Laurel Hitchin was a character on The Blacklist.
Background
In the past, Hitchin was the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.
Season 3
”Arioch Cain”
Laurel Hitchin is the chairwoman of the presidential commission.
”Sir Crispin Crandall”
She likely was the person who added Peter Kotsiopulos to the task force to aid Ressler and the others to find Elizabeth Keen.
”Zal Bin Hasaan”
Laurel removes Peter Kotsiopulos from the task force.
”Kings of the Highway”
Laurel kills Reven Wright after Reven inquires into Laurel's assignment in Africa and her connections with Matias Solomon.
”The Director”
Laurel explains to Peter Kotsiopulos that Reven Wright put protocols in place before she died meaning that Elizabeth will be transfered within 3 hours to a federal courthouse to testify. Without know that Laurel is part of the Cabal Donald Ressler reveals where Karakurt is being held. Laurel informs Peter Kotsiopulos who sends Matias Solomon to kill Karakurt. When Donald Ressler returns to escort Keen he tells Laurel that he knows she killed Reven Wright.
"The Director: Conclusion"
Laurel meets with Kotsiopulos and insists on having Liz assassinated the next morning rather than that night. She later hires an assassin and explains how he will be set free afterwards. As she waits, Red calls Laurel and tells her that he has Kotsiopulos prisoner and will turn him over to the Hague to be tried for war crimes if Liz is killed. Knowing the disaster this will cause, Laurel desperately tries to call off the assassin and when that fails, calls Ressler in time to warn him. Red then demands that Laurel publically exonerate Liz to prevent him from turning over Kotsiopulos and sends in Marvin Gerard to negotiate a deal with her. Laurel agrees to exonerate Liz on all but the Thomas Connolly murder, stating that Liz killed him in front of witnesses and not in self-defense so she can't be fully exonerated. Instead, Laurel offers to let Liz plead to involuntary manslaughter and serve 3 years probation. It would keep her from returning to the FBI, but she would be a free woman. Laurel refuses to compromise on this part of the deal, stating that she had to sell that much to the Attorney General. With Gerard's encouragement, Red reluctantly accepts the deal as does Liz but Red demands that Liz be allowed to stay on the task force as an asset like him instead of an agent and Laurel agrees. In return, she asks Red to execute Kotsiopulos as he has become a liability to the Cabal which Red agrees to. At a press conference, Laurel publically exonerates Liz and then later meets with Red in her office.
"Susan Hargrave"
Season 4
"The Lindquist Concern"
"Dr. Bogdan Krilov"
"Mr. Kaplan: Conclusion"
Hitchen is accidentally killed by Donald Ressler.
Unanswered Questions
- What is Laurel's position? She held the rank of Assistant Secretary of State and has worked with the intelligence agencies, but her presidential commission and interactions with the task force seem to be a senate job.
- Reven introduced her to Ressler as the National Security Advisor in "Arioch Cain".
Trivia
- Hitchens's razor: "What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence." Another translation is: "Quod gratis asseritur, gratis negatur" ("what is freely asserted is freely dismissed"). This describes Hitchin's ability to survive, since any allegation and/or accusation concerning the Cabal can be labeled a conspiracy theory, it is nearly impossible to locate hard evidence.
Gallery
