#I’m setting up Sam to meet and have a falling out with Constantine

[vonehrenfest]

Together Forever

So it turns out that Danny is functionally immortal, his living and ghostly forms stabilizing each other every time he transforms. What this means for his human body is that he keeps reverting back to the age of his death- if he wants to grow up, to grow old, he will have to give up the other half of himself.

Danny could also stay a ghost instead, but it doesn’t feel right. It would be too much somehow in a way he can’t explain. (To be a ghost is to be tethered to your pain. He doesn’t notice it while he’s dead but the relief is real each time he comes back to life.)

Tucker reincarnates, like he has been for the past millennia. Each time he forgets his friends, and each time he’ll look into an ancient mirror and slowly start to remember.

It’s not just Tucker who comes back. His parents also return, again and again to each other. They never remember but it’s comforting nonetheless. On his third life after being Tucker Foley, it occurs to him that they might be soulmates; his continued existence not an unnatural blackmailing of the universe (like magic so often is) but just… skitching a ride.

Sam lives. She’s idealistic, a fighter, and ambitious. She dabbles in the dark arts just enough to help further her bright-eyed goals. Then, for a while she disappears. When her friends finally find her again, she has demons- both literal and metaphorical. She stops dabbling, and lets herself age. (She won’t stop fighting though, she never will.)

Sam dies. Danny protects her soul, and Tucker helps preserve her heart and mind. Her ghost is a fearsome and terrible thing, nearly a goddess in her own right. Death frees her from her living burdens, and for the first time in centuries she feels as light as she was in her youth.

Dani and Vlad are similar to Danny, but they are not perfect. They have to eat.

Vlad’s death was gradual. There is no single moment his biology returns to when he transforms, so he ages. He sustains his living body with his ghostly form, so like Spectra and Desiree he learns to draw energy from human emotions.

Dani was born half-dead. The condition Vlad discovered in himself as he begun to live longer and longer than any human has natural access to, she had from the very beginning. Dani doesn’t bother with vampirism though. She’s a Frankenstein and she’s ok with it; she gets her ecto-vitamins in the form an injection by Danny.

One day Dani will find out why she wanders, and why she traces the same paths over and over again. (Sam will tell her about ley lines, liminal spaces, and tears in the veil between worlds.) She’ll find places and events where the air itself sustains and strengthens her. Sun on a flower.

[snackleggg]

Been thinking about a Young Justice x Danny Phantom crossover AU.

Maddie and Jack build a device that repels anything that has an ecto-signatures (I.e. ghosts) that is within a certain radius of it (the radius is conveniently about as big as Amity Park). Vlad of course sneaks in and modifies it so it doesn't affect his ecto-signature and when it is turned on Danny (and all the other ghosts but they can just go back into the ghost zone) gets like ejected out of Amity Park.

So Vlad is being all smug and is like "I'll get them to turn it off if you become my apprentice and son" and of course Danny is like "fuck that". Jack and Maddie aren't good parents in this so Danny doesn't mind not being able to be around them, he bets they haven't even noticed he was gone.

Instead Danny decides "screw it, I'm going all nomad hero on this since I can't even enter my haunt anymore!". Tucker is of course his tech guy and they frequently chat over modified Fenton phones that have a much bigger range. Sam is the brain cell and helps Danny with planning and stuff and Jazz is Danny's human side’s backbone.

This happens 2 years after the accident so Jazz is off in college and she let's Danny crash at her place frequently.

Anyway so Danny gets a cool new hero look (tho he has a cloak that covers like everything and the hood falls a little over his eyes so he can’t be recognized) and basically he flies around to different cities invisibly and only becomes visible to help out when there is s crime happening. Starts out with smaller things like muggings or theft but eventually escalates to stopping more serious crimes as the team gets more accustomed to working on actual crimes done by living people (it's kinda ridiculously easy for Danny cause he has such an op power set when removed from the villains that specifically match his power set and since no one outside of Amity believes in ghosts, no one has anti ghost tech)

Eventually the public and the media take notice of this new mysterious hero popping up everywhere and when he is finally asked Danny says to call him Mirage (obviously if he didn't want to be recognized as Phantom he would pick another name and he came up with it on the spot since he hadn't really though about a new name before).

So the media is hungry and everyone is taking about who this new hero can be and how he gets from place to place so quickly. How can he fly and seemingly disappear into thin air and how do things just seem to go straight through him? He has to be a meta right? But what if he's an alien or magic user? They don't even know what his full face looks like cause of that hood and people have only gotten glimpses of his suit beneath the cloak. Needless to say it garners some attention. Eventually the attention of the Justice League.

Constantine can already tell it's a ghost he just can’t tell why a ghost would go through the trouble, it's not like he doesn't think a ghost would go through the trouble but usually ghosts stay out of living affairs unless it benefits them in some way.

The Justice League tasks Young Justice with investigating it and when Mirage is spotted a few cities over YJ immediately goes there and manages to catch up to Mirage before he disappears. They talk and Mirage is surprisingly laid back and funny instead of the serious mysterious character they thought he would be. Him and KF are joking around and Robin and Him get along great but then they start asking questions he isn't comfortable with answering and he disappears with a "see ya around".

au can go a few different ways but I definitely see Danny eventually joining YJ and also Constantine instantly knows Danny is a halfa when they meet but he doesn't get payed enough for this so after making sure the kid isn't up to anything he is just like "Don't break anything" before leaving Danny to his own devices.

[the-green-maiden]

Supernatural Fair Fight Livestream Recap with timestamps

(based off of the notes I took while watching live. any errors are mine and not the fault of the cast or abrams)

21:01 Panel Starts. Misha introduces panel- Stacey Abrams, Jensen Ackles, Jared Padelecki, Erik Kripke, Berto the ASL interpreter.

21:02 Stacey Abrams talks about how she got into SPN. Talks about running for governor(?) in California(?), having trouble gathering support/campaign funds. On a particularly bad day, ends up watching SPN in her hotel room. Loves it, ends up watching the whole show after this. Quotes “Even if it’s hard we can’t stop” and “who else is going to do this” and talks about keeping going.

21:05 Kripke: “Wow”

Ackles: “That’s one of the most beautiful interpretations of what we do, how we tell the story.”

21:06 Kripke: “Grateful we could provide inspiration” 

21:07 JarPad: *reiterates above* joke about how “Kripke’s writing is questionable at best.”

21:08 Misha: “The reason we tell stories is to inspire people” creates an allegory about the ‘invisible enemy’ of voter suppression with the invisible enemy trope common in storytelling. “As we made the show, we were taking inspiration from [Abrams]”

21:09 Kripke asks Abrams to tell more about Fair Fight

21:09 Abrams talks about a secretary of state(?) [whose name I didn’t catch but who JPad refers to as ‘Lucifer”] who was in charge of voter registries in Georgia who wrongfully removed thousands of voters from lists, closed essential polling locations, and prevented people from voting, which disproportionately impacted POC and youth voters, and led to 8+ hour wait times in remaining locations. Abrams tells of how her and FF acted to fix this and change the whole system for the better. “If this becomes about politicians, no one is going to care, but when it becomes about people’s [list of basic rights and essential services]...” “...Patriotic belief that democracy means that if you’re eligible to vote, you get to be heard. Fair Fight is committed to ensuring that every voter in the US has the right to vote, and we are pretty good at it.”

21:16 Misha voices concerns about Trump’s attempts to make the 2020 vote counts seem unreliable.

21:17 Abrams gives an in-depth history of voter suppression in the US, committed by both parties at various times, including restrictions on mail-in votes, ID laws, and something about the voting rights act.

21:18 A bunch more panelists join in, including Jake Abel, Felicia Day, and a number of other SPN cast members.

21:19 Abrams says that in Texas a gun license is a valid id to vote, but a college id is not. “Everyone should get to participate, not just the chosen.” Mentions that she has not seen the final 3 episodes yet, request no spoilers until she logs out.

21:22 Kripke thanks Abrams for her political work.

21:22 Felicia Day says she was very excited to meet Abrams at Dragon Con.

21:33 Misha and Kripke try to move panel along to comply with Abrams limited time availability.

21:24 Rachel Miner “We all admire you [Abrams], you’re our hero.”

21:25 JPad gives a long speech thanking Abrams that was too fast to write down verbatim. “It’s important that everyone have their own voice” says it’s an honor to meet Abrams.

21:26 Bob Singer asks a question about Purdue(?) not showing up to a debate.

21:27 Abrams gives a detailed answer about swing states, swing voters, the lack of swing voters in Georgia, and the relatively small impact that Purdue(?) missing a debate would have on his numbers. Long speech about mail-in voting.

21:29 Sebastian Roche asks a question about run-off votes. Abrams answers.

21:30 Rachel Miner asks a question about voter registration descrimination against people w foreign names.

21:31 Abrams talks about how this has happened and what Fair Fight is doing to combat it, and how Fair Fight’s legal actions have managed to significantly reduce the amount of mail-in ballots thrown out for having difficult to understand names on them.

21:33 Shoshanna Stern thanks Abrams for her efforts in making voting more disability accessible.

21:34 Abrams answers, gives more info on the subject and the importance of having accessible voting locations.

21:36 Jim Beaver says it’s wonderful to be able to talk to Abrams, etc.

21:37 Abrams realizes her time has just about run out, and says thank yous and good byes. Mentions that tomorrow is her birthday. Multiple members of the cast wish her a happy birthday. More goodbyes from everyone, and thank yous to and from Abrams. Abrams exits call.

21:39 Kripke and Misha encourage people to donate to FF

21:41 Misha and Jensen rib each other, joke about an open bar.

21:41 Misha “Now we’re just going to waste your time for half an hour now that she’s gone”

21:42 Curtis Armstrong tells a short story about his mother, who was a voter activist in Detroit and Switzerland, and how nice it was to see Abrams talk.

21:43 Trivia intro. Multiple jokes made at the same time about state capitals.

21:44 Jim Beaver “When my kid was 7, I asked her the capital of Vermont and she said V”

21:44 Kripke asks semi-serious question about what JPad wore as protection in the ball-crusher Japanese game show scene in Changing Channels.

21:45 JPad “A thimble. A mini-thimble. No, a cup.” says something else about the cup.

21:46 Ackles “Our special effects team likes to go above and beyond”

21:46 JPad comments about real fear in that scene

21:46 Misha tries to get trivia back on track. “Without powers, what does Dean say Cas is?”

------[Baby in a trenchcoat]

“Other name of the Impala?”

Julie McNiven guesses “A special place”. Someone calls out “baby”

-----[Metallicar]

“Name of Sam and Jess’s friend who goes with them to the bar in the pilot?”

Even JPad, who was in the scene, does not know. Kripke comments that it was named after an irl friend of his from Tiuanna, named LUIS.

“5 works Kripke ripped off for SPN?”

Everyone guessing at once, including: Animal House, On The Road, Good Omens, Constantine, Star Wars, and several others.

“What herpes medication does Sam have to do a commercial for?”

[Herpexia]

21:52 JPad and Julie rib each other about herpes meds, and argue whether the term is prescription or subscription for medication. One of them brings up the example of having a subscription to dog food.

21:52 Jake Abel “What if your dog has herpes?”

Misha “I only hope that Stacey Abrams has tuned in”

Seb makes another joke about state capitals, then asks JPad the capital of Albania.

Jared has no idea, guesses ‘new albania’

Seb “Tirana” talks about having lived on a boat, presumably near Albania.

Rob Benedict: “Thanks for tuning in”

Bob Singer asks who knows the story of Seb getting a massage at VAncouver airport.

Jared (paraphrased) “We all fly through Vancouver airport a lot. Just past security there’s a massage place [with the chairs where you face the floor].” One day JPad and Ackles went through security and saw Seb getting a massage. They go over, convince the masseuse [who knows them all at this point] to let JPad take over. Seb does not notice, despite the fact that the masseuse is a small woman and JPad is holding his hands weird to try to make them smaller. JPad says he put his hands down Seb’s back and up his shirt, and Seb still did not notice, just making a noise and saying ‘very nice’. JPad gets as far as groping Seb’s ass before Seb notices anything is up. This is still the middle of a busy airport.

21:58 Seb “It was strangely sensual. Thank you, Robert, for bringing that up.” “I was perturbed for the whole flight back.”

Ackles “Another highbrow story”

Seb “It’s really fun being on that set. It really is” Claims they are also serious sometimes, to which there is laughter in response.

Ackles “It going to be like that on The Boys, Krip?”

Kripke “No massages to completion”

Seb “Wait there was no completion”

Krip “Saw photos of [Ackles’s] supersuit today”

Multiple jokes from several people about Ackle costume for The Boys being assless, crotchless, entirely made of paint, and cowboy-themed.

22:01 Misha “time for about 5 minutes of outtakes”

Someone jokes about adding ‘give Seb a massage’ as a donation tier.

Misha thanks the fans, says he loves and misses all the cast. Asks Rob B to sing.

22:02 Rob B “tune into my radio show” [for singing]

22:03 Misha announced that $225,000 has been raised for charity so far in the stream.

More thank yous from everyone to everyone, including the zoom team.

22:04 Seb “Vote out Mitch McConnel:

Jensen “Such as British accent to tell us who to vote for”

Seb “I’m half French half Scottish”

Jensen and Seb joke about scottish and french alcohols, and how they can’t be mixed.

22:05 Kripke thanks the fans for 15 years. Everyone else joins in on thanking fans for 15 years.

Jake Abel “There was a big gap in there for me somewhere”

Seb asks if Jake was in the first season.

22:06 Jake “3rd, 5, and 15”

Seb gives long thank you speech.

Jensen talks about how the cast is sticking together “This group is not being dispersed”...”I take comfort in knowing this” jokes that they’re stuck together whether they like it or not.

Misha “Like herpes”

Felicia “Genital or otherwise”

22:07 gag reel begins, including Misha’s ‘on-camera finger, Jensen falling off a chair “furniture could use some work”, Jensen failing to pick a lock for a very long time and Jared asking ‘Cas” to open it, Jensen saying ‘hail misha’ instead of ‘hail mary’, Misha failing to keep a straight face while looking at Alex Calvert, Jensen eating something too hot(?), and more that someone has probably already uploaded in full anyway.

21:13 stream ends.

[shirtlesssammy]

9x22: Stairway to Heaven

Then:

Metatron!!!!

Now:

Dixon, MIssouri

A very particular mom orders ice cream for herself and then asks her son what he would like. He points to a girl eating a Ziggy Piggy all alone and wants that! She goes over to the girl to berate her not for eating something with a symbol of racism as decoration but for eating diabetes in a bowl. The girl says she’s an angel though and can do as she pleases. A man walks into the store--and pulls out an angel blade. The girl tells the woman to run as her eyes flash blue. Too late, the place disintegrates in a flash of white. 

Sam WInchester sleeps with his gun under his pillow in his own room. That breaks me a little. Dean, the Mark of Cain in full jerk mode, wakes him and even though they’ve only slept for two hours, wants to get going. 

Sam joins Dean in the library and Dean tells him that he talked to Cas and there’s something happening in Missouri. He couldn’t give details over the phone because (And mind you, Dean says this while looking wistfully upwards) “He’s a weird, dorky little guy.” smh. 

Dean grabs the First Blade and Sam questions whether it’s necessary. Dean insists they need it with them all the time if they’re going to take down Metatron. Sam thinks he should leave it in the bunker for this trip. Dean agrees. 

Once at the ice cream shop, the brothers learn their FBI covers are Agents Spears and Agulera. #BlessAndrewDabb. (Sidenote: I just LOVE Dean’s little plaid tie.) Cas is already inside. They meet up and Cas shows them a victim, eyes burned out. He doesn’t know what happened but six people died and one angel. Whatever Metatron is doing is abhorrent. 

Cut to Metatron trying on a trench coat in his headquarters. Someone knocks at the door and he quickly scrambles to take the coat off. 

Gadreel walks in. He wants to talk about their plans. Cas’s side of the war is winning. Metatron doesn’t understand why angels are choosing Cas over him when he can get them home. The Metatron admits THE TRUTH: He’s cute and he’s got charm. He counters that he --Metatron-- is lovable and funny, which gets an eyebrow lift from Gadreel. Oh Metatron, you’re the worst. Gadreel tells Metatron that they’re meeting with the last large faction of angels left. Metatron isn’t stressed, he has a plan! (It’s not the trench coat, no, nope)

At Trench Coat Headquarters, Cas introduces Dean and Sam to Hannah. There’s some light ‘he likes me better’ banter between Dean and Hannah. 

Hannah tells Cas an angel is missing. Josiah was a mole and now he’s gone. Dean and Sam set to tracking him. (Hannah’s little unimpressed attitude towards Dean is entertaining.) Two seconds later, Sam finds that his credit card was used at a Gas ‘n Sip in Colorado. Dean turns to Hannah and gets his ruler out to measure. 

Another angel has video of the ice cream shop attack. Just before the megasmiting, the angel, Orin, announced, “I do this for Castiel!” and stabs himself in the chest. Dean wants answers but Cas has no clue what that was. “I’m going to be sick.” Oh, bby. (Also, how is this not a reaction gif for fandom wank all the time?) In any event, Dean doesn’t seem to want to believe Cas, accusing him of running a cult and dredging up his little attempt at playing God back in the day. 

For I know Dean is Mad but This Sure Makes a Pretty Shot Science:

Interrupting Moose uses his powers for good and drags them into a private room to continue the conversation. 

Cas explains the Enochian sigil on the angel’s torso was something to draw energy and the stabbing unleashed that energy, atomizing the other angel. Dean tells Cas that he needs to stay back while the brothers investigate. Cas responds with a flat, defiant “No.” And let us never forget this dorky little guy is a BAMF. That prompts the plan of Cas and Sam heading to Colorado to find Josiah. 

On the road, Sam fills Cas in on what’s really been happening this season because Dean and Cas apparently only whisper sweet nothings and giggle on the phone.

Sam and Cas talk about how the Mark is changing Dean. Cas’s admission that Dean is “always a little angry” breaks me a little. 

Metatron is busy wooing angels at a bowling alley. They don’t want to go back to heaven. Life’s too good on earth. The smell of the bowling alley is enough to keep them here. (OMG and LOL) 

Metatron pulls out his blade. The angel laughs and tells him that if he dies, all his angels will side with Castiel. He’ll talk if Metatron out bowls him though. 

On the road, Sam and Cas have a lead on Josiah. 

Dean interviews other angels that knew Orin. One decides to poke the bear a bit, telling Dean that he doesn’t save lives. He forces her at the end of an angel blade to name names. One of them is Tessa. Yep, the reaper Tessa. 

Cas and Sam track Josiah’s car to a place that Cas can sense is radiating power. They try entering a door to a warehouse but Sam’s lock picking skills fail. Cas, ancient angel of infinite strength informs Sam that he’s “got this.” He slams the door a couple of times and tries the door, to no avail. “I don’t got this.” <Insert jensen with camera you’re doing amazing pic> 

Dean tracks down Tessa. And we learn that Dean Winchester likes Fiddler on the Roof. But really he’s wants to know what she thinks she’s doing. She tries walking away from him when he grabs her and sees something carved on her chest. He handcuffs her and demands she tell him where the other rogue angel, Constantine, is. 

Cut to the bowling alley, as Metatron huffs away from losing his game of bowling, an angel calls his name. It’s Constantine. “I do this for Castiel,” he announces and stabs himself. The world goes white. 

It’s now night and Sam and Cas are still trying to get into the warehouse. Cas reveals there’s a riddle in Enochian warding the place.

“Why is 6 afraid of 7? I assume because 7 is a prime number and prime numbers can be intimidating.” “It’s because 7 ate (8) 9,” Sam corrects, and the door opens. GOLD. Even more GOLD: Cas references Lord of the Rings. Yeah, Cas knows a thing about things now. 

Cas and Sam finally enter the building, walking through a shadowy concrete tunnel. Sam happens upon a message inscribed on the wall: “Only the penitent man shall pass.” Holy Indiana Jones, Batman! He shouts a warning to Cas, but Cas has already crouched below the whirling blades. (Thank god he’s pop culture saavy now. Pop culture saved his life! #Relatable)

Dean interrogates Tessa with Hannah lurking in the background. Tessa is adamant that she turned herself into a suicide bomber for Castiel - he assigned her that task, personally. Hannah is SHOOK.

Hannah wants to fight and Dean shoos her out the door to get her in line. They agree that Tessa believes what she’s saying. Yikes.

In the Raiders of the Lost Heaven, Cas strides towards a lit door at the end of the hallway and something in him seems to lighten and lift as he approaches it. It’s the door to Heaven! It’s calling him in. Cas approaches, ready to seize control of the door to Heaven. He opens the door and--

Soft music and valentine-hued rotating lights play across poor Castiel’s astonished face. The room is a total joke, set up like a party with little paper cupids and angels strung up alongside balloons and gold streamers. Fred Astaire croons “Cheek to Cheek” in the otherwise empty room. Sam finds a card addressed to Cas that reads: "Welcome to your own personal heaven, Castiel. Good luck finding the real one."

They discover a terribly burned body lying on the floor - an angel burned by holy oil. Sam looks up and spots a Home-Alone-style door mounted flame torch. Suddenly the body jumps and grabs Cas. He’s not dead yet! He says that Metatron promised that he could return home. But he’s not going with Cas now. He looks at Cas, and he doesn’t see an angel anymore. (Cas bby!)

Dean heads back in to talk to Tessa. He begs her for a reason for her actions. “I guess I just can’t take the screaming,” she says at last, her voice breaking. There are tons of lost souls wandering the Earth now who can’t get into Heaven since it’s been closed. She hears all of their torment and suffers, to the point where death is preferable. But now that Cas gave her a reason to die…

Dean, bless him (finally!) doesn’t believe her - not fully. It doesn’t sound like the Cas he knows. Tessa counters with the fact that he also didn’t know that Cas leading a super secret army and….fair, I suppose. Dean asks for names and then threatens her, pulling out the first blade. Tessa immediately freaks out over it. “What have you done?” she asks. “What I had to,” he responds. Dean. Bean. She grips him then and pulls herself onto the first blade, dying in his arms. 

Dean falls into a kind of lull after the kill, just barely snapping out of it as Hannah and another angel rushes in. 

Cut to Dean, handcuffed to a chair and his mouth duct-taped. “He put up a fight,” Hannah says testily as Cas and Sam rush in to him. Sam immediately lays into Dean about bringing the first blade. 

Cas interrupts their squabble, only to be interrupted by Hannah. Metatron’s calling…

On screen, Metatron talks about Castiel’s henchman’s attack in the bowling alley. Poor dead Titus’ followers have all joined Metatron’s team in retaliation. Cas protests that he sent nobody to kill Metatron. 

Metatron laughs at him, and then delivers his elevator speech. He’s only doing what’s best for the angels. 

Metatron delivers his offer: amnesty to any angel crossing to his side. Angels need to follow someone - so they might as well follow him. He tells them that Cas isn’t the bold leader they think. He’s sending angels out to die AND he’s sporting stolen grace that is fading quickly. (Some half truths and a lie!) 

Metatron goes a step further: Cas only cares about himself and the Winchesters. Cas tries for some damage control with a pissed off host of angels. He admits to the stolen grace and they assume the worst based on that. Cas’s defense is going...poorly. 

Hannah asks for proof. Cas has to punish Dean for killing Tessa. “You gave us order, Castiel, and we gave you our trust. Don't lose it over one man.” She holds up on angel blade while angels hold Dean and Sam fast.

Cas takes the blade, contemplating his choices, his army. He looks at Dean...and then looks down. “No, I can’t,” he says. He lets the blade fall to his side and just like that, his army leaves. Cas, Dean, and Sam watch them file out of the room. (Don’t mind me while I gabble on about all that wasted infrastructure they’re leaving behind.) 

In Heaven, Metatron gleefully chats on the phone to the first defector from Castiel’s army before chortling to Gadreel about how his plan is working. Gadreel is pissed, though. The “elite unit” (Tessa, etcetera) he helped recruit for Metatron’s team weren’t supposed to blow themselves up - but Metatron brainwashed them as soon as they came over. Metatron’s dismissive of Gadreel’s ire. “You start by building up a seemingly unbeatable enemy, like the death star, or a rival angel with a bigger army. That way, I look like the underdog. But then, oh, no! The competition gets greedy. He starts pushing things too much. With the help of my combustible double agents. And then, after a rousing speech, his true weakness is revealed. He's in love...with humanity.”

Boris and I are going to take a moment to burn in the fires of that last sentence. We’re FINE. 

Gadreel asks after Josiah and Metatron blithely describes him as a loose end, cleaned up by his booby-traps. 

Driving back, the Impala is silent. Cas sits in the back seat stoically and HOW symbolic is THAT? When they get back to the bunker, Sam confronts Dean again about the first blade. Dean snaps a little bit and says he’s the only one who can kill Metatron, armed with the blade. He’s in charge now. (UGH I really do dislike Mark of Cain Dean.) Sam heads off in a huff and Dean corners Cas, asking about his grace. Cas tries to deflect but Dean’s done with bullshit. He asks how long Cas has to live. “Long enough to destroy Metatron, I hope.” Cas bby ;_;

Cas asks again if Dean believes he would have ordered those angels to kill themselves. Dean finally, unequivocally says that he believes Cas would never do that - he just gave up his “whole army for one guy,” after all. 

Cas wonders if the three of them can prevail. Dean believes in Team Free Will. And then... Gadreel walks in. He tells them that Metatron is a problem and he’s willing to work with them. Gadreel begs for them to give him a chance. For a moment, everybody’s chill and I think...hey they’re gonna sit down, have a nice cup of tea, come up with a civilized battle plan. 

Instead, Dean approaches Gadreel slowly. Holds out his hand. And...hauls up the first blade to slice him across the chest. Dean snarls like a raging beast at Gadreel and the episode fades away.

______________________________

In Love with Quote-manity:

“They like to hear me say their names.” “I know a couple women like that.”

Yeah, I heard he had a real explosive personality.

Honey, there ain’t no other men like me.

I’m very pop culture savvy now.

He’s a weird, dorky little guy

I've noticed your aliases are usually the names of popular musicians

You’re such an...angel sometimes

I don’t got this

Why is six afraid of seven?" Now, I assume it's because seven is a prime number, and prime numbers can be intimidating

You’re Mother Theresa with neckbeard!

______________________________

Want to read more? Check out our Recap Archive! 

[ventingblacklist]

3x23  Alexander Kirk Pt. 2

"I’m gonna kill him.”

Diaz goes to announce a special hearing on whether Kirk has been financing terrorism. 

Kirk watches the news report while getting a transfusion. 

I hadn’t really noticed what the reporter said before - 

“Kirk amassed his wealth in the ’90s through mining and oil operations in Russia, but fell out of favor with Moscow after a series of politically motivated raids on Kirk’s companies by Russian authorities. He fled the country and has rarely been seen in public in recent years.”

The question I have is why he fell out of favor with the Kremlin. What was the political motivation behind the raids?

This news report and Red’s briefing of the task force places Kirk’s wealth creation at after the fall of the Soviet Union. As if he didn’t get super rich until after the whole thing with Katarina exploded. But he had money before that. Enough for a Summer Palace and waitstaff, and Red called him wealthy and powerful enough to get Kat to marry him as a cover. 

I don’t recall us getting an actual timeframe for when he changed his name. It might have been right after the fire and all that. And then he goes on to amass wealth as Alexander Kirk. He was wealthy as Constantin Rostov, but maybe nobody knows that. Or very few. idk. Shot in the dark.

Anyway, Kirk is with his... lawyers, advisors, whatever. Discussing what to do. He says this is all Reddington. Reddington bought Diaz with his money. lol

That’s something they can’t use as a defense for Kirk against these charges because he violated campaign law by giving Diaz the money in the first place. 

The woman says he could go to the hearing and fight the allegations. He says no. 

Diaz is using this all as one big campaign event. 

When the presser is over, he goes out back and slips into a car with a waiting Reddington. 

“A good man could make a real difference as President. A good man might even inspire one’s patriotic instincts...”

Patriotic instincts he used to have. Or, I guess, since it’s an instinct he might still have it, but it’s buried under a mile of crap.

Red: One way or another, I’m confident Kirk will come. I’ll have his head, and you’ll end up in the Oval Office, where you can pay off your debt to me with a full pardon. Diaz: You expect me to pardon you. Red: Not me. Elizabeth Keen. Diaz: The FBI agent who murdered the attorney general. She’s dead. Red: Yes. And I want things put right.

Kirk’s man Stalder meets with Mato. 

Halcyon didn’t get the job done. Then Kirk’s attempt to take Agnes from the hospital was foiled. So now he’s hiring a skip tracer, a bounty hunter, with a reputation for getting results, to deliver Agnes to him. 

Stalder gives him a file with info on Tom and Agnes. Agnes’ medical records. Mato’s got somebody in his trunk already.

Stalder: She was discharged from D.C. General yesterday. By now, she’s likely under heavy guard.

Mato: Won’t be a problem. Stalder: It can’t be. Mr. Kirk was very clear. Take the girl, kill the father. Understood?

I find it interesting that Kirk is willing to do the very thing he’s so mad at Red for doing. Taking a child. Only he goes a step further and kills the father. No hesitation. When it comes to killing Tom, he’s almost eager to do it. My third employer theory knocks on the door, but I’ll ignore it for now. 

We cut to the heavy guard Agnes is under. A nursery set up in a warehouse with armed guards. Red and Kate are in the nursery.

Kate: She reminds me of Elizabeth. 

Red: Thank you, Kate. For everything. Kaplan: No thanks necessary. All I care about is Agnes’ well-being.

Here we obviously learn that Kaplan knew Liz as a baby. 

The irony of Red thanking her. One of very few people in this world he completely trusts. Trusts with the things dearest to him.

Tom enters. We see the whole setup with the guards and everything. He reiterates their ‘deal.’ He lets Red be in Agnes’ life in exchange for Red letting him in on the Kirk mission.

Red is like, “I’d think you’d be more interested in learning about your parents” but Tom isn’t. 

Here’s what cracks me up - if Tom never thought Red was Liz’s father, then why did he think Red was interested in hanging around Liz and is now desperate to hang around Agnes? Desperate to the point that it becomes a bargaining chip?

How weird is that? This criminal bigwig creates a task force so he can hang around Liz and now would give anything to be in Agnes’ life. Tom never thinks to ask why? I mean, there’s his betrayal and all, Berlin, but he never seemed to see that as a reason. Even if he did, why was Red so interested in Liz that he hired Tom to keep an eye on her in the first place? Tom knew, or suspected, that Red funneled money to Liz through Sam. You’re telling me he had no theory as to why?

See, these are the types of things that led one to believe that Tom thought he already knew the answer. And that answer was obviously not that Red was Liz’s father. But whatever. Apparently he knows nothing and is just the most incurious person in the history of ever. Except when it comes to suitcases.

Red briefs the task force on his deal with Diaz. Red says he thought taking the money would be enough to smoke Kirk out, but it wasn’t.

Kirk has told Diaz he’s not testifying. They need to give these false charges of buying oil from terrorists validity. But Red doesn’t expect the task force to actually cross the line into setting Kirk up. He just wants them to show up afterward and inspect the truck, arrest the people.

Red goes to see a chapel trucker dude for info on a gas company that Kirk owns. 

Mato holds Agnes’ doctor at gunpoint while he calls Tom to tell him his daughter is in good health. Mato’s got someone tracing the call. He shoots the doc. They have Tom’s location. 

Red got info on one of the Nexaco drivers who stops at a certain place to pick up lunch. Red holds up the line while Tom and his other guys switch out the trucks. 

The FBI is waiting at a checkpoint. 

Kirk and team watch the news. 

“Clever. Reddington’s moving beyond theoretical accusations.”

These two have fought before.

His team has some politicians on Kirk’s side, but now that there’s actual evidence... 

“They’re not gonna stick their necks out for a foreigner who’s hiding from the U.S. investigative process.”

So they lobby him to show up and testify. Otherwise he’ll likely be indicted, billions of dollars in American assets frozen. 

“Your most prized asset in the U.S. will be lost.”

This might be the Senator. Having a President in your pocket is a great asset. Or it could be some thing of value in the U.S. that Kirk owns. 

Kirk tells them to call Diaz. He’s officially smoked out.

Red meets with Cooper. Meanwhile, Aram talks to Ressler about it.

Aram: You know what Mr. Reddington’s gonna do. I’m not okay with this. Are you?

“These charges against Alexander Kirk for financing terrorism are ludicrous. And no one’s gonna touch him for what happened to Elizabeth. So I’m gonna kill him. He won’t live long enough to see the inside of that hearing room. I’m gonna kill him the instant he steps out of his vehicle. You and I both know, nothing less will protect Agnes and avenge Elizabeth’s death.”

It’s funny to me. Has anybody asked why Kirk did any of this? Why some exiled Russian billionaire was interested in kidnapping Liz? Why he’s now coming for the baby?

Cooper pledged to get whoever was behind it. So he’s going to let Red cross that line. ‘by any means’

Red says he doesn’t expect them to get involved in this either. He’ll be handling this himself. 

Red: Harold, you and your people...I will always be more grateful than I could ever express, but I don’t expect, or rather, I couldn’t accept your involvement in this final act.

Cooper: I entered into this relationship with my eyes wide open. So did Agent Ressler and the others.

Red: I admire that about you, Harold. I know so many zealots, men and women who choose a side, an ideology by which to interpret the world, but to get up every single day and do the hard work of deciding what to believe, what’s right today, when to stand up or stand down… that’s courage.

Red: ...It’s been a privilege. To see firsthand why the people you lead love you the way they do. But sadly, our time together has come to an end.

Cooper: On this case. You don’t mean… Red: I do. 

Red: We’ve done some good work. But with Elizabeth gone… there’s… nothing more for me to contribute.

Well, now, that’s not true. 

“Please take care of yourself and the others. Charlene.”

“Raymond. Thank you.”

Just gonna let him walk out, I guess. lol 

Eh. Can form a new Reddington task force to catch him tomorrow. Let him go kill Kirk first.

Tom and Kaplan and some of Red’s guys are shopping. Tom switches babies and gives the guys the slip. The one guy’s all like, ‘we’re not supposed to let the kid out of our sight,’ but they let her out of it long enough to do a switch.

Mato is watching the whole thing from the car. The guy he’s talking to on the phone is tracking Tom’s phone. He directs Mato on where to go. Mato follows Tom to the airport and has his guy pull a flight plan on the plane. It’s headed for Cuba. Stalder says he’ll contact their Cuban guy. He tells Mato to follow. 

Red and company find a floor under construction to shoot Kirk from. Windows are all plasticed up. Ressler figures it out and goes to stop it from happening. I guess he’s not okay with it.

Ressler: Reddington, grab the guy, put him in a hole, get what you need from him, but don’t kill Kirk.

Red: There’s nothing I care to take from Alexander Kirk except his life. 

Kirk touches down in America. Stalder intercepts him as he gets off the plane. He’s gotten some very interesting information from their guy in Cuba.

Stalder: He checked with his local sources. An American recently purchased a villa on the western edge of town. High walls, very private....We sent a team down to do some initial recon, and you need to see this.

Kirk’s like, all proud of her now. Getting away from Reddington. He and Kaplan should have teamed up.

Samar comes into Cooper’s office. Says she thinks Ressler went to find Reddington. Cooper is watching the news coverage of the hearing. I guess he’ll watch Kirk die in real time.

“A man got off that plane, and he has no idea that he’ll be dead within the hour. I’ve spent my entire life in the service of stopping people who do what we’re about to let happen.

“Not so long ago, this task force felt compelled to hunt down Elizabeth Keen for intentionally killing a man. Now she’s gone, and we’re about to do the very same thing.”

“If you’re asking whether you’ll regret it someday… no. I don’t think you will.

“To be honest, I crossed that line a long time ago… killing in the name of justice, vengeance...You don’t just get over it… you get used to it.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

And here we are, I guess full circle. Like Cooper said, they started this season hunting down Liz for shooting Connolly. Now they’re letting Red shoot Kirk.

You can’t just kill the AG in cold blood in front of witnesses and get away with it though. You probably can get away with not stopping an already most wanted criminal from shooting some guy.

Ressler: Listen to me. If he pulls that trigger, this building’s surrounded in seconds. Not minutes… seconds. There’s no getting out. Red: Yes, I know.

That’s a very fatalistic statement. And the way it’s said is very resigned. He’s definitely taken into consideration that this might be his last act.

I have to believe he has an exit plan though, because even as he’s planning to kill Kirk, he’s instructing his people to get the kid back. And he’s got Dembe there. But he’s willing to take the chance. 

Ressler: If Liz were here, she’d tell you not to do this.

Red: Elizabeth isn’t here, though. Is she, Donald?

Red tells his man to stand down. No sense in him getting shot in the head. 

Red takes the gun instead.

Red: You want justice for Elizabeth. Ressler: Justice, not vengeance. Red: In my experience, they’re the same.

"I know how difficult this must be for you, Donald...You have faith. I envy that. Justice, integrity, faith in humanity… nobody embodies those principles more than you....”

“And I know it must be hard for you to believe that you’ll continue to embody those principles even after you watch me do this.”

"This isn’t about me. This is about the rules… what’s right.”

"When Elizabeth was a fugitive, you played by the rules, did what you thought was right. But Elizabeth’s gone. Alexander Kirk took her away from us, and she’s not coming back....”

“What do you think’s going to happen if you stop me, Donald? That you’ll arrest Kirk? That justice will be done?”

“Do you want a bullet in Alexander Kirk’s head or one in mine?...What’s it going to be, Donald?”

Ressler lowers his gun.

That scene had some nice history behind it. But I wish it felt more like it. 3b is so overtaken by the K2 mess that this other stuff kinda got lost.

Here’s Ressler allowing Red to execute a man in a way that’s not at all within the system of justice.

Ressler isn’t afraid of Red. He’s not afraid of Dembe. He doesn’t make that decision because he doesn’t want Dembe to shoot him.

Ressler worked to bring Liz in in 3a, perhaps a bit naively, but he fully believed they could protect her. He was worried about her out there with Reddington. And he fully believed that a jury would not convict.

I just wish they hadn’t had that scene with him pointing his gun at Solomon forever. Because this following that was kinda like, ‘oh look. another gun-pointing scene.’ At least to me.

I never thought Ressler would actually shoot Solomon; there was no real tension there. And Tom talks him down? Ooookay. I thought that was ooc for Tom (but what isn’t) so that scene just kind of annoyed me.

Also they do this a lot, have Ressler pointing his gun as the minutes tick away, and you know he’s not going to do it. Jonica, Solomon, Reddington. He’s obviously not going to shoot Reddington.

But they’re trying to do a thing here. They have Ressler, who spent 3a pissed at Liz for shooting the AG, corrupt as he may have been, in broad daylight, in front of witnesses, unarmed, now allowing Red to gun down Kirk in broad daylight, in front of witnesses, unarmed.

Because after all that 3a stuff, after hours of blood, sweat and manpower poured into keeping Liz alive, she’s dead and gone. And never coming back.

So Ressler backs off. Becomes an accessory, really. He wants Red to shoot him. He could stop him. But he takes the shot by proxy. He’ll later tell Cooper -

“A couple hours ago, I had the opportunity to stop Reddington. He was ready to take one life to avenge another, and in the end... I was gonna let him do it. I actually wanted him to do it.”

Another thing too, Ressler let Solomon go. Rendered ‘justice’ not vengeance. That didn’t turn out so well. Solomon ended up loose and spearheading the operation that led to Liz’s death. So Red’s words about Kirk not getting justice in the system might strike that note too. Solomon didn’t get his just desserts. He lived to inadvertently kill Liz. So end Kirk now. Don’t let it happen again.

Kirk doesn’t show. He got right back on his plane and headed for Cuba. His lawyer dude is testifying on his behalf. 

Red gets on the phone with the task force. Trying to figure out what happened. Aram pulls up Kirk’s second flight plan. Red realizes he might be after Agnes and gets Aram to look for any private planes that went to the same place. Aram finds one carrying a man and his infant daughter. Red asks who owns the plane. It’s one of his old friends. 

Poor Omar.

“I’ve known you for over two decades. I was there when you renewed your vows with Eileen. And suddenly, you’re the person who takes Tom Keen and his child out of the country? Out of my sight?”

Omar: I don’t know any Tom Keen....

Red: Of all the people with a private air fleet, Keen just picks your name out of a hat?

Omar: I don’t understand. I was under the impression arranging this flight is exactly what you wanted.

Red: Why in God’s name would you think that?

Omar: Red, I would never do anything to upset you. I just assumed when Kaplan came to see me, she was coming on your behalf.

Red: Kaplan?

"She made all the arrangements. She had all the documentation for your friend and his daughter. I just did what she asked. Raymond, I’m sorry.”

See, after this, how do you not make it known that Kaplan should no longer be considered your representative? If nothing else you make some calls on your way back to the nursery, just in case she was up to anything else. Maybe you can head her off at the pass. 

I guess maybe an all points bulletin isn’t possible in the criminal world? idk

I’m laughing because Kate used Red’s guy, probably with Red’s money, bought a villa in Cuba, probably also with Red’s money, but Liz and Tom are totally free of Red. lol

Red and Dembe go back to the nursery. Kate is waiting. I assume Red told his guards to hold her there. She’s all stoic and determined not to succumb to anything he might do to convince her to give up Tom and Agnes’ location.

Red enters. His eyes linger on the empty crib first.

Then he turns to her. 

“I have nothing for you, Kate. No parables about loyalty, no florid speeches of trust belied, deception, treachery, or false devotion. I’m simply too bereft.”

“It will have to suffice to say, I would name every human being on the planet before you if asked who might betray me.

“I know what you’ve done. I know you helped Tom and Agnes leave the country without my knowledge.”

"Yes....What do you want to know, Raymond? If I’m sorry? Yes. I’m sorry you weren’t more honest with Elizabeth from the beginning. I’m sorry you wanted to know her so desperately that you convinced yourself we could keep her safe. I couldn’t sit back and watch you make the same mistake with Agnes.”

At this point, all Red knows is that Kaplan helped Tom get away with Agnes. Which, if Kirk wasn’t on her tail, I don’t really see how Red could rightfully object to something like that.

Obviously there would still be the thing where Kaplan went behind his back and all that. He’d still have to deal with that, separate from anything else.

But if Tom wants to take his kid and go live on a boat in the Mediterranean, I don’t know what Red could really say. He’d probably still hover on the fringes because he wouldn’t trust Tom to not accidentally get Agnes eaten by a bear or something, but short of doing a dna test to prove he’s related and therefore has some say, I don’t know what argument Red could possibly make.

And even that wouldn’t really give him a claim. Not in place of the immediate parent. Red would have to kill Tom to get those kinds of rights, and he’s already decided not to do that for the sake of Agnes. So.... 

But Kirk is coming. 

Kaplan: I didn’t betray you. I did what I’ve always done, protected you. This time, from yourself.

Red: You’re wrong.

Kaplan making the argument basically that him being in Liz’s life got her killed and she won’t let it happen to Agnes too. For his sake as much as anyone’s. She thinks that he simply can’t see the damage he is doing. So desperate to know Liz, he wouldn’t let go. And she can already see him becoming attached to Agnes. So she has to make him let go.

Odette speaks of Kirk being obsessed with Masha. Kirk claims Red is obsessed with Liz.

A counter obsession forms in Kate, and has formed and will form again in Tom. An obsession with getting Red away from Liz. 

Kaplan: I won’t tell you where they are. Red: You don’t understand, Kate. I know where they are, and so does Alexander Kirk. Kaplan: Kirk? Red: He was tracking Tom. He knows they’re in Cuba. He’s flying there as we speak. Kaplan: No.

Red: I need an address. I know you had her best interests at heart, that you were trying to protect her, but now, because of you, Agnes is in grave danger.

Kaplan: Not just Agnes.

Dude. You think you were bereft before?

I wondered in the past, but yeah. Kaplan had to know Kirk was out there. She was watching Agnes in the safehouse, the safehouse that existed for a reason. I can’t imagine her not knowing what the reason was. Also, she was in the room earlier in the ep while Tom was demanding to be in on the plan to get Kirk. And obviously she and Tom have been talking off camera. 

I assume she picked the time for Tom to run based on when Red would be occupied with killing Kirk. Tom wouldn’t leave until he was sure that Red would take care of that loose end. 

They didn’t count on Mato tracking Tom, Kirk basically leading Red right to Tom and Agnes. 

I guess Kaplan thought she’d stay and face the music, possibly endure tortures or death of some kind, unless she could get Red to see reason and let Tom and Agnes be. 

It occurs to me that she probably thought Kirk was already dead until Red said that Kirk knew where they were. 

Kaplan knows who Kirk is. I’m assuming. She’s not shocked in the plane to hear him called Constantin. At least I don’t remember her being shocked. 

So why is she all worried about it? Why wouldn’t her reaction be, ‘oh, good. her loving father (or stepfather) has returned, let’s let them be, shall we?’

I can’t imagine her admitting Liz was alive if she wasn’t worried about her.

If there’s nothing more to Red and Constantin’s backstory to justify Red’s claims that Liz and Agnes are in danger, then this all feels like much ado about nothing. Unless he’s been lying about danger all along so he can keep Liz close, but I can’t imagine that being a strategy since it’s one that’s kept him away from her for like 25 years. Which would defeat the entire purpose.

Anyhoo...

Tom walks in. Liz is waiting. Everything’s all white and flowy. And I honestly couldn’t even watch this scene when I first saw it, I was so disgusted. Up until the end I had it in my head that Liz and Tom weren’t in on it until after Kaplan had the plan underway. And then I found out they were. And I was mega pissed.

It’s a testament to the fun grief they dragged us all through. They’ve truly done what no other show has managed to do - ruined fake deaths for me forever.

Liz’s reactions are kinda weird to me. She looks at her baby for a fraction of the time. Girl, you haven’t held her since she was born. 

Maybe she’s been in contact with them a lot of the time, idk. 

Red and company fly to Cuba in pursuit. 

“I suppose I knew what I would do that afternoon in the car on the drive to the mobile ICU. That poor girl, so afraid. Always looking over her shoulder, in the dark about who she was and why it mattered. But it wasn’t just about Elizabeth anymore. Her child was already paying the price for her association with you.”

It’s interesting to me that who she is and why it matters are two separate things. Or, obviously connected things, but there are two steps to this process.

I feel like I’ve ranted all I can rant on this topic. lol  The only legitimate beef I can find in anything Red has done is in him not telling Liz stuff. But a lot of that is plot convenience too. They don’t want to reveal Kirk’s connection to Liz until later. They don’t want to reveal the suitcase until later. Etc... The minute Red sits down and tells Liz everything, the show is over. Red’s silence keeps the show going. 

But from Kaplan’s perspective, we later learn that she was against this whole plan in the beginning. In her view, she’s finally being proven right. With the baby, things have come full circle and she doesn’t feel like sitting by and watching another child’s life get destroyed. 

This is why I think they wrote Agnes into the show. For a long time it seemed like it was about redeeming Tom, but it’s pretty clear now it was mostly about this whole plot. They wanted to have Liz fake her death but were unsure of how to get there. The baby was to give Liz motivation to want to get away from Red. And to give Kaplan motivation to cross that line. To take the nanny back in time 30 plus years. And ultimately, give Kaplan motivation to be the next ‘big bad.’

How Kaplan phrases the argument to Liz:

“I know you’re afraid, sweetie. You should be. Agnes will never be safe in Raymond’s world. The question is, how far are you willing to go to protect her?”

Well, when you put it that way... Again, ranted all I can rant. But a tiny bit of a saving grace on Liz’s part is that this is the pitch to her. Of course she’s going to go, ‘I’ll do anything to protect her.’

Red: I saw her die.

Kaplan: You saw what the doctor allowed you to see.

Kaplan explains the details of how they made it happen, and Red’s like, you’re not getting my point here.

Red: I sat over her body… and watched her die.

Kaplan repeats her ‘needed to see’ line and goes into more medical details. Which suggests tone deafness on Kaplan’s part, but I suppose they need to explain to the audience how this happened. 

“Had it really come to that?”

"She loved her daughter that much. Yes, Raymond. It had come to that.”

it really hadn’t, but whatever

Tom goes out for some pastries. While he’s gone Kirk’s guys take Liz. And Mato’s guy is about to grab Agnes. Tom fights the guy, shoots him, but doesn’t kill him. Has him in a chokehold when Mato knocks him out.

Ressler shows up at Cooper’s door.

“A couple hours ago, I had the opportunity to stop Reddington. He was ready to take one life to avenge another, and in the end, I… I was gonna let him do it. I actually wanted him to do it.”

I thought it odd that Ressler would talk about the Reddington thing first rather than blurt out that Liz was alive, but then I realized that Ressler is reeling a bit from almost letting Red kill a man in cold blood for vengeance sake, when there wasn’t even a need for vengeance. He compromised himself for nothing. Because Liz is alive. 

Cooper: Thank God Kirk wasn’t in that car. Ressler: Well, now we know why. Reddington called from the air. Cooper: Let’s hope he gets to Tom and Agnes.

“And Liz.”

“She’s alive.”

A cab takes Red, Dembe, and Kaplan to the villa. It’s night by the time they arrive. They search the place, guns drawn. Everyone’s gone. 

You really feel for Kaplan in this. Surveying the wreckage. The very thing she tried to prevent. The happy home she tried to provide, shattered.

Liz accused Red of not being able to keep her safe after the wedding shootout (which is hilarious since the woman blows up at him any time he tries to put even a mild security measure in place). Kaplan comes in and says she can. She can succeed where Red has failed. 

Didn’t work out so well.

Up until now he’s mostly been hurt. Now he mad.

I wonder what would have happened if they’d gotten there in time. Red would have been much less angry (it’s when Liz and Agnes are gone that he gets super threatening). Liz probably would have made her Kaplan gratitude known. Red might not have shot her.

But they didn’t get there in time. So we had season four.

“Kate.”

“What am I gonna do with you, Kate?”

Liz sits in a chair in a hallway. Asking about her ‘husband and daughter.’ I thought she might have been tied to it, but nope. There are a couple of armed guards though. She’s pretty calm, considering. Seems a little out of it. But that might just be an actor thing.

Kirk steps in.

Kirk: Hello, Masha. I’ve been imagining this moment for the last 25 years.

Liz: Who are you?

Kirk: Alexander Kirk. That wasn’t always so. Once, a long time ago, my name was Constantin Rostov.

“Masha, I’m your father.”

I’m thinking he changed his name after everything. After Kat died. Then built his fortune after the collapse of the Soviet Union as “Alexander Kirk.” Why he changed it, I can’t be sure. Nor can I be sure of how widely known the change was. Red doesn’t tell the task force that he used to be Constantin until after he takes Liz. At least that we see. I’ll have to keep an eye out as I go forward.

Anyway, dun dun duuuunnn.... is what we’re supposed to feel. I was too busy being pissed about Liz and Tom being in on it to feel much else.