The Architect

"The Architect"

Season 4, Episode 14

Episode Information

Air date

February 16, 2017

Directed by

Christine Gee

Written by

Chap Taylor
Dave Metzger

Episode Chronology

Previous	Next
“Isabella Stone”	“The Apothecary”

“The Architect” is the fourteenth episode of Season 4 of The Blacklist and the eighty-first episode overall.

Synopsis[]

Press Release[]

Aram goes undercover as a hacker in order to identify a notorious criminal who, for a price, will design, construct and execute the perfect crime. Tom expands his search for missing details about his childhood, while Red takes action to locate the source of his compromised business operations.

Number on The Blacklist[]

107

Unanswered Questions[]

Raymond Reddington
1. Who is Red’s enemy?
  1. A: Kathryn Nemec.
2. Why did Red not deliver Judith Pruitt to the Post Office in person?
3. Why did Red not know that Dembe Zuma spoke Italian?
  1. A: Actually, Dembe can only speak 1 word of Italian. That was a joke in that scene.
4. How did Red identify Lonnie Perkins as the target?
5. How does Red define a “super criminal”?
  1. A: He doesn't. He was being sarcastic to Cooper's desperation since the Blacklist are unique criminals.
Architect
1. The Architect did not plan the perfect crime. As stated in “Velocity Trap”, the perfect crime is a crime where nobody knows a crime has been committed.
  1. A: He did the impossible, the improbable, and/or the implausible.
2. Why did the Architect need the kinetic energy penetrator? Why not a missile launcher or rocket launcher?
  1. A: Kinetic energy is effectively unlimited ammo. He probably chose it as a means of efficiency, not just destruction.
3. Where did the Architect get the kinetic energy penetrator?
  1. A: It was stolen from the hijacked convoy.
4. What did the Architect intend to do with the kinetic energy penetrator if the escape had succeeded?
  1. A: He might have used it for a future plan.
  2. A: Sold it to interested parties to use or replicate.
5. Was the kinetic energy penetrator a government project?
  1. A: Yes. Electromagnetic weapons are military projects.
6. If warden McCaslin had not released Lonnie Perkins, then the kinetic energy penetrator would have killed him. The Architect was hired to ensure that Lonnie Perkins escaped.
  1. A: He expected the warden to fold to the threat.
7. Why did the Architect raid the Black Mass 13 convention? He organized it.
8. Why did the Architect need the contest winner? Why not the other hackers who successfully completed the challenge but lost? Was time a restriction?
  1. A: The winner did it solo, the others required a team.
9. What was the significance of the compass tattoo on the neck? Was it related to the use of the pocket watch?
Donald Ressler
1. Why was Ressler given the files on Reven Wright?
  1. A: It was part of a deal between him and Janet. In exchange for Ressler letting her go, Janet supplied him files of Wright's disappearance.
  2. Q: Janet had signed an immunity deal with the National Security Agency. Therefore, Ressler would be required to release her.
2. Ressler’s refusal to stop the Reven Wright investigation runs the risk of leading him into a rogue investigation.
  1. A: He's been aware that they have been skirting the moral line for some time. While he's inflexible about his principles, his hatred towards criminals is stronger and he's willing to skirt the line to put Laurel Hitchin in prison for murder.
3. Why did Ressler break the box? He should have taken it to the Post Office so it could be analyzed.
Aram Mojtabai
1. Why was Aram amazed that the National Security Agency recruited Janet?
  1. A: He wasn't amazed, he was shocked anyone would hire her.
2. Why did Aram refuse to help the Architect? He should have played along until the right time.
  1. A: Aram is an intelligence officer, not a field agent. He's literally not trained for circumstances and/or situations like these and chose to rely on his morals since he has no skill for trickery.
3. What did Aram mean by “CP”?
  1. A: “CP” is internet slang for “Child Pornography”.
Harold Cooper
1. Why is Cooper being subjected to more pressure from the Department of Justice? Is the Cabal responsible?
  1. A. Yes, most of the members who work for the department of Justice are Cabal members. In turn they are putting more pressure on Cooper because Red and Ressler are becoming problems themselves.
2. Was the investigation of the Reven Wright case shut down because of a lack of evidence or Cabal involvement?
  1. A: Possibly the Cabal's involvement to protect Laurel Hitchin. They are putting more pressure on Cooper not only because of Red but also Ressler has continued his efforts to investigate Wright's disappearance.
3. Cooper showed no hope of convicting Laurel Hitchin of the murder of Reven Wright. His failure to mention Diane Fowler implies that he has accepted the Cabal's cover-up.
  1. A: Cooper can only do so much. They need solid evidence since Laurel is the NSA director, making her Cooper's superior.
4. Why was Cooper not informed of the convoy hijacking and the theft of the kinetic energy penetrator?
  1. A: Cooper is only the assistant director of counter-terrorism, not the FBI director itself. He doesn't get all the information as to high profile crimes in America. It's a possibility some other FBI team was investigating it.
Tom Keen
1. Why was Tom kidnapped and declared dead?
Black Mass 13
1. How many of the other hackers were arrested?
2. How many of the other hackers will be recruited like Janet?
3. Why would hackers be unwilling to work together for a large-scale hacking operation?
  1. A: Conflicting personalities.
4. The Black Mass 13 scavenger hunt had the following problems.
  1. An unaware hacker might have decoded the clues.
    1. A: That proves they have the needed skill set.
  2. The barcode might have been damaged or removed.
    1. A: The organizers would check on it periodically.
  3. Somebody might have asked for the penny candy because they thought it was real candy.
    1. A: It was a secret menu item.
  4. Why use a plastic box for the challenge? Somebody other than Ressler would also think to break the box.
    1. A: A hacker would understand the need to override the code and cypher.
Janet Sutherland
1. What was Janet’s mission for the National Security Agency?
2. What were the 2 other agencies that competed for Janet’s employment?
3. Was Harrison Lee offered the same deal as Janet?
Lonnie Perkins
1. Who intercepted and arrested Lonnie?
  1. A: City police.
2. Why did the Aryan Revolutionary Council need Lonnie?
  1. A: He was the leader.
3. What was the map that Lonnie was given?
  1. A: A map of the prison.

Slanders on the FBI and prison system[]

Why was there no SWAT team present when Samar and Ressler intercepted the Architect?
1. 1. A: Deployment time.
How did the Architect escape the Black Mass 13 building?
Why did the Greenville prison security search fail to discover the map in the Bible?
1. 1. A: A priest is more trustworthy.
Why did the Greenville prison have no manual overrides in the event that the electronic systems failed?

Trivia[]

In the Italian dubbing of this episode, all the Italian words are swapped with French words. All Polpetto lines are atrociously dubbed in French. The whole Red/Dembe/Polpetto exchange lines still make sense though, since French is quite common in the northern regions of Africa but not so much in the southern regions of Africa, like South Sudan where most likely Dembe comes from.

Cast[]

Main star[]

Guest star[]

Melora Hardin as Isabella Stone
Brent Spiner as The Architect
Brian Stokes Mitchell as David Levine
Lois Smith as Lucy Game
Annie Heise as Janet Sutherland

Gallery[]

External Links[]

Season 4 Episodes
· Esteban · Mato · Miles McGrath · Gaia · The Lindquist Concern · The Thrushes · Dr. Adrian Shaw · Dr. Adrian Shaw: Conclusion · Lipet's Seafood Company · The Forecaster · The Harem · Natalie Luca · Isabella Stone · The Architect · The Apothecary · Dembe Zuma · Requiem · Philomena · Dr. Bogdan Krilov · The Debt Collector · Mr. Kaplan · Mr. Kaplan: Conclusion ·