[Lauren Helen Graham]

6x16 | Lady Luck
E P I S O D E DISCUSSION T H R E A D



Banner by Miranda

episode synopsis

Liz (Megan Boone) and Ressler (Diego Klattenhoff) investigate a Blacklister who offers to erase gambling debts - at a deceptively high price. Meanwhile, Dembe (Hisham Tawfiq) grows concerned as Red (James Spader) tests the loyalties of their business associates in search of the individual who turned him in to the police. Michael Aronov guest stars.

[Miranda]

Thanks Kris! Can't wait to see this episode.

[Wes&FredFan]

Was looking forward to it ... but there was a huge lack of Lizzington and it was basically Red on his own adventure, and the TF chasing somebody who had their own grudge. So now we've got Ressler lying to Liz (sorry, Liz, I do NOT feel sorry for you since you're still lying to Red), and Liz trying to act like she's forgiven Red enough to stop hunting for his secrets ... though she is the one who put him behind bars .

I had a feeling that Smokey wouldn't last long, and that Red was making a point to Dembe. He has to know now that Dembe knows who betrayed him and is protecting them, which means deep down he suspects Liz since he knows Dembe would have turned over/dealt with anybody else. So Red knows that Dembe is protecting somebody, and that somebody is the OTHER person that Red is fiercely loyal to: Liz.

[Black_Jack]

Blacklister was dramatic but straightforward.

I realized there was a point about Smokey being there and I knew he slipped up "both are family men" I kinda like him but well Meth...Meh

Dembe not coming clean...I hate that Liz put him in this position He doesn't tell Red Red might suspect him/He tells Red theres no telling what he will do. Red almost killed himself when he thought she was dead.

I don't know what I'll do honestly, if I were him.

Was that who I thought it was the Lady at the end? The FBI agent from the Fake Red incident.

Liz's grandmother is alive...Oliander where are you?

[JayT2001]

This was vintage Blacklist. Well..... In the sense of seeing Red so ruthless and not so much in seeing Dembe in this position. Im thinking Dembe may walk away before more damage happens or should I say I hope he walks away. That would answer a question I've had since season 3.

Poor Smokey couldn't grow wings fast enough.

Katarinas mom is still out there. I DID NOT see that coming.
It was so cool to see the witness from Gregory Devry again. Didn't see that either and was it just me or was there something haunting about that kids chorus group doing an accapella version of Every Breath You Take? It just seemed to put a bow on all those scenes and tie everything together.

[Fangirl49]

The witness from Gregory Devry? thank you for saying which episode she was in. I needed the help.

Donna, I get your point about Red setting up Dembe by killing Smokiey. Honestly, from the preview that's what I thought, but from watching the scene, I didn't feel that way. I may be wrong but I don't think he suspects Dembe and Liz. I don't know though. I kinda hope you are right.

My main takeaway is how angry and frustrated I am with Dembe. He just watched his boss clean house and search for the betrayer and didn't say a word. Dembe I can't give you much more benefit of the doubt. I see no reason for you to be choosing liz over Red. I can't see you putting Red through this, being dishonest with him. I was trying to think Dembe did the right thing. I wanted to think it. Now he's just wrong. He needs to tell Red. And yeah, talk about misleading promos. I thought Dembe and Liz were going to talk. And I just knew Red was going to find out now. This may drag out to the finale. Then we could get Red leaving her at least over the summer. Or come back with a time jump.

I'm also struggling with both liz and Dembe thinking not telling Red is an option. Do they truly think he's just going to not worry about someone almost getting him executed? That's not going away.

I liked smokey. I think when Red found the first person, I started to wonder why Smokey was there. And then it hit me. And I'm like oh no. Please no. Both of then know Red does not run drugs. They took huge advantage of the situation I totally think Red was right. They couldn't be trusted at all. Now Red has to tell the cartel to run drugs another way. That may not be easy to do. It could be dangerous. Red was so ruthless on the plane. He was furious.

Yes jay, that version of the song was haunting and beautiful and I will never forget it.

And there's Ressler, lying to Liz, betraying her trust, going behind her back, gee could he be tom in disguise? You know what gets me is that he makes one phone call, gets one manifest, and now he's found Lizs grandmother. I know it's just tv and we are moving the plot forward, but really?

For Ressler and Dembe, I can understand in the heat of the moment making a bad decision to lie because the time isn't right or you don't want to hurt someone. But to continue with it. To never come clean. That's where the bad decision turns into an irreversible one.

So we also have a possible sighting of Katarina two weeks after the suicide? Please don't be alive. Please don't be alive.
I think Katarina's parents are living separately to protect themselves. Bringing this to light could put the grandmother in danger.

Jack, the lady at the end was on blacklist previously. And she protected Red and he relocated her.

I gotta admit, I even thought the blacklister was a good story. It was well put together. I didn't see that ending coming eithercwith the daughter taking over.

[Wes&FredFan]

What made it seem like Red suspects Dembe is protecting somebody is after he killed Smokey, he tells Dembe he's sending a message. That if somebody knows the name of the person that set him up and they protect them, then they are pretty much just as bad. Then he says inquisitively, "Wouldn't YOU name that person to prevent me from taking another life?" Or something like that. Then Dembe tells Red that he "sent the wrong message."

Smokey blew it the moment he revealed that he knew the guy had kids. The way he tried to pretend he didn't know the guy from before was bound to trigger some alarm bells.

Felt bad for the guy in the mechanical respirator - living his life in that thing, with a picture of the baby that died and playing cards directly above his face every time he opens his eyes.

I did recognize Raphael Sbarge (sp?) from OUAT. Jiminy Cricket/Archie Hopper! But a gambler ... figures. Well, he's on The Blacklist, so he won't be a hero .

[Miranda]

Good episode.

Before I read all the posts here I thought Red didn't know that Dembe was keeping Liz's secret but then I read your post Donna, and that made me think that Red does know that Dembe knows who turned him in and that he was sending him a message so he could come clean before Red would have to do something else. It would make a lot of sense that Red knows because of what he did in this episode.

I didn't expect that Red would kill Smokey but I understand that he wanted to take a statement. But this is the second time he violated his agreement with Anna.

Okay Ressler and Liz.. what are you guys doing? First Liz lies to Ressler and keeps things from him and now he is lying to her and keeping things from her.. can't we just go back to how their relationship was in S1 and S2..

I miss Samar so much. It is not the same without her.

[Lauren Helen Graham]

Oookay... What an episode. I really liked it a lot and let me say this: I was never a big fan of Smokey and I'm not sad he's gone. Don't hit me, please Him shipping drugs for a cartel, I don't even get how he would think this is something he could do... Bad decision making and him lying to Red about this guy is even worse. It was enough to deserve death.

That's when we come to Dembe right away. I as well think Red very well knows or at least suspects that it's Dembe who is protecting somebody. Maybe it's the fact that somebody is protecting someone in general that makes it kind of clear that it can only be Dembe. I doubt the other people would be as good as him and he wouldn't care to protect another person in Red's network
And honestly, some of what happened to Smokey was his fault, too. Red sending a message and therewith hoping somebody will come forward. Confronting Dembe with it right there was the first test and he didn't come forward. I'm wondering how far he'll go.
I guess I'll never get why Dembe would choose to do that for Liz. And no, Liz didn't bring him into this situation. He had a choice, he made it. Period. It was all a decision by himself.

Ressler Don't get me wrong, I love that he investigates but I hate how fast and easy he found an answer and a lead to Liz's grandmother being alive... It's a joke, right? Glad all the intelligences were so stupid before and couldn't find anything. That's really frustrating.

Ressler lying to Liz though... Yeah, a new level. In the task force, really nobody can trust anybody. It's sad but it's the truth, too.

The blacklister... Freaky And her daughter taking over. Man, that's really bad. Why would the daughter do that? I don't get it.

This woman, I knew I knew her but now I know where from Pretty cool she's built such a great new life. And that song Goosebumps.

Btw, was anybody else a bit frustrating by the promo being so misleading? The episode was nothing like I had expected.

[Fangirl49]

So right about what happened to Smokey being partially to blame on ,Dembe. He didn't come forward. But yeah, Red had to clean house. And as I've thought about what Donna said, and kris, what you said, no way did Red think the people he was investigating turned him in. How would they know where he was at that time. And we are back to the task force bring the only ones. Now that Red is out of jail, he's had time to think. And I'm pretty sure he's wondering about liz and Dembe. And he's pushing Dembe. If not, why would his first stop not be Jennifer. Red wants the truth but maybe he also doesn't want it. Or he's trying to get Dembe to tell him.

We know Red is not evil. If his people come to him, he tries to help. Like he did the lady from the women robbers and what's his name from S1. The one who betrayed him and Red is like why didn't you come to me.

So yeah, I am now all in on this being a message for Dembe. And I also think he had to clean up his business.

Resslers is wrong for not telling Liz.

[Lauren Helen Graham]

Wow, it's good to know how easy we are able to convince you, Marilyn No, joking of course... I really believe that Red believes or even knows that Dembe didn't tell him the truth. He was the one investigating in it, getting the closest to the person who betrayed him. So if somebody wouldn't have told him, it's most likely Dembe.

Yeah, true... People could come to him but that is before a betrayal. As soon as the betrayal is done, it's too late. That's what happened to Grey.

[Miranda]

I never really cared much for Smokey either I must say. Not that I am happy that he is dead but we barely saw him so I am not going to miss him.

Dembe is definitly to blame that Red killed Smokey. I can't believe he didn't come clean and prevented Red from killing Smokey.

Why is he doing this for Liz? He knows that she was the one to turn Red in. This is allher fault so why he is protecting her? I don't get that!

[Fangirl49]

HM kris, you think I'm easy? Rotflmao.

Yeah inthis case totally. Because everyone is right. And it goes to my hope that Red won't be made to look dumb and clueless. There's no way he can't have an idea. No way. And Dembe investigated. So he knows Dembe would not have stopped trying to learn the truth. The person would be a threat to Red. Dembe wouldn't ever stop trying to protect Red unless the person who turned Red in was Liz.

Glad you agree about it being too easy for Ressler to find the grandmother. Honestly, perhaps it would be more believable if we had seen them investigating the past and hitting dead ends all along.

[Lauren Helen Graham]

Miranda, I don't believe that he could have saved Smokey. He betrayed Red in a different way. He sent a message... But still, part of it is Dembe's fault IMO.

And really, why is he doing this for Liz? I will never get that.

Exactly, had they investigated in the past for a lot longer, maybe I would believe him finding something finally. But not like this.

[Fangirl49]

And maybe like after Red visited the first criminal Smokey should have said something then. Maybe Red would not have killed him. But he watched what Red was doing and said nothing. Oh heck Dembe. Now I just made a case against you.

I truly do not get why Dembe was upset with Red about Smokey. He totally knows how Red operates. And Smokey betrayed him in a very bad way.