Ruslan Denisov

Template:Episode S2

"Ruslan Denisov" is the eleventh episode of Season 2 of The Blacklist and the thirty third episode overall. It is scheduled to air on February 12, 2015 on NBC.

Press Release

AN ABDUCTION MOGUL KNOWN AS "RUSLAN DENISOV" KIDNAPS AN UNDERCOVER AGENT – When an undercover CIA agent is kidnapped by a band of separatists in Uzbekistan, the task force sets a rescue mission in motion. Red informs Agents Keen and Ressler that they are up against "Ruslan Denisov,"  a very dangerous past associate.

Number on The Blacklist

• 67

Unanswered Questions

1. Was this episode a commentary on real-life American corporate and government policy?
   1. The CIA agent is sent to protect corporate interests.
   2. The CIA collaborates with the corporation to ensure that the local government remains under control.
2. Elizabeth Keen
   1. Keen’s anger should not last long considering her previous actions after the death of Sam Scott.
   2. How will Keen save her FBI career? She will need Red’s help since Cooper might not intervene to stop the police investigation.
   3. Keen told Ressler the truth about the harbormaster, that compromises Ressler. She also showed a lack of emotions when told that the harbormaster had a wife.
   4. Keen’s anger with Red was counterbalanced by her anger over the oil leak and CIA interference.
3. Raymond Reddington
   1. Why did Red act so familiar with Keen and Donald Ressler in front of Denisov’s guard?
   2. Why was Red certain that Anecca Oil would agree to leave Uzbekistan? If Denisov had killed Burke then his plan with the French oil company Savillion would have failed.
4. Harold Cooper
   1. Why did Cooper tell Arnold Heyworth the location of the compound after Red’s warning?
   2. Why did Cooper give Wilcox Keen’s phone number? She was in Uzbekistan.
   3. Cooper’s confrontation with Arnold Heyworth gives Cooper another incentive to leave the FBI and earned him an enemy that can find a way to retaliate. In “Babylon 5”, the heroes eventually suffered for their moral, but politically inconvenient, actions. The other similarity is the use of side-by-side action. Red described the milonga dance routine of negotiation while Kushan raided the compound. Other media such as “Flash Gordon” and “Capricorn One” used imagery where the dialogue contradicted the action.
5. Ruslan Denisov
   1. How did Denisov learn of Burke’s identity?
   2. Will Denisov go into politics? Red can supply numerous historical examples where the political actions proved more successful than the resistence/criminal actions.
   3. Did Denisov choose his victims based on the company’s record? Red said the Denisov would spend only a few years in prison. Red would only say that if the kidnapping victims represented corporations that had a negative public image and record.
   4. Why did Denisov fear a prison term? He has escaped arrest so far.
   5. Denisov’s actions are similar to an episode of “Burn Notice”. The villain takes action after a corporation refuses to solve a chemical spill. The villain lacks understanding about the endgame and the reality of corporate policies.
6. Anecca Oil
   1. Why did Anecca Oil build pipelines that leaked? In addition to anger/violence from the local population, oil leaks mean less money. In the book and film “The Wages of Fear” the United States based petroleum company takes action to repair the damaged pipeline since they are losing money.
   2. Why did Red and Denisov allow Anecca Oil to cover up the environmental damage? Where they afraid of a civil war?
7. Arnold Heyworth
   1. Why did Arnold Heyworth want Red dead?
      1. A: He wanted Ruslan dead. He wanted Red captured.
      2. Q: Why captured? Was it because of the Factory escape in "Luther Braxton Conclusion"?
      3. A: When Red was in the Factory, it was stated that they wanted information from Red.
   2. How credible is Cooper’s threat concerning prosecution? Arnold Heyworth can deny involvement and/or use legal loopholes to avoid prosecution.
      1. A: The threat of prosecution would be enough to end any career advancement for Heyworth.
   3. Why did the CIA and Anecca Oil have easily identifiable agents when Keen and Ressler landed? Ressler saw the Hugo Boss fashion and Keen recognized the CIA agents.
8. Kushan
   1. Was Kushan on Anecca Oil’s payroll?
   2. What will happen to Kushan?
9. Leonid Zhabin
   1. Was Zhabin named after Leonid Brezhnev?
   2. Why did Zhabin feel guilt over the pipeline leaks?
   3. Why did Zhabin fear a prison term? He could use bribery to avoid prison.
10. Aram Mojtabai
    1. Why was Aram unable to discover the technology of the Fulcrum? It is at least 20 years old.
       1. A: Many technological innovations over the past 20 years have proved to be dead ends, either beause they have been superseded or were expensive to commercially produce.
    2. Why did Aram Mojtabai make the comment about spies and religious cover identities? He should be more aware of black market reality. Samar Navabi responded with a comment about the religious conflicts in the Middle East.
11. Why was it suspicious that a priest (Burke) had a cell phone?

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External Links

• NBC.com
• NBC.com