The Blacklist – “The Front” Review. The Key.

Season 2, Episode 5

Air Date: Monday, October 20, 2014, 10/9c on NBC

Rating: ★★★★★

“Does the FBI do a Christmas party?” – Reddington

Reddington searching for his daughter.

When a woman is involved in a hit and run accident, Reddington (James Spader) reveals her identity to Agent Keen (Megan Boone). She is Carrie Ann Beck (Katrina Lenk), an eco-terrorist, who, along with her husband Maddox (Michael Laurence), was believed to be dead — until now. The most troubling aspect about all this is how disturbed Reddington is about the Becks.

“Personally, I once admired Carrie Ann; however, since going underground, they’ve become too radical for my blood — advocates for a level of destruction that I find chilling.”

Reddington’s concerns have merit as Maddox intends to release a rare strain of the pneumonic plague by infecting his cult like followers and then sending them all over the world to spread the infection. How Maddox gets his hands on the pneumonic plague is nothing short of brilliant. Maddox, according to Reddington, “…sees humanity as a virus that needs to be eradicated in order to save the planet.” It’s a race against time as the FBI tries to track down and stop those infected, and find a cure before the dangerous infection can kill more people than it already has. Meanwhile, in “The Front’s” other story line, Reddington continues his search for his daughter.

“The Front” was written by Jim Campolongo and directed by Steven Adelson. For those who read my White Collar reviews, you know I’m a big fan of Campolongo who served as a writer and executive story editor on White Collar. In 2012, he left White Collar to become a writer/co-executive producer for The Blacklist. While he may have changed shows, his quality of writing remains the same. “The Front” is no exception. With 22 episodes in a season, along with various writers and directors, not to mention a limited time between episodes, I asked Campolongo how much interaction he had as a writer with Adelson. Campolongo replied, “Steven and I started working together seven days before shooting. We worked well together because we had the same goal: make the best episode possible.”

The timing of the story in “The Front” couldn’t be any more perfect as stories of Ebola are inundating the nightly news. Words like “quarantine,” “infected,” and “flight restrictions” have become all too common lately so hearing them adds an ironic feel to “The Front.” I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before some news organization starts questioning whether Ebola can be weaponized. According to Campolongo, the theme of “The Front” is a “total coincidence. This episode was conceived months ago. Didn’t intend to be as relevant as it is.”

Cute moment at the DMV.

Reddington has connections all over the world but who knew one of them is working at the Department of Motor Vehicles? The DMV scenes are hilarious as Reddington, like everyone else, is forced to wait 45 minutes for his number to be called. I especially enjoyed when the little boy offers him a piece of candy. Reddington seems to have met his match as he goes head to head with Glenn (Clark Middleton), a man Reddington hired to track down his daughter.

Reddington: “It’s as if you enjoy making people miserable.”

Glenn: “I work at the DMV.”

Thanks to Glenn, we finally get some answers about Reddington’s daughter, who now goes by the name Zoe D’Antonio (Scottie Thompson). Given Zoe has been hiding from her father, their reunion should be quite interesting. Thompson is a talented performer who has appeared on numerous shows, including Graceland, NCIS, and Castle. I am excited to see what she brings to the role of Zoe, not to mention how stunningly beautiful she is.

Keen and Navabi having a heart to heart.

As much as I enjoy the fast-paced action on The Blacklist, one of the things Campolongo writes exceptionally well is one-on-one scenes. Take for example the scenes between Keen and Mossad agent Samar Navabi (Mozhan Marno) as they wait for the antidote for the plague. During a rare slow moment, it’s fascinating to listen to Keen express her frustrations to Navabi. While she resents Reddington’s involvement in her life, she feels jealous that he has shifted his attention away from her to finding his daughter. For someone who has been secretive all season, the scene provides a glimpse into Keen’s emotional state. I can’t wait to find out what, if any, relationship Keen has to Zoe.

Not that I’m complaining, but I was totally caught off guard by the sexually charged strip show performed by Agent Keen. Ok, it isn’t actually Keen but a body double (Marianna McClellan) Keen hires to distract the mysterious man (Hal Ozsan) Reddington hired to watch over her. Hopefully, sooner rather than later, we will learn where Keen has been going when her double fills in for her. While Ozsan’s character is still officially unnamed, Campolongo says they refer to him as “Ezra.” Where has Keen been going and why she keeps it a secret still remains to be seen. The real question is will “Ezra” eventually figure out Keen keeps duping him?

With so many shows filming in Canada, it’s refreshing when shows like The Blacklist take advantage of unique filming opportunities within cities like New York rather than building sets or pretending Vancouver is New York. In “The Front,” the catacomb scene where Keen and Agent Ressler (Diego Klattenhoff) search for the source of the plague was filmed in the actual catacombs beneath the historic St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, which have been around since the early 1800s. This adds a realism to the episode but also lets the audience view something few get a chance to see.

In the end, Maddox succumbs but not before he gives Reddington a key. Was this Reddington’s intention all along, hoping the FBI would lead him to Maddox? What’s so special about the key and what does it unlock?

“The Front” is an enjoyable, well-written episode that is entertaining while beginning to unravel some of the secrets surrounding The Blacklist.

Tune in to The Blacklist Mondays at 10/9c, only on NBC. Tweet me @Staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about “The Front.”

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Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.