If you missed last week’s recap, check it out here.
The episode begins with Moreau’s voice heard talking to a woman on the phone. We see Moreau and the woman going back and forth. She says that he needs to show results since the UN bombing was foiled by the FBI. He said that the two targets will be dead within 48 hours, as the woman steps out of the car to meet the President at the White House.
Aram is watching the news about Raymond Reddington’s execution that is scheduled. Aram spills his coffee on Samar’s phone and the counter, as she receives a text message about a speech pathologist. Samar comes in, and they discuss why executions are at 12:01 a.m and how calculated it is. They try comforting each other as Samar says that she can’t believe he is going to die; she says he seemed invincible.
We hope he knows what he's getting himself into. #TheBlacklist pic.twitter.com/j0BK8YE824
— The Blacklist (@NBCBlacklist) March 16, 2019
Harold is meeting Red, and Harold says that he has pulled all the strings he can to meet with the President to discuss the execution. Red says that he believes that if Harold and the FBI get bank account information from a bank in Luxembourg, it might help his situation. Liz tells Cooper that Red wanted her to find “the man in Cairo” from the Cryptobanker, but the five million dollars was actually sent to Luxembourg, and they have to find out to whom. Simultaneously, we see a man named Jonas Kruger arrive at Moreau’s apartment and hand him his ID and the target’s schedule. He was paid five million dollars. Liz and Dembe are willing to take the repercussions of getting this bank information, and she doesn’t expect anyone else to take that risk.
Aram approaches Samar about the text message she received as he spilled coffee that morning. She wants to discuss it later, but Aram says that she has hid it for long enough. She explains that her accident caused a lot of brain damage, and she is seeing a speech therapist to help her manage her symptoms. Ressler walks in as Cooper and Liz exit his office and she leaves. Samar asks about whether Red has accepted his execution, but Cooper says he hasn’t.
Liz arrives at the plane to fly to Luxembourg with Dembe, but the Task Force is on the plane, and they insist they are coming to help her and Dembe to steal the name from the bank. They have a plan, and Liz can’t convince them to not be a part of it.
Harold is meeting with the President, Cynthia Panabaker, and Anna McMahon from the DOJ, the woman talking to Moreau at the start of the episode. Cooper tells them that he would like a commutation or stay of execution so Reddington can prove his worth and that they can uncover the conspiracy. The President says that he wants the conspiracy uncovered but without the help of Reddington.
Red meets with someone at the jail to talk final preparations before his execution. Red tells him his last meal and where his ashes will be spread. He also is given the chance to see the execution room, and the man asks if he would like anyone there in the end. “Yes, but not at an ending like this.”
Liz says that in order to help save Red’s life, they have to find the name of the depositor at the Banquet Vertrauen. Liz says that the system caters to criminals, so their network is very private. Aram says that he can’t access it, but Liz says that bank president can. He carries around a fob that has access, but the identity of the bank president is withheld from the public. Dembe says Red’s financials will be something the bank president wants to deal with personally, and he meets with the president and a bank teller as the team continues with the plan. Aram says that he can duplicate the fob as long as no one gets arrested. Hopefully this can save Reddington’s life.
They have eyes on the bank president, and the team is at the restaurant where Keen and Samar distract him to get the fob as Aram duplicates it. Aram duplicates it, but Keen and Samar are running out of options as the president attempts to leave the restaurant. Ressler keeps in touch with Aram as to why he is taking so long, and Aram says he is almost done. He finishes the duplication but drops the fob in the toilet. He is able to slide it across the restaurant floor, and Keen puts the fob back into the president’s coat pocket.
Aram finds the name of Jonas Kruger, and it says he is stationed at the German Embassy in D.C. The team ponders how this connects to Reddington and how it might save his life as Moreau returns to his apartment. “One down, one to go.” Moreau burns Kruger’s ID badge, because he has assassinated his first target.
Reddington, Anna, Cynthia, and Harold are all on video chat where Red exclaims that Ava Ziegler’s life hangs in the balance and within 24 hours she will be assassinated. Red says that he would like clemency and his immunity agreement reinstated, but Anna believes he is lying. Red tells them that he knows the assassin and how to stop him. Anna says that she will make sure the President of the U.S. will not grant him clemency as the investigation seems to be in good hands with the Task Force and without Reddington. Harold calls Red again on the webcam and apologizes for not being more convincing, but Red says he is the best, as an agent and as a friend.
Ressler comes into Keen’s office and says that they are going after Kruger. She says that she wants to be a witness at Red’s execution. He says that at the end of the day, Red loves her, and she says that after all searching for answers, this may be her last chance to discover who he really is unless they can solve the conspiracy.
Red is talking to the doctor about what drugs are going to be used to execute him. The doctor tests Red to see if he is allergic to the medicine that is going to kill him when suddenly, Red grabs him and describes that when he kills a man, he doesn’t coddle them. He tells the doctor to stop coddling him, because it is disrespectful.
Anna is talking with the President and tells him that Red knows everything. The President asks if the information could be tracked back to them, and she says no, meaning the President has been a part of the conspiracy all along. She said they don’t have all the details but when Red dies, what he knows will die with him. The President is determined not to grant clemency to Red because of his information about the conspiracy.
Ressler, Navabi, and SWAT arrive at Kruger’s house. Kruger hears them and shoots as SWAT storms the house, but Samar catches him through a window and chases him outside where he gets shot by Samar. In the interrogation room, Ressler asks about when Ava Ziegler is getting assassinated, and Kruger maintains that he doesn’t know anything. He says that he was supposed to sweep the hotel and give his credentials for $5,000,000. He says he doesn’t know who the man is but says when they met, he saw a bomb in a plastic case with a chemical agent inside. Cooper orders Samar and Ressler to notify the BND and get to the hotel where Ziegler is and that he wants Panabaker to set up another appointment with the President. “Like it or not, Reddington’s worth more to the President alive than dead.”
Aram comes to apologize to Samar as she and Ressler head out to the hotel. Red is in a cell as the doctor tells him he isn’t allergic to the drugs. Red is seen apologizing to the doctor about his behavior earlier, and he says that he knows the doctor is following protocol. Liz comes in to see Red as he is getting his last meal. She says that he was right about the conspiracy and that Cooper got another meeting with the President. Red assures her that he is okay with whatever outcome happens.
Ressler and Samar arrive at the hotel and warn the security detail about a possible biological bomb. Ziegler is seen walking with her detail as they seem to be getting information pertaining to the bomb. Liz is seen with Red again, and he tells her about his childhood and his parents. Liz wanted to ask him a question about his other identity. Red changes the subject and says that instead of teaching her to think like a criminal, he should’ve taught her to think like his mother. He worried about her for all those years but he realized that she has people in her life who love her and that she can depend on them.
Ziegler meets with a senator and says that there is a plot against America, as Ressler and Ziegler’s detail interrupts and tells them they need to come with the team to exit the building. Bastien Moreau goes to Ziegler’s room and holds her handler captive. Cooper meets with the President and pleads with them about Reddington and his knowledge. Panabaker backs up Cooper, saying that if Reddington knows something, it’s most likely credible to the investigation in her experience. Cooper receives a call saying that they have Ziegler in custody and safe.
"That's what I wanted to say. That's what I wanted you to hear." – Liz #TheBlacklist pic.twitter.com/ecMca8CB1D
— The Blacklist (@NBCBlacklist) March 16, 2019
Liz attempts to ask her question again, but she changes her mind and talks about his last meal. She gets a call from Cooper, and Red tells her to let it go. She tells Red that Cooper said he wish he could’ve done more, but Red is satisfied with the effort. Red has to change to prepare for his execution, when Liz tells Red she loves him.
Ressler, Navabi, Ziegler, the senator, and some agents lock down the kitchen and are awaiting an escort to take them to a safe location. Aram calls and said that a bomb wasn’t found, and Samar and Donald discuss how else the hit could have been carried out. The senator asks Ziegler about the dossier and if this threat is what she was referring to. Suddenly, Ziegler begins coughing continuously when she collapses and those beetles we saw a few episodes ago return, killing Ziegler. Cooper receives the call and tells Panabaker. Cooper figures out how much Reddington really knew, having them go after several blacklisters connected to the conspiracy. He has the driver turn around to talk to the President again, with only 10 minutes to spare before Reddington is executed.
Red is seen walking to his execution room. He arrives, and they strap him to the chair, set up the IV, and draw the curtain. The man in charge says that three members of the execution team will take turns pushing a dose, but only one of them will be the lethal injection. The President is seen over his chair, as Anna tells him the news that Ziegler is dead and they should have the dossier within the hour. Moreau makes the handler take him to the dossier. “And by morning the intel will be buried. And Reddington will be dead.”
The end… for now. #TheBlacklist pic.twitter.com/gV265ktnZD
— The Blacklist (@NBCBlacklist) March 16, 2019
Dembe is sitting in the room to watch as Liz arrives. She squeezes his hand and the curtain is pulled back. Red looks to Liz and Dembe as the man in charge of the execution reads his file. He looks at Raymond and asks, “Do you have any final words?”
Here is the trailer for next week’s episode:
The Blacklist airs Fridays at 9 p.m. on NBC.