Miss Rebecca Thrall

"Miss Rebecca Thrall"
Season 5, Episode 3
Episode Information
Air date	October 11, 2017
Directed by	Adam Weisinger
Written by	Jonathan Shapiro Taylor Martin
Episode Chronology
Previous	“Greyson Blaise”
Next	“The Endling”

“Miss Rebecca Thrall” is the third episode of Season 5 of The Blacklist and the ninety-second episode overall.

Press Release

While the Task Force investigates a series of suspicious police shootings, Agent Ressler is distracted by increasing external pressures. With his back up against the wall, Red drafts Tom in executing an elaborate plan to help re-establish his criminal reputation.

Number on The Blacklist

• 76

Unanswered Questions

1. Raymond Reddington
   1. What is the BLO?
      1. The Beltrán Leyva Organization, a Mexican drug cartel.
   2. How many more clients will come looking for Red?
2. Rebecca Thrall
   1. Why did Thrall not know about the bulletproof glass on the police car?
      1. A: Most police cars are not bullet resistant due to the cost.
   2. Will Waterday Financial be shut down?
   3. Why did Thrall use police officers for the contract killings?
      1. A: Around the time the episode came out, police shootings and brutality were commonplace and heavily controversial. This episode reflects this.
      2. A: The victims all had records detailing a pattern of behavior that would justify being killed by a police officer.
   4. Will the other contract assassins be arrested?
3. Donald Ressler
   1. Liz’s, Cooper’s, and Red’s conversations show the position that Ressler is trapped in.
   2. Ressler's statements on the police are hypocritical considering his past actions.
      1. A: He still has a strong moral code. He's never taken an innocent life and killed plenty of corrupt and evil people. His statement was more about cops killing innocent people.
   3. What is the background concerning the “poor man and red button” story?
      1. A: The story of “Button, Button”.
4. Harold Cooper
   1. How did Cooper know about the jet plane?
      1. A: A wanted weapons smuggler being arrested would be known.
5. Mitchell Hatley
   1. Mitchell Hatley’s ability to blackmail Ressler can backlash. As Red said in “Mr. Kaplan: Conclusion”, Mitchell Hatley’s career relies on his ability to avoid publicity.

Trivia

• The episode was a reference to corporate-owned life insurance.
• The Garrity warning (Garrity v. New Jersey) is the law enforcement version of the Kalkines warning (Kalkines v. United States) and the Miranda warning (Miranda v. Arizona).
• A thrall was a slave and/or serf during the Viking Age. It refers to her ability to enthrall the victim into committing the murder.
• Rebecca Thrall and Milton Bobbit (Character) used a variation of the same scheme.
  • Milton Bobbit
    • Used the terminally ill as the assassin.
    • Paid the family an insurance policy.
    • The mental illness explains the reason for the suicide and murder.
    • The case is closed as the assassin is dead.
    • The contractor uses company policy to evade detection.
  • Rebecca Thrall
    • Targeted the terminally ill so the corporation could collect on the corporate-owned life insurance.
    • Paid the police officer in a loan that is not repaid.
    • The mental illness explains the reason for the justified police shooting.
    • The case is closed as the assassin can use the law to their advantage.
    • The contractor secretly undermines the accuser and protects the assassin.

Cast

Main star

• James Spader as Raymond Reddington
• Megan Boone as Elizabeth Keen
• Diego Klattenhoff as Donald Ressler
• Ryan Eggold as Tom Keen
• Amir Arison as Aram Mojtabai
• Mozhan Marnò as Samar Navabi
• Hisham Tawfiq as Dembe Zuma
• Harry Lennix as Harold Cooper

Guest star

• Sarah Wynter as Rebecca Thrall
• Michael Aronov as Joe Putnum
• Aida Turturro as Heddie Hawkins
• Clark Middleton as Glen Carter
• Piter Marek as Dr. Nik Korpal
• James Carpinello as Henry Prescott
• Aaron Serotsky as Mr. Johnson
• Brian Wiles as Officer McGinnis
• James Moses Black as Adika Buhari
• Karl Miller as Pete McGee
• Nikiya Mathis as Jennifer
• Rebecca Harris as Mrs. Stansbury

Co-star

• Jay Ward as Officer Parker
• Jennifer Knox as Piper
• Ryan Jonze as Scott “Scottie” Stansbury
• Tom Brangle as Mr. Stansbury
• Julian Rozzell, Jr. as Robert Urwiller
• Bruce Smolanoff as Police Impound Clerk
• Raul Torres as Lead Thug
• Brian McCormack as Police Chief
• Janie Steele as Rhona
• Bernard Bygott as ATF Agent/Matthew McClintock
• Bari Hyman as Tupperware Lady

Gallery

External Links

• NBC.com
• NBC.com