Martin Gero brings the second season of Blindspot streaking out of the gate. “In Night so Ransomed Rogue” starts with Jane in a CIA blackspot, taken there after last season’s finale. Kurt has recovered from learning that his father did, in fact, kill Taylor Shaw and it is business as usual.
Jane has been tortured daily for three months and finally escapes as Zapata complains that she missed the tattoo investigations. A helicopter lands seconds after that admission and the team learn of Jane’s escape.
Nas Kamal, from the NSA, has a lead on Jane’s whereabouts and she wants Weller to bring her in. She explains about the organization that Jane worked for, Sandstorm, and that Jane was ready to turn against them.
This episode starts off the second season with a high octane chase that misdirects the viewer. Initially it looks like the bike rider may be Jane, but it is not. Meanwhile Jane’s captivity changes nothing for her, she relies on that mysterious special training to overcome her tormentors and escape.
There are trust issues and the team are split in their loyalties. Tasha, despite missing those tattoo missions does not really trust Jane. Reade, somewhat surprisingly, is a little more forgiving.
Zapata’s harsh feelings probably have more to do with her own betrayal than Jane’s.
Kurt and the team head to Camden, New Jersey to pick Jane up and bring her in. Weller and his former team member mix it up pretty well and Jane actually gets the better of him. Zapata comes in to save the day when she gets the drop on Jane.
Jane Doe is brought back in and she passes her MRI lie detector test with flying colours. Oscar killing Mayfair turned Jane against the organization and she is now ready to take them down.
Jane is not the only one harboring a grudge. Director Pellington is not on Weller’s good books either. Nas wants Jane to make contact with the big boss The Shepard. Jane insists that Kurt shoot her in the side so it looks convincing. She is supposed to have escaped from Cade, whom the team think they have already killed.
When Weller hesitates Tasha shoots Jane for him. The man Jane contacts is Roman, a familiar face who sorts out her wound and takes her to see The Shepard.
In one standout scene, the two get caught up in a DUI checkpoint. A suspicious cop triggers an attack from Roman that ends with a lot of dead policemen. He is as deadly as Jane.
Finally, the two meet with The Shepard. The woman reveals that Jane’s real parents were killed in South Africa and that she is now Jane’s mother. Roman is actually Jane’s biological brother.
The leader explains about Jane’s training, she and Roman were taught to be deadly killers when they were children, and that Jane’s real name is “Remi.”
Later, Jane and Kurt talk and he reveals that he really wanted her to be Taylor Shaw. Things are not quite as they were but it looks like he will accept Jane quicker than Zapata will.
The Shepard talks of a mole in the FBI and it looks like the organization have a missile, or rocket in their armory.
Blindspot has started off at a cracking pace. Things are a bit grim this season, but there was some room for a little comedy. Patterson telling Weller off for shouting as it was not helping her to code was brilliant.
When the mole is mentioned there are a number of faces shown to the viewer. Nas; the newest member of the team, the infinitely unlikable Pellington, Patterson, Dr. Borden (Ukweli Roach), Reade and of course Zapata, who has prior for playing undercover.
Martin Gero wrote and directed this episode and he knocked this one out of the park in terms of plot. This season of Blindspot looks to be even more revealing than season one.
The series airs Wednesdays on NBC. Do not miss this one.
CAST:
- Sullivan Stapleton – Kurt Weller
- Jaimie Alexander – Jane Doe
- Ashley Johnson – Patterson
- Rob Brown – Edgar Reade
- Audrey Esparza – Tasha Zapata
- Archie Panjabi – Nas Kamal
- Dylan Baker – FBI Director Pellington
- Luke Mitchell – Roman
