The Blacklist Episode 21 titled ‘Susan Hargrave’ aired yesterday on NBC Network and in the process unlocked a new twist to the person behind the failed abduction of Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone). The show saw Famke Janssen, of Hemlock Grove and X-Men, reprise the role of Susan ‘Scottie’ Hargrave, the Woman who was hired to abduct Elizabeth Keen.
Red teamed up with former foes to take down enemy No. 1 this week on #TheBlacklist —we recap: https://t.co/lAIxWfopat pic.twitter.com/XpYITdvHPp
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) May 6, 2016
In The Blacklist’s most recent episode “Susan Hargrave” begins with a tense conversation between Scottie and Samuel Rand, a vice president of an oil and gas company, before being interrupted following an attack on Hargrave’s tactical team. Unsurprisingly, Reddington (James Spader of Boston Legal and Avengers: Age of Ultron ) is behind the attack and his intention is simply to capture the attention of Susan Hargrave.
Meanwhile, back at the FBI quarters, Tom Keen is helping Aram to bug Amanda Bigelow’s laptop. She is the assistant to the man that Susan Hargrave tried to kidnap. Tom Keen eventually manages to get through to her and plugs in a flash drive after meeting her in her house for drinks.
‘The Blacklist’ – Season 3 Episode 21 [PHOTOS] pic.twitter.com/Iz7ic5ceYm
— The Blacklist AUS ?????????? (@theblacklistau1) April 26, 2016
Meanwhile, Red is pursuing his own mission to find out who hired Hargrave. He ends up in the house of Samuel Rand, whose wife helps in spilling the beans thereby revealing the nature of contracts that her husband was working on with Hargrave. He is then able to begin crumbling Susan Hargrave’s businesses by taking her partners off the table. Hargrave is not happy about this, so she decides to take Reddington’s call in order to set up a meeting.
The meeting is scheduled to take place at a secure airport lounge where no kind of weapon can pass through undetected. Incidentally, Hargrave has no intention of having any kind of conversation with Red, but rather, she plans to kill him in order to settle her debt for failing to deliver her business end of things in Elizabeth Keen’s abduction.
It’s time for #BlacklistRevenge . #TheBlacklist starts NOW on @NBC . pic.twitter.com/qLeobEjrw8
— The Blacklist (@NBCBlacklist) May 6, 2016
However, the airport guard she hires for the job fails as he is easily predictable and countered by Reddington’s exquisite planning as Dembe disarms him. So, the tables are turned and the security guard is forced to take the members of Reddington’s tactical team to where he had planned to deliver the incapacitated Red. At this point, it’s not clear whether Hargrave wanted the guard to deliver the dead body of Reddington, or whether she wanted him incapacitated to kill him herself.
Nonetheless, Hargrave and her comrades easily allow the van “carrying Red” into their hideout, and before they know it, they are attacked by Red’s team and killed, with Hargrave the only one allowed to live. Reddington begins to question Hargrave with regard to the person behind Lizzy’s failed abduction. Incidentally, Reddington blames the planned attack and the subsequent exchange of fire during Lizzy’s wedding for her death at childbirth although as discussed in a previous article, Elizabeth Keen could still be alive .
We will never forget. #TheBlacklist pic.twitter.com/DIuimWNsfw
— The Blacklist (@NBCBlacklist) May 2, 2016
In the end, Hargrave reveals the name of the man behind Lizzy’s failed abduction, Alexander Kirk. However, contrary to her expectations, Reddington has no intention of killing her, at least for the time being. So Reddington gives her an offer to partner him in taking down Alexander Kirk, before proceeding to help her mend the flesh wound on her right shoulder. So, who is Alexander Kirk?
Based on The Blacklist’s development so far, it is possible that Hargrave has no idea of who he really is, other than the head of an organization which hired her to abduct Elizabeth Keen. Her only connection to the organization appears to be through Benjamin Stadler an executive at Energy Consortium Group. Stadler was previously interrogated by the FBI for his connection with the organization involved in Liz’s failed abduction, but he denied any involvement and even knowing who Elizabeth Keen was. However, after Aram tapped into Bigelow’s laptop, the FBI was able to listen to Stadler’s conversation with Hargrave.
.NBCBlacklist cast teases new nemesis Halcyon Aegis: https://t.co/RZTk8WmEKe #TheBlacklist pic.twitter.com/5vm0CXxRpI
— Rotten Tomatoes (@rottentomatoes4) May 5, 2016
Alexander Kirk appears set to be revealed before The Blacklist season finale. The series’ next episode is titled “Alexander Kirk (1),” which kickstarts the hunt for the man behind the latest attack on FBI. Its teaser reads, “The FBI task force’s hunt for revenge nears its endgame. As Reddington and the team close in on the mysterious arch-criminal responsible for recent tragic events.”
However, The Blacklist season finale suggests that the situation could be more complicated than meets the eye. The season finale goes by the title “Alexander Kirk: Conclusion (2),” while its teaser points to a potential betrayal. “As Reddington and the task force close in on the person responsible for Liz’s death, a shocking betrayal leaves them racing to save one of their own,” reads the season finale teaser.
This indicates that there could have been an inside source in the whole saga, the person who was tasked with pointing the arch-criminal group to the right direction with regard to Elizabeth Keen’s whereabouts. It is likely that Alexander Kirk is, after all, a government black ops operative.
This won’t be the first time The Blacklist has portrayed government officials in rogue missions and activities. Remember the C.I.A. director? As such, The Blacklist season finale “Alexander Kirk (1)” and “Alexander Kirk: Conclusion (2)” could introduce another operative with ties to the government that is linked to various terror groups. But what we know is that based on the season finale teaser, Alexander Kirk might yet be involved in The Blacklist Season 4.
[Image via NBC Network, Screenshot Cropped And Resized]