The Blacklist Review: 2×16 “Tom Keen”

We’re tough on television shows, but that also means when we say they are spectacular—that’s because we 100% believe it. The Blacklist just delivered a near perfect hour of television. Mic-drop. Out.

The Blacklist — As the legal noose tightens around Liz (Megan Boone), Red (James Spader) approaches the Task Force to go after the one person that can clear her name, Tom Keen (Ryan Eggold, Blacklister No. 7). When Red, Dembe (Hisham Tawfiq) and Ressler (Diego Klattenhoff) interrupt an arms deal Tom brokered for his mark in Germany, things go south and amidst the gunfire, Tom escapes. In a heated conversation between Red and Tom via phone, Red urges Tom to turn himself in and do the right thing. Tom, however has other plans. Meanwhile, an incensed Cooper (Harry Lennix) confronts Liz with his disappointment for her behavior only to let the frustration of the moment lapse him into a seizure. With Cooper in the hospital, his wife Charlene (Valarie Pettiford) lets Liz in on the secret of his brain tumor and the hope they’ve had for the experimental program’s success to save his life. When court reenters session, Judge Denner (John Finn), and everyone else, is shocked to see Tom Keen enter the courtroom, alive and well, to confess to the murder of Lt. Ames (Franklin Ojeda Smith).

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Shocked at the turn of events, Judge Denner interviews Tom in chambers, but despite Tom’s insistence that Liz is innocent, Denner plans to move ahead with charges of perjury and numerous other crimes. That is until Tom Connelly (Reed Birney) arrives on behalf of the U.S. Attorney General and summarily puts Denner in his place. With the weight of the U.S.A.G. coming down on him, Denner reluctantly quashes the subpoena much to the ire of Detective Wilcox (Michael Kostroff) who reminds Liz that he’s got to inform Lt. Ames wife and daughter that they will receive no justice. Meanwhile, Cooper, having only had a minor setback, goes back to work, but not before a heartfelt apology from Liz and his expressing to her that he simply doesn’t want the good person she is to get lost in all they do. But Liz is already thinking ahead as she’s arranged for a large sum of money to be anonymously donated to Lt. Ames daughter. As Liz sits contemplates all she’s been through, Red joins her and what may ultimately prove to be an eerily prophetic plea, reminds her that nothing she does for the young Ames will erase what Liz took from the girl. Red seems to speak from experience—perhaps even his efforts to protect Liz. Before Liz can say much in return, Tom, who was set free to keep the Task Force secret, calls to see if she is okay. Her stunned silence is exactly how we all felt after all the things we need to discuss from this week’s episode of The Blacklist!

If there was any doubt Ryan Eggold could equal James Spader line for line, this episode should put that all to rest.

We’ll just come right out and say it now. Ryan Eggold is a rare talent and we’re extraordinarily lucky to have him to play such a complex, nuanced and pivotal character on The Blacklist. We know great writing and scripts help make performances possible, but Eggold absolutely crushed it in this episode. Tom Keen as a Blacklister, lived up to the near impossible hype and then some.

Eggold’s masterful work wasn’t lost on anyone watching. Those of us that have seen meek and gentle Tom’s transformational genius morph him into someone capable of such brutality are left in awe. He’s been a key player in this series from the beginning and we’re just hoping that we get more of Tom from here on out. Eggold, and Tom, deserve a critical role in how things unfold for the rest of this season and for the rest of the series.

It must be both intimidating and a thrill to be put in scenes opposite of James Spader. His exceptional talent is one that pushes everyone to be better, either by things he does on film or simply sitting opposite of him. We kinda like Spader (not that you would notice from our reviews). But Eggold didn’t just hold his own. He did something rare—he equaled Spader’s performance in every scene the two shared.

“You are using her. You have been using her from the very beginning. You need her on the outside so you can keep your little task force up and running.” ~ Tom

“I’m glad we had this talk. I know you’ll do the right thing.” ~ Red

“Listen to me. I am gone. Lizzy did this to herself the second she threw me in that hole. I am not going down. Not for her. And sure as hell not for you.” ~ Tom

If there was any doubt that Tom and Red both cared for Liz more deeply than they’d let on, it played out in their eyes and expressions during this phone exchange. The words said one thing, but the eyes don’t lie when the acting is exceptional. And in this case it was downright extraordinary. Both men have an affection for Liz that they seem loathe to admit, but actions speak louder than words on almost every occasion.

Tom’s about face and entry into the courtroom to confess the murder of Lt. Ames was a stunner. We didn’t see it coming and neither did anyone in the courtroom. Was there any doubt that Liz and Tom don’t still harbor some feelings for each other in those short glances between them?

As if that wasn’t enough to convince us Eggold’s performance was top-notch, his emotional pleading with little more than sparse words and his eyes sealed it in the Judge’s chambers as he pleaded for Liz to be left out of all proceedings.

Crafty camerawork by Director of Photography, Michael Caracciolo brought Tom’s eyes front and center with tight shots that highlighted his every small nuanced emotion. That’s a bright spotlight under which to work and Eggold absolutely sold us with his eyes that he cared far more than he was willing to say. That’s exceptional work. Well played Ryan Eggold.

Emotional, heart-felt and real performances from Megan Boone and Harry Lennix grounded an episode that hit us in the feels again and again.

We’ll admit that we didn’t know who Megan Boone was before The Blacklist started. We’d have to say that if everyone was honest, most would tell the same tale. But after a season and a half of The Blacklist under her belt, one thing is abundantly clear. This show hit a monumental home run in casting her in this role.

To say that Liz was in a pickle would be a huge understatement. But to see her go through the range of emotions from this episode was astounding character development and a credit to Boone for making us feel it. A guarded Liz falls way to a much more frightened version as things begin to unravel and look even more bleak for her chances to stay out of prison.

As she and Red contemplated him going after Tom, she certainly seemed rattled. But that simply paled in comparison to her work as the episode progressed. We all have people we look up to and admire. For Liz, one of those people is Deputy Director Harold Cooper. We don’t blame you Liz. He’s tough as they come, but has a chivalry that’s rare. Harry Lennix has made Cooper into someone we all respect and that made his disappointment in Liz and eventual collapse during their argument all the more powerful.

As hard as that scene was to watch, seeing Valarie Pettiford as his wife, Charlene Cooper opposite Boone in the waiting room of the hospital was enough to grind our hearts into little pieces. Pettiford deserves amazing props for her tearful confession to Liz and Boone’s equally gut-wrenching reaction to learn that someone she admired so much was fighting for his life was tension that could be cut with a knife. The guilt in that scene would have sunk the Phoenix if Liz had carried it on board with her during her interrogation of Tom.

We loved seeing a fiery Cooper, but there was something humbling about seeing a very vulnerable one sitting in his hospital as Liz tried feebly to apologize to him for creating a pressure-cooker situation that put his health in jeopardy.

“I told you I wouldn’t put you in the position where you had to lie for me, and I did, and I am ashamed of that.” ~ LIz

“I know you believe you were acting in the interests of the task force.” ~ Cooper

“Doesn’t justify it. I wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for you. I mean, I certainly couldn’t have survived the last year and a half without you. You’re the only person in the world I completely trust. And to hear you say that you don’t even recognize me-“ ~ Liz

“I’m not upset at you for changing. After what you’ve been pulled into, I-it would be impossible for you not to. I’m just I’m upset because I don’t want to see the person that I first met, that good person-I don’t want to see her get lost in all of it.” ~ Cooper

If there was a dry eye in all the homes watching this scene, they need to check their pulse. That was amazing work by two actors that treat the craft with such reverence and respect you can’t help but love them for it. Cooper hasn’t been involved nearly as much as we’d like this season, but his work in the last few weeks has been exemplary. Boone equaled it. She’s had her moments in this series where we weren’t sure of her emotions, but in this episode, she laid out some of the finest work she’s done.

The first 10 minutes of this episode was some of the best work we’ve seen on this show and it only got better as things drew to a close.

The exchange between Cooper and Liz was probably the most emotional two-way conversation in an entire episode that was absolutely full of moments that tugged at the heart-strings. But that moment was highlighted by three emphatic exclamation points that helped tip this episode from great to near perfect. Two by Reed Birney as Tom Connolly and the final exchange between Liz and Red.

Tom Connolly has played the part of the sleazy government liaison so well this season that we’ve decide we wouldn’t trust him any farther than we could throw him. But that made him the perfect person to put Judge Denner in his place. We lamented all the things we felt were wrong with Denner’s power trip of a moment through the last episode and though we rarely root for Connolly, we certainly did as he pushed Denner right over the edge. Blacklist fans everywhere were likely fist-pumping as Denner stood stunned.

Connolly’s later chat with Cooper helped bring this episode full circle. The idea that these two old friends are so remarkably different made that moment all the more enjoyable. Now that Tom is briefed on all things about the Task Force, Cooper likely has another ally in a high place. That is until Connolly needs something else underhanded done on his behalf. We know that ask is coming. After all, he freely admits with the smile of a newborn that he has no principles to lose. In a show about spies and lies—we have no doubt that’s unequivocally the truth.

So many great things happened in this episode that writing a review seemed a daunting task. How do you do greatness justice? We had to leave out so much from this review just because there’s not room. Not a moment was wasted in the entire episode. Even the small moments between the rest of the cast were all memorable and don’t even get us started on how much we’d like to see a Ressler and Dembe spin-off later. Those two kicked some tail in this episode and we were howling in approval.

After almost 40 minutes of television that had us picking our jaws up from the floor more than once, we didn’t think it could get better. But we really should learn not to underestimate this writing team and James Spader. He’s truly a master at his craft and we’re just lucky to get to watch. In his final moments with Liz, sitting high above Lt. Ames daughter, of whom Liz is now a silent benefactor, we got a glimpse into perhaps some of what Red has felt toward Liz all this time and maybe—just maybe—some of the reasons why he’s done all he had to do. As the soulful, melancholy lyrics of “Always Gold” by Radical Face set the tone, Spader once again delivered an unforgettable, emotional moment.

“You can watch her or have her watched keep her safe try to ascertain her hopes, dreams, desires. Pull strings, call in favors to discreetly smooth the path.

And for the first few years, it may work. You’ll draw some measure of virtue from being her invisible benefactor.But that won’t last. It’s all a fraud.

That it’s really not about her at all. That it’s all about you.

And you’re just going through the motions to salve your own guilt.” ~ Red

Anyone that didn’t wonder if Red were really speaking of himself watching over Liz all these years has missed what this series has been about from the beginning. How much of it was real and how much was him skirting around a truth we’ll likely not know in full until this series ends we don’t know. What we do know is that Spader’s emotional delivery showed us that Red cares deeply for Liz.

How so and to what end, we don’t know. Tom obviously thinks Red is simply using her. And perhaps he is, but that doesn’t exclude him from caring as well. Does he harbor guilt? He’s shown that he has. And through a season and a half we’ve always suspected it was more. How much, we may never know in full, but while it plays out, we’re just going to enjoy the ride with this cast, team of writers and group of producers that have brought us an exceptional show in The Blacklist.

FINAL VERDICT: Not one word or second wasted. Every moment moved us, hit us emotionally, moved the plot forward or thrilled us. That’s rarified air for any television show, but this episode achieved it.

Those that love television with a passion, and we at TVAfterDark fall squarely in that category, spend an enormous amount of our time picking through the small nits of each episode trying to rationalize why this or that didn’t work or reveling in the moments that moved us deeply. But sometimes, talent, hard work, impeccable timing, prefect circumstance and a little luck all converge to bring us that rare 43 minutes of near perfection that strikes a chord in complete harmony with all our expectations of what we hope television to be.

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On its own, Tom Keen could be judged as a great hour of television for how well it was constructed and the outstanding combination of writing and performances that brought it together. Someone watching The Blacklist for the first time might even be compelled to watch the rest of the series based on this episode alone. But it would be unfair to judge Tom Keen just by itself because for the loyal fans that have watched The Blacklist from the beginning, it was far more than one hour of television. Every moment, every emotion, every look and every word was enhanced by all we know about this show up to now. And through that lens, Tom Keen may very well the finest episode of this series to date.

We’ll be the first to admit, that we’ve busted the chops of Executive Producers Jon Bokenkamp and John Eisendrath for what we feel has been an up and down season. When The Blacklist is good, it’s right up there with some of the best shows on television. When it’s not, it feels like we’ve been cheated out of something. But we’ve come to expect something fantastic from The Blacklist every week and always feel like we’ve been let down if it doesn’t happen. Take that as both a compliment and criticism Jon and John. You’ve created something special and you’ve set the bar high for what fans expect. But in an episode, where there wasn’t a wasted moment, a needless word or an out-of-place emotional peak, you’ve pushed your own bar even higher.

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When things don’t work we’ll call you on it. That level of honesty is the only way we know how to react. And hopefully, that means when we see something as exceptional as Tom Keen grace our screens for an hour, you’ll know we are being just as honest when we say it may have been the best hour you’ve produced yet. In a collaborative effort with a story by J. R. Orci, Lukas Reiter, Jon Bokenkamp and John Eisendrath, we get the distinct impression a lot of this episode has been planned by the entire writer’s room for some time. That said, all the planned moments of this story were stunningly good and the teleplay of this episode was jaw-dropping fantastic. Lukas Reiter and J. R. Orci deserve all the praise that will likely get for such a fantastic hour of emotional moments, great twists and one liners.

And while we’re at it, we’ll just go ahead and ask that Andrew McCarthy be brought back to direct as often as he is able and willing. We loved his previous two episodes and this one tops them all. All this praise isn’t a knock on all the other writers and directors that have put so much into The Blacklist in nearly two years. After all, the power of this episode was made possible by many of the story lines coming together and all that work was needed to make this payoff exceptional. But those that had a direct hand in building this episode, from the big picture down to the smallest detail, deserve the tip of our Fedora for their efforts. It was simply that good and we can’t wait to see what’s next for The Blacklist.

Questions, Comments, Concerns and My Reaction on Twitter…

• DAMN! German #TomKeen is a wicked dude!! #MeanerThanHusbandTomKeen
• I was going to say…extremely romantic. HA! @mozhanistan
• You look and feel and smell like cop. @DKlattenhoff #ThingsRedSays
• The holiest man I’ve ever seen. #ThingsRedSays
• Push-ups and sit-ups for the ladies watching tonight Christof?
• Those F2000s are the most badass women’s dresses I’ve ever seen.
• Ooohhh. I like fiery Harry. But not falling Harry. At all.
• Wow. Red wasn’t kidding. That IS the holiest man I’ve ever seen too.
• I bet this is going to be a very odd reunion. Not who you were expecting Christof?
• Ressler sitting in the back with the eye cut..I’m just chillin with my man Red.. #Surprise
• Perhaps my reputation proceeds me. It does Red.
• See..that’s why we got the insurance! #ThingsRedSays
• Is it just me or was it totally badass watching Red, Ressler & Dembe rip thru bad guys?
• That job means everything to him. Oh the guilt piling up here.
• I wanted to make him laugh. It was the thought that counts.
• I guess you should bring him in. Woah.. Did we see that coming?? NO we did NOT. @.@
• Apparently Aram thought I died. #ThingsThatHarold says that crack me up! That made me smile
• You’re in love with her. Oh boy.
• Well that was a little tense. #SmilingTommyConnolly
• Rather small fish in a very deep and dark pool. Much more than you know.
• I never met him. Wait .. what??
• I never had any principles. That’s why I’m on a rocket to the top. In an ep of lies, this—I believe.
• It’s all about you. And you’re just going through the motions to counter your guilt. Holy frak..
• Wow. Is everyone okay after that episode of #TheBlacklist? #TomKeen may be at the top of my episodes list right now. Wow.
• Okay @JonBokenkamp @johneisendrath. I busted your chops for last week being “odd” but you hit a titanic home run tonight!
• After tonight, I’m convinced I’d be thoroughly entertained by a Dembe/Ressler spin-off. #BadBoys