Warning: spoilers ahead for Episode 14 of The Blacklist Season 8 on NBC, called "Misere," and light spoilers for the previews of next week's episode.
The Blacklist finally brought back Liz Keen after a surprisingly long absence, and "Misere" made it clear that Liz wasn't just sitting around and stewing during her time off-screen. Time away didn't soften her heart toward Red after he killed her mother, and the episode made it pretty clear who the powerful enemy is that Liz aligned with to advance her goals. The retrospective nature of the episode meant that viewers could see her side of the story, but that doesn't mean everybody will be on her side. And based on what has been revealed about the next episode, her loyalties will be tested, and all because of that new alignment.
Liz has joined forces with Neville Townsend, of all people, despite the fact that Townsend spent three decades hunting Katarina, and the whole reason Liz went rogue to go to war with Red was because of what Red did to her mother. Believing that they have a common enemy in Red and that's what takes the priority at this point, Liz plans to take down Red with Townsend's help no matter what... or so it seems, anyway. This is The Blacklist, after all. Even interpretations are up to interpretation when it comes to this mysterious show. So, where do Liz's true loyalties lie?
Based on the episode description for the next installment, called "The Russian Knot," it seems that I'm not the only one wondering that about Liz. According to the description, here's what's on the way:
The Task Force hatches a plan to steal a Soviet-era cipher machine needed to decrypt coded messages. Townsend puts Liz's loyalty to the test. Red and Dembe are called to an unexpected meeting.
Townsend will apparently test Liz's loyalty in "The Russian Knot," which I can imagine she won't be thrilled about after the events of "Misere." At this same time, a test of loyalty from Townsend isn't all that surprising, based on what The Blacklist has revealed of him so far. Liz is playing a very dangerous game at this point, between Townsend, the Task Force, and Red, even if her dynamic with Red couldn't be much further away from what it was when they were at their best and before everything started spiraling downward.
And based on another source of information about "The Russian Knot," the Task Force isn't the only party who should have reason to want to get their hands on the cipher. Decrypting coded messages is one thing; possibly revealing the long-buried secrets (which could be buried even deeper down the line depending on Red's health) of Red's origin would be a very big deal.
I'm not altogether optimistic that The Blacklist will get to dropping huge and definitive details when the season hasn't hit its finale yet, and at least one more season is already guaranteed, but we can only wait and see. For now, check out the promo for the next episode:
See what happens when Townsend tests Liz's loyalty and the Task Force goes on the hunt for the cipher when the "The Russian Knot" episode of The Blacklist airs on Friday, April 3 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. For more of what's on the way to the small screen before spring turns into summer, be sure to check out our 2021 TV premiere schedule.
