The Blacklist season 5 episode 13 review: Liz wants back on the task force

When we last saw Reddington and Liz on The Blacklist both had all of their cards out on the table. Reddington told Liz that he had a secret that he needed to keep, that Tom had found it out and that it got him killed. Liz on the other hand made it clear that she was not only going to find Tom’s killer but that she was going to honor his dying wish and that is learning the truth about the secret Reddington is keeping. Knowing all of this, both of them are still working together to get to Tom’s killer, the real question is, will Reddington be able to keep the secret hidden or is Liz going to learn the truth?

A new lead for Liz

Liz gets Tom’s things back from detective Singleton investigating Tom’s murder, but before she is handed his belongings, he lets her know that he’s hot on her trail. He’s convinced that she some how broke into evidence and snagged the bloody rag that would implicate her (he’s right, but he still has to prove it!). In Tom’s belongings she finds a key to a strong box. Inside she finds a journal, some notes and a postcard giving her a new lead, one that she calls Cooper about for help.

Who is Oleander?

She sees that Tom is chasing after a man named Oleander and Cooper has found out that his name is Dom and where he is. This man is said to be a former Russian agent active during the cold war. Rumors are that he might be living in the US under another name, and even though he’s said to be very dangerous, Liz heads to his house anyways. When she arrives at this man’s house and is invited in, she gets straight to the point (no sugar coating for Liz when she’s on a mission!).

She tells him about Tom’s death and that she’s looking for answers, but he denies that he’s Oleander. He says that he did work for Russian intelligence way back in the day and she asks about Katarina Rostova. He admits that he knew her quite well, that they worked together and that he even saw Liz when she was a baby. Liz then asks him about Reddington and he refuses to talk about him – clearly there’s a sore spot here. She asks if Katarina is still alive and he tells her that he doesn’t know for sure, but that there are people out there that want to keep that mystery a secret at all costs.

Once Liz leaves, Dom calls Reddington, telling him that he kept all of his secrets even though it killed him inside. Turns out he is Oleander, and not only that, but he’s Liz’s grandfather! Talk about kicking everyone in the heart tonight, she was so close to finding out everything! The scenes with Liz and Dom were really great.

As for Liz, she wants to come back to work and asks Cooper to re-instate her. Why does she want to come back now? She has learned that Tom’s killer might be police and she needs a badge if she’s going to catch a badge…. and she’s right – Garvey has a badge and is working with Singleton! They are all in cahoots!

CarterMatt Verdict

The blacklister tonight wasn’t that exciting for us and we had a hard time getting invested in it (although seeing James Spader cuddling a dog in his arms was a highlight as well as him going after the Nash Syndicate). This is a story we have seen play out on a lot of other crime shows over there years where people blame corporations for deaths and sickness and a group of people come together to start targeting them and killing them. The blacklisters usually have a lot more going for them then this and rarely do we see a recycled criminal plot without a new twist (one of the many reasons we love The Blacklist). Outside of that we loved the stuff with Liz and Dom, and the Garvey Singleton reveal was brilliant.

What did you think about The Blacklist season 5, episode 13? Leave us your thoughts in the comment box below.

(Photo: NBC)