Mikes Film Talk

Things shift to the left in Blindspot: Erase Weary Youth.  The death of Patterson’s boyfriend keeps cropping up,  this week Olivia Delidio who was charged with being an accessory to his murder, knows of a mole in the New York office.  Delidio uses this information as a bargaining chip only to have the whole thing taken off the table by another Russian agent, her lawyer.

At a Federal hearing, the lawyer learns that Olivia has the name of the mole and she then murders the woman, rather messily, by shoving her head down the toilet. A security guard arrives and shoots the lawyer dead. The news of Delidio’s death reaches the office and Mayfair orders Weller to investigate, discretely to find the Russian Intelligence source in the bureau.

Mayfair’s internal investigation is interrupted by OPR head, Chief Inspector Fischer (John Hodgman) who comes in and sets up to find the mole. On the surface, it appears that Fischer is once again trying to take over Bethany’s job.

Later, however, it is revealed that the unpleasant man is attempting to cover something up with a hidden agenda that has little to do with taking the NYO top slot.

Patterson is seen working out, focussing on the physicality as a way to cope with David Wagner’s death, which she feels responsible for.  Once Fischer starts his investigations, he asks Patterson questions that zero in on his death.

The entire team, it seems, either have something to hide or have done things illegally.  Mayfair had Orion, Zapata has Carter, as does Taylor Shaw/Jane Doe. Of course Jane really is a mole, just not for the Russians.

There is a man at the Russian embassy who knows the face of the mole.  However, since Fischer has the place on lockdown it takes a long time to get the man in. The inspector already has a favorite suspect, Jane Doe.

Weller races to have the Russian identify the face of the mole while Fischer goes after the person he wanted all along, Jane/Taylor. (Jane is also a mole for another organization.)  After grilling everyone in the NYO, Fischer arrests Jane and carts her off to his offices.

As Taylor is led off by the police, Weller approaches the embassy man and gets the real name of the mole, Fischer.  Taylor’s  colleagues head out to release her before Fischer can either kill or bury her.

The cavalry arrives and Jane disarms her two guards  and then chases Fischer down and has to shoot the OPR inspector when he reaches for his gun.

This storyline continues the issue of Jane’s mistrust of her “new handler” the one who killed Carter and informed her, via that video message from herself, that she instigated everything.  It also showed just how little Reade, despite what was said to Fischer,  really does not trust Jane.

The end of the episode showed Zapata talking to the other “bugs” in her house and challenging the CIA to call her and her phone rings seconds afterward.  Reade and Mayfair both admit that Fischer’s circumstantial evidence is good enough to warrant looking into Jane a bit closer.

More interesting was Weller’s little “meltdown” where for one blazing moment he shows the real cost of being one of the FBI’s finest.  He shouts at his sister about how hard it is to keep everything and everyone one protected. (Sullivan Stapleton looked dangerously close to shedding a tear on top of all that frustration and it was damned impressive.)

Jane/Taylor walked from her “mole” position at the end, telling her enigmatic handler that she was done. The only person not accounted for was Patterson.

It has to be said that using practically the whole episode to make Fischer even more despicable than before was perfect.  There is no real surprise when he runs from Jane at the episode climax. It is also not shocking when he tries to draw his gun.  Major kudos to John Hodgman for his performance as the most unlikable man on the planet.

Blindspot has left the “tattoo-a-week” formula and while this was probably always in the game plan, it is refreshing.    The cracks in the team, Zapata, Reade, and Mayfair all either mistrust or have betrayed Alexander’s character. Only Weller and Patterson remain loyal to the woman that they really know nothing about.

While this show was mostly about moles, one Russian and one not,  the mystery of just who Jane Doe really is, as in what her backstory is and what is the real reason behind those tattoos, is being doled out a tiny flashback at a time.

Creator (Martin Gero) has brought a compelling story to the screen and it is filled with a capable cast and splendid writing. Blindspot airs Mondays on NBC.