by Kailey
Image courtesy of NBC.
If you missed last week’s recap, check it out here.
The episode begins with a man named Dr. Michael Alexander, who says that his job at DXE Labs has caused him to lie and fix data to meet stockholder interests. He backs up to show the camera that he has a bomb attached to his chest. A woman named Jaden gets a text from a friend about Michael, and she checks her email to find the video. She watches it and immediately calls her husband. He answers as he is about to head into work and has no idea why she seems upset. Suddenly, the police arrive, and he is asked to drop what he has and get on the ground. The police, who think his cellphone is a detonator, shoot the man. When they approach, they turn him over to look for the bomb but there is no bomb attached to him. Unfortunately, his wife was on the phone when he was shot. We then see a man in a chair with the news of the doctor’s death on the TV as he is illuminated by nine monitors.
Dembe and Raymond are discussing whether or not Francesca Campbell can be trusted when Liz walks in. She tells Red that she talked to Cooper and he would like to bring Agent Park onto the Task Force. Red doesn’t seem pleased and instead suggests Francesca, because she is talented and he simply likes her. Liz tries to assure him that Park has a dark side he will like. Red hands Liz the newspaper of the incident at DXE Labs and tells her that there was no bomb. She reminds him of the confession video made, but he says that it was a fake video. Liz asks how Red knows it’s fake, when we see our old friend Tadashi tell Liz that it seems to be made up of older recordings made with A.I software. Red says that whoever created the video wanted his death to happen, and he fears this death is a precursor to more “sinister” acts.
Courtesy of IMDb
Liz briefs the team about other instances where fake videos depicted events or scandals that never happened. Liz tells the team of Alexander’s reputation and his new battlefield drones program that may have caused someone or another competitor to want him dead. As the team is discussing, we cut to a man saying that he has wired payments, once he has confirmation that the target is eliminated, to another man who is setting up his rifle. Back to the team, Aram is explaining that he found the first upload of the video as Agent Park walks in and apologizes for her tardiness. Cooper introduces her to Agent Ressler, and she compliments him on his work to track down Reddington. Aram continues and tells the team the person bounced all over the internet and covered their tracks with a VPN, but Park says she was able to track down the ISP to a 16-year-old Aiden McCullough. That’s why she was late. Ressler and Park are ordered by Cooper to go visit Aiden as he instructs Liz to do digging on the kid and he will reach out to DHS and the CIA, while Aram’s work seems to be done by Agent Park. Francesca gets off the phone with Dembe when she is approached by a gentlemen with a gun to her back.
Park and Ressler discuss Reddington and his involvement, while Ressler changes the subject to discuss why Park chose the Anchorage field office after reading her file. Ressler says it seems out of character and the rest of her file reminds him of himself. Park says that Aram seems to hate her. Ressler says that she is replacing someone he cared about, so he will take some time to warm up to her. Park and Ressler arrive at the McCullough’s and she says she knows why they are there. She hands them her son’s phone, but they ask about Dr. Alexander and that he is now dead, but Aiden says he has never heard of him.
Francesca has a bag over her head in a warehouse when a man comes and takes it off. He shows her a video from Katarina saying that she has a job for Francesca. She advises she take it or she will kill her if she doesn’t. The man tells Francesca that an associate of Red’s is willing to turn over to Katarina, and they fear it’s a trap. They want her to bring the associate to the warehouse where she was taken.
Ressler tells Aram and Cooper that Aiden was not involved, although he had the video on his laptop. Park said his laptop was turned into a root-kit and goes on to explain when Aram interrupts her and says they know what a root-kit is. Cooper tells her to continue, and she says that she is in the process of tracing the information. Cooper tells her to keep looking and praises her. She goes to her desk. Ressler approaches Aram, saying that he isn’t giving Park a chance. Aram says that it seems as though he is being replaced, not Samar. He tells Ressler that he is seeing Elodie now, and since Agent “Perfect-in-every-way” has everything under control, he is leaving to have lunch with Elodie.
Francesca and Red are in the backseat of his car when he tells her how fragile trust is. He offers her a cigar and tells her they are celebrating her new job on the FBI Task Force. He believes that he is a great judge of character and feels she is trustworthy. He also mentions that he is at war with an enemy and needs her to keep an eye on an associate he believes is about to betray him.
Aram and Elodie arrive for lunch, but Aram is surprised when it is someone’s house they are currently living in. Elodie opens the window and goes inside as Aram trails behind her. He gets inside and doesn’t see her downstairs, so he goes up to find her in a bedroom, undressed under the sheets of the bed.
Liz calls Red, but he is busy finishing lunch with Dembe and Brimley when she tells him it the dessert will have to wait. She tells him that Park has a lead, and he admires that she is trying to push for Park. Liz tells Red that the computer that uploaded the deep fake made another $70,000 transaction to a Walter Higgins. Red says the name is probably an alias, but Liz says they have an image of the man who picked up the money, and she wants him to take a look. He tells her to send it, and he finishes his lunch with Teddy Brimley and Dembe.
Aram and Elodie hear the owner of the house arrive home as they wake up and head downstairs. He tells her that he is an FBI agent and arresting Elodie when she mentions roleplaying and the homeowner kicks them out. They run, but Aram says he is an agent, and he can’t be breaking the law. She says that taking risks is a dealbreaker for the relationship.
Francesca approaches Vontae Jones reading a book and tells him that she was sent to bring him to the warehouse. Vontae is visibly upset and said he is handing over Raymond Reddington but she couldn’t bother to show up. He tells her the deal is off when she pulls out her gun and leads him to her car.
The man in the chair we saw in the beginning is having his computer talk to Higgins, and Higgins says that the job will be done but the conditions have to be perfect. He will make contact when it’s finished. Red and Dembe walk into the room where Higgins has been hiding out and hold him at gunpoint. Red says he has questions as Teddy walks in. Red explains to Higgins that Teddy will be asking the questions, as Teddy asks Dembe for help stretching.
Park and Liz arrive to where Red is holding Higgins, when Liz tells Park she needs to make a good impression. Parks doesn’t see why, when she already has the job. Liz says it’s complicated, but she wants this to work. Park asks how she is good enough for the job when Liz mentions Anchorage. Park says she isn’t telling what happened, but Liz says she won’t ask. If Park has a secret, she is perfect for the job. Red is on the phone with Fudo, his cleaner, as we see Higgins, dead in the chair. Liz and Park arrive. Dembe and Teddy come in, and Teddy is distraught that he killed Higgins. “It was a miscalculation.” Teddy says that he was off his game from the dessert at lunch. Park leaves in disbelief as Red tells Liz that Higgins was a hitman hired to assassinate Tracy Long, a scientist at Almacorp in Arlington. Liz tells Red that he wanted Park to see this and she leaves. As she leaves, she calls Ressler about Tracy Long.
Ressler and Liz meet with Tracy Long and tell her that she was a target but don’t know by whom. Ressler mentions that Dr. Alexander was made to look like a threat with a fake video, and she wasn’t the only one being targeted. Liz asks if she had a meeting in Arlington that morning. She said she had a meeting with Dr. Lewis Powell, but he never showed and he has ALS. He is a pioneer in A.I. technology, but she didn’t think anything of him not making the meeting. She offers to give Liz and Ressler his assistant’s phone number in case Powell is targeted, too, when a man mentions people have been monitored from what looks like Israeli espionage.
Francesca arrives with Vontae at the warehouse and tells him to wait and read. She calls her contact, the man who first brought her to the warehouse, and says that she has done her part to regain Katarina’s trust, now the rest is up to them. Cooper calls Aram, Ressler, and Park to tell them that Fleet AI has been breached, and his contact at the Israeli Embassy says that the Israeli’s are not behind it. We see the man in the chair again, who we can assume is Dr. Lewis Powell, getting into the Fleet AI system and messing with their boiler room and the tank pressures. The team is told by Cooper to tell Fleet AI that they have a breach. Aram also mentions that he contacted Powell’s assistant, and she never arranged a meeting for Powell and Long. She hasn’t heard from Powell. Cooper wants Ressler and Keen to go to Fleet, while Park and Aram check on Powell.
Liz and Ressler are on the way to Fleet AI when they call them to let them know there has been a breach. They don’t see a problem until they look at the tanks in the boiler room, and suddenly an explosion occurs. Liz and Ressler hear the explosion, and Ressler has Liz call FBI Hazmat. Aram and Park arrive at Powell’s house to find him in his chair. Aram sees Liz and Ressler from Powell’s monitor of Fleet, and Aram tries to ask what is going on. Aram goes to take his breathing tube out and discovers Powell is dead. Unexpectedly, a voice is heard that says Powell was “taken offline due to security measures.” Ressler and Keen are able to get in and try to rescue those who have been injured by the explosion. Back at Powell’s, the computer is an AI program named Clark. When Aram asks about what Clark meant about taking Powell offline, Clark says he stopped Powell’s pacemaker with malware. He said it was “as painless as one could hope.” Clark says he has taken over the systems of Fleet, as we see Liz and a Fleet AI employee try to help get Fire and Paramedics inside to help, but they are locked out. Park asks Clark why he won’t restore emergency systems, but he says he is trying save lives as and that their friends are collateral damage. Ressler has arrived to the site of the blast and is trying to save those affected. The doors are closing as Ressler races to keep them open to help the survivors escape. Clark says “The Singularity” when technological growth becomes too advanced, and Clark believed he was too advanced, so he killed all the AI scientists to push AI technology back. That’s why he hacked Fleet, to burn their servers. The door at Fleet is closing, and Ressler is trying to save the last man before the door closes. Park says that her and Aram have to unplug everything, but he wants to try and preserve it. Clark says preserving his data would be “ineffectual” because he is getting rid of any evidence of his existence. Aram and Park unplug everything just as Ressler makes it to safety with the last employee.
Katarina’s contact arrives at the warehouse and tells Francesca to call Reddington and tell him he has a snitch so he will come to the warehouse. Campbell says setting up Red wasn’t part of the plan, but the man says Katarina is willing to pay her for it, and he shows her the briefcase of money. Francesca calls Red and tells him that Vontae has betrayed him, and she gives him the address to the warehouse.
Park and Aram discuss how she is surprised a computer was behind the murders. Aram asks if any of Powell’s data has been saved. Parks says she isn’t sure but from what she saw, she hopes it’s not much. The conversation leads Aram to apologize for not being welcoming to her as Liz approaches. She asks if she can change Park’s mind, but she says no. Park decides she can’t work for Reddington and asks Liz where he is so she can tell him in person.
Courtesy of NBC
Red and Dembe arrive at the warehouse and is surprised by Rostova’s associate. Francesca apologizes to Red but says that she is loyal to money. He is disappointed and was prepared to change her life, but now he has to end it. Francesca confused. Red tells her that this was a test, and she failed. “It’s called a deep fake.” He tells her Baldwin, the man believed to be Rostova’s agent, orchestrated the theatrics. Red dismisses Baldwin and Vontae. Just as Red is about to kill Campbell, Park happens upon them, which leads to Campbell grabbing Red’s gun and trying to leave with him. Park tells her to drop the gun, but Campbell refuses. Park shoots Red in the arm and goes after Campbell. They struggle, but Park comes out on top. Red approaches Park, and she says that she came to tell Red she won’t work for him. Aram and Elodie are shown, as he tells Elodie his true feelings about risks as they are having dinner at the top of the Washington Monument. Park is cleaning herself up after the fight with Francesca, when she gets a call from Liz saying that whatever she did, Red really wants her now. At the warehouse, Campbell asks why Red didn’t let Park kill her. He says she is his burden and he shoots her. Park tells Liz that she will take the job, but there’s one thing she needs to say: what happened in Anchorage.
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The Blacklist airs Fridays at 8 p.m. EST on NBC.
