Not surprisingly, Red’s assignment for Liz and the FBI team in The Blacklist Season 2 Episode 11 was merely a cover for his own gain.

At this point, should Liz really be surprised by Red’s ulterior motives? I mean, how many times has he said one thing and it has been revealed something else was going on the whole time?

I get that Red has one of those voices where you could listen to him read a phonebook, but Liz should know better than to believe every word that comes out of his mouth. The fulcrum, anyone?

Watch The Blacklist Season 2 Episode 11 Online

That major piece of the larger story was briefly touched upon when Aram tried to figure out what that little black box actually was. He determined it was some dated technology and possibly a recording device, but that’s about it.

I’m sure Red would know exactly how it works, but seeing as the Liz and Red relationship was strained after The Blacklist Season 2 Episode 10, he’s definitely going to be kept from it for a while.

Really though, this episode was pretty much just a regular case of the week.

The team traveled overseas to negotiate with a criminal who had captured a CIA agent in an effort to reveal that a pipeline was leaking into the water and killing people.

And that one scene where the guy’s skin looked like a thin piece of Swiss cheese was just gross.

I guess it was a decent enough twist that the so-called bad guy wasn’t quite that, but merely a criminal using his powers to try and expose a corrupt business.

There were of course a few missteps along the way, including the CIA mucking everything up, but Red was perfectly one step ahead. Angry, but still one step ahead.

By the time everything was done, Red had gotten his extra proof from the man who likes to whip himself, and the pipeline company pulled out of the country. Day saved. Mission accomplished.

Another pipeline company moved right in (remember those men Red was talking to when Liz and Ressler showed up) and Red ended up with a nice little pay day.

Unfortunately, I just never really felt any stakes during the hour. It was nice that Red was able to help the one guy out, but I never feared Red wouldn’t find victory or that Red could possibly be shot by the CIA in the woods. Sometimes, things wrap up too neatly with Red.

That said, I’m really curious to see how Liz is going to deal with the detective finding the body of the man Tom killed. Her guy folded like a cheap table and was willing to give up everything to the detective. Maybe Liz should have picked someone way more reliable?

Either way, I’m intrigued to see where that part of the story goes, especially because it plays into Tom, and we all know he’s still out there just waiting to make his return. And that’s no matter what Red threatens. Tom will be back.

This was just an OK episode of The Blacklist, but I found far more interest in the detective searching for the body and the brief moment with the little black box. The bigger pipeline case just wasn’t the most exciting.

Hey, at least that trip overseas meant Dembe got to don an ear-flapped hat. Maybe, just maybe, that could become his trademark look like Red has with his fedoras. I think Dembe could pull it off.

What did you think of the episode? Should Liz be worried about the detective? Sound off below, and catch all of the cases Liz and Red take on when you watch The Blacklist online now.

The Blacklist Cast: Before They Were Stars

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Sean McKenna was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. He retired in May of 2017. Follow him on Twitter.