minutes away. Libby tries to play off who she is talking too and suddenly, Park and Ressler are on the scene, but it’s too late. No sign of Libby or their suspect but there was an ear piece found at the scene.
Sometimes you just need a hug. Who’s watching #TheBlacklist? pic.twitter.com/pKHuntYpq4
— The Blacklist (@NBCBlacklist) April 4, 2020
Liz is at her apartment and goes through a box of money and passports. She looks at Agnes’ passport when Agnes herself walks out of her bedroom. Agnes questions her and Liz replies that Tom reminded her to prepare for “a rainy day.” She tells Agnes to come over to her and she tells the story of how her and Tom met. Aram arrives at the hospital to met Elodie and she tells Aram that this is her burden to bare, not his. He deserves a life but he insists that he just wants to be with her. Charles’ surgeon comes out to tell Elodie there was a complication with the angioplasty and Charles has passed away. Elodie falls into Aram’s arms and sobs that she didn’t say goodbye.
Red arrives at the dealership to see Glen and once there is a break, Dembe calls Glen. They ask why there are so many cops and he says they are supporting one of their own. Glen says his feet are hurting him but he is going to make it. Red tells Dembe they need to get the names of every contestant in case Glen doesn’t win.
Ressler and Park show the hearing aid to Cooper and Liz comes in to say that Elodie’s husband died and Aram will be back as soon as he can. Ressler says that this hearing aid is special because it doesn’t amplify sound, it blocks it. Liz and Park meet with Dr. Dara Lin, the doctor who gave him the hearing aid. She explains that sounds can cause distress, some from servers from data companies. She tells them that the man they are looking for is Newton Purcell as we see Libby in the same sonic bathtub from before and he turns the soundboard on to torture her. Red talks to his client again, and he says that he needs to move the deadline again. Red, who talks over a Glen “Eye of the Tiger” montage, says that Glen is his top man. Red tries and reassures the client as other contestants are eliminated. Red and Dembe say they need to fix this.
Park and Keen are on the way to Purcell’s house while they are on the phone with Ressler and Cooper. Purcell explains what happened to him and his disorder while the team figures out Purcell’s disorder as he continues to torture Libby. He sees Liz on his camera and escapes the room. Liz finds Libby and tells Park, who is in the basement, to cut the power. Liz saves Libby and rushes to Park. Park is attacked by Purcell from behind and she knocks out his hearing aid. He chokes her from behind but she gets the best of him and chokes him instead. Liz arrives and stops her from killing Purcell.
Glen and the priest are the only ones left in the contest and the judge calls for a break. Red meets the priest in the bathroom and tries to convince the priest to let Glen win. He goes as far as to bribe him with another car instead. Purcell is interrogated as he goes on a religious tangent about how sound pollution has quieted the heavens. He confesses to Healy’s murder. Liz and Park talk outside the room and Liz tells Park she crossed the line. Park gets defensive saying that Liz shot the Attorney General and Liz says that’s why she understands Park’s survival mode. What every she went through, she needs to accept it and move past it.
Aram is at Charles’ memorial service and takes a call from Keen. She tells him that that case is good and solved. Keen checks on Elodie and Aram tells her that she is holding up. He tells Keen he took her advice and everything clicked into place. While talking to Keen, Aram finds Elodie and Charles’ prenup. If they had separated or divorced, she would’ve got nothing but if he dies, she gets $10 million of his estate.
A round of applause for one Glen ‘Jelly Bean’ Carter. What did you think of tonight’s #TheBlacklist? pic.twitter.com/UoqIobqX75
— The Blacklist (@NBCBlacklist) April 4, 2020
Red meets with his client and tries to assure them his man is coming. Suddenly, Glen pulls in with the truck in all his glory. Dembe and the client do their trading and getting the shipment as Glen and Red talk. Glen asks about the truck but says it doesn’t matter because he proved to Red he could do it. Suddenly, Dembe comes up with a new car for Glen and he speeds away in his new hot ride with “Eye of the Tiger” playing again.
Liz meets with her P.I. in her car and she hands the woman the file to find: Ilya Koslov.
Thanks for reading!
Check out the promo for next week’s episode!
The Blacklist airs Friday’s at 8 p.m. EST on NBC.