One genre that never fails to confound me is the crime-thriller, with its enormous storyline twists and unavoidable turns. I cannot adequately express the overwhelming rush of adrenaline I experience whenever I begin a brand-new fiction or television series. And, the much-beloved hit show comes back with a season 10!
The decade-long airing of The Blacklist is seemingly getting its finale with Season 10, and fans are being fed well with each new Episode giving a sharp edge and twist as the show progresses. Until March 9, there have been three episodes released out of the twenty-two promised ones, so it is a long run to keep you entertained.
Here, I shall do a little nitpick on the latest Episode named “The Four Guns: No. 199” and whether it lived up to my expectations or not. Spoilers ahead!
The Blacklist is an American Crime Thriller TV show created by Jon Bokenkamp, which first aired on NBC on September 23, 2013. The show features the story of Raymond Reddington, infamously known as ‘Red,’ who is an ex-US Naval Intelligence officer.
Circumstances turn him into one of the top ten most wanted fugitives, and after decades in hiding, he voluntarily surrenders to the FBI. His turning-in comes with one specific demand, which is to work only with a newbie FBI agent named Elizabeth Keen in exchange for all the blacklisted criminals he has gathered information about to help the FBI catch them.
The Blacklist has quite the plot as it unfolds murder, mystery, heists, and catching wanted criminals with the help of an ex-fugitive who seemingly has his plans and intentions when working along with the FBI.
The show casts various actors and actresses, namely James Spader as Red, popular for his arguable roles such as Ultron in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Megan Moore as Elizabeth Keen, and Diego Klattenhoff as Agent Ressler, amongst the many other characters involved.
Upon the release of the first season, The Blacklist met with great positive reviews and critics praising the original storyline and intriguing characters that built the show. The series has over ten nominations in various categories, such as Best Tv series and Best Lead role Actor in TV Series, for numerous awards, such as the Golden Globe and Emmy Awards.
Thoughts and Views on Season 10 Episode 3
Like all the other episodes of The Blacklist series, each one has a title referring to what the Episode is going to be about. This is an intelligent take, as it can be either a straightforward or a cryptic puzzle that unfolds as you watch the Episode.
Episode 3, named ‘Four Guns,’ does not refer to actual guns but is a smart word-play that comes from a Yiddish word that translates guns to thieves. So, the next blacklist targets of Raymond Reddington are a group of pick-pocketers that go by the alias Four Guns, who seemingly are a danger sign to Senator Cynthia Panabaker.
The opening of the Episode showcases how the group works, precisely regarded as “apex-predators” by Raymond, who works as a singular unit to claw through their victims and render them completely vulnerable and open to threats.
This is shown perfectly when both the Service bodyguards of the Senator seem to be stripped off their sidearms and one of his radios that allows the assassin to have a shot at the Senator but accidentally hits one of her men.
What I liked about this opening was it was kept simple, short, and concise without revealing too much about the pick-pocket group. This unison was haunting and carried out well, with the viewers left to understand what exactly happened and who they were in the crowd.
The Yiddish word goniff for a thief is excellently utilized, which tells of how they are not the ones to cause physical harm but strip the person of their materialistic possession. In short, they are regarded as the worst kind of perpetrators that are dishonest and will do exactly what they know will hurt the victim without inflicting any wound or pain.
Of course, out of everyone present in the room, the only person with all the information on what and how they operate is none other than Raymond Reddington.
Episode 3 gives the viewers a pleasant surprise with the reunion of Red and Dembe since season 8, which is a good call as they team to stop the Four Guns and the assassin from causing any problems as repayment of Dembe to the Senator. It is a refreshing sight since the duo has proven to be quite solid and seamless in their operations.
What comes next is the arrest of the leader of “Four Guns,” Quinton Dodd, popularly known as “The Claw,” and many other updated alias, which was quite a fun moment as the names were unending. He is undoubtedly the mastermind of the troupe with his clever approach and modest replies that draws out the minimal information.
Just like a criminal, indeed. The Claw seems to know everything about the Penal Code, and the information was delivered on call to Red, who, upon his switch, seems to have him under his hostage.
The scene follows with our torture master Teddy Brimley getting the best of Quinton to reveal the identity and location of the assassin through his subtle sets of nail clippers and other torture instruments. And who does get the information via Red? Of course, his buddy Dembe.
The twist lies here is that the assassin is a former Secret Service agent who wants to expose the filth residing in the service agency that does their job in exchange for power and political achievements, regardless of whether it causes an uproar and destroys the culture of politics and democracy.
So, his target is not Senator Cynthia Panabaker but her Service Agents whom he wants to kill. Another detail shared is how Red exchanges his polished and rare book for an arsenic-covered novella that was explained to be toxic enough to render a fully capable man to death.
I was perplexed state of what exactly the book served, which was later revealed to be a not-so-friendly attempt to free his former acquaintance and mentor, Robert Vesco.
The duo’s friendly is a questionable and complex one to understand, but it serves a pivotal point in the character development of Raymond, and a favor returned in a twisted manner to what was done to him by Robert in the past. The Episode ends with Red gifting the literary legend of Treasure Islands, hinting at how they would go about their journey of looting and owning.
The show has a very indie feel to it and follows through with all the latest episodes of Season 10, enacting the same pattern of direction and cinematography of the late 2010s.
Episode 3 has its ups and downs, with the plot not focusing much on the history of the Four Guns or how exactly they associate with Lucas Roth, the assassin. The twists are great, but the Episode has minute lackluster moments, which just feel boring to watch when sitting for 42 minutes.
Four Guns had a lot of potential in storylining the scenario and perhaps could have introduced us to the rest of the group, but apparently, that was not the whole point of the Episode. The main aim was to protect the Senator, and that was carried out well. What I expect from a good crime show is to showcase both the perpetrator’s and the police’s point of view in a distinct manner, so the plot weaves in perfectly.
Final Thoughts
The BlackList Season 10 Episode 3 is good progress in the finale plotline of the series, with a great take on bringing in justice but in the wrong manner. Lucas Roth is a great character who portrayed his intentions well. There are a lot of elements mixed in Episode 3, which focuses individually on Red, the Senator, the troupe, the FBI, and the assassin.
I feel like it failed to weave the plots together as a whole unit which makes this Episode fall apart, but it was a good watch overall. There was room for improvement, with shots being more focused on every character involved, and the slow motions to depict how the Four Guns operate as a unit were well balanced.
The plot twist was interesting and unexpected, and so were the tactics of Red and how he manages to conquer everything so perfectly it almost feels unbelievable to work with. But again, his being the morally grey protagonist of the show makes it a wonderful crime TV show to watch.
Our Rating: ⭐ (3.5/5).
You can watch The Blacklist Season 10 on Netflix and NBC TV.
Also Read: How To Watch The Blacklist Season 10 Episodes? Streaming Guide
