After a few disappointing successive episodes, The Blacklist Season 10 Episode 17 broke away from that format and delivered an hour worth of The Blacklist name.
Raymond offered a case that was a significant upgrade from the one the Task Force had previously worked on.
Elsewhere, Arthur Hudson used his cunning to find the scarce information about the Task Force, and with solid skills of bluffing and making great inferences from observations, he hit the nail on the head.
The Task Force had needed a win many episodes ago, and their win was bigger than they could have anticipated.
This had been the case they had been waiting for, and on getting the basic details, they were enthusiastic about getting started.
The more they unraveled one mystery, two more would rise to take its place.
They had lacked that in the cases they worked on in The Blacklist Season 10 Episode 15 and The Blacklist Season 10 Episode 16.
Like always, it was expected that Raymond was working another angle.
Anyone who knew Raymond’s operation deeply knew he made most of his money from shipping illegal goods like weapons. He also dealt a lot with criminals and had found a system to help himself stay ahead of law enforcement all those years.
Fake identities were the only option he had left.
Seeing what Morgana Corporation was involved in piqued interest because it seemed like Raymond would be involved.
My initial conclusion was that Raymond was taking competition out of the picture.
The second half of The Blacklist Season 10 has seen Raymond on a mission to rid the world of bad players, especially in places he has a connection to.
On the surface, Morgana Logistics Corporation didn’t seem that bad. All they did was create a few thousand fake companies and ship contraband.
It was not like they were involved in highly illegal stuff like the drug trade or human trafficking.
Everything made sense when we learned that Raymond had offered one of his biggest operations to the FBI.
This was his most personal sacrifice. He had given up some of his most valuable assets; what was his most lucrative operation?
How he went about it was the best part.
When Weecha broke in, she didn’t pose a single threat to him. It was, in fact, the opposite. Oh, what a night a young woman like her had shown that old geezer.
I’m all right. It was a little touch-and-go at the beginning, but I came up on top at the end.
Red [to Cooper]
But to Raymond, everything is an opportunity.
He knew that if Dembe stayed on the Task Force while they worked the case, he would easily figure out what was happening.
So, he exaggerated his circumstances and had Dembe close to him so that they would be none the wiser as the Task Force ran around racking up wins being delivered to them on a silver platter.
It was a genius plan that, due to sentimental reasons, Dembe didn’t catch on.
Playing some dumb game and beating Raymond should have been the first indicator. But Dembe had missed spending time with Red, so he took the win where he could get it.
The Morgana Logistics Corporation could stay ahead of the Task Force because they told Red everything they were about to do, and he would escalate the information to his soldiers.
Viewers who watch The Blacklist online know that it wasn’t anything we hadn’t seen before, but the team was so desperate they didn’t see what was staring them in their faces.
The raid outside Paris was bigger than we could have imagined. In fact, this is the biggest case you’ve ever given us, Raymond.
Cooper
We also got the famous Reddington monologue as he said goodbye to his people. That was one moment that made everything feel like it was coming to an end.
It’s hard to believe it’s over. All these years. This was more than an enterprise; it was our lives, and we lived it together. I’m so proud. That word doesn’t suffice. I’m honored to have stood beside you all as we discovered this creation of ours together.
Reddington
Hudson made some strides in his pursuit of the truth.
Something about Hudson makes one root for him because he comes from the point of honesty.
He would not employ illegal tactics to get what he wanted, so he wasn’t frustrated easily.
It made him effective in connecting the dots between everyone to Raymond.
If there were a hurdle, he would find a way to navigate it. It was very impressive.
And he was the first to see the Task Force for what it had become.
All these years, we’ve never been able to catch him. This is why. Raymond Reddington has corrupted a task force within the FBI, and I’m gonna tear it apart from the joints.
Hudson
Everyone else had become complacent in Red’s actions; they didn’t see them as problematic.
But from an outsider’s point of view, they had been corrupted beyond belief. It was what I’d been saying all along.
Arthur Hudson had hit the gold mine by discovering everyone’s connection to Red.
No judge in their right mind would look at all those facts and shrug them off as a coincidence. Some coincidences are too big.
The Task Force had been lucky more times than they could count, but that luck was running out.
Arthur was coming closer to the truth with every passing day. Raymond was preparing to make his exit.
What will they be left holding in their hands?
Solving cases won’t help them anymore because that’s what they’re paid to do.
“Morgana Logistics Corporation” was something we had been waiting for a while, but it was also full of surprises. It was fast-paced, full of twists and turns and substantial action.
It is possibly the second-best episode after The Blacklist Season 10 Episode 9.
It is becoming clear that Raymond is planning something. What do you think that is?
Everyone has to face the consequences of their actions, and that time is closing in fast for the Task Force. What do you think their fate is?
Chime into the conversation in the comments section.
New episodes of The Blacklist return on Thursday, June 22. That’s in two weeks.
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.