'Blindspot' Recap: The FBI Has a Mole and It's … Jane?
Warning: This recap for the “Erase Weary Youth” episode of Blindspot contains character and story spoilers.
John Hodgman, formerly of The Daily Show, returns to Blindspot for another high-stakes round of questioning. Not only is a Russian spy revealed, Tasha’s deal with the CIA is uncovered, as is Reade’s relationship with Weller’s sister. Rather than bringing them together, though, these revelations are beginning to tear the team apart.
The Tatoo
No tattoo. This is the second episode without one. Coincidentally, both episodes also centered around Russian spies — most notably Olivia Delidio (Amy Hargreaves), deep cover mom.
The Plot
Delidio has the name of a mole in the FBI and is willing to trade it for immunity from prosecution. Before she can reveal the name, her lawyer — who also turns out to be a Russian spy — kills her. Mayfair and Weller try to conduct a quiet investigation, but Inspector Fischer (John Hodgman) puts the building on lockdown and makes the investigation as loud as possible to embarrass Mayfair and take her job. He concludes that Jane is the mole and takes her to detention. Sloane (Afton Williamson) and Allison (Trieste Kelly Dunn) smuggle in an informant (Jamie Jackson) who reveals that the real double agent was Fischer all along. Jane shoots Fischer as he tries to escape.
Related: ‘Blindspot’ Postmortem: John Hodgman Talks Fischer’s Backstory and His Fate
RIP Chief Investigator Jonas Fischer
Last episode, John Hodgman’s work as a jealous agent angling for Mayfair’s position bordered on comic relief, but this week, he was allowed to crank up the smarminess and went from a bureaucrat from Hell to The Bureaucrat from Hell. The brilliantly edited interrogation scenes ratcheted up the tension — to a point, frankly, where it became almost obvious that he was the mole. The lady doth protest too much, as Shakespeare once said, probably in reference to an FBI investigation.
So We’re Just Killing High-Ranking FBI Officials Now?
When it comes down to it, though, the evidence against Fischer was circumstantial. How is Jane just let off the hook for killing him? Basically, they’ve got the word of a low-level Russian employee and Weller’s knowledge of subway schedules to justify the shooting of one of the FBI’s top internal affairs investigators. On the other hand, this episode was pretty light on action and Jane kicking ass while still wearing handcuffs almost justifies the suspect logic.
Weller and Reade and Weller
We need to get past this Weller doesn’t want his co-worker dating his sister thing for two reasons. One: It’s boring. We’ve seen the “Our job is dangerous. I just don’t want to see you hurt,” thing a thousand times. It’s patronizing and dull. Two: Everybody’s got a thing. Jane’s got her tattoos. Weller’s got his family and a love triangle. Mayfair’s got Project Daylight. Zapata’s got her gambling and Patterson has David’s death. Reade has nothing. Eleven episodes in and the only thing we know about him (other than he’s the guy Weller always sends with Zapata “around back” of whatever building they’re entering) is the minute and a half we got with him and Sarah at dinner. Let him have a thing and let it not involve Weller constantly pouting in the background.
Blind Thoughts
Patterson’s working out extra hard in the gym. Presumably, it’s to take her mind off of her guilt, but she’s also practicing her knife fighting skills. Is she hoping to head out in the field? Or maybe just try out for a gender-swapped production of West Side Story?
Awkward Locker Room Pause of the Night: Sheesh — it’s such a regular occurrence, we can make it a weekly thing now. This is a twofer. Part one is Jane holding Weller’s phone when a call from his ex, Allison (Allie in his phone), comes in. The other is Weller calling his nephew a “little idiot.” Is that something we’re calling kids now?
The reveal that Fischer couldn’t have made it across town from Newark on the train sounds like a New York version of SNL’s “The Californians” sketch — where they spend the entire time reeling off very specific, very local driving directions.
Blindspot airs Mondays at 10 p.m. on NBC
