One Thing Remains

1x01 | Pilot
E P I S O D E DISCUSSION T H R E A D







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episode synopsis

Ex-government agent and one of the FBI's Most Wanted fugitives, Raymond "Red" Reddington (James Spader) mysteriously turns himself in to the FBI and offers to give up everyone he has ever worked with including a long-thought-dead terrorist but under one condition - he'll only talk to newly-minted female FBI profiler, Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone) with whom he seemingly has no connection. For Liz, it's going to be one hell of a first day on the job and what follows is a twisting series of events as the race to stop a terrorist begins.

Nekoshoujo

YAY! I was hoping we'd do this. I'll start my rewatch tonight.How about a few re-watch discussion questions? Just something to think about having seen the rest of the season.

1. Having seen the rest of the season, how do you think the writers' idea of Red -as a character- has changed since the pilot?
2. Is there a stand out moment for you that you remember thinking -oh I'm going to stick with this one?
3. Elizabeth is new to the world of the task force but they play on her work as a profiler do you think that served her well in the pilot/rest of the season? Do you think she has put her profiling skills on the back burner? Why or why not?


Feel free to add some discussion questions of your own.

One Thing Remains

thanks for the discussion questions!! That's a great idea Asya

Stacie18

Cool. I'll watch later tonight or tomorrow. Super excited about this. When is the latest we should watch the episode?

One Thing Remains

I was thinking maybe a week?

Stacie18

So next Wednesday then. Ok. I should be able to watch it and discuss it by then.

Donna K.

Nekoshoujo

wow, the pilot was so different having seen the whole season. And different from my memory of it. I took some notes so I'll wait till Wednesday to talk about it.

L i N d $ @ y

Thanks for getting this started, Amy!

And awesome questions Asya. I will rewatch this weekend and post my thoughts. One week up should be good enough for some discussions.

Stacie18

I just re watched the episode and having done that, I can wholeheartedly say the Megan and Diego's acting improved TREMENDOUSLY over the course of the season. Bad doesn't begin to describe their acting.
I liked the episode about the same the second time around as the first time. Great episode and I knew after watching it that I would stick with it the show for the entire season.

One Thing Remains

Rewatching the pilot made me realize how much I had forgotten I didn't remember that Red had sent Zamani (sp?) to Liz's house to attack Tom. Red did that just so he could start the ball rolling on Liz finding out the truth about her husband. I did remember that Red had warned that she didn't know everything she needed to about Tom, but not that he had initiated her finding the first piece of evidence against him. Knowing what we know about Tom now, I bet it was really hard for me to allow that guy to beat him and cut him. Tom could have easily overpowered that guy, but he had to play his part of a normal school teacher husband. I had also forgotten that Donald had been chasing Red for the last five years as the lead agent on the case. That really explains a lot about Donald's attitude towards Red throughout the season. I just kinda thought Ressler was a little stiff and harsh when it came to Red, but when you are chasing a criminal for years like that you have a predisposed attitude about who that person is and it is hard to change. But I do think that Donald's attitude about Red has changed for the better through the season. It's still has a ways to go, but he Donald has definitely warmed up to Red a little bit. Also no Meera or Aram in this ep at all. I had forgotten that Meera was not in the pilot. This rewatch also reminded me of all the reasons why I love this show



1. Having seen the rest of the season, how do you think the writers' idea of Red -as a character- has changed since the pilot?

I feel like is basically the same character. He has definitely warmed up to the other agents on the task force, but I feel like he is essentially the same as he was at the beginning of the season. The only difference is that by the end of the season we know more about him and have a greater understanding as to why he is the way that he is. If that makes sense

2. Is there a stand out moment for you that you remember thinking -oh I'm going to stick with this one?

For me it was the initial mystery of the Red/Lizzie relationship, but the final scene where Liz goes to see Red and he tells her that she must have found something out her husband is what hooked me for sure. So basically it was the mystery of Red/Liz and who is Tom.

3. Elizabeth is new to the world of the task force but they play on her work as a profiler do you think that served her well in the pilot/rest of the season? Do you think she has put her profiling skills on the back burner? Why or why not?

I think that being a profiler has definitely helped her through out the season. There have been many times that she was given a few clues by Red and she was able to take those clues and her knowledge in profiling to figure out the criminal's next move. I think that she has put her profiling skills on the back burner, because she is more of a field agent now. Profilers are not usually field agents. They work behind the scenes to compile profiles for the field agents to use on the case. Because she spends so much on point as a field agent she is not able to use her profiling skills as much as she would if she strictly did profiles.

Nekoshoujo

Completely forgot about that too. O__O
And yeah, Tom did a great job of saying "in character." It must have been especially frustrating because at that time Berlin had probably not been in contact for awhile.
Tom is really dedicated to his work.

When Ressler's old team was being tracked down in Mako Tanida (No. 83) I kinda did a double take I had forgotten about that too. Ressler has always been a little angsty about being on the task force. I think it must be hard for him working with a whole new team who -unlike him- hadn't been tracking Red for years. Obviously, having been "requested" by Red, Liz was mostly curious about Red. Sure she stabbed him in the neck but she was willing to work with him as was Harold. For Ressler it must have felt like the only guy at the party who knows the charismatic popular guy is actually the devil.

I think Red saving his life in the midseason finale was the turning point for Ressler - he saw him as something other than the enemy for the first time.

>>Having seen the rest of the season, how do you think the writers' idea of Red -as a character- has changed since the pilot?
I do actually. I kinda had a vague sense of this but the rewatch really drilled that idea in my mind. In my opinion Red has become more human. In the pilot he is almost more caricature than character. It works because James is having a lot of fun with it. But the Red in the pilot is not as great as the Red we've come to know. I prefer human Red. I like knowing there are nastier criminals and bigger baddies out there. I see Red more of a guy that is tired. Tired of running, tired of pretending he's not in pain. Tired and in the pilot it's clear that he doesn't want the FBI to see that.

>>Is there a stand out moment for you that you remember thinking -oh I'm going to stick with this one?
Probably the bridge scene, the kidnapping that was very well done.

>>Elizabeth is new to the world of the task force but they play on her work as a profiler do you think that served her well in the pilot/rest of the season? Do you think she has put her profiling skills on the back burner? Why or why not?
Amy makes a good point about Liz being more of a field unit now but I do wish we saw a little more of the Liz we saw in the pilot. While Megan has become a much better actress, the Liz we saw in the pilot was feisty and determined and smart. That seemed to fade in the first half of the season until Tom's true identity was revealed.

Other Notes-
>> "I'm going to make you famous" What? Red what are you doing? What is your motivation here. Why do I feel like this will never really followed up on. I dunno this line just sounds odd now because it doesn't jive with the Red/Liz relationship.
>> "I'm gonna smell like a urinary track infection my first day" Not explanation needed
>> FBI Mobile Psych Unit sounds cool. Spin off?
>> Nice little bit of cinematography with the way they went from Red turning himself in and panned to the wanted poster
>> No one recognized Red as he wanted into the FBI building?
>> Fancy sets~
>> I liked the primary colors of the lighting at the black site: Red box that serves as Red's jail, blue room lighting, and the yellow staircase
>> Did Ressler really think he was going to get anywhere jumping in the water after the little girl? I mean really? Really? Enjoy your swim.
>> Red has been talking about Liz to Zumani? Sounds like for awhile too. Oh, Red!
>> "I certainly don't want your intelligence" one of my favorite Red quotes.
>> "Don't play stupid" - Feisty Liz is feisty!
>> Threatening to kill a bunch of kids - how dark can you get on day one?


oh and, what happened to the dog? Am I forgetting that something happened to him or did he just disappear one day?

Stacie18

The dog was in the scene when Tom left after he had found out that Liz knew about him. Remember her pretended to take the dog out but left him by the door?

Nekoshoujo

Yeah I do remember that part it's just post-Tom leaving: Where's the dog? And the middle of the season: Where's the dog?

I'm just very concerned that the dog is just locked up for weeks at a time.

Donna K.