The Blacklist ‘Berlin Part 1’ Recap – Episode 01.21

The Breakdown

A man named Paul is bleeding from every orifice on his body. He goes into work anyway and is coughing and sneezing every where. Paul eventually passes out and dies. The EMT tells everyone in the bank he may be contagious. The bank is now quarantined and no one can leave.

Tom finds his tail and tells the man to call Red and tell him that he lost Tom. Lizzie tells the FBI everything about Tom and even puts her room of evidence up for the FBI’s grasp. Lizzie then tells Cooper that she wants out and gives her resignation. Red is also sitting with Cooper. Red needs her help on a new case where thousands could die if they don’t stop “Berlin”. Red feels that whoever gave Paul the virus is doing so in order to cause a worldwide pandemic. The man wants Red dead and doesn’t care how many people die in the process.

The virus implemented in Paul is called the colleen virus. Ressler and Lizzie meet with a woman from the CDC at the bank where Paul collapsed at. She tells them that there is no known cure. When they get back to HQ, Aram has pulled phone records from Paul’s phone. One of the messages says that Paul’s treatment will continue only if he does what he is told what to do. Now that Paul is dead Red feels that whoever is behind this will have to find someone else to carry out the plan. Another security guard from the bank is coughing. The man gets home and plays a message on his PC. The message says that he has contracted the colleen virus and he has been given the first dose of the cure (it is on his desk). The person behind the message tells the man that he will die within 24 hours unless he does as he is told.

Red and Lizzie go to a mental institution to see a Dr. Sanders, Sanders was a well-known scientist for diseases that had no known cure. Sanders tells Red that this is just the first step if someone is using the colleen virus. Sanders’ also says that this is the first sign of the apocalypse, including the 5 horseman and that a space agent is involved. The space agents name is UD-4126. Having hearing all of this crazy talk Lizzie leaves.

A man tells Cooper that if Red leaves they will have no choice but to go after Red and Cooper’s task force will be dissolved.  The two then talk about how they will capture him (Red) without him knowing. There is evidence that shows that someone contacted Dr. Sanders in the crazy house to further his research on a cure for the virus. Lizzie goes back with Red to find out who UD-4126 is. Sanders doesn’t want to talk because he feels he said everything during the first meeting. Sanders freaks out and on of the nurses comes to clam him down. While this is going on Lizzie has an epiphany. Lizzie has Aram run the badge numbers of every agent that responded to the incident at the bank. At first he found nothing but upon furthering his search they find a Dr. Vogel who is with the CDC. The team go to Vogel’s house and finds the lab full of the virus and antidote. During his interrogation Vogel will not say much except that “he is coming”. Cooper tells Lizzie that if she quits they will lock up Red and put him away for life.

Lizzie gives a swing at interrogating Vogel. Vogel is not giving up the names because if he is in prison,

these people will die and he is the only one that can save them. Lizzie congratulates Vogel on his master plan and then tells Vogel that she used it on him. Lizzie shows Vogel the virus. Vogel then looks at the water he has been drinking. Vogel’s nose begins to bleed. Lizzie goes back to her house to look at a file that Red gave her on Tom. The file is of Tom’s notes that he took while with Lizzie. Lizzie then has an ah-ha moment. Lizzie tells Ressler, Cooper and the rest of the team that all of the people on the black list are connected. Red has not been using the FBI but has had them on his side to prepare for a war that he can not fight on his own.

Vogel finally gives up the names of the people he has blackmailed. There are 5 people that he has been using. This explains Sanders’ 5 horse men deal. All of the people work at or are connected to an airport. The team thinks that this isn’t a mass exploitation of the virus to the masses but a jail break. At the airport, the plan is going into motion. All of the infected people are doing as they are told from opening doors, disabling security systems and taking over a plane to have it land at another airport. After these tasks are done the men involved kill most of the sick people. When the FBI gets on the scene, it is too late, the people are gone and the plane is as well. Lizzie meets with Red at the park where she agreed to set Red up at. The FBI has plain clothes agents planted to take Red into custody. Lizzie tried to rescind her resignation earlier. Cooper would not allow it telling her that the deal is done. Lizzie goes to the meeting site to tell Red that they have to leave because his immunity has been revoked. There are tails at the park moving into place. Dembe sees this and tells Red that they have to go. Red tells Dembe to wait in the car, he wants to hear everything from Lizzie.

A jet is released by the air force to ground the plane by any means. Inside the plane a hooded man (Berlin) asks for the key to his handcuffs. On the ground at the airport, Malik and Ressler look inside of a limo that has a bottle of champagne inside of it. At the park Lizzie is still trying to convince Red to leave. The jet shoots at the plane damaging the wing. Red tells Lizzie another weird story about dying and he tells her that incident feels a lot like this, the FBI is moving in on him. Red also tells Lizzie that it’s not worth it if he loses her. The plane goes spiraling to the ground overhead of Red and Lizzie. Red gets on his knees in front of Lizzie places his hands behind his back and says “It begins”

The Analysis

Oddly enough this week (and next) have been episodes that I have looked forward too and enjoyed. I like the show but sometimes it gets a little too predictable. I have always said that this show needs a continuation of a “bad guy”. Berlin seems to be doing that even thought we have no earthly idea of who he or she is. My big question going into next week is how is Red going to get out of the FBI’s custody if he is going to help the FBI (as seen in next weeks previews).