#tbl: 1.21

[lansjue]

THE BLOSSOMING LOVE 千朵桃花一世开 dir. Sam Ho, 2025.

[imyourplusone]

It’s Deja Vu all over again

some post 6.2 thoughts....

Haven’t done one of these in the longest time but better out than in right?

-First thanks James Spader you beautiful bastard for bringing Cary Grant into the script convo. As much credit as we give James for his blacklist brilliance it is never enough and I’m sure we don’t know 1/10 of his bts contributions for any given week.

ok the good:

-Welcome back Max! The blacklist should bring back these cast of characters more often please and thank you.

-bomb defusing scene...I’m always happily surprised when Red and Lizzy have these funny moments of banter, bicker, back and forth. Megan and James have great comedic timing together so why is this so rare that I’m always happily surprised by it?

-Was that little smile of Dembe’s when he was watching Red’s antics at the UN really Dembe or Hisham because it could go either way. Hisham has a front row seat to the greatest show in town and I’m very jealous about it.

-the double entendres....look I’m all for a smart Liz and her finally being let in on whatever secret is currently relevant but it’s what she does with the information that’s the issue. However I do love the way both Red and Liz are dropping these subtle and not so subtle impostor hints. JUST KISS YOU TWO! I mean who are they fooling?

I’m a great fan of reinvention.....of becoming your true self even if you have to take on a new identity to achieve it.

Subtle Red, real subtle. You’re not actually trying to tell Liz the thing without actually telling her the thing are you? Well you should’ve talked quicker man cuz she wasn’t listening.

-Red’s total swag at the arrest. Damn son. Red’s motto is “never let ‘em see you sweat” or perhaps “that pretzel cart arrest is a vicious rumor”

The not so good/horrible beyond all reason:

-I’m plotting Jennifers demise as we speak. There will be no satisfaction in her just leaving so...  Her mind games with Liz are diabolical and a great twist would actually be her lying this whole time by manipulating Liz into helping kill Red by way of the state as revenge for Liz shooting Garvey. Whatever just die Jennifer you frumpy grumpy defeated heap.

-So we had Liz betray Red in 1.21, lie about Tom, kick Red out of the delivery room, fake her death and become a general meanie. Do the writer’s need new material at this point or what? Yes, yes they do. I won’t even list the 8463535 reasons Liz shouldn’t have gone there since we ALL know what they are at this point except Liz which is so typical blacklist I just can’t anymore. 

-I’m shocked Shocked to find gambling going on in here! (that’s a casablanca reference keeping with the classic movie theme of the week) Red dropping by unannounced is hardly news and hardly a reason to have him arrested Liz geez. Y’all couldn’t meet at Jennifer’s or has she moved in to leech off you as well as take over your mind? 

-Why is it suddenly clear that Red and by extension the task force actually does good in the world? Liz wake up! You too Coop and Ressler. And look it’s no secret I’m not #teamRessler but that was a shady convo Liz had with him after learning of the arrest. Her disassociation with the truth is concerning at this point.

-The biggest question I have is this...Why is it more important for Liz to be Red’s fake “daughter” and not a functioning parent to her child? This is really a question for the johns because they seriously need to check their misogynistic ageist leanings as well as deal with the pregnancy that they wrote in. Agnes hasn’t been mentioned even tho the danger has passed so I guess Liz just can’t be bothered. Interesting that Red no longer mentions her either like it’s a given that she might actually be better off with Scottie. Grrrrrr

-Realistically this might be the last season and at this point....and I realize we’re only two episodes in and I’m great at jumping to wrong conclusions just like Liz but....this feels like a waste of time/effort. Jennifer is definitely a waste of space and after years of the Red/Liz lack of magic it seems farfetched that it could end well. Of course, this is TBL and ending well is something tptb really don’t do so whatever. 

Bring on those courtroom Alan Shore scenes because that’s all that’s getting me thru Liz’s shenanigans.