TV Show Review

TV Review: THE BLACKLIST: Season 4, Episode 22: Mr. Kaplan: Conclusion [NBC]

Harry Lennix Megan Boone The Blacklist

The Blacklist Mr. Kaplan: Conclusion Review

The Blacklist: Season 4, Episode 22: Mr. Kaplan: Conclusion is a solid ending to a largely uneven season and finally wraps up a long-running story arc.

That story arc (which devoted watchers of the show probably already know) is, of course, the question of whether Red (James Spader) is Liz’s (Megan Boone) father or not. After throwing many misleading developments and red herrings our way, the show at long last reveals that, yes, Red is indeed Liz’s biological father. This is brought to light by none other than Mr. Kaplan (Susan Blommaert) after she realizes her war against Red has ended in failure. In a way, this was actually a misfire on the writers’ part, as it reduces the answer to a question that has hung over the show since its beginning to little more than the last desperate act of Red’s current nemesis. In fairness, the show has already exploited the issue beyond belief, so it’s not really different from what’s done before aside from the fact that it finally lays the issue to rest.

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What the show does handle well, however, is Red’s scheme to derail Gale’s (Enrique Murciano) investigation and save his friends in the FBI’s skins. With Mr. Kaplan ready to sing for the Justice Department, the Concierge of Crime enlists the unlikely assistance of Laurel Hitchin (Christine Lahti), the unsavory National Security Advisor who killed Reven Wright (Adriane Lenox). This bit of information, as you might have guessed, is exactly how Red is able to get Hitchin to help him, blackmailing her into unceremoniously ending the grand jury looking into the task force’s activities on national security grounds. Of course, Gale correctly deduces that Hitchin is being blackmailed by Red, but without proof, our favorite criminal mastermind and his associates are off the hook. A lot can change between now and the start of Season Five, however, so we’ll have to wait and see what else The Blacklist has in store for our dubious hero and his friends.

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Reggie Peralta

**** We hired Reggie, fulfilled our obligations to him, and he quit in the middle of covering two TV series w/ no notice and no explanation. He then ignored our emails asking him to complete his coverage (we had no one else to cover those TV shows). He didn't care. We regret hiring him and we regret putting our trust in him. **** An aspiring writer, longtime film junkie, and former UCLARadio.com disc jockey (where I graduated with a BA in Political Science), I've made the jump from penning book reviews and current events editorials for HonorSociety.org to writing movie and TV news and reviews. When I'm not working towards my certificate in Radio and Television/Video Production at Fullerton College, I enjoy reading (horror, science fiction, and historical/political nonfiction are particular favorites), participating in my school's TV and theatre clubs, attending movie screenings, plays, concerts, and other events, and trying to come up with pithy things to say on social media. Believe it or not, there are occasions where I find time to write for my own leisure.
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