Major Episode Developments: Red recruited Vanessa Cruz (the misunderstood villain-of-the-week) for his personal Suicide Squad-type initiative. Tom revealed to Liz that he was hired by Red to infiltrate her life and in an amazing save Dembe pulled a wounded Red to safety and retrieved “The Fulcrum” at the same time. 

The Cliffhanger: Red was gravely wounded by a sniper, just as Liz had given him “The Fulcrum” and swore him off again.

The Rundown: Why did not Liz want to know Red’s motives for hiring Tom before she blew him off? Her questions surrounding her estranged husband have been the ones plaguing her the most and Red seemed willing to explain. Instead she furiously dismissed him. Unlike what had been teased in the promo for the episode, the Tom vs. Red showdown hardly took place.

Their standoff lasted .5 seconds in Liz’s doorway and Tom left without incident. It was a disappointing resolution to a highly anticipated face-off between the two.

Liz’s complicated feelings for the two duplicitous men in her life has been an essential ingredient to the series and having Tom back on the show has livened up the season’s energy exponentially. However just as things seemed to be making progress on that front, he seemed poised for an indefinite exit. 

Exploring the man behind the façade and learning whether any of his feelings for Liz were genuine has been fun terrain to get into. Quite frankly, the show hasn’t been as good without him on it. Liz’s depression is directly linked to the lack of Tom and this audience member feels her pain. Exploring whether Liz can love him for who he really is, would be a highly compelling central story arc moving forward.

The Potential Outcome: There’s zero doubt Red will survive his injuries. He is the main character of the show. The effect it has on Liz and whether or not he’ll finally come clean about the origin of their relationship is the only game-changer, possibly on the horizon. Should he require a medical intervention that only a blood relative could provide, Liz might finally get the answers she (and viewers) have been waiting for.

[Featured Image by NBC]