The Blacklist Season 1 (1 Viewer)

[Hanson]

Did anybody see Peter Stormare in that hospital bed and NOT instantly realize that he was Berlin? You don't get an actor of his caliber and pedigree to play a prison guard in a hospital bed.

It was that plus when they were interrogating the other passengers, I had no confusion over who they were talking about when they said, "he cut his hand off". This was before they showed Stromare with a bloody stump. So the entire time the agents were talking to Stromare in the hospital bed, I was wondering why they didn't arrest him on the spot. I missed the part where they thought he was the guard.

 

[Sean Bryan]

Red as a party responsible for her family and his subsequent protection of Lizzy seems like a plausible theory, but I'm still leaving room for the possibility of Red being her father. Under the "Red's her father" theory, he's speaking figuratively when he says that her father died in the fire and that "he" is not her father. Lizzy having suspicions is one thing, but knowing for certain could lead her on a path Red doesn't want her to follow. And if the relationship got out she'd be in great danger from Red's enemies. But I also think Red being responsible for her family's death and protecting her out of guilt is also a good possibility.

 

[todd s]

Remember....Tom told Lizzie her father was still alive.

 

[Hanson]

Of course, Tom tells Lizzie her father is alive but doesn't divulge his identity. Which seems like the more important fact.

Such is The Blacklist.

 

[Jeffery_H]

Red as a party responsible for her family and his subsequent protection of Lizzy seems like a plausible theory, but I'm still leaving room for the possibility of Red being her father.Under the "Red's her father" theory, he's speaking figuratively when he says that her father died in the fire and that "he" is not her father. Lizzy having suspicions is one thing, but knowing for certain could lead her on a path Red doesn't want her to follow. And if the relationship got out she'd be in great danger from Red's enemies.But I also think Red being responsible for her family's death and protecting her out of guilt is also a good possibility.

I certainly think Red IS Lizzy's real Father. When he states that her Father died in that fire "of that I am certain", I feel pertains to what changed in his life that fateful night. He know the danger his family was in and barely escaped with Lizzy. He became the man he is now in order to protect Lizzy and work deep underground gaining intel and forging alliances of various types. Lizzy was raised by his closest friend that he knew would take Lizzy in and protect her, giving her the Father he could not be.

We are left with several questions about Red's past and what it all means. But, I am sure one thing he cares about and loves more than anyone or anything is Lizzy and that's for only one reason.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I certainly think Red IS Lizzy's real Father. When he states that her Father died in that fire "of that I am certain", I feel pertains to what changed in his life that fateful night. He know the danger his family was in and barely escaped with Lizzy. He became the man he is now in order to protect Lizzy and work deep underground gaining intel and forging alliances of various types. Lizzy was raised by his closest friend that he knew would take Lizzy in and protect her, giving her the Father he could not be.

We are left with several questions about Red's past and what it all means. But, I am sure one thing he cares about and loves more than anyone or anything is Lizzy and that's for only one reason.

How come Lizzy or the FBI don't conduct a simple DNA test? I mean can't they simply take a glass from which Red drank from and do some kind of DNA test for their own knowledge? As an intelligent audience we just suppose to overlook that simple task on a police procedural show in which much more extensive medical testing is done in several of their Blacklist cases when trying to identify victims and such.

 

[Sean Bryan]

Well, if the F.B.I. wants to skirt the law they could surely do whatever they want (and that wouldn't be a stretch for an organization operating a Black Site), but if they are going to stick within the law I think there are obstacles to just testing one of your employee's DNA in order to determine her parentage without her consent. Aside from that, "they" would have to have reason to do such testing. I know they have investigated why Red has interest in Lizzy, but has anyone from the F.B.I. in the show expressed the theory that Red may be her father? Lizzy has clearly suspected such a thing, but have Cooper or his superiors been shown in the context of the show to have the same suspicion? I don't remember such a thing, but I could be forgetting. As for why Lizzy didn't perform testing herself, I'd like to think she's smart enough to realize the potential danger to herself (and her career) of such a fact coming out. It's not like she can physically run the tests herself, so someone else would have to be involved and that opens up the potential for the info to get out. I think if you combine that with her probably wanting to know yet also "not wanting to know" there's been enough hesitation on her part not to push it yet. Still unclear on what the deal is with Red and Berlin. If Red actually did have pieces of a man's daughter sent to him in prison, I'd think that Red would have kept tabs on that man and wouldn't be in the dark about why he is coming after him.

 

[Jeffery_H]

Well, if the F.B.I. wants to skirt the law they could surely do whatever they want (and that wouldn't be a stretch for an organization operating a Black Site), but if they are going to stick within the law I think there are obstacles to just testing one of your employee's DNA in order to determine her parentage without her consent.Aside from that, "they" would have to have reason to do such testing. I know they have investigated why Red has interest in Lizzy, but has anyone from the F.B.I. in the show expressed the theory that Red may be her father? Lizzy has clearly suspected such a thing, but have Cooper or his superiors been shown in the context of the show to have the same suspicion? I don't remember such a thing, but I could be forgetting.As for why Lizzy didn't perform testing herself, I'd like to think she's smart enough to realize the potential danger to herself (and her career) of such a fact coming out. It's not like she can physically run the tests herself, so someone else would have to be involved and that opens up the potential for the info to get out. I think if you combine that with her probably wanting to know yet also "not wanting to know" there's been enough hesitation on her part not to push it yet.Still unclear on what the deal is with Red and Berlin. If Red actually did have pieces of a man's daughter sent to him in prison, I'd think that Red would have kept tabs on that man and wouldn't be in the dark about why he is coming after him.

Correct.

Also, people are overlooking the fact IF a DNA test were done, Red could very easily have it tampered with in many ways so that it proves negative. He is able to get intel on just about anyone and could simply black mail them at the lab or maybe even pay someone off. Just because a DNA test MAY be done, does not mean it would be accurate by any means. I thought this was simply implied and no need to go down that rabbit hole.

In regard to Red and the brutality of Berlin's daughter, that is NOT Red's MO. Red is a killer of NEED and doesn't make people suffer, at least not in a way like that. Plus, he has NEVER killed a child. That would be a HUGE issue and one that would kill the show. No one would ever want to watch a show where the main character hurt a child. He is not a Psycho and whomever killed Berlin's daughter clearly is.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Correct.

Also, people are overlooking the fact IF a DNA test were done, Red could very easily have it tampered with in many ways so that it proves negative. He is able to get intel on just about anyone and could simply black mail them at the lab or maybe even pay someone off. Just because a DNA test MAY be done, does not mean it would be accurate by any means. I thought this was simply implied and no need to go down that rabbit hole.

In regard to Red and the brutality of Berlin's daughter, that is NOT Red's MO. Red is a killer of NEED and doesn't make people suffer, at least not in a way like that. Plus, he has NEVER killed a child. That would be a HUGE issue and one that would kill the show. No one would ever want to watch a show where the main character hurt a child. He is not a Psycho and whomever killed Berlin's daughter clearly is.

Who's to say they don't have enough blood sample from his tracker surgery to do such a test. Also, they can simply do a basic DNA test without drawing blood, but taken from a plate of food he was eating or glass he was drinking from without him having any knowledge of it.

 

[David Weicker]

I assume the FBI, because of National Security concerns, is similar to the Armed Forces, in that some of their personal freedoms are relinquished. A standard DNA sample would be required (similar to mandatory drug testing). It would be a requirement to be employed as an agent.And there would be a vetting process when Red was brought in, so an examination probably was done.In the early episodes there were questions about why Red chose her, and what their relationship was. It would have been easy to bring in 'expert witness' Maury Povich.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I don't know about DNA testing, but certainly there are plenty of jobs where fingerprinting is required as a condition of employment. It would seem to me that the same principle would apply.

 

[Sean Bryan]

All logical points. The question I have is whether its been indicated in the show that anyone in the F.B.I. has indicated that they have a suspicion about Red possibly being her father? The computers aren't going to just pop that connection out. The two samples would have to be specifically compared for that purpose.

 

[Hanson]

I kind of think that when you're discussing The Blacklist, words like, "logical" have no real place.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I kind of think that when you're discussing The Blacklist, words like, "logical" have no real place.

Yet, you keep watching it.

 

[Sean Bryan]

All men and women serving in the armed forces have their DNA on file. There's currently debate in the US about performing mandatory DNA testing on all arrested individuals (like fingerprinting). I'm not sure if it is common practice to do it on convicted felons, it may be. I wouldn't be surprised if the F.B.I. requires their employees to submit their DNA, but I don't know what their practice is with that. As for the show, it is also likely that the F.B.I. would have taken Red's DNA when he surrendered himself. But even if they have Lizzy's DNA I still think they have to have a reason to do the comparison. As I mentioned, they clearly have been suspicious about why Red is fixated on Lizzy, but i honestly don't remember if it has been indicated that they have suspicion about them being related. Maybe thier database is sophisticated enough that it automatically compares every DNA profile against each other and flags related individuals. That would surprise me, but maybe it is so. If so, there's still the possibility that Red has the influence to have the profiles "altered" to hide the relationship. At least it's a possibility on a fictional show such as this. So I'm still not sure we can say, regardless of what is done with DNA in the real world, that just because the F.B.I. isn't aware of such a relationship in the show at this point that it doesn't exist.

 

[Robert Crawford]

This is among my favorite shows, but the relationship question and DNA testing does bug me.

 

[Hanson]

Yet, you keep watching it.

I love the show. It's a guilty pleasure. But I don't let concepts like logic and plausibility spoil my enjoyment. The show works on its own dream logic.

 

[Patrick Sun]

I don't really care about the Lizzy-Red "mysteryious relationship dynamic" anymore, but I am somewhat more interested by Tom's mission of having to go deep deep undercover, and how it ties in with Lizzy at this point in her life.

 

[Jeffery_H]

This is among my favorite shows, but the relationship question and DNA testing does bug me.

The other BIG fact people are overlooking is the reach Alan Alda's character has. Given his position in power of the US Government and how they ordered the Pratt lady to be "forgotten", it's more than plausible if a DNA test was done not only would Alda's group know about it, but easily be able to do away with it or alter it. His group has FAR more power and reach than any other law enforcement agency as we know.