The Invisible Hand

"The Invisible Hand"

Season 5, Episode 13

Episode Information

Air date

February 7, 2018

Directed by

Andrew McCarthy

Written by

Jonathan Shapiro
Lukas Reiter

Episode Chronology

Previous	Next
“The Cook”	“Mr. Raleigh Sinclair III”

“The Invisible Hand” is the thirteenth episode of Season 5 of The Blacklist and the one hundred and second episode overall.

Synopsis[]

Liz receives Tom's personal effects back from the detective who knows that she killed Navarro but needs to prove it. In the effects, Liz finds Tom's keys to his briefcase and she goes into storage to get said item and opens it to find his gun and notebook with the name Oleandar and a postcard from the Oleandar Hotel.

Tim Gorman, a CEO of a low cost firearm manufacturing company, is murdered by the Invisible hand. His body is found by a group of teenagers in the city of Brenford. The city was known for the Atria Chemical Corporation who dumped toxins causing the EPA to declare 10 square miles uninhabitable causing the city to become a ghost town.

Ressler and Navabi go to the site wearing gas masks with a State Police Forensics officer saying there might be more bodies.

The 5 members of the Invisible Hand are nervous about the police finding their dumping ground, until the leader of the group shows them a file of Anna Hopkins and they vote to kill her.

The officer tells Ressler and Navabi that the victims were put in ground conscious and knowing what was going on. He informs them so far the bodies found at the dumping site are Tim Gorman, Ralph Ellis who worked at Ace Gen Pharmaceuticals who overpriced cancer medications so the poor couldn't afford them, Edward Waybur who was a retired judge, and David Flynn, a laywer from Philly.

The Mailman calls in Red and Dembe because he thinks someone is out to kill him. The Mailman needed money and had covered his coworker's route and stole a drug package of cocaine. The next day he gets a visit by a man named Big Willie Wilkins who wants his package which the Mailman lies and said it was stolen by a rival drug dealer, Momo Marinello. Now Momo knows that the Mailman blamed him and both Momo and Big Willie is out to kill him. Red asks why he needed the money, the Mailman embarrassed explains he's dating a women out of his league and he needed the money to get liposculpture.

At Anna Hopkin's office, one of the Invisible Hand members is posing as a journalist.

At the taskforce, Aram found a picture of one of the members.

Liz asks for help from Harold Cooper and he made some calls and informs her that Oleandar is the name of a Russian operative active in the Cold War and that he might be in the US living under an assumed name. He then warns her that the man is dangerous and to be careful.

Liz then shows up at Oleandar's house, also known as Dominic Wilkinson to ask him some questions. He is surprised but his face briefly shows a bit of joy but feigns that he knows her.

Red and the Mailman go to a candy factor to meet Big Willie Wilkins, to the latter's disbelief. Red tells him the truth and that the Mailman will pay him back and to call off the search of Momo which Big Willie then shows them that his men have already dismembered Momo.

The taskforces finds out that Edward Waybur used to be a judge in Brenford and David Flynn used to be the general counsel of the Atria Co. Judge Waybur sealed the case and they find one of the plaintiffs is Stephen Altman, the mystery member found in the picture. Altman's parents died from cancer caused by the chemical spills and that he is essentially a ghost but they hypothetize he may have moved backed to Brenford.

Wilkinson asks Liz why she would want to visit a retired systems analyst like him and she tells him she knows he's really Oleander and that the CIA investigated him. He said he was cleared but she said only because the CIA doesn't have enough evidence. Liz tells him that her husband was murdered which made him sympathetic. He said he was not an agent and he just worked as a systems analyst in the Russian government and with Russian intelligence primarily for agriculture and he came to the US to teach analytics and was granted asylum and citizenship. He changed his name to start over. He kind of alludes that her eyes remind him of 'someone'. She asks if he knew Katarina Rostova which makes him pause and that he knew her quite well.

Red tells Big Willie that he should have showed restraint and not killed Momo which causes him to angrily point the gun at the Mailman. Cars show up outside the factory which Red says that Big Willie started a drug war. A shootout occurs and the Mailman gets shot with Red and Dembe carrying out.

Ressler, Navabi, and agents show up at Stephen Altman's house. They missed him but they find that he was tracking someone.

Aram was able to decode the information and found Altman's target on the 17th floor at the Braxton Hotel.

Liz tells Wilkinson that she is Masha which he jovially says that's why she reminded him of someone. Liz asks if they were friends which he deflects and says that he saw Liz once with Katarina. She asks if he knew Reddington and he says he doesn't want to talk about her. She asked if he thinks Katarina is alive and he replies that people would keep such information a secret.

Aram finds out who the target it, Anna Hopkins executive vice president of Optimize, and is targeted because she used to be a senior executive who was in charge of the chemical spill.

Stephen Altman is posing as a mail courier but Hopkins finds him suspicious and calls security. Two security officers arrive to take him away and as she opened the door for one of officers, it shows that it is actually the other two male members of the Invisible Hand. They tase her and carry her off running before the real security team arrives. Outside of the hotel, Ressler and Navabi see the group taking her and a shootout begins with one of them hit and two of them leaving with Hopkins. With two members killed and the third member still hiding behind a car. She gets captured and in the van Stephen Altman reveals why everything was happening.

The captured member, Sophia, reveals the other team members are her best friends and that they were originally only killing those tied to the Atria Co. After killing the first two, Stephen said they had to keep going since they were already killers and they owe it to themselves and the other victims. She says Stephen has the same bone cancer that killed everyone's parents and that they are going to bury Hopkins at the site like all the others. Sophia knows where they will bury her because they already dug the grave.

At the site, the wounded member, Bobby, asks Stephen how the FBI knew they were going to be there and Stephen revealed that his house was raided which made the other question why he didn't tell them before because they would have called it off. Stephen retorts that's why he didn't tell them and they finally got Anna Hopkins. Bobby says he only acted that way because he's dying but the other members have kids and families to live for. Bobby sits down holding his stomach wound saying to finish what they started.

Red is in a diner in a meeting with Big Willie. Red wants information on the Nash Syndicate. Big Willie says according to the rumors the Nash Syndicate is protected by the cops.

Stephen Altman finished burying Hopkins but Ressler runs after him and catches him. Navabi digs her out and resuscitates her.

Stephen is proud of what the Invisible Hand did. He talks about how they started out and his nose starts to bleed and Ressler handed him a napkin.

Wilkinson calls Red to inform her that Liz was there looking for Oleander and that she doesn't know that he really is Oleander and Wilkinson is upset that he couldn't even tell his own granddaughter who he is and told Red to tell her the truth which he hangs up on.

Red goes to the hospital the visit Bobby. Red says he wants the Toymaker and that he worked for the Invisible Hand building them some surveillance equipment and Red threatens him if he doesn't cooperate.

Red and Liz goes into a building of a Mr. Cleveland Bandicott, the Toymaker. Cleveland knows who Red is and is terrified. Liz shows him the glass eye and says the Toymaker built it for Navarro. He says he doesn't know who that is but that someone came in with specs and that he built him the most advanced counter-surveillance gear and that the guy might be a cop.

Red goes one of the underground doctor's facilities bringing a balloon for Anthony, the Mailman. Red had gotten him the liposculpture since he had to get a bullet out either way.

Liz returns to the taskforce because she needs a badge again and needs her friends to help her bring Tom's killer to justice.

The Detective is in her apartment calling Tom's killer saying Liz might be an issue and it shows the killer has a U.S. Marshall's badge.

Press Release[]

When bodies are discovered in abandoned woods, Red points the Task Force toward The Invisible Hand, a group that targets those whose actions are morally reprehensible yet fully legal. Meanwhile, Red steps in to assist one of his employees, and Liz discovers a major clue about Tom's investigation.

Number on The Blacklist[]

63

Unanswered Questions[]

The reference to the “white whale” is similiar to what Red said in “Pilot”.
Raymond Reddington
1. Why does Red want to attack the Nash syndicate?
  1. A: Gaining market share.
Invisible Hand
1. How was Stephen Altman generating electricity?
  1. A: Generator.
Samar Navabi
1. What was the deal/threat that Samar offered to Sophia?
Ian Garvey
1. Ian’s badge indicates that he is in the United States Marshals Service.
2. Why is the legend/myth of Katarina Rostova so powerful that her legacy holds such influence and/or sway?
Why did Dominic Wilkinson call Red? In previous episodes he stated that he despised Red.
1. A: He called Red to warn him that Liz is getting closer to the truth. Dominic also warned him to stop being evasive and tell her the truth about what he did. As much as Dominic despised him, he has shown he does care for Red.
Why did Anna Hopkins call the hotel desk?
1. A: It is generally considered a good idea to check with hotel security before opening the door for anyone you were not expecting.
Why did the Cleveland Bandicott know that Garvey was a police officer based on his technical knowledge?
1. A: He met Navarro and Garvey who asked him to create a state of the art tracker in the glass eye for Navarro.
2. Q: Not everybody who works in law enforcement is an expert in surveillance equipment.
3. A: People with a deep understanding of surveillance equipment broadly fall into 3 categories: those who develop and build it, those who deploy it (espionage/intelligence, police), and hackers.