The Director: Conclusion

"The Director: Conclusion"
Season 3, Episode 10
Episode Information
Air date	January 14, 2016
Directed by	John Terlesky
Written by	Lukas Reiter
Guest Stars	David Strathairn as Peter Kotsiopulos Tony Plana as Mr. Diaz Andrew Divoff as Karakurt Susan Blommaert as Kathryn Nemec Fischer Stevens as Marvin Gerard Christine Lahti as Laurel Hitchin
Episode Chronology
Previous	“[[The Director ]]”
Next	“[[Mr. Gregory Devry ]]”

"The Director: Conclusion" is the tenth episode of Season 3 of The Blacklist and the fifty fourth episode overall.

Press Release

Red works with the task force to outmaneuver the Cabal and exonerate Elizabeth Keen before she is assassinated; Red delivers an ultimatum.

Number on The Blacklist

• 24

Unanswered Questions

1. Elizabeth Keen
   1. Keen will always be under suspicion.
      1. She was on the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.
      2. Many people will be enraged that Keen escaped all/any repercussions for the crimes she did commit.
      3. The plea bargain will be seen as evidence that Keen was shown mercy since she was a federal agent.
      4. Keen was stated to be Red's accomplice.
   2. How will Keen's plea bargain influence her reputation in the black market? It will be seen as either evidence that she was loyal to the FBI or that she has the resources to defeat the legal system.
   3. Keen's FBI career has been destroyed. If she survives the 3 year probation, the Cabal and/or United States government will not re-hire her since she represents a wrongful accusation.
   4. Why was Keen dismayed that she would be terminated as an FBI agent? She knows the level of corruption in the government.
      1. A: She wants to an FBI agent. She wanted to uphold the law, not be a criminal.
   5. Keen's termination gives Red the ability to recruit her into his syndicate.
      1. A: She basically has been part of his syndicate.
      2. Q: She was employed by the FBI and could ask for a new assignment. By being fired and pleading guilty, Red can offer a more stable career.
   6. Why was Allison Gaines surprised at Keen's appearance?
      1. A: She said she was used to "monsters" and Keen didn't look like them.
   7. What happened to Keen’s badge? She did not turn it in after she fled.
   8. Why was there a demonstration at Keen's transfer?
      1. A: There weren't protesters at her transfer. They were people angry at Keen for what they thought she did. One sign said "We want justice", while another one was a picture of Keen with an X through it. If they were protesting, they would want her free.
   9. Why was there no media attention for Keen's release?
   10. Why was Keen’s arrest made public by the West Virginia police?
2. Raymond Reddington
   1. Red's position in the black market has gained power.
      1. Milos Kirchoff is dead and his syndicate has not been mentioned as a threat.
      2. Red's use of the task force had allowed him to destroy his enemies.
      3. Red's new position in the Cabal gives him access to the Cabal's networks.
      4. He has won Keen's loyalty.
   2. What is Red’s relationship with Laurel?
   3. What is Red’s relationship with Keen?
   4. When did Red decide to seek a position in the Cabal?
   5. Why did Red drop Kotsiopulos off in a populated area?
   6. What did Red do with the money he stole from Kotsiopulos?
   7. Why was Red unable to find a replacement statue?
   8. Why did Red need to get Kotsiopulos away from his guards?
      1. A: Red wanted to make it seem like Kotsiopulos fled the country. He didn't want to have a gun fight.
   9. Why did Red say the airplane was an Airbus? The engines were in the wrong position.
3. Cabal
   1. How will the Cabal survive the aftermath?
      1. Laurel admitted that the Cabal exists and that they seek a new Cold War.
      2. She admitted that Connolly and Kotsiopulos were part of the Cabal.
      3. The senate will demand more investigations.
      4. There will be numerous conspiracy theories.
      5. Many people will use the incident as evidence that the United States government cannot be trusted.
      6. The federal government will be viewed as “above the law”.
      7. The false accusations against Keen will damage FBI morale and its repuation.
   2. Why did Laurel say that the Cabal had been weakened?
      1. A: They were exposed to the public as existing, Kotsiopulos was killed, and Red had weakened their finances and resources.
   3. Why does the Cabal want to restart the Cold War? The incidents in Europe, such as the Crimea and the Ukraine, prove a Cold War can easily start a hot war.
      1. A: Most likely war profiteering. The last Cold War had proxy wars, however they were still part of the Cold War.
   4. Is the new attorney general a Cabal member? Laurel's hard sell could have been because of the need for vengeance against Red. Thomas Connolly stated that he would be replaced by another Cabal member.
   5. The Cabal has more incentive to assassinate Red and the task force.
      1. A: The Cabal was dismantled by Red due to Kotsiopulos's actions. Now that Kotsiopulos is dead and Red is willing to work with the remnants of the Cabal, it is more likely there will be a truce.
      2. Q: The Cabal was weakened. Many members will seek revenge for the exposure and/or use the exposure to break from the Cabal. In "Star Wars", a civil war always saw the creation of rogue and renegade factions.
      3. A: The Cabal was weakened due to Kotsiopulos calling Red's bluff. Now that Red is not fighting them for now and working with them, they may not try fighting them. It is unknown how much of the Cabal was exposed. We know Tom Connolly, Peter Kotsiopulos, and Karakurt. There hasn't been a civil war to create new factions.
   6. Will the United States government seek revenge against Venezuela?
      1. A: They have no reason to unless they find out that Venezuela is using counterfeit money.
4. Samar Navabi
   1. Will Samar re-join the task force?
5. Donald Ressler
   1. Why did Ressler welcome Cooper back? He was enraged about Cooper working with Tom Keen and wanted Cooper investigated along with Samar.
      1. A: Ressler changed his opinion after working with Red and realizing the power of the Cabal.
   2. Ressler's only allies are the task force. He told Keen that he did not trust the marshals assigned to the courthouse.
   3. How will Ressler explain Karakurt's arrest and Tom's appearance at the courthouse?
   4. Who was the reporter?
6. Harold Cooper
   1. Why was Cooper made the leader of the task force?
      1. A: He was suspended for being with Keen when she shot Connolly. Now that the case is resolved, he could resume his position.
   2. Is Cooper a viable candidate for the position of Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation? Cooper stated that the fight against the rest of the Cabal was for “another day”.
7. Laurel Hitchin
   1. Why did Laurel fear a war crimes trial more than admitting the Cabal’s existence?
      1. A: Kotsiopulos could use the Cabal to deflect blame from himself. By admitting to the Cabal's existence, she could protect herself and sacrifice sections of the Cabal.
   2. Did Laurel plan to use Keen to destroy Kotsiopulos before Red kidnapped him?
      1. A: Probably not. Laurel wanted have Keen killed when she was in the Post Office.
8. Peter Kotsiopulos
   1. Did Kotsiopulos expect that Red was going to kill him after Laurel disavowed him?
   2. What will be the official explanation for Kotsiopulos’s death? The family will report the corpse and the Netherlands government will identity Kotsiopulos.
   3. Why was Kotsiopulos not suspicious of the missing statue?
   4. What will happen to Lynda Kotsiopulos?
9. Karakurt
   1. Will Karakurt be killed by the Cabal?
10. Kathryn Nemec
    1. Why did Nemec say that Samar was her “kind of girl”?
       1. A: Nemec likes women that can handle themselves.
    2. How did Nemec explain her leaving to the guard?
11. United States marshal Iverson
    1. Would the Cabal have followed through with the deal they offered?
    2. Why did Iverson agree to kill Keen? How much money was he offered?
       1. A: He did it for the money.
    3. What will happen to Iverson? He can identify Laurel, assistant attorney Andrew Barrett, and judge Sanborn.
    4. Why did Iverson refuse to answer Laurel’s call?
       1. A: Keen was approaching his position and he wanted to get paid, so he took the shot.
12. Family
    1. Why did the father not know that mobile phones can function as televisions?
       1. A: There is nothing to indicate that the father didn't know the phones could act as televisions. They seemed like they were texting, and the father wanted the girls to be educated by watching the news.
    2. Why was 1 of the women wearing a head scarf?
       1. A: It was a beanie.

Slanders on the FBI

1. Why was Marvin Gerard able to avoid detection? Somebody should have recognized him.

Cast

Main star

• James Spader as Raymond Reddington

Gallery

External Links

• NBC.com
• NBC.com