It would appear we are not getting any more blacklisters.
The Blacklist Season 10 Episode 12 focused heavily on Dembe when his ex and his daughter’s mother reached out asking for his help.
It became clear that while the storyline was quite engaging, it was pointless.
It had been used to fill the gap left by the lack of a blacklist case, but nothing can substitute a well-thought-out and planned villain.
Spoilers for The Blacklist Season 10 Episode 13 tease a continuation of the same where there is no blacklister.
A stamp is the star
Many diverse characters have starred on The Blacklist over the years but never have we seen an inanimate object become the focus of an episode.
This is happening, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise because if we were to look at the show at a deeper level, the list has always been the star.
Everything begins and ends with the list, and that much has become clear when no names from the list have been brought forward, making the show’s format feel off.
Aptly titled “The Sicilian Error of Color,” the episode borrows directly from a real-life event.
In 1859, one of the rarest stamps was printed in Italy.
An error resulted in the stamp being printed in blue instead of yellow. It was compounded by the fact that very few specimens — two to be exact — survived. Forty years later, they were presented in Manchester during an exhibition.
Later, they were separated but appeared in auctions as late as 2011.
These stamps are very expensive. Apart from their rarity, they also look great visually despite their age. They fetched a whopping $1.8 million during the Dreyfus auction and were bought by an American online.
That’s the real story.
In our fictional story, however, the stamps show up being possessed by Raymond Reddington. How he came to acquire them is a mystery the episode will answer.
But knowing Raymond, he either bought them on a whim while hunting down something else or stole them from someone else.
The latter seems more plausible as he employs the talents of one Cynthia Mallet, an expert in rare antiquities last seen working for Raymond on The Blacklist Season 7 Episode 12.
Information about why Raymond is interested in the stamp is unclear, but a lot about what Raymond is up to these days is unclear, so it tracks.
Raymond and Siya spend the day together.
Red is working on something, and even if he’s keeping everyone in the dark, it comes to a point where he needs help from the Task Force.
So, Siya joins him in a series of very unusual tasks.
Now, Siya doesn’t like Raymond. She has gathered information and realized that Raymond might be the only person with the answers she wants about her mother’s past.
Her realization of her biological roots on The Blacklist Season 10 Episode 11 accelerated her search for the truth.
So, she swallows the bitter pill and plays Raymond’s counterpart for the day. She takes the opportunity to dig deeper into her mother and learns more about Meera’s past.
Their interaction will be curious to watch because Siya made her feelings for Red known, and Red knows what Siya feels about him.
Red, however, has a way of winning people over, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they emerged friends after this day. Or he might dress her down using one of his infamous monologues, and hopefully, she’ll ease up on him.
Congressman Hudson seeks allies.
Hudson smelled something was amiss, and his nose had him navigate in that direction.
He made his career by going after corrupt government officials who were squandering taxpayers’ money, and it was a proven method because it earned him a congressional seat.
If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. The formula had gotten him this far; it sure could get him to the next stage.
Having allies anywhere in life is good, but it’s even more important in politics, where relationships are transactional.
The Task Force is shrouded in secrecy, and to uncover some things, he needs people he can trust for support or resources.
So, he sets out to find allies in his campaign against the Task Force.
Red had been trying to avoid seeing Harold and would avoid sneaking in to see Agnes when Harold left.
But he could do so for so long.
The episode’s promo images show them together, indicating that either Red warmed up to having Harold around or Harlod tracked him down.
Either way, they must have a talk that has been long overdue regarding their future work together, if there will be any at all.
Unless they start letting us in on what they have planned for the rest of the season, I’m afraid we are in for more filler episodes.
We need to see just how far Congressman Hudson can go to expose the task force, where the task force stands on their relationship with Raymond, and what Siya’s discovery means.
Otherwise, we might just as well watch paint dry.
What do you think? Are you comfortable with the lack of blacklisters during The Blacklist Season 10?
Chime in in the comments section, and don’t forget to watch The Blacklist online via TV Fanatic.
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.