The Blacklist season 4: Should Mr. Kaplan survive season?
If things remain where they currently stand for the character, she is dancing along a knife’s edge. While the good news is that she’s still breathing, the bad news is that she is at war with Reddington. Out of all the people you want to be at war with, Reddington is near the bottom of the list. He’s manipulative, hyper-intelligent, and has almost unlimited resources.
Yet, what makes this struggle and battle so interesting is that there are two things that Mr. Kaplan is in possession of that nobody else has been in the pantheon of tremendous The Blacklist adversaries.
1. Likability – It’s hard to root for Kate to die. She’s the product of Reddington’s own actions, and she’s an underdog story. Look for a moment at many of the people who she’s interacted with over time and who some of them are. Then, take another look at who she is. She’s not your typical criminal, she’s been through tragedy, and she is only after Reddington for trying to Adhere to Katarina originally wanted her to do: Protect Liz Keen at all costs.
2. A specific bond with Liz – While she may not have wanted Alexander Kirk dead, it was mostly out of concern that he was her father and she would never get some of those moments back … or would struggle to get some of the remorse and sadness out of her head if she responsible in any way for what happened to him. This is different, given that she’s already spent enough time with Mr. Kaplan to understand more of who she is. Liz also wants her to stay alive, and nothing out there will change this.
The greatness of the upcoming season finale is that this does have the potential to fundamentally alter the entire course of the entire series. Let’s say, for example, that Reddington decides to kill her even in spite of Liz’s wishes. That destroys their relationship, and it may be him committing an act that he cannot walk back from. They’ve been able to form a little bit of trust again over time, but the more he wrongs her, the more that she breaks.
Also, we want to see Mr. Kaplan stay alive just because she’s so magnetic a character, and it would be interesting if she returns down the road for more face-offs with James Spader in the event the season ends after season 5 or some other point down the road.
Do you think Mr. Kaplan will survive The Blacklist this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Meanwhile, be sure to visit the link here to get a preview for Thursday’s new episode! At the heart of this story is the thought of Liz potentially losing her memories, or having them augmented because of a Blacklist. Be prepared for that. (Photo: NBC.)