'The Blacklist' Primer: 5 Things You Need to Know Before Sunday's Premiere
"The Blacklist" is premiering in NBC's coveted post-Superbowl slot this Sunday, and we're kicking things off (note the football reference) with a roundup of everything you need to know going into the show's premiere.
It's no secret that "The Blacklist" can be just as confusing as it is addictive, and the mid-season finale set a few important events in motion that are definitely worth catching up on. If you're in need of a "Blacklist" refresher before Sunday night's big premiere, we've got you covered with 5 things to remember going into the episode. And feel free to keep this list handy for when you inevitably need a break from yelling at your TV screen about Deflate Gate.
1. Alan Fitch Is Dead...Which Means Red Is Vulnerable
Alan Fitch had a bomb strapped to his neck during "The Blacklist's" mid-season finale, and unfortunately Red was unable to disarm it. So, yes, his head exploded. This is a huge problem because Fitch happened to protect Red from a mysterious group of power players, and Red will only continue to have leverage over them if he proves that he's in possession of "the fulcrum." Fitch also requested that Red visit his safe in Saint Petersburg, so expect The Blacklist to be making a road trip to Russia sometime soon.
2. Red and Tom Are Working Together
In what has to be the most alarming reveal in Blacklist history, Tom and Red are secretly in cahoots. These unlikely allies were shown meeting up in the last moments of the finale, wherein Red handed Tom an envelope of what appeared to be money and told him never to contact Lizzy again. Tom also reminded Red that "I never told her about us, not one word," which means they've been in each other's orbit for who knows how long.
3. Lizzy Still Loves Tom
Tom might not be allowed to see Lizzy anymore (per Red's instructions), but that doesn't mean she'll stop loving him. Lizzy confided in Red during the mid-season finale and told him that her feelings for Tom prevented her from killing him –– which is definitely bad news for Agent Ressler, who's clearly infatuated with Lizzy. Will this love triangle develop further now that we've hit the back half of season two? With Tom ostensibly out of the picture, it's unclear.
4. The Task Force Is Suspicious
Lizzy and Ressler are the only ones who know that Tom is the informant who led them to Fitch, which means they're both lying to their superior. No one's said anything out loud, but the abundance of side-long glances implies that suspicions are growing about how Lizzy spends her time, not to mention what kind of secrets she might be keeping from the group.
5. We Still Don't Know If Red Is Lizzy's Father
If you're fuzzy on the details of Red and Lizzy's relationship status, know this: it's complicated. As of the mid-season finale, we still don't know for sure if Red is Lizzy's father, but their relationship is more paternal than ever. In fact, Lizzy closed out the episode by crying on Red's shoulder while he comforted her. If Red isn't Lizzy's long lost dad, there better be one seriously good explanation as to why he's so single-mindedly obsessed with her.
Tune into "The Blacklist" special Super Bowl episode Sunday, February 1 on NBC.