The Blacklist Season Premiere Review: “Lord Baltimore” (Season 2, Episode 1)

And so the second season of The Blacklist begins. Did anyone else miss the phenomenon that is James Spader as Raymond “Red” Reddington?

Last season quickly became a fan-favorite, and if the premiere is any proof, Season 2 will surely have the same impact. So, let’s get to the nitty-gritty of the second season debut, “Lord Baltimore.”

Talk about an explosive premiere — and opening. You know it’s going to be a grand episode when ZZ Top’s La Grange is playing in the background as Red is bleeding, handcuffed and looking irritated laying on the floor of a Jeep, as he is being driven to make a deal with a Cameroon warlord. Said deal? Berlin hired a bounty hunter (to reportedly track Red) who worked for this warlord, and Red wants to know who or he’ll rain fire. After receiving the name (Lord Baltimore, a tracker by trade and an expert at combing through cyberspace), Red produces fire with some explosives and by burning $3 million. Yep, Red is back and better than ever — and so is his fedora.

We learn it’s been two months since we last saw Berlin stirring up trouble for Red, Lizzie and the FBI task force. With Harold still recovering, Martin (Jason Butler Harner) is now acting as interim director. It seems no one at the FBI is thrilled about this, and frankly, neither am I. He just seems untrustworthy and slimy. If Red wants Harold back, then so do I. Thankfully, at the end Harold returns (even though he previously told Red he needed to be with his family), giving Martin the boot. One thing that remains a mystery? Red mentioned Harold’s “diagnosis.” Is he sick? Did his injuries cause some unforeseen issues? That is one door that remains closed — for now.

Transitioning to Lizzie (prior to this, Ressler makes it clear to Martin and the deputy attorney general that Reddington only talks to Elizabeth Keen — glad to see nothing’s changed since last season and their relationship continues to solidly grow), we learn she is living in hotels and is filing for divorce. Keen is definitely rougher this time around, compared to last season’s premiere, but who wouldn’t be after everything she’s experienced? She’s tough and exuding confidence with her real hair (yes, no wigs this time around). It looks like she’s going to need to be a badass, especially since she’s being watched throughout the entire episode by someone owning the same pair of glasses as Tom. Hmm…is he alive? Well, we never saw a body, and it just seems too easy and a waste of a storyline to have him be dead.

As for Ressler, he’s still experiencing trauma from the death of his love Audrey, but refuses to speak with the mandated shrink. At the beginning of last season, I wasn’t a fan of Ressler, but he grew on me and I hope he maintains his likability factor — and his friendship with Keen. It looks like he might need all the support he can get now that he’s popping pills? Ressler, you might need to talk to someone after all.