It’s beginning to feel like the end with every passing episode.
On The Blacklist Season 10 Episode 7, Wujing employed the talents of The Freelancer to find and establish a connection between Raymond and the Task Force.
Wujing has had two options to prove that Raymond works for The FBI. The first is to find official documents that support the claim, and the second is to find tangible evidence.
It would appear he took Robert’s advice about not attempting to break into a secure FBI site and decided to take the much longer path of gathering evidence.
This will be a time and resource-consuming method, and whether he will stick to it or fall back on his original plan remains to be seen.
The return of the Freelancer didn’t feel as eventful as Dr. Perillos’.
For Perillos, we got to experience her. We got to see her in action and see that through to some extent.
The Freelancer felt a little anti-climatic because every time he would start something, he would either get interrupted or we would see the aftermath in the news.
It would have been more dramatic if we could see the ferry go down or the building collapse. It sounds a bit dark to want to see tragedies happen, but that’s what would have made for good tv.
The only point they got for the freelancer was that he could fight. It was easy to dismiss him as a brains kind of guy, but he also had the brawn. Taking on two FBI agents and holding down was no minor feat.
It’s unclear whether we will get to see the conclusion of the Freelancer because this was unsatisfactory. He needed to meet a gruesome death, even though that would never be enough to pay for his sins.
Like the past few episodes in the season, this episode made it feel like the end was indeed near. And as much as we thought it, Raymond felt it.
It is not lost on him that he has played a huge part in the death of people close to him.
Harlod: I was sorry to hear about Robert Vesco. I know you two were close.
Raymond: Too close, I’m afraid.
The latest was that of Robert, and possibly that was too real for him.
Elizabeth’s death was a great shock but must have felt surreal. She was young and had a lot to live for. Sometimes I think he hopes he will wake up one day and this will all be a terrible nightmare he can’t wait to leave behind.
Robert was one of the last friends his age he had left. He was always sure where he stood with Robert. With him gone, it seemed like death was coming for him next.
And there has been a constant mention of death, from the soulful chats with other characters to the much-used promo by the network.
It feels like death is the only way Raymond can escape this cascading effect.
It is like an unending forking road where one path leads to three more paths. It can feel redundant and overwhelming when the paths always lead to death and destruction.
The only escape is ending it all. Nothing quite does that, like death.
But before he dies… if he dies, Raymond was living.
We would never have seen Raymond spend a few days at a place he hadn’t ensured would be safe a week before his arrival and a week after. His living with that family for the few days he did was out of desperation.
I need to stay in town until I sort this out. That wouldn’t be a pull out, would it? As a possible investor, I’d love a chance to test these sheets.
Raymond
Desperation for a human connection, the one thing he never quite seemed to hold on to. If someone close to him doesn’t die, they either leave or betray him.
With every passing day, he found himself less and less needed. It would have made him feel he had a purpose or meaning if Rogelio had accepted his investment offer.
Rogelio: You don’t understand. I don’t need you to invest.
Raymond: You’re evolving, my friend. You don’t need me anymore.
Even Agnes seemed to be fairing well without him. She had loving parents and a happy life which is all a child could ask for. Secretly, he had been hoping to latch on to her and make her his priority, but as he has learned, she doesn’t need him, and he isn’t good for her.
Elsewhere, Ressler was making a milestone of his own.
I am very proud to say that one of us is celebrating a year sober today. Donald, why don’t you come up here?
Group Leader
Many things have a clear solution for Ressler, but his addiction was the most upsetting thing about his life. It was the one thing that he had no control over, and no amount of will would save him from it.
Being one year sober is not easy. And when he saw another person struggling with what he had been struggling with, it was like a call to him. He loves helping people, and that man clearly needed help.
He was unsure because sobriety is the one thing that he has no control over, but he was willing to take the risk.
While “The Freelancer Pt. 2” didn’t wow with its handling of the blacklister, it dove deeper into what was going on in Raymond’s life and what effect that might have on his future.
It was also hilarious with Herbie having visited the Post Office. Who knew the guy was funny even without using his daughter’s gimmick?
There was a vibe between him and Siya, even from earlier episodes. Did you notice it?
We would love to hear your thoughts about the episode, so don’t hesitate to comment.
You can watch The Blacklist online via TV Fanatic to catch up on what you may have missed.
Denis Kimathi is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. He has watched more dramas and comedies than he cares to remember. Catch him on social media obsessing over [excellent] past, current, and upcoming shows or going off about the politics of representation on TV. Follow him on Twitter.