Tensions Run High in ‘The Blacklist’ Season 8 Episode 2: “Katarina Rostova: Conclusion”

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

This episode begins with Liz pleading with her grandfather for the truth. She begs him to stop protecting Reddington, and start protecting his own family. Katarina and Dom’s doctor are monitoring from another room and she inquires about how hard she can push Dom. Meanwhile, Red is holding his gun at Eduardo and talking about his betrayal. Red wants Eduardo to swing his tire iron at him but Eduardo refuses. He assures Red that he would never betray him and that he didn’t track the van because he didn’t know that Red’s people were the target. Red puts his gun away and tells Eduardo, “I’m glad you didn’t clock me with a tire iron. I was thinking, ‘Boy, that’s really gonna hurt.'” Dembe arrives and tells Red that the van is most likely in a safe house nearby. Red tells Dembe that Dom is too old, he won’t be able to withhold information for long. Red and Dembe now need a new lead, so they are going to talk to people who might have one.

At the Post Office, the team is discussing their leads so far on identifying the man who helped Keen deploy the tire spikes, and where Keen went after she split from the team. Suddenly, Red and Dembe arrive and Cooper says that Red is there because he needs help. Back at the safe house, Liz is talking to Dom again. Liz is becoming desperate and angry, because Dom is still protecting someone. She tells him that she knows about the archive and “N-13.” Dom warns her to be careful and says that he doesn’t want to be in this position. The conversation escalates and Dom takes a turn for the worst.

In Cooper’s office, Red wants information on finding Liz and Dom. Red tells Cooper that Dom is too old for this, but Cooper chimes in that if Dom dies, it’s as much fault as Red’s as it is Keen’s. Keen risked her job, her life, and her freedom for answers that Red already has. Ressler defends Keen to Red and says that she wouldn’t kill her grandfather, or act as he does. Red pushes Ressler’s buttons about how Keen played on his emotions. Again, another escalation of conversation when Ressler lunges at Red. Dembe stops Ressler and puts a device attached to his coat. Cooper stands up and says that if they find Keen, he will let Red know. Red and Dembe now are tracking Ressler’s movements. At the safe house, Liz wants to let Dom go, but Katarina is not as willing. Katarina was clear about how far she was willing to go. After a moment, Katarina concedes and says that they can’t put him back where he came from. Liz says she is going to make a call and asks her mother if she will hurt him. Keen calls Ressler and says she needs help transporting Dom. They agree to meet while Red is listening in to their conversation.

Continuing on at the warehouse, Dom’s doctor tells Katarina that he is having an episode; he is slipping in and out of Russian and asking for a woman named Lena. Katarina goes to Dom and tries to get his attention but Dom sees Katarina as a younger version of herself. In the meantime, Ressler and Keen meet at their rendezvous point. Dembe and Red are on their way as Red’s associates keep watch. Ressler and Keen talk in his vehicle and she tells him that Dom needs more doctors. Ressler is visibly upset by her actions lately, but she is not looking for forgiveness or approval. She tells him that Dom is in the warehouse district and he is not being tortured. She tried to get answers from him, but it’s not working. He has no humanity left. Dom is continuing to have delusions and Katarina uses that to her advantage. Appearing as her younger self, she tells him that she needs help. Ressler asks Keen where Dom is but Liz isn’t willing to give up her mother. Ressler warns her that if she keeps protecting her mother, she will end up destroying herself. She apologizes for putting him in this position, but he is sorry for not being able to ignore the law and risk his job to help her. She leaves the car and as she does, Red’s men are ordered to move in on them.

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Dom is seen talking to Katarina (still the younger Katarina). He tells her he knows what she is planning and that she may think this is her only option. She tells him that the Townsend Directive put a bounty on her head and that’s why she’s in danger. The Directive thinks that she has the Sikorsky Archive and he says that she does have it. Concurrently, Red and Dembe are in a kitchen and looking at the warehouse district to see where Dom could be, when Liz and Ressler are brought in. Ressler is angry that he was followed and he tells Red that he can’t hold federal agents. He tells Ressler that he can go, but Keen is staying. Red tells Ressler that he has quite the head start and he should return to his team. Dembe walks Ressler out and gives him his gun back, assuring Ressler that Keen won’t be hurt.

Cooper calls Reddington to tell him that he needs to stop and let Agent Keen go. He says that if he does that, she will warn Katarina. He tells her that Liz’s mother is not to be harmed, and Red agrees. Red tells Cooper that what Katarina has done must be avenged. After hanging up with Reddington, Cooper tells Ressler to head to the warehouse district. Next, Katarina is talking to Dom and she says that she needs a name to who has the archive. After a moment and her threatening to never see him again, he tells Katarina that her and Reddington both have the archive (what?).

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Red and Liz sit down to talk. He asks how long she has been working with her mother because she learned that he was not Ilya Koslov. He tells her that Katarina is using their mother-daughter relationship to make Liz do what she’s already done. Liz says that she knows about the Sikorsky Archive and asks him if he is “N-13.” She tells Red, “she’s the one looking for answers, you’re the one hiding them.” Liz tells Red that although Katarina may not be telling her everything, she is not willing to let Red kill her mother. Red gets a call from his associates and says that they believe they’ve found Katarina’s safe house. As Red goes to leave, Liz tells him that if he kills her mother, they are done. Red leaves silently as Dembe makes Liz put on zip ties.

Red finds Dom at Katarina’s safe house and Dom reveals that he told Katarina everything. Katarina is seen leaving the safe house, trying not to be seen by Red’s men as Ressler and Park are heading towards the warehouse district. Cooper and Aram are tracking them as they go and Aram tells Ressler and Park that there is a lot of activity. Dembe is still holding Liz and she pleads with Dembe not to let Red kill her mother. She tries to make a run for it, but Dembe stops her. She asks him why he is still willing to help Red but he can’t give her a straight answer. At Katarina’s safe house, Dom is talking to Reddington and he says that he got to say goodbye to Katarina. In a heartbreaking scene, Red tells Dom that Katarina loves him as Dom passes away. Katarina sees Ressler and Park drive by and she is spotted by one of Red’s men. Katarina interacts with a woman and hijacks her car to escape. Just as Katarina flees, Ressler finds Red with Dom and tells him that Red is responsible for Dom’s death.

Red calls Dembe to update him that Dom is dead and Katarina is gone. Red is tracking her, but they need to intercept her next move. Red tells Dembe to take Liz to the apartment and he will call him when it’s all over. Red arrives at a guarded area but is able to get through with his men. Simultaneously, Katarina calls a man named William Heidegger, the highest ranking representative of the Townsend Organization. After Heidegger’s assistant calls him, she puts Katarina through. He answers and she tells him that she knows the identity of “N-13,” in exchange for her safety. He agrees to meet her at a park. Little did she know, Red was sitting in his office and is planning on meeting her instead. Red calls Dembe to say that Katarina reached out to Heidegger and says he will send Dembe the address. Dembe is driving Liz to the apartment when Liz asks if her mother is dead. Instead of answering her question, he tells her that her grandfather is dead. Dembe pulls the car over to talk to Liz about why he is still helping Red. He says that it isn’t what it seems but Liz says she can’t fight him anymore. “He wins. He always wins.” As Liz cries and seems defeated, Dembe goes to get closer to her when Liz elbows him in the face. She gets out of the car and as Dembe tries to get her, she gets in the driver seat. As Dembe holds a gun to the driver window, she tells Dembe that Red is not going to win this time. Dembe lets her drive away.

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Katarina arrives at the park to meet with Heidegger. Katarina talks to him but she doesn’t hear a response. She looks over and Heidegger is dead, just as Reddington takes a seat on the bench next to her. He tells her that Dom is dead, but she isn’t shedding any tears. Katarina tries to call Liz but Liz’s phone isn’t on her. Liz calls Ressler from Dembe’s phone as Ressler is at the safe house bringing Dom’s body out. Liz says that he needs to get to the park where Red and Katarina are meeting because Red plans on killing her. She is on her way, but she is unarmed and she needs Ressler to send units to stop Red. Katarina tells Red that he let her take the blame for stealing the archive when he had it all along, and that he is “N-13.” At the Post Office, Aram runs to tell Cooper that Ressler told him that Red plans to kill Agent Keen’s mom, so Cooper orders him to scramble units to the park. Back again at the park, Red says he could’ve helped Katarina, but she wanted answers and now it’s destroyed her. Katarina says that he won’t kill her because she is Elizabeth’s mother and that Liz chose her instead of him. Katarina goes to leave and as Red follows, she tells him that it must be hard knowing that he can’t kill her because of Elizabeth and that would mean the end of their relationship. Just as Liz arrives, Red shoots Katarina. Liz tries to run to her mother but is stopped by one of Red’s men. Liz screams at Red’s men take Katarina’s body away. Red and his men escape and Liz tries running after them. She falls to the ground in agony.

Thanks again, Blacklisters!

Whew. This is not going to be good. Now, Liz is out for revenge. Check out the promo for episode 3 below!

The Blacklist returns January 22 at 8 p.m. EST on NBC.

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