'The Blacklist' Season 7 Episode 18: Fans call Liz 'dumb', hope [spoiler] betrays her again
Spoilers for 'The Blacklist' Season 7 Episode 18 'Roy Cain'
'The Blacklist' Season 7 Episode 18 see loyalties tested, and most of it has to be surrounding Raymond 'Red' Reddington (James Spader). Not as much Red's loyalty to those around him, but more of his loved one's loyalty towards him. And given the way things turned out, while fans are furious about Red's integrity being questioned with his closest allies picking others over him, they are also blaming Elizabeth 'Liz' Keene(Megan Boone) for being naive and trusting enough to side with her insidious mother, Katarina Rostova (Laila Robins). Fans are so fed up with Liz's tactics, they call her 'dumb' and want her to either die or have her mother flaking on her again as that would serve her right.
Right at the end of Episode 18, we see the much-awaited mother-daughter reunion between Liz and Katarina. It becomes obvious that the FBI agent has teamed up with the Russian spy to dig up dirt on Red, who somehow wants to hand Liz his entire criminal empire. Earlier in the episode, when Katarina was holding Dembe's Imam hostage, she blackmails Red's closest friend and ally into spilling Red's most personal secrets, and Dembe too, comes very, very close to doing that. In fact, he was ready to spill it all when the FBI busted into Katarina's hideout and she had to leave the venue with her henchmen. This whole game of trust and loyalty towards Red has fans furious, especially after that major health scare he had in Episode 16 of this season.
Taking it to Twitter, a fan asked: "What the hell does Red do to deserve everyone questioning loyalty to him? He takes care of everyone he cares about and knows without a thought." But rather than Dembe's dilemma between the Imam's life or Red's secret it is Liz's choice of sides she picked that has fans furious enough to write: "I've been long ready for Elizabeth & Katarina to die. Their storyline is boring. The Writers are disrespecting us with their arch. #Reddington & #Dembe can carry the series, along with the FBI Characters. #TeamReddington"
Other fans also noted how Liz isn't thinking rationally by siding with a woman who quite possibly isn't her real mom, and regardless of that has already betrayed her in the past. "How your mama gonna threaten you and you still on her side??" asked a fan, where another chimed in replying: "Cause Elizabeth is dumb and that ain’t really her mama." Tweets about how "Liz BETTER choose Red! "Katarina" is dangerous in a different kind of way. I don't think that woman has a heart. She's cold. VERY COLD!" were also very common. But in the end, it all resorted to fans praying Liz doesn't go down that dark path again, as they shared: "I think and sincerely hope that Liz doesn’t side with Katarina, she is going to have to look deep inside herself."
Fans are convinced Liz's choice will have consequences she will never be ready for. "By the looks of it, Liz is about to hit rock bottom again and I'm afraid this time it's going to be really hard on her," tweeted a fan.
Another viewer warned, "She's way too trusting of this alleged Katarina. Other people will suffer and she won't understand the consequences again."
But more than resentment towards her poor judgment, the emotion that resonates throughout the fandom is distaste towards her naivete. It has led fans to claim "Bet Katarina disappears again if she gets what she wants. Liz won't have her or Red. That would serve her right." And once again, fans feel Liz and Katarina are "Like mother, like daughter. Why doesn't Liz hold her crazy Mom to the same standard as Red? Once again I blame Liz for putting Dembe at odds with Red."
'The Blacklist' Season 7 airs on Fridays at 8 pm on NBC.