- Following intel from Red, the FBI find themselves one-step behind the most dangerous Russian Assassin, Karakurt, an enemy on U.S. soil. To avoid catastrophe, Liz and Ressler meet with Russian Counter-Intelligence who offer insight not only on Karakurt, but also on the identity of Liz's mother. Cooper finds himself in a compromising position.
- "The Blacklist" - "Karakurt"- May 7, 2015 (No. 55)
Things got complicated, and kinda gross, in the penultimate episode of season 2.
We open on a man handing out leaflets about the Patriot Act on a college campus. He meets a student who signs his petition. The man checks his watch and looks shifty. Suddenly the kid starts freaking out, drops his books and begins bleeding from the eyes, convulses, pukes and dies. He was poisoned. The poisoner makes a call saying it's time to initiate phase 2.
We cut to Tom and Liz meeting in a restaurant. She starts talking about last night and says whatever he wants to say he should keep to himself. He wasnt to say he's sorry, not because he's asking for forgiveness, just because he needs too. He seriously, crazily, wants to work out their screwed up past and have her get to know the real him, Jacob Phelps. She is not picking up what he is putting down, and notes the neo-NAZI tattoos aren't helping. She gets a call from Red and skedaddles.
Meanwhile, Red is busy having a man tortured when Liz arrives. He is an aide to the Russian consulate who knows famous international terrorist Karakurt. She tries to talk about her mother, who he told her was KGB and she was born in Russia. But, typically, he keeps going. He explains that Karakurt isn't a garden variety terrorist and actually works for the cabal. If they have him commit an act of terror on U.S. soil it will reignite the Cold War which is their master plan. He says he has intel that there will be attack on a U.S. defense installation.
Back at the Post Office they run down the history of Karakurt, the SVR, and then head over to chat with their CIA counterparts in Russian intelligence to share notes. The head of the unit isn't buying that Karakurt is in country but will look into it. Liz pulls aside another officer and asks if he recognizes the woman in her photo as KGB agent Katerina Rostova. He says she's a myth, an amalgamation of Russian Mata Hari's. But he says to send him the picture and he'll ask around.
Meanwhile, Red has gotten an address from Karakurt from the guy whe was torturing and learns from a friendly neighbor lady that she saw him in a white truck.
Red calls Liz with this intel when she realizes they just passed a white truck. This is CIA station is the target, the truck blows, pushing her and Ressler back.
Back at the Post Office they tend their wounds as they watch news and a Senator Hawkins of the intelligence committee clearly taking the bait that Karakurt gave them. Red ad Liz talk about the cabal is always three steps ahead of them and that there is a leak in the Post Office. She notes that she is going to tell the AG and when Red hears Connolly's name, he makes the connection in his head: Connolly is the leak.
Karakurt returns home and the friendly neighbor lady sees him and calls Red as instructed. Red gives Liz and Ressler the address.
That's when smiling Tom Connolly arrives and tells Cooper to tell Liz and Ressler to ignore Red's lead and tell them instead that intel indicates Karakurt is at Union Station. Cooper is once again in an ethical quandary but Connolly ties his hand by threatening Cooper's wife Charlene. Connolly says this is bigger than both of them. Cooper makes the calls. Ressler pushes back but acquiesces. Conolly tells Cooper, "I knew you'd make the right play."
At Union Station Liz and Ressler predictably turn up nothing. Until, nonsensically she is assaulted by Karakurt who knocks he unconscious.
Back at Post Office, Senator Hawkins is agai on TV, further taking the "Russians are attacking" us bait. They track down the CIA's likely CI and who he may have been in contact with including a famous doctor. They bust into the guy's lab and realize that the next weapon will be a virus, perhaps a pandemic.
Red goes to Cooper to talk about Connolly. Red understands why he is acceding to Connolly's wishes and notes that ethics are only useful when you're allive. Cooper is confused as to why Karakurt was at the train station and lament they let him get away alive. Red thinks they can deduce what the cabal is up to by following Connolly's orders since he's the leak. Liz comes in saying they need an expert in microbiolgoy who can also translate Russian. Of course, Red knows one, named Kimberly. (At her office, Liz ignores a call from Tom, calling himself Jacob Phelps, trying to make a date for the next day at 7.)
The hot Dr. Kimberly, who calls Red "Reddy Bear" explains that the virus is directed at a specific person with a specific genetic sequence that is therefore harmless to others.
On the ride back to the Post Office they try to figure out who the target is. Liz realizes that by blowing up the CIA station the cabal has triggered a memorial service which the likely target will probably attend.
They head to the memorial service and try to figure out who the target is. Aram works on cracking the virus but says there is not enough time as we see Karakurt changing his appearance.
Red mulls over who it could be with his buddy. In calling Aram to find out if there were any deaths like the one he virus brings on in recent days. They find the student and when Samar talk to his mother they realize that the target is outspoken critic of Russia, Senator Hawkins, he was the boy's son and why the virus worked on him.
Karakurt shows up at the memorial service claiming to be press.
Red tells Cooper to call Connolly and tell him about Hawkins, it will catch him off guard and may have him call off attack.
Hawkins gets out of his limo and is headed towards the press line when Liz sees him and spots Hawkins extending his hand to Karakurt.
Cooper tells Connolly what he knows and Connolly knows that Cooper he doesn't want to help the cabal so he wonders why he's telling him. He says he hoped it would cause him to call it off. Connolly is resolute. But he does let slips a nugget of info that clues Cooper into Karakurt posing as a performer.
Liz intervenes before Karakurt can shake his hand and they hustle him into a car. But even though they didn't touch, Hawkins starts convulsing and bleeding from hsi eyes.
They get him to a hospital, but he is critical. Ressler notes how weird it is that Hawkins didn't shake hands but got sick anyway and that he melted down next to Liz. They interrogate Karakurt who gives them nothing and whose own blood test came back clean. And then it becomes clear, the master plan: Karakurt blew up the car when Liz was at the CIA station but unhurt. Karakurt infected Liz at Union station when he bumped into her and so she killed the senator. This gives the cabal enough information to go after Liz herself, noting her mother was KGB and she's probably a spy too. Red calls her and tells her to get gone because when the dots are connected the government will send Connolly to arrest her. Just as he tells her to flee, she sees Connolly, flanked by men, enter the Post Office looking for her.
Tom waits alone at the restaurant where Liz is obviously not going to make their reservation.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content