Berlin

"Berlin"
Season 1, Episode 21
Episode Information
Air date	May 5, 2014
Directed by	Michael Zinberg
Written by	John Eisendrath Jon Bokenkamp
Episode Chronology
Previous	“[[The Kingmaker ]]”
Next	“[[Berlin: Conclusion ]]”

"Berlin" is the twenty first episode of Season 1 of The Blacklist and the twenty first episode overall. It first aired on May 5, 2014 on NBC.

Press Release

Liz refuses to work with Red after discovering the truth about the death of her father. Seeking to make amends and force Liz to see him, Red brings the FBI a case they can’t ignore. Meanwhile, Liz reveals what she knows about Tom's secret life to the FBI.

Number on The Blacklist

• 8

Unanswered Questions

1. Borakove is contacted by Reddington.
   1. ”Arioch Cain”
   2. ”Berlin”
   3. ”The Alchemist”
2. Elizabeth Keen's actions show that Raymond Reddington has achieved a long-term victory.
   1. She would never have infected Nikolaus Vogel with the Cullen virus at the start of Season 1.
   2. Using the Cullen virus to force a confession will give Walter Gary Martin and/or Cooper more incentive to view her as a rogue agent.
   3. She attempted to help Red escape despite stating he had destroyed her life.
   4. She told Donald Ressler to view the Blacklist cases like a criminal. This is what Red has been training her for the entire season.
   5. Her emotional state was extreme for the entire episode, she either despised Red or aided him.
   6. Special Agent Walter Gary Martin implied that her position with Red had undermined her crediblity.
3. Milos Kirchoff and Alan Fitch
   1. Is the Cabal using Milos Kirchoff to destroy Fitch?
   2. If Raymond Reddington is imprisoned or killed then the blackmail evidence will be released.
   3. Does Milos Kirchoff have the ability to destroy the evidence?
      1. A: Definitely, although Milos Kirchoff may use Red's fail-deadly/fail-safe blackmail evidence to his advantage and force Fitch into an alliance with him.
   4. Is Fitch under pressure to destroy Red's syndicate and suffer the aftermath?
   5. The Cabal voted in "The Kingmaker" to abandon Red since some believed that the blackmail evidence was a bluff. Others feared Red more than exposure.
   6. Was sending Special Agent Walter Gary Martin an attempt to have Red assassinated in prison since the situation is nearly out of control?
4. Gina Zanetakos
   1. Why was Gina Zanetakos allowed to be in a work furlough? She is a terrorist for hire.
      1. A: That could have been part of her plea deal.
      2. A: It could have been arranged by Milos Kirchoff.
   2. Was Milos Kirchoff involved in the escape?
   3. Why was Liz not informed of Gina's escape?
      1. A: Liz is part of the Blacklist taskforce, not the anti-terrorism taskforce.
   4. Will Gina be contacted by Milos Kirchoff?
   5. Where can Gina go? Her risk level, identity, and personal identification (alias, fingerprints) can be placed on the wanted poster. Unlike Red ("The Judge"), her information is recent.
5. Milos Kirchoff
   1. Is Milos Kirchoff a convicted criminal? Using the prison transport may have been the easiest way to enter the country.
   2. Was Milos Kirchoff's escape a deliberate transfer? He was seen walking out of the prison casually. That implies he wanted to go to the United States and confront Red.
   3. Was the prison transport a real flight? Why would the Russian government send prisoners to the United States. Unlike the Illegals Program and Anna Chapman, there is no political reason.
6. Why is Liz so important to Red? What is the connection?
   1. A: Possibility is that Liz is Red's daughter which Milos Kirchoff now knows the truth. This may explain he waited to attack Red and his syndicate.
7. How severe is the damage to Red's syndicate? On the plane he told Dembe Zuma that the situation was not good.
8. Harold Cooper supported Liz despite his actions in "The Judge". Is he concerned with her life or the aftermath of the task force being shut down? His earlier behavior towards Special Agent Walter Gary Martin in "Madeline Pratt" was partly based on the fear of losing his authority.
9. How can the Cullen virus be so lethal that even studying it is too dangerous? Nikolaus Vogel manufactured his version in his house.
10. Why did Nikolaus Vogel work for Milos Kirchoff?
11. Why did Milos Kirchoff and Nikolaus Vogel resort to infecting people? They could have used bribery. Why use the Cullen virus? Other poisons work just as well without the extreme risk factor. Was it to gain publicity or send the message that they are invincible?
    1. A: Using Dr. Vogel to infect people with the Cullen virus was Milos Kirchoff's way to send a message to Red that even the FBI can't save him.
12. Why did Red not make the badge identity connection? Usually, Red tells Liz how to proceed.
13. Why did Red refuse to escape after Elizabeth Keen told him the immunity had been revoked? Does he fear Milos Kirchoff and see prison as a better option for survival?
14. Why would the FBI not put Red on trial? What is gained by keeping him imprisoned illegally?
    1. Red would be considered a "terrorist" by the government for selling secrets. Under the US Patriot act, he can be detained indefinately without a trial.
15. Will the Russian government be contacted for help?
    1. A: No
16. Did Dembe escape?
    1. A: He did and possibly went to Kathryn Nemec.
17. Why did Paul Blankenship refuse to follow orders and instead choose death?
18. Can Milos Kirchoff have something to do with the fire in Elizabeth's childhood?

Slanders on the FBI

• Why did the FBI storm the airport before the plane landed? Since they knew where the plane was going to land, then they could have locked down the airport and imposed strict identity requirements for anyone who wanted to leave. Since they were able to have the United States Navy shoot down the plane, why was there no FBI air support?

Cast

Main star

• James Spader as Raymond Reddington
• Megan Boone as Elizabeth Keen
• Diego Klattenhoff as Donald Ressler
• Ryan Eggold as Tom Keen
• Parminder Nagra as Meera Malik
• Harry Lennix as Harold Cooper

Guest star

• John Glover as Dr. Bruce Sanders
• Hisham Tawfiq as Dembe Zuma
• Amir Arison as Aram Mojtabai
• Brennan Brown as Dr. Nikolaus Vogel
• Geraldine Hughes as Dr. Nina Buckner
• Jason Butler Harner as Walter Gary Martin
• Victor Cruz as Paul Blankenship
• Elizabeth Ward Land as Monique Shaw

Co-star

• Peter Stormare as Milos Kirchoff
• Trish McCall as Amanda Blankenship
• Fenton Lawless as David Klein
• Lolita Brinkley as Emaa Toll, Maintenance Woman
• Yevgeniy Dekhtyar as Dimitri Federov, Pilot
• Bill Cwikowski as Edgar Pivens, Retiree
• Gerard Ender as Electrician
• Moti Margolin as Co-Pilot
• Wayne Maugans as Jesse, Man in the Ballcap
• Brett Smith as Security Guard
• Robert Arthur Wilson as Business Man
• Erica Newhouse as Female Banker
• Toni D'Antonio as Female EMT
• Danae Nason as Mother at Bank
• Tom Titone as Interrogator #1
• Karen Pittman as Interrogator #2
• Otoja Abit as Lead Commando
• Erik Frandsen as Chechen
• Eyas Younis as Syrian
• Roman Blat as Serbian
• Juan Carlos Hernández as Ceasar Bico
• John Sharian as Dimitri

Gallery

Vogel

Vogel

External Links

• NBC.com
• NBC.com