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Monarch Douglas Bank” is the second episode of Season 2 of The Blacklist and the twenty fourth episode overall. It aired on September 29, 2014 on NBC.

Synopsis[]

A team of disguised gunmen rob the Warsaw branch of Monarch Douglas Bank, patronized by the world's most nefarious criminals.

While Raymond Reddington continues his search for Naomi Hyland, Naomi has a molar removed, which is dispatched to Red in a jewel box. Red directs Elizabeth Keen to Monarch Douglas, which is under FBI jurisdiction, since it's headquartered in the U.S.

Although nothing seems to have been stolen, the FBI believes the records of criminal transactions must have been the robbers' target. Liz and Donald Ressler head to Poland, unaware that Samar Navabi is tracking their every move under Red's orders. In Poland, the agents are met by Agent Paul Salerno and bank EVP Matthew Strickland, who claim that 400,000 dollars was stolen. The initial bank report was wrong.

Milos Kirchoff calls Strickland, who's waiting on a cargo delivery from Mogadishu. He orders Strickland to meet him in New York to make things right. Strickland assures Milos Kirchoff that his assets are protected by The Formula; he needs to be patient.

After analyzing surveillance footage from outside the bank, the FBI deduces that the robbery was in fact the kidnapping of bank employee Kaja Tomczak, whose bank-owned apartment is rigged with cameras. The destroyed getaway van reveals but one clue, a blob jelly material which Red recognizes as a particular accelerant sold by Polish arms dealer and bakery owner Kassia. Red tells Kassia that thieves will be found and she will be implicated unless she tells Red where they are.

A team led by Liz and Ressler leads them to Tomczak, who was attempting to flee the country. Harold Cooper dispatches them to a safe house, but Kaja knows that if the cops know where she is, so does Strickland. Kaja tells Ressler that she has hyperthymesia, a photographic memory that allows Kaja to store all the bank's transaction records in her mind. Salerno turns on Ressler and Keen after they refuse to turn Kaja over to authorities. Samar intervenes, saving Liz, Ressler, and Kaja from a tactical team sent to capture Kaja. While Liz, Ressler, and Kaja escape authorities, Red tells Liz via phone to get to his old friend Kaspar Dubicki, who creates a diversion with a car bomb. Liz and Ressler load Kaja onto an old boxcar, which starts rolling. Kaja offers a dying declaration: Gonzalez Cargo, account number 924386. Shortly after Kaja's declaration, the boxcar is stopped by Red. Red sends Kaja to his jet, and offers Liz and Ressler first-class tickets home, then calls Milos Kirchoff to arrange a meeting at Coney Island. Red claims they have a common enemy, whoever told Milos Kirchoff that Red killed his daughter. Moreover, Red has Kaja and all of Milos Kirchoff's money, which he can have back in exchange for Naomi. Milos Kirchoff agrees, with a veiled warning: Red is blinded by his passion for Liz.

Interrogating Red's manicurist, Rosa Heredia, a former trauma surgeon, Liz finds Kaja and calls Red with news that she's frozen the escrow accounts where he's placed Milos Kirchoff's cash. Red refuses to call off the deal, forcing Liz to change her mind, and Dembe Zuma trades the escrow account codes for Naomi, then drives her off into the night.

Back at the FBI, Reven Wright tells Cooper to whitewash the case, and to give her all the Monarch account information stored in Kaja's head. The next day, Cooper meets Samar in a park to review her file on Reddington; Samar then phones Reddington to tell him that “[she's] in”.

Press Release[]

THE NEXT TARGET ON THE BLACKLIST IS AN UNTRUSTWORTHY BANK – When the Monarch Douglas Bank is robbed, Red seizes the opportunity to try and take the money-laundering bank down. Liz questions Red’s intentions as she investigates the crime. Meanwhile, a new member joins Cooper’s taskforce after impressing everyone on the team.

Number on The Blacklist[]

  • 112

Unanswered Questions[]

  1. This episode seemed to be a reference to the real life banks that are involved in money laundering for various black market organizations.
  2. Monarch Douglas Bank
    1. The security seemed weak for the bank’s central black market operations center.
      1. A: Heavy security might draw unwanted attention to what was supposed to be a minor branch.
    2. How many of the bank’s clients will be arrested? Raymond Reddington will save his clients and Deputy Attorney General Reven Wright told Cooper to whitewash the official FBI report concerning the slush fund.
  3. FBI
    1. The situation seems to be the FBI vs the FBI vs Mossad.
    2. Why did Paul Salerno attack Elizabeth Keen? Since the FBI was using the bank, then the FBI could have overruled Harold Cooper.
    3. Why did the FBI need to use the Monarch Douglas Bank? Using a criminal’s bank defeats the purpose of fighting crime. Cooper is already wary of using Red.
      1. A: The are numerous banks, such as the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, that are used to launder cash for government bureaus.
  4. Elizabeth Keen
    1. Keen’s actions showed a personal concern for Red. She knows that criminals and terrorists can easily find other sources of financing.
    2. Keen's actions allow Red to exploit her indecisiveness about Milos Kirchoff's bank accounts.
    3. How did Keen un-freeze the accounts? Cooper must have been involved.
  5. Raymond Reddington
    1. What would have happened to Kaja Tomczak (“Formula”/“Ledger”) if Liz had not found Rosa Heredia?
      1. A: Red would have struck a deal for her to use her valuable talent of hyperthymesia in his service instead.
    2. In addition to Milos Kirchoff's accounts, did Red steal any other accounts?
    3. What did Red offer Samar Navabi to work for him? She seems to be Meera Malik’s replacement. Is she a real Mossad agent, ex-agent, or a rogue agent?
    4. Why did Red have no other doctors available than Rosa Heredia?
    5. What is Red’s deal concerning the copper mine?
    6. Why was Red unable to forge counterfeit bank accounts?
    7. Why did Red let Milos Kirchoff live at the trade?
      1. A: In “The Scimitar”, Red says he needs Kirchoff alive in order to resolve the Alan Fitch scheme that led to the Red-Berlin war.
    8. Why did Red not arrange for a FBI ambush after the trade? Such as the arrests seen in “Wujing” and “General Ludd”. After using a Blacklister for his own objectives, he then allows the FBI to arrest or kill them.
      1. A: After their conversation at the amusement park, Red realised that Milos Kirchoff was being used by an unknown party to attack Red, and so Red is going to use Milos Kirchoff to uncover the identity of his true enemy.
  6. Harold Cooper
    1. What will Cooper do know that he knows that the FBI is keeping secrets from him that could interfere with other Blacklist operations?
    2. What was in the file Samar Navabi showed Cooper?
    3. Why did Cooper believe Ressler’s accusation about Red using the FBI to find the Kaja Tomczak (“Formula”/“Ledger”) for himself. He went to Red for help in the extraction for Ressler and Liz.
  7. Donald Ressler
    1. Why did Ressler automatically show suspicion about Red when he took the Kaja Tomczak (“Formula”/“Ledger”)? He knows that Red is manipulating the FBI.
    2. What is wrong with Donald Ressler? His slow reaction time and the pills indicate a personal problem.
      1. A: Ressler has an addiction to painkiller medication, revealed in “The Mombasa Cartel” when Liz discovered prescriptions in Skye's home she shares with her sons and later confronted him about them. He is still going through the trauma of losing Audrey Bidwell and Jonica's betrayal in Mako Tanida, which lead to his slower reaction time. This has been intensified by the death of Meera Malik.
  8. Kathryn Nemec
    1. Who was Red interrogating?
    2. Nemec showed personal concern for Red. What is their history?
  9. Milos Kirchoff
    1. Why did Milos Kirchoff need to build a black market organization that supplies terrorist organizations?
    2. Why did Milos Kirchoff let Red live at the trade?
      1. A: He appeared to not want Red dead, he wants him to suffer.
  10. Kaja Tomczak (“Formula”/“Ledger”)
    1. What was the significance of her “dying declaration”: Gonzalez Cargo, account number 924386?
    2. Why did her status change from employee to prisoner?
    3. Why did she stage the extraction at the bank? Was it a decoy manuever?
  11. Bank thieves
    1. What did the thieves throw on the floor of the bank?
    2. Why did the thieves fail to burn the van? The robbery/kidnapping/extraction was perfect.
  12. Kassia, the bakery owner
    1. How did Kassia know the thieves location? Did she deliver the jelly doughnuts herself?
    2. Why is a flammable ingredient used in doughnuts? That is not practicing food safety.
      1. A: If they are using an extract it may have alcohol in it.
      2. A: The Polish Paczki, which is similar to a doughnut, uses grain alcohol (such as Rectified spirit) as an ingredient.
  13. Poland
    1. Why where there so many American English accents used by the police in Poland?
    2. How many of the Polish police were corrupt? Many were certainly told it was a fugitive hunt.
      1. A: Maybe none, since the FBI resident officer, supplying the information, was corrupt.
    3. How did Liz and Ressler escape Poland? First class travel does not allow the traveller to evade police checkpoints at the airport.
      1. A: Diplomatic Immunity does.
      2. Q: FBI agents are not diplomats. If they had immunity then they would not have needed Red for the escape.
      3. A: Temporary immunity can be arranged quickly, especially if it prevents embarrassment to both governments.
  14. What is an “unsub”?
    1. A: An “unsub” is a term used by law enforcement to describe an “unknown subject”.
  15. Why do banks use military terminology? Milos Kirchoff questioned/mocked the practice.
  16. How did Naomi Hyland’s daughter evade the United States Marshals Service? Who is her daughter? If the idea is that Red is Liz's father than what does Naomi and her daughter have to do with it, other than being of some importance to Red.
    1. A: Naomi was Red's wife at one point, but after the attack in 1990 they divorced. Jennifer could actually be Milos Kirchoff's daughter presumed to have died at the hands of Stanley R. Kornish in “The Stewmaker”. She has been revealed to be alive in “The Front” when Red went to look for Jennifer and discovered her alias, Zoe D'Antonio. In “The Scimitar”, he brings Zoe to Milos Kirchoff to prove to him that Red had nothing to do with this and someone had lied to Milos. This was confirmed to be Alan Fitch in “The Decembrist”.
    2. A: In “Zarak Mosadek”, it's revealed that Ian Garvey placed Jennifer into witness protection because of Red's history of abuse to her and Naomi. She is also revealed to be Liz's older half-sister.

Slanders on the FBI[]

  1. As the FBI were funding their secret operations through the bank, why were more agents not assigned to Warsaw?
    1. A: The whole operation seemed to function as a “security through obscurity” sort of thing. Having more agents there might have even increased the likelihood that someone would figure out they were protecting interests there.

Cast[]

Main star[]

Guest star[]

Co-star[]

  • Lola Pashalinski as Apolonia
  • Raquel Almazan as Rosa Heredia
  • Richard D. Busser as Gunman One
  • Chris Kipiniak as Gunman Two
  • Michal Vondel as Point Man
  • Peter Rudzinski as Driver
  • Jakob Von Eichel as Doorman
  • Antoni Porowski as Lead Officer
  • Andrew Sellon as Henryk Worboliski
  • Edward Furs as Polish Man
  • Anthony Gallo as Red's Associate #1
  • Jonathan Lee as Red's Associate #2

Gallery[]

External Links[]


Season 2 Episodes
 · Lord Baltimore  · Monarch Douglas Bank  · Dr. James Covington  · Dr. Linus Creel  · The Front  · The Mombasa Cartel  · The Scimitar  · The Decembrist  · Luther Braxton  · Luther Braxton: Conclusion  · Ruslan Denisov  · The Kenyon Family  · The Deer Hunter  · T. Earl King VI  · The Major  · Tom Keen  · The Longevity Initiative  · Vanessa Cruz  · Leonard Caul  · Quon Zhang  · Karakurt  · Tom Connolly  ·
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