Enough time has passed since The Blacklist’s winter finale that we can discuss the events and where our beloved will go from here. At the end of the winter finale, fans were given two shocks as Tom Keen (Ryan Eggold) passed away while ER teams were fighting to save his and Liz’s (Megan Boone) lives. The doctors were able to keep Liz alive but she went into a coma and the show jumped ahead to her waking, in the final moments of the finale, to find out she’s been out and that Tom is gone. We were heartbroken to see Tom Keen exit the show even though we’re hoping he’s not really gone and someone hid him away until the right time. We were also sad for Liz because the beginning of the fifth season has finally shown us a happy Liz, the happiest she’s been since Red (James Spader) entered her life, and it was quickly torn to shreds in a matter of minutes.
The show returned from it’s winter hiatus on January 3rd with another time jump, not as long as the ten months, and a new direction that has the shows lead as a very different woman. In the episode, we see that Liz has recovered from her muscle atrophy but she’s not living at home working for the FBI but instead she’s in a cabin in Alaska with her dog, Kate. Flashbacks throughout the episode show us that Liz tried to go back to her life but her anger at Tom’s killers is too strong. We see her giving Agnes, her daughter, to Tom’s mother Scottie Hargrave (Famke Janssen) and telling Red that she is leaving and he is not to follow her. Liz also makes Red promise to continue his work taking down Blacklisters with the task force and he has a promise he needs from her. Red asks Liz to grieve and to get over her need for revenge while she’s away. In one of our favorite quotes from the nights, Red instructs Liz to find the light no matter how dark things may be.
The episode turns from Liz’s recovery to Liz’s rage when strangers find themselves at her cabin and they turn out to be very bad men. Megan Boone brings a new depth this the character of Elizabeth Keen that we haven’t seen before. Liz has always been tough but now she is completely independent which is a nice change of pace for the audience to see. Liz Keen went from a happy wife about to adopt a baby to a recently widowed mother who won’t put up with anyone’s garbage. We weren’t sure how to feel about the shows return after Tom’s death and the change in Liz but now, we are in. In a change of pace, Red is afraid of and for Liz because he sees a similar rage he holds within her. Next week, we rejoin the task force while Liz begins her search for revenge for Tom’s death and we are very excited to see where the show goes next.
One mystery left to solve, which Tom took to his grave, is who is in that suitcase? Hopefully, we’ll find out soon. Did you watch the new episode? Share your thoughts on the show’s new direction and we’ll catch up again soon!