[Lauren Helen Graham]

9x19 | The Bear Mask
E P I S O D E DISCUSSION T H R E A D

episode synopsis

Feeling the weight of recent pressures, Aram turns to an unusual outlet for release.

[Fangirl49]

I’m soooo disappointed! I thought we would see Samar for real. Not in a flashback. I should have known better.

I didn’t really care for Arams dream at least until the end when we learned how guilty he felt about Liz and why. I never thought of that. I did love seeing Samar again I hope Aram feels better. So did red send him there? The therapist said my Holman paid for it or something like that and I think that is reds alias.

I will say it was amazing that Aram could look so evil when he was all in black!!! Great acting.

Glad Weecha survived! And sad about Kate’s sister.

I think the bad guy is gonna be Marvin.

[Jenny Heartland]

Egad, what an episode! I'm literally feeling exhausted having had to go through not one, not two, not three but four of those hallucinations (maybe it was five or more!) with Aram! My gosh, all his insecurities and issues of fear & doubt surfacing! Again, I was literally EXHAUSTED by the time he woke up for real in that dr.'s office! Yeah, and I agree that seeing Samar was so great and I too thought she was making a comeback to the show so was disappointed to see she ended up just being part of his hallucination. But then the scene with Aram and his alter ego, that really was a good and very surprising scene! But then to see Samar appear with Aram and Aram's alter ego in that last scene...whoa...too weird! I found myself thinking, "Hey, enough already!"

I was glad to see that Weecha had survived the big explosion! I had been thinking maybe she was going to be eliminated from the show after I saw her go into the building last week and then seeing the explosion! So while I'm not sold on how she & Red got so amazingly close, I have at least accepted that she's a positive in Red's life and always staying two steps ahead of him and being a genuine help and friend to him. When Mercia appeared, I have to say I still am not buying into the huge love bond they apparently have shared. I think it has to do with remembering how Red genuinely had such obviously deep feelings for Anne ...and so to my mind, this relationship with Mercia doesn't even come close to that relationship.

I really liked the talk Aram had with Cooper towards the end of the show. The genuine feeling of "family" within the team definitely came across and I appreciated that after what we all had just been through with Aram and his hallucinogenic visions.

And too, we all now know that it was truly Kaplan's sister and not Kaplan herself. But I think I did miss something: why was the sister in that big warehouse that exploded? Had she taken over some of Kaplan's old duties? If that's the case, she did a great job during her interview with Red last week telling him about all the "calm" things she's involved with these days in her life. I sure bought it and apparently Red did too? I'm not sure, I feel like I've missed something.

Anyway, I thought it was a sort of ok episode but for sure this was Aram's episode from start to finish. I trust they will keep us all in the real world from now on which is where I prefer to be! I'm just hoping for an episode where Red will make progress in his quest to get answers to ALL of his questions regarding Liz!

[Fangirl49]

We don’t know why the sister was in the warehouse yet. I think she was lured there.

[Jenny Heartland]

Originally Posted by Fangirl49 (View Post) We don’t know why the sister was in the warehouse yet. I think she was lured there.

Thanks, Marilyn. So, we'll assume that will be revealed in an upcoming episode or else it would make me wonder why in the heck they brought Kaplan and her sister back into an episode in the first place.

[crazy_diamond]

Thought it was an ok episode

- As soon as I saw Aram cycling to work and saying hello to the workers I knew he was dreaming
- So Kaplan's sister is confirmed. Why though is the most important, was she dragged there by someone or wanted to go there?
- Why do I get the feeling Martin is in this somehow regarding Red..
- Ahh Samar, shame it was in a dream state, but lovely scene with Aram..
- Good that Aram had a chat with Cooper, he needed that..
- Shame that Red's "girlfriend' appeared, when that happens I always think Anne was better..

[Miranda]

I am the only one so far who absolutely loved this episode?!

The beginning with the attack gave me huge Anslo Garrick vibes and I loved it! I had a feeling from the beginning it was all a dream so I knew Ressler and Park and Dembe were not dead.

Loved seeing Samar again! Although I have to say that I thought he was actually going to visit her, so when I knew this was a dream, I was little disapointed but their scene was amazing.

See, I knew that it was Kaplan's sister in the warehouse and not Kaplan herself. But yes, question is how did the sister get into the warehouse and who set this up?

[Lauren Helen Graham]

I really enjoyed the episode. I think there are better ones but it's one of the really good ones we got this week

But guys, I could cry for Samar not being real. I knew it as soon as I read more about the episode some days before and was sure she will just be a hallucination. And she was. I so hope that Mozhan will return for some more episodes. It was heartbreaking to see how guilty Aram still feels.

And what was that at the end, with Samar and the other Aram on the table. I didn't get that message.

The evil Aram was fantastic and I suspected it the whole time. I knew that bear mask wearer was male. It made sense somehow and it was proven.

Btw, I was in on the dream right away as well

Weecha is alive. I'm really glad therefore although I'm not happe that Mierce is back as well... I really don't care about her and I don't believe in this big love they try to sell us there either.

Yes, I bet it's Marvin now and I'm sad that Kaplan's sister is dead

[Fangirl49]

I figured it was a dream too. But then the scenes that were real (like cooper and Ressler investigating the case) confused me at first. I thought the whole thing was gonna be Arams dream so it took me a minute to decide what was real and what wasn’t.

I didn’t hate the episode. But it will never be a favorite. I wish I had realized Samar was going to be a hallucination in advance. But as I watched the episode I figured that would happen.

Yes reds love is Anne. I just don’t feel anything for the other one.