The Blacklist Review: 2×12 “The Kenyon Family”

A few times a year The Blacklist is going to freak us out. Chills and mysteries highlight another solid episode that move the season’s story along—but shocks the hell out of us along the way.

The Blacklist — We don’t know about anyone else, but we’re starting to think this crew should just avoid cases that end up in the woods. The Kenyon Family (Blacklister No. 71) amped up the eerie side of this show from the first moments. A self-professed cult in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee, the Kenyons, and in particular their vocal leader Justin Kenyon (Stephen Bogardus), are much more than they first appear. When Justin’s sermon and eventual marriage to a minor is interrupted by someone unknown, a chain of events is set in motion that has much bigger repercussions. The Kenyons aren’t just a cult, they make their money storing weapons and valuables for some of the world’s most dangerous criminals. When Red (James Spader) alerts the team to this fact and the compound can’t be reached, it would seem the Kenyons have finally met an enemy they didn’t see coming. After a raid of the compound reveals that Justin is missing, every adult is dead and all the ordinance is missing, things spin into high gear when the missing explosives start showing up in the form of child suicide bombings. Meanwhile, Red again elicits the help of Glen Carter (Clark Middleton) at the DMV to find something no one else can seem to locate—Fitch’s (Alan Alda) safe in St. Petersburg—and Assistant Director Cooper (Harry Lennix) faces a difficult road ahead with the diagnosis of a possible terminal disease.

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While Glen tricks Red into taking him to St. Petersburg, Agents Liz Keen (Megan Boone), Donald Ressler (Diego Klattenhoff), Aram Mojtabai (Amir Arison) and Samar Navabi (Mozhan Marnò) all work to stop future bombings and get to the bottom of the Kenyon family massacre. As Samar bravely thwarts one bombing attempt, Liz and Donald find themselves under attack while still inside the Kenyon compound by The Watchers, a feral group of wild young men Justin himself set lose to keep the compound’s three wives to each man ratio intact. Assuming the wild boys had died, Justin’s sin has apparently come home to roost as it becomes clear that The Watchers are not only responsible for the compound deaths, but the bombings as well. Having retrieved a phone number from the safe in St. Petersburg, Red is thrust into action when Liz and Ressler are captured by The Watchers. Using the access codes of stolen Hellfire Missiles now in the hands of David Kenyon (Eric Nelsen), the leader of The Watchers, the Task Force rescues Liz and Ressler, but not before David kills his father Justin and is killed himself by one of his own. As the dust settles, it becomes clear that something of great value to Red was hidden on the Kenyon compound and when he retrieves a single silver briefcase from a hidden storage unit under the Kenyon’s church and then dials the number from Fitch’s safe, we’re left with nothing but mysteries to unravel in this week’s episode of The Blacklist!

The wild boys of Ken’Yon brought the creepy, but it was the character moments for our cast and our larger story that made them work.

If there’s one thing The Blacklist has established on a number of occasions, it would be that this show isn’t at all afraid to walk a path toward dark and creepy places. To say The Kenyon Family is dysfunctional would be akin to saying there are some gaps in outer space. It’s an understatement of universal proportions.

We’ll have to hand it to the writing team, and Writers David Knauf and Vincent Angell in particular, for pure creep factor alone. We’re not sure what was more disturbing, the wedding of Kenyon to a small girl, the murder of everyone on the compound, the use of small boys as deadly suicide bombers or the abandonment of the feral wild boys in the forest. This entire episode was a virtual grab bag of bad juju. Nothing you get was going to be warm and fuzzy. It would seem that dear old Ken’Yon hadn’t thought his plans through much past his multiple wedding days and his past caught up with him.

As much could be expected from Knauf, who apparently will be the go-to writer for supplying us with sleepless nights after bringing us the campfire boys from The Mombasa Cartel and now his collaboration to the horrific image of Ken’Yon and his fatal encounter with campfire fuel from the tree of death. If this trend continues we’re going to start to shiver at the thought of what inventive dead body we’ll see that night when we see his writing credit. The same can be said of Director David Platt who orchestrated the same two episodes. This group is going to earn the reputation as the creepy team if this continues.

We’ll also have to give it up to Samar and Liz for stepping up and showing that on The Blacklist at least, the women have an inner fortitude that most of the men seem to be missing. We don’t know if that’s intentional, but both approached vans with explosives and lived to tell the tale after the two Alabama State Troopers weren’t so fortunate. Not that we’re blasting the men, if it were us, we’d stay as far away as we could from crazy looking Ken’Yon kids that might have stepped straight out of a Mad Max film to detonate hundreds of pounds of high explosives. But the ladies of this show aren’t wired that way. Samar in particular showed tremendous courage talking young Finn (Gaten Matarazzo) out of the van on the bridge and we enjoyed getting to see this brave and compassionate character development moment from Mozhan Marnò.

“Hi. I’m Samar. What’s your name?” ~ Samar

[Finn shakes his head no]

“Do you know what that does?” ~ Samar

[Finn shakes his head yes]

“You planned on killing a lot of people today. Was that your mission? It’s not going to happen. Do you see? They’re all too far away. There’s no point now. It’s just the two of us out here. If you push that button only two of us are going to die. Do you understand? Just you and me, and I don’t want to die today. Do you? Come on out.” ~ Samar

We’ve only seen glimpses of emotion from Samar throughout the season, but this moment seemed to be rooted deep within her character’s psyche. As a Mossad Agent, she comes from a country where violence is prevalent from a very early age and their enemies show the same level of fanaticism from childhood as young Finn in the van. It was a powerful moment made all the more real by an incredibly chilling performance by young Gaten Matarazzo who continued to give us the heebee-jeebees back at the Post Office muttering repeated phrases until his mother snaps him out of it.

If anything, the Kenyon Family was a deceptive end-around tie to a larger plot with their connections to the criminal underworld as the keepers of deadly toys for the world’s worst criminals. Though few specific images of the Kenyons will stand out, save young Finn and later Justin’s eventual fate at the hands of his son David, the story hidden behind them was a clever connection to Red’s larger plans. Something on the Kenyon compound was worth all this trouble to get to and we’ll have to wait to find out who’s car was under the church and what exactly is in the silver case Red retrieved.

There are no pills for dyslexia, but then that is just like Glen, most of his enigmatic excuses are of the phantom variety.

Glen (Clark Middleton) is quite like the invaluable penicillin shot you have to have to recover from something you didn’t want in the first place. You’re stuck with him, and stuck with the situation, which makes him both a life-saver and a royal pain in the ass. He must be extraordinarily good at what he does—with the exception of reading apartment numbers—or we are pretty certain Red would have simply shot him long ago, if for nothing else than to eliminate the aggravation.

Seeing these two spar was certainly a lighter note we needed to keep the entire episode from oppressing us into oblivion. We weren’t huge fans of the character the first time he appeared, but he’s growing on us. That’s not a reflection of the good performance by Clark Middleton, we simply don’t see many characters that Red would placate to in this manner which makes the yin-yang relationship between these two seem out of place. Let’s face it, even Glen’s excuses have excuses. When in St. Petersburg, searching the apartment for Fitch’s safe, the conversation comes awkwardly to a head.

“What the hell is this? The title to apartment 221. Apology accepted.” ~ Glen

“What? We’re in apartment 212.” ~ Red

“You don’t know the cross that I bear, the things I’ve had to overcome–my dyslexia.” ~ Glen

“You’re not dyslexic.” ~ Red

“Oh, really, doctor? Is that your professional opinion? Forgot to pack my medication. I was shocked when you told me I could come along. It threw me. I left my dyslexia pills on the counter.” ~ Glen

“There are no pills for dyslexia.” ~ Red

Awkward moment Glen. The banter between Middleton and Spader was a priceless distraction from the larger objectives Red was focused upon. Finding Fitch’s safe and what was inside was the primary storyline, but we were cleverly distracted enough by the way it was discovered that seeing the phone number retrieved from the safe felt almost like a side moment instead of the huge discovery it was. Glen’s banter made that moment feel a little less like the gravity is should have had when we last saw Fitch. We’d have like to see a bit more homage paid to man who died giving Red this information, but that may yet come after Red’s final phone call to the unknown person on the other end of the mysterious phone number.

There are characters that are tarnishing from under use on this show, but we did finally get to see emotional growth from Cooper.

While we did get some interaction from Liz and her denial of Red fueled the fire smoldering between them, we didn’t much from other characters in this show in the way we’d like with the exception of Harold. With an ensemble cast, obviously everyone can’t take center stage in ever episode, but it certainly seems that other than small moments, Ressler and Aram have been pushed to the background. We didn’t see much additional development for either in this episode and while they are always there, it’s simply to serve the larger story for someone else.

Ressler in particular simply feels under used in this show and has been for some time. With such powerful story lines early in the first season we’d have expected him to take a bigger role in Liz’s life. Instead of becoming her emotional support, he’s simply there. That may indeed change in the future, but after the story lines with his ex and Liz turning to him for support he’s largely disappeared as a character with the exception of getting captured nearly every week for Liz to save. Diego Klattenhoff is capable of powerful performances. We’ve seen them and that makes us miss them when they aren’t around.

Cooper on the other hand, finally did get his moment and we get a bit more information building around what is now obviously a terminal illness. Harry Lennix lured is in quite well during the scenes with his wife, his doctor on the phone and in sharing a drink at the end with Tom (Reed Birney) who gets him into the clinical trial he desperately needs. He’s facing the prospect of a dismal future with the pride and stand-tall attitude of someone who is trying to make the best of things moving forward, no matter what. Lennix has always been one of our favorite actors and we’ve enjoyed seeing Cooper’s fiery side this season, but he was at his best in the softer and more emotional moments of this episode.

“Wait. Am I taking another patient’s spot? Because I couldn’t accept that. That wouldn’t be right.” ~ Harold

“Righteous to the end. Relax. It was going to be 35 patients, and now it’ll be 36.” ~ Tom

“Thank you, Tom.” ~ Harold

“There are good ships and there are wood ships. The ships that sail the sea.” ~ Tom

“But the best ships are friendships.” ~ Harold

“And may they always be.” ~ Tom

Harold is at his heart a good man it would seem. We know he’s got some skeletons in his closet. Almost everyone on this show does, but his emotional portrayal of a fiery leader and the softer side of a human being going through the worst someone must endure are a welcome sight and we’re enjoying Harry Lennix delivering those moments when given the chance this season.

FINAL VERDICT: Where The Blacklist has stumbled a bit early in the season with transitional episodes, The Kenyon Family delivered a solid, if not disturbing, entry this week. We advocate staying out of the woods.

In some ways this episode felt a bit like a filler between larger story arcs, but unlike some of the less than stellar episodes earlier in the season this one did a much better job of standing on its own. Good writing throughout by David Knauf and Vincent Angell pulled together a bizarre and disturbing Blacklister in the Kenyon family, and moved the larger plot along much more so than earlier episodes this season that focused on stories other than the larger arc. This episode overall, was well constructed from it’s writing and brought together well by Director David Platt.

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All in all, this episode felt a little like an episode of the X-Files, which is a compliment. The subplots and side narratives were well though out and all those things came full circle to highlight elements of both cruelty, horror and humor with a good mix. The larger season story was served well by the crafty weaving in of a Blacklister that Red knew from the beginning contained something he needed. We’d expect that just like season one, most of the Blacklisters will eventually form a much larger story that will become clearer as the season comes to a close. As of now, we’re still gathering pieces, but being entertained along the way.

We’d love to see more from Diego Klattenhoff and Amir Arison. Both have had their moments this season, but have been relegated to the background in most cases. This episode was no exception. Ressler in particular needs more moments where he appears to be the capable agent he is and not the helpless partner in distress. He seriously needs to stop getting captured.

We know that Liz is very much this show’s protagonist, but Klattenhoff is capable of so much more than simply being captured and rescued nearly every week. The same goes for Aram. His character is a gem that’s simply becoming tarnished from lack of use. Yes, he keeps each week’s story moving with valuable information that no one else can provide, but Arison too is capable of so much more. We’d love to see him grow a bit in his role as he did in select episodes of season one and also to dive deeper into more personal moments—especially those with Samar. We haven’t yet figured out the relationship between those two and the audience is dying to know.

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All in all, this was a solid entry for The Blacklist. It’s neither one that will stand out as the season’s best nor as the season’s worst, but as a transitional story between larger plot moments for Red and Liz’s larger arc, this episode did a good job of creating its own world without loosing sight of the bigger picture save one glaring omission. As well as this show did in setting up the problems for Liz at home last week, how is it that this episode ignored that plot line entirely? This was certainly a good hour of television. Disturbing as it was in moments, it was also entertaining on its own. We’ve been critical this season of episodes that just didn’t feel cohesive, but this one certainly did. But Liz has real demons surfacing from her efforts to hold Tom (Ryan Eggold) and that was completely ignored this week which felt a bit strange.

We’ll have to wait until next week and beyond to find more about Liz’s plight and to see just what Red is really up to with that case. Along the way, we do hope there are expanded moments for characters that need more substance for us to remain invested in them. We did finally get a glimpse into the medical troubles hinted at for Cooper and Lennix delivered a fine performance that is emotionally consistent with who Harold is in our minds. Stoic, but still emotional in his own way. In the mean time, let the speculation begin on who was at the another end of the phone and just what was in the case Red retrieved. We have no idea what either answer will be, but we’ll be watching The Blacklist next week in hopes that more clues will be revealed!

Questions, Comments, Concerns and My Reaction on Twitter…

• “His books are clean.” “So are mine.” Point for Red, Liz.
• “This makes a number of very dangerous people very, very nervous.” That’s a couple of verys away from Armageddon.
• “Ernie’s shrimp platter! Do you even SEE the irony in that?” I’m watching the scene. I see it. #Saucy #SorryNotSorry
• “Fitch!” *Glen smirks* Glen must be uncannily talented or I think Red would just shoot him to end the frustration.
• “This could all go south fast.” Was that a sideways pun or a backhanded insult? #ICantYell #CultProblems
• “Hold your fire!” Vans don’t listen. It’s raining puns in this ep so far. #TheBlacklist
• Enough ordinance to level a small country or small city? Ressler & Cooper need to get their analogies in sync.
• “Can I be honest with you?” “I doubt it.” Glen is like penicillin shot. A life-saver when you need him, but a pain in the ass.
• As a Tennessee resident, this episode is unsettling on more psychological levels than I care to admit. O.O
• “You take one step onto Kenyon’s property, he’ll put a bullet in you, badge or no badge.” And then everyone goes thru the fence.
• “He’s just a kid.” Okay. It’s official. Samar has a bigger set than any of the rest of the Task Force. #JustSayin
• Looks like that service ended with Nothing but the Blood. #TooSoon?
• And all the children are gone? There’s something sick, twisted & weird going on here. Oh, that’s right, I’m watching #TheBlacklist
• “I thought she was pregnant!” 13 hours confined with Glen is apparently a nightmare. 12 minus his shoes—even worse.
• “We’re in apartment 212.” Hahahah!!! Dyslexic much Glen??
• Oh shit! He says he IS dyslexic! 😛
• “The watchers. It’s a secret.” This is getting creepier by the minute.
• Why do the drivers of vehicles shot in TV shows always speed up so that they hit the trees harder?
• “A rising tide raises all boats.” ‘Cept the ones with deadly holes in them.
• My daddy says all the people who work for the FBI are gonna burn in a lake of fire. Ressler: *I picked a fine time to get sober.*
• “The only cure for corruption is disruption.” I’m deeply disrupted right now.
• Right now, Ressler is thinking: Next assignment I get that puts me in the woods with crazy people. I’m just saying no. o.O
• This is a blind banjoist short of being completely f**ked up.
• Small accounting problem huh. Ruth, does not seem enamored by the “new math” ..
• What kind of sick bastard writes a country music song that can send chills up your spine when you find an abandoned truck?
• “We’re all gonna get married. As prescribed by Ken’Yon.” I’m so not going to be able to sleep after this. o.O
• That’s not looking like the “Tree of Life” there Ken’Yon. (Okay, that was disturbing even for this show). O.O
• “He never wanted you.” Um, Liz, don’t give the guy with 300lbs of explosives no hope. #BadJuJu
• “All I saw was—possibilities. And a gorgeous housekeeper named Putu.” That was going somewhere til you Putu’d yourself Red.
• Somewhere, beyond the sea…Son of a bitch. Now they’re ruining all my X-Files warm fuzzies too. Oh wait— “Home” did that.
• ..good ships & there are wood ships. Ships that sail the sea—but friendships are the best ships. Next is woodchucks chucking—
• “Who the hell is this?” ~ Red. Annnnnddd we have to wait until next week for that answer.