The Blacklist Season 3 Episode 19 Review: Cape May
Sean McKenna
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If Liz is alive, The Blacklist Season 3 Episode 19 seemed to highlight that Red, at least, has no clue.
In fact, the hour showed how lost and broken he had become in the wake of Liz’s death. He was a man battling his demons and trying to make sense of his past and his present.
And while we’ll see if the bold choice to kill off Liz sticks (maybe someone should talk to Mr. Kaplan), this follow-up to The Blacklist Season 3 Episode 18 was just as bold in trying something new.
Shedding the case of the week and the larger story arc for a more introspective look at Red was a welcome shift.
It’s always a positive when a show at least tries to do something different instead of follow its usual path.
It also helps to have James Spader, who is the highlight of the series, carry an entire episode, and he definitely delivered again.
Sure, we’ve seen Red spout off fantastic speeches and quippy one-liners, and we’ve seen him be the bad ass who is always one step ahead. But we really got a chance to see a much more vulnerable man, a man who couldn’t save the day.
There was such a haunting feeling that surrounded his character, the setting on the cold beach and the general atmosphere as he spoke with the ghost of Katarina.
Even in the way he talked about loving a woman, losing her, and trying to do right by the child was captivating. You felt his anguish, and he could have been talking about either Katarina or Liz.
I wasn’t surprised that the woman turned out to be all in Red’s mind. I certainly suspected it not long after she tried to walk into the ocean, something I knew Red said Katarina had done.
But it was such a fascinating look at Red’s character and that inner turmoil he was feeling. He now lost two people for whom he deeply cared.
And yet, with Red finding that locket and the ghost of Katarina talking about losing her but saving Liz, there was definitely a positive spin after what felt like a tragic hour. But did that mean Red came to terms with his past or something more?
The ending definitely seemed hopeful amidst the loss, but I’m still very curious where the series is going to go from here.
Also, I’m now pretty sure that Katarina was not the one after Liz. But then who the heck could that possibly be?
It sounds like the closer we get to the end of The Blacklist Season 3, the deeper we’re going to dig into that past with Katarina and Masha and Red and whatever extra strings come with that. We just have to, right?
Either way, this was a great hour that explored Red's psyche, and per usual, Spader gave us another fantastic performance.
What did you think of Red's solo journey? Is Liz alive? What's next for Red? Sound off below, and catch it again when you watch The Blacklist online.
NOTE: The Blacklist Season 3 Episode 20, "The Artax Network," will air April 28 at 9 p.m.
Sean McKenna was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. He retired in May of 2017. Follow him on Twitter.
