"The Big Blast From the Past Episode"
Original Airdate: March 8, 2019
Let's just ignore the one year time difference between my last Blindspot review and this one. Sorry guys! I am back, miraculously unspoiled, and binging the rest of season four so we can close out this show's fifth and final season together. "The Big Blast From The Past Episode" is a lot about bombs (always with the bombs) and officially welcoming Zapata back to the team after her rogue mission to take down Madeline Burke. Also, Kurt and Jane decide after eighty episodes it's a bad idea for them to lie to each other. YA THINK?
CASE OF THE WEEK
The case of the week revolves around a case Team Blindspot solved two years ago when Reade was assistant director and corrupt Eleanor Hirst was running the show. Jane had disappeared, Kurt was searching for her, and Patterson was developing her wizard game. I am extremely glad we missed out on the majority of this team timeline because it's a low point in the show. Jane leaving Kurt, her missing daughter, all the lies Jeller told, and the cheating can stay in the past where it belongs. Let us never speak of it again.
Someone is setting off bombs in New York City because the team convicted the wrong person for the Williamsburg bombings. The new bomber will continue wreaking havoc until the FBI confesses to framing Lily Terrace. Anyone else thinks it's a little wonky to prove someone is not a bomber by bombing? That's criminals for you, I guess.
First, a little background on the case: Lily's family owned a mom and pop grocery shop until Swift Shop, the Blindspot version of Instacart, put them out of business. Lily bombed customers who once purchased from the family grocery store but then switched to Swift Shop. Her mother was dying of cancer and they were essentially going out of business. So Lily embraced the rage.
The problem is the FBI only had circumstantial evidence against Lily. This is the first case they brought Rich in to help and he found doorbell camera footage of Lily delivering the bomb. However, Patterson discovers the footage was doctored. The date stamp was changed to put Lily there at the time of the bombing, but in reality she was just delivering groceries. The fact Patterson cannot be fooled is why she the Han Solo to Rich's Chewie.
Before we get into the doctored footage, we need to discuss the massive Fifth Amendment violations in this episode. They are enormously egregious and it took me right out of the episode. Lily immediately asks for her lawyer, but Kurt and Zapata continue to question her. Zapata coerces Lily into confessing by telling her Reade will make sure she can be at her mother's deathbed.
FIRST OF ALL, the minute a suspect asks for an attorney, the interview is done. Finished. Do not pass "go." Anything the agents ask after that moment is inadmissible.
If Lily voluntarily restarted the conversation without prompting then Kurt and Zapata could have started questioning her again. Suspects can make basic requests — such as for food or using the bathroom — but the minute he/she starts discussing the crime voluntarily, the police can begin questioning again. However, all the suspect has to do to stop the questioning is reassert their right to remain silent and ask for an attorney. Then it's game over again for the cops. Is everyone very clear on Miranda rights now? THIS IS IMPORTANT. If you are ever arrested, zip it and wait for your lawyer.
Lily asks for a lawyer. Zapata and Kurt want to chat while they wait. Lily reiterates she won't answer any of their questions. Zapata and Kurt continue to question her. Then Zapata tells Lily she will never see her mother again unless she confesses.
This entire scene is ludicrous. Forget about the doctored tape: there isn't a judge on the planet that would allow this confession into evidence. Lily asked for a lawyer, reiterated her right to remain silent, and they kept asking questions! Hirst remarks while watching the interrogation that it's borderline coercion. It isn't borderline anything. IT'S COERCION.
I hate it when Blindspot expects us to be stupid in order for a plot to work. Don't be stupid, my friends. Know your rights.
The team members are idiots in the episode too. The only team members who could have doctored the footage are Reade, Zapata, Hirst, Stuart and Weitz. Gee, I wonder who it could be? First, they accuse Rich of doctoring the tape so he could get a job at the FBI. Sure, because the FBI typically offers employment to convicted criminals for helping them. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I was righteously indignant on Rich's behalf. He's earned more loyalty than this.
They settle on Stuart (the dead man), but wrack their brains to figure out who could have helped him. It couldn't be the acting director of the FBI, who was a U.S. attorney at the time, and completely morally repugnant? I just want to smack everyone in this episode. I'm gone for a year and they turn stupid on me.
Of course, it was Weitz; and the length of time it takes Kurt and Jane to figure this out is just embarrassing. He has to go to Eleanor Hirst (another blast from the past) and make a deal to obtain completely obvious information. Stuart confessed to Hirst that Weitz convinced him to doctor the footage, so there was evidence to go with the completely illegal confession. Kurt gets Hirst some more comfortable accommodations and she tells him about Weitz. Kurt Weller, why are you a dummy?
As far as a suspect for the new bomber goes, the team decides it is Lily's father, Albert Terrace. He's a science teacher and some chemicals that can be used to make a bomb are missing from the school pool. It's the investigate equivalent of "TA-DA!"
Weitz refuses to admit to the doctored footage publicly despite Reade's protests. Albert Terrace ends up in a stand off with local police. Weitz has him killed by a drone rather than risk the team in an attempt to arrest him.
Kurt and Jane are horrified at this decision, but Reade and Zapata are fine using the drone. Umm... okay? So, the FBI is just going to kill people they suspect of murder without the bother of due process? YIKES. This episode is wildly disconcerting in terms of defendant's rights. There's a reason we have a trials, people!
Everyone believes Lily is guilty because of the signed confessions regardless of the doctored footage. Sure, because innocent people never confess to crimes they didn't commit. Has anyone on this show ever watched Dateline? Good grief. Regardless of Lily's guilt or innocence, the new bomber is right. Team Blindspot did not obtain her conviction legally.
No one arrests Albert Terrace either. No one asks him any questions or even puts eyes on the man. He's just blown up in a house by a drone.
Jane shakes her fist at the sky because "government corruption!" and rails about this behavior being the reason she was loyal to her kooky mother and Sandstorm. Jane makes some good points but on the other hand, most people don't join terrorist groups when the government breaks the law. We're bouncing from one extreme to the next. For the love of all that is holy, can someone find the middle ground? That's where the sane people live.
Weitz receives a phone call from the real bomber. No, it wasn't Albert Terrace after all. He was just a patsy Madeline Burke's henchman Dominic Masters set up. Now Dominic has something to hold over Weitz and will be expecting favors in return. Honestly, Weitz is the worst and already corrupt. They really didn't need to go through this whole bombing escapade to get him to work for Madeline Burke.
TEAM BLINDSPOT
Zapata is back, but is she really? There was tension between her and Reade before she left and there's tension now that she's back. Zapata left for the CIA because Reade didn't have trust in his team and was holding her back from the field. He also refused to admit he was in love with her.
Reade wouldn't give Zapata a reason to stay even when she asked for one because he knew she was unhappy and didn't want to hold her back. At least they are consistently idiotic in their personal life as well as their professional lives. If we're doing stupid then let's just be stupid across the board.
The two admit they are not good at discussing their feelings. This is like saying I'm not good at nuclear physics. Reade wonders if Tasha would've stayed if he had asked her too. Yes, you moron, because she's in love with you and you're in love with her. None of you are allowed to make decisions without me because you're terrible at it.
Tasha said it would've made a difference in the moment (that's code for Jennifer is right) but she would have ended up at the CIA eventually because she's all dark and twisty. Well, that was about twenty seconds of honesty before we landed right back in Idiotville. I understand this is where Zapata and Reade are most comfortable. They've put down roots there, but I'd like to move them to Deliriously Happyville.
Reade ultimately welcomes Zapata back to the team with no grudges, and promises to have her back with the CIA. It's a small step on their road to reunion, but it is better than nothing.
KURT AND JANE
How did Kurt and Jane become the anchor couple on Blindspot? When did that happen? I should just stop asking questions and take the win. They play marriage counselor for Reade and Zapata most of the episode. Kurt tells Reade to stop pouting and decide whether Tasha is part of the team or not. I'm always here for Kurt telling Reade he's being a pain because it is his usual M.O. and it's exhausting.
Zapata is really sad she doesn't have a locker anymore and it's the cutest, which launches Jane advising her reentry onto Team Blindspot. Zapata is mostly worried Reade will never accept her again (or tell her he loves her) and doesn't know if she can be part of the team anymore. Jane reminds Tasha about the time she was a secret terrorist planning the destruction of the United States government and everyone is cool with her now. If they can get over that then surely they can forgive Tasha. It just takes time.
This is laugh-out-loud ridiculousness in any normal circumstances, but it's Blindspot and nobody really cares that Jane was a terrorist. That said, there's literally no one on this show who can be ticked about people lying. They all lie all the time.
At least Kurt and Jane are in a healthy place and can admit lying is bad for their relationship. DO YOU THINK SO, CHILDREN? I'VE ONLY BEEN SAYING THAT FOR FOUR YEARS. I AM GLAD YOU FINALLY GOT ON BOARD.
All right, I might be a little ticked off about all the lying still.
Kurt threatens to expose Weitz, but he in turn threatens to expose Jane's terrorist past. This is a bad move on Weitz's part because he activates Kurt Weller's Wifey Protection Mode. There is no off button. He's just gonna go go go go go.
That's not to say Jeller has not grown older and wiser. They decide to have a nice glass of wine and talk about how great their relationship is before they take down Weitz. Personal and work like balance is extremely important. Cheers, kids.
We probably would've gotten a love scene if Patterson hadn't knocked on the door. Darn it, Patterson! She solved the puzzle piece Shepherd left Jane in her will. It's a key which Patterson created off a 3-D printer. Now that Jane has all her memories back she knows exactly where the key is to, but we have to tune in next week to find out.
Stray Thoughts:
- "Remi, part of me understands him." Are we really doing that? It's all Jane; we don't have to differentiate like she has split personality disorder. I'd also like to remind her that she did a lot of awful things as Jane too.
- "Anyone else get a Walter White vibe from this guy?"
- How is Tasha not dead after being bashed in the head like that?
- "Who's the hot plate of sweet potatoes?" HAHAHA. I'm using that line on my husband someday just to see his reaction.
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