A Devil in Sheep's Clothing (Blacklist Episode 2)

(RECAP AND REVIEW)

THE BLACKLIST

EPISODE 2 "THE FREELANCER (No. 145)"

NETWORK: NBC 

ORIGINAL AIR DATE: SEPTEMBER 30TH 2013

SPECIAL GUESTS: Isabella Rossellini as Floriana Campo

SYNOPSIS: Red predicts a catastrophe will occur and will stem from the work of an assassin called the Freelancer. When Red and Liz go undercover to protect the killer's next target (Isabella Rossellini), Ressler and a rehired CIA agent monitor the duo from afar.

             

RECAP AND REVIEW: WARNING *SPOILERS AHEAD*

 OK, the title may not even be a strong enough comparison for the bad guy on the second episode of The Blacklist. The powers that be (the leaders of the FBI, CIA, and probably most of the other alphabet soup agencies) are saying no deal to Reddingtons most gracious offer to help them catch the real criminals. In their eyes they have a big fish (him) and they want the credit for catching him (we shall forget for a minute that he walked into the FBI office in D.C. And turned himself in)

To prove just how useful he is, Reddington predicts a disaster near train tracks, which he attributes to the work of one man intent on killing one person. He calls this man "the freelancer" and he's number 145 on his list. ( how is he numbering this list, cuz if a man is willing to kill hundreds just to get to one, he'd be pretty high on my list. Or at least In the 1st 100) Reddington, admits that he knows how to get in touch with "the freelancer". So Reddington, his sidekick Lizzie and his FBI Entourage head to Montreal In order hopefully snag the freelancer. Well they miss "the freelancer" but they do learn of his next target; Floriana Campo.
   

   Ms. Campo is a humanitarian trying to rid the world of sex trafficking and sex slavery, run by cartel gangs. The FBI offer her security and ask her to cancel her upcoming event. She accepts the protection but she refuses to cancel the event. The FBI need more information if they hope to catch "the Freelancer" but

Reddington isn't talking until his immunity deal is signed sealed and delivered. ( let's get real, would you talk without that deal in place? I wouldn't ) Along with his request for private security and a tracker, caught between a rock and a hard place the agencies give him a deal but with a clause of their own they want to add CIA agent to his team; operative Meera Malik.

When his demands are met, Reddington joins Lizzie in New York at Ms. Campo's event and while at the party positively identifies the "the freelancer". The FBI gives chase and Ressler ultimately nabs the assassin. Now all the FBI wants to know is who hired him. After a few blows to the face the assassin reveals that it was REDDINGTON who hired him to kill Ms.Campo. (Ok, be honest who saw that coming, because I was completely blindsided) the FBI is blindsided and Lizzie heads to Ms. Campo, to try and protect her, but Reddington beat her to the punch.

Reddington then reveals that Ms. Campo isn't who she appears to be, she's actually the head of a cartel, and she sells and controls girls in the sex trafficking trade. She actually uses her charity to eliminate her competition. She ultimately dies, and her secrets die with her. (I wonder what other secrets she possessed)

Reddington and Lizzie talk about her two options; turning her husband in for the forged passports, or talking to him about what she has found. Elizabeth heads home and her husband is released from the hospital. Lizzie decides to monitor him instead. She finds a video of him at an adoption interview. Tom (her husband) talks about how Lizzie always wanted to adopt a child, because there is so many need children in the world and how much he loves her.

This was even better than the first episode of the blacklist. With episode one the viewer knew the plot before the episode even started, but this was completely different. The Blacklist proved that they could do an episode where the whole world doesn't loose their mind or try to blow up by playing to its strengths the relationship between Lizzie and Reddington, and a plot with a bad guy the viewers live to hate. This was the perfect second episode to this drama. Plus they took down two for the price of one!

  

SCENE STEALER AWARD GOES TO:

Mariana Campo stole that show as a devil in sheep's clothing, her best scene was the interaction between Reddington and Mariana Campo. 

THE LINE THAT MADE US PAUSE AND REWIND OUR DVR’S: 

"What if I were to tell you, that everything you have come to believe about your self is a lie." (Reddington) 

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DID YOU CATCH THE BLACKLIST? WILL YOU BE WATCHING NEXT WEEK?

CLICK HERE FOR EPISODE 1                                           CLICK HERE FOR EPISODE 3