Red continues to battle Berlin and faces a new threat from a man named Lord Baltimore. An important person comes back from the past into Red's world. Meanwhile, Liz tries to move forward with her life after her showdown with Tom.
The quality I appreciate most about "Lord Baltimore" is that it's largely not being cryptic. So often with this show in its first season, it would bring up questions only for James Spader to hammily give a half answer to and then walk away. It was probably the most infuriating thing about the show. It's so primarily centered around Red Reddington - with justifiable cause too because Spader is wonderful chewing some scenery. And yet, it never did find a way to present the team of FBI agents as having their own rational thoughts and ideas. They would always go whichever way Red would point them.The premiere does feel like someone recognized that was a problem that needed solving. Liz seems much more together professionally then she ever has before. This was a character who was established in the pilot as being a hard ass and then subsequently was the green agent unable to think without Red's grand assistance. At least here, she is able to find the connection that unlocks the Krysten Ritter character's personality disorder. That was a legitimately earned moment. It does make up for how crazy Liz seems living out of hotels and plastering pictures of evidence on her ceiling. But when she's at work, she seems more put together this year. Of course, that could go flying off the rails at any moment.
Meanwhile, the actual plot of this first episode back is quite simple. I respected that. Ritter's Lord Baltimore was hired by Berlin to find Red's ex-wife who was now living in some kind of witness protection program. The guest cast assembled here is quite impressive. I always enjoy seeing Mary-Louise Parker on my screen. Ritter is a phenomenal talent just waiting for that perfect starring vehicle to bring her to the mass audiences. Peter Stormare is just as hammy as Red is as his villainous foil Berlin. However, Stormare doesn't pull it off quite as well. It's exciting when Red threatens to launch hellfire missiles at a warlord who employs children soldiers. It's basically void of intrigue when Berlin dunks some business associate of his into the same bathtub he is in. His scenes haven't quite snapped together quite right yet. And yet, this is also the first episode we are aware of him being the big bad. I would have hoped it would have been a more impressive debut for him. Instead Ritter kinda steals the focus as she shifts from the sister who has planned all of this to the sister who is innocent and completely clueless. That was dynamic that made her one of the most fun blacklisters yet.
Not exactly a major improvement since last we saw of The Blacklist, but there's enough raw materials established in "Lord Baltimore" to keep me with the series. I'm intrigued to see how they utilize Parker when she is given more to do. Or will they just keep her as a hostage and let her scream whenever Berlin needs a new body part? Because that would get tiring rather quickly.
Some more thoughts:
- "Lord Baltimore" was written by Jon Bokenkamp & John Eisendrath and directed by Michael Watkins.
- The interim director and the new authority figure from the government don't make much of an impact at all. They just exist early on to remind all of us of the rules Red and the team have established.
- So the doctors found something else when they were saving Cooper's life. That could potentially be interesting. But right now, the most exciting thing about that character is that now he has some stubble.
- We really didn't need that little side trip with the Mossad agent. What a momentum killer!
- Someone is still spying on Liz. I can't wait to see where that goes. I said that sarcastically.
- Also, Ressler is adamant about not seeing the shrink. He just figures pills will take care of his problems. Because they are notorious for that!
- Lee Tergesen sure was wasted here, wasn't he? I sure hope that's not the extent of his role.
