The Blacklist: Redemption "Leland Bray" Series Premiere

The Blacklist Redemption has everything that The Blacklist has but with more fun and thrills to had to it's adventures.

The new Blacklist spin-off The Blacklist Redemption premiered after the winter finale of The Blacklist Thursday and let me just say, I had more fun watching than any spin-off I've seen.

When a CIA operative has been kidnapped along with her son, Scottie Hargraves gets Tom Keen and her team of Solomon, Nez and Dumont together to help rescue her. Both Keen and Solomon puts their differences aside and worked together.

When they rescue the CIA agent, she escapes fearing that the kidnapper still has her son and will kill him. Tom sees that there was a bomb put inside her and learns that she's gone to take her own team out with that bomb. But the team gets there in time and gets the bomb out of her thanks to Keen and Dumont teamwork.

But also, Keen learns that his father is still alive, after learning three weeks ago on The Blacklist that he had died in a plane crash. He tells Tom that he believes that his mother (Scottie) tried to kill him to own his company.

He also wants Tom to work with her as well for which he does after a nice adventurous time with the team and shows him the connection between his disappearance 30 years ago and killing his father connecting to Scottie.

As much as I love The Blacklist and worried about a spin-off (like everyone should be) I really enjoyed the first episode of the series. We get that classic Blacklist mythology hook but added with the thrills and fun of a spy genre drama. I enjoy watching Ryan Eggold and Edi Gathegi scenes together, you just know that their characters hate each other as it's like watching the classic show The Man from U.N.C.L.E. And the editing is another thing too that really draw me into the show with those three scenes at once when they try to kidnap the kidnapper's girlfriend from the pool. I believe this show has a very good premise and would do great down the road. I hope the true Blacklister fans will give this series a chance and that down the road, might be a couple of cameos from Red himself?

Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch The Blacklist: Redemption Thursday nights at 10/9c on NBC.

The Blacklist "Apothecary (No. 59)" Winter Finale

This winter finale will even have a true Blacklist fan dropping their jaws.

As Red is close to confronting the person who's been sabotage his origination, we soon jump nine hours later to where Red is being treated for poisoning and going to die in less than 48 hours. With no indication where he has been, he calls on Liz and the FBI for help to find The Apothecary, who's the one true person who made the poison that is killing him. While they search for him, Red tries to find Dembe, who seems to be gone since the first scene of the episode.

Let's jump to Liz and Ressler as they try hunting down the man known as Apothecary. This guy seems to be one of the kind in making poisons for clients. After coming up with a clue that Aram found, they found where the suspect would be located and as Liz and Ressler gets there, the Apothecary was gone, but his wife (who was drugged by him) was ringing them for help. She tries to tell them that he's at a baby store and as soon as they get there they take him down.

Red, on the other hand, tries very hard not to die while searching for Dembe. He traces his steps and lands on a sticky situation like finding a girl that he put in a truck and left her there to leaving his associates locked in the backroom at a restaurant. After trying to remember what poison him, he thinks it was the wine that was served only to him. He calls Liz and gets it tested.

Hours later after the Apothecary told them the antidote, Red seems to be back to good health. His henchman and Glenn show up and told him that they found where Marvin was as he was the only member not to have shown up at the meeting. They head to meet with him and leaves Liz with a shocking news that the wine wasn't poison. She calls Red in time as he talks with Marvin and tells him the news, the poison has to work on a higher alcohol level, for which would be scotch that he had before everything and that's where Red figure out who poisoned him....Dembe. HOLY CRAP!!!!

"Apothecary" was one hell of a mystery episode that had a very good twist and turns but also one hell of a shocker. I never expected that Dembe would be the one. Hell, I was on the road thinking Mr. Kaplan might have done it, because she's alive and well she's Mr. Kaplan. But I truly think that the reason why Dembe could have done this was because of Red's rampage on Kaplan and others. This was a very good episode and for it to be a winter finale, holy crap I'm just counting down to April when the show comes back. I thought Spader's performance was another winner. The writing was so so good as it kept (me) on the edge of my seat. Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch The Blacklist returning in April on NBC. And don't forget to tune in to The Blacklist Redemption Thursday nights at 10/9c on NBC.

Powerless "Emily Dates A Henchman"

When Emily is invited to her ex-boyfriend's wedding, she opens up and sets her sights on the dating world in this week's episode of Powerless.

As Emily looks upon her ex-boyfriend's social media page of photos of him and his fiance. She tries te dating world again and goes out with Wendy and Jackie. There she spots Dan, a doctor, and the two hit it off very well. Emily returns to work the next day talking about how great Dan is and how they're going to go to his boss' place for the weekend. Not knowing this, Teddy and the gang tell her that she's dating a henchman.

Just figuring it out, Emily storms out and talks with Jackie, who gives her a nice pep talk. When Dan comes up, she acts as though she caught him lying for the first time, but soon admits that he's a henchman (for the Riddler) and that his real name is Reggie. But than ties both Emily and Jackie and tries to steal Wayne Security stuff.

Meanwhile, Teddy found Batman's batarang left on a bank vault and both Ron and Teddy start to play with it. It catches Van's attention and he takes it because he knows that Batman would want it back but also he tries to get Batman to pay for the damage to his car (a broken side mirror).

Later, Teddy comes out as Ron sets out the batarang out with milk and cookie for Batman. Van appears and he's looking buff and having a cape hanging out his pants. Van has a Robin suit made cause he figures he could be Batman's sidekick even though two of the Robins have died, for which gives him more excitement. As they wait in the alley, a shadow figure comes walking through, thinking it would be Batman, but it was a robber demanding money, with no help from Robin. As soon as he leaves all three talk while Batman picks the robber up and gives back the guys money and takes the batarang away in a fast pace.

As soon as Reggie was told what the Riddler wanted to do with Emily and Jackie (take them to the river), Van comes in, as Robin, and scares Reggie and his guys away. As they're gone, Van tells Jackie to cut him out of his rubber suit and tells Emily to get a date.

"Emily Dates a Henchman" has one of the simplest titles out there. I really enjoyed this episode both Emily's story and Teddy, Ron and Van's story too. I think that this episode could be it's best since it's premiere and we're only in to three episodes, I know. There wasn't one player that stood out, it was mainly a great ensemble performance from the cast. The writing was very good. I couldn't get enough of Teddy, Ron and Van talking about Batman (because I, too, am a Batman fan). Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch Powerless Thursday nights at 8:30/7:30c on NBC. The show will return in two weekson March 9th.  

Chicago Fire "Purgatory"

One thing for sure, you can't keep the old team down and out for too long.

"Purgatory" is another great dramatic episode that really made the whole hour fulfilled with intense and humorist scenes. Dividing the 51 to other firehouses was a pretty good story move.

After last week's bombshell came down from Chief Anderson, Bowden, Casey, Severide and Dawson have to work with some newbies and old faces at 51, someone them being too slow on the job. Even training them didn't seem to go well for both Casey and Severide as one of the newbies or floaters stopped and went in to get soup because it was cold.

Meanwhile, all around Otis tells stories that he wasn't in like Casey in the warehouse for example. Herrmann and Mouch sees firefighters not inspired and moving the couch around too and even seeing Herrmann yelling at Bowden was the tipping point of the episode. And Brett and Kidd sees a new candidate getting a rough treated by the Chief and even Cruz and Capp were working the emergency call lines.

Bowden tried everything he can do to fight this but it seemed that he might have to wait six months to a year to try again and you know that's one long story arch to pull off I would think. But when a hotel fire called on all firehouses, everyone and I mean those that were part of 51 worked together and pulled one hell of a job. Bowden rushes in at a time in need when a door was not opening, he gets there and pulls out one person that was left in that room. As the flames where growing, Otis comes in with the hose and gets them out safe.

Later that week, Bowden gets a visit from that guy he pulled out from the hotel and apparently he worked for the Mayor's office and would love to give Bowden a medal. But to a thought, he asked in stead of a medal that he could bring back his firefighters back to 51, for which he did and pissed off Anderson one more time. Anderson threatens Bowden again and tells him that he got lucky and Bowden responds saying that he didn't get lucky, it was because he was a damn good firefighter.

This was a very good mixing episode of Chicago Fire. I enjoyed how Casey, Severide and Dawson hand to handle their new guys, Otis had me yelling at the television every time he was telling a story that he wasn't a part of and I thought that when everyone came together during the hotel fire was one of the best heroic scenes so far that no matter what 51 would be there even if an asshole made the separation. Also I think we all can take a nice side of relief that Severide will be staying in Chicago. The writing was good and so was the directing.  Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch Chicago Fire on a special night Wednesday, March 1st at 8/7c for a four show crossover event on NBC.

This Is Us "Memphis"

If you haven't seen last night's episode of This Is Us, all I have to say stop whatever you are doing and watch it now.

Not since ER's "On The Beach" or Chicago Fire's "Always" episodes that I had to grab so many, many tissues for an episode before. "Memphis" dives into heartwarming moments to emotional heartbreak of life.

I'm not going to dive into recapping the episode, because like "The Big Day" it deserves to been viewed. But I will say that the performance from Ron Cephas Jones and Sterling K. Brown amazingly outstanding. But mostly it's Cephas performance that really was emotionally engaging.  

There were so many memorable moments from William thanking Jack on taking care of his son to William telling Randal to "let the windows down " and "have someone make the bed."

The writing was so powerful that I think it matches "The Trip" let alone the "Pilot" and "The Big Day" of the show as the best episode of the television season. Dan Fogelman, you've done a outstanding job!

Overall, I give this episode 10/10.

What did you think of last night's episode of This Is Us? Leave a comment.

You can catch This Is Us when it returns in two weeks (due to Presidential Address) on Tuesday, March 7th at 9/8c on NBC.

Timeless "The Red Scare" Season Finale

Holy mother of god!!! WOW! WOW! WOW!

Talk about a show that really does need to come back. Last night's season finale of Timeless was nothing but astonishing. Here's a recap with spoilers....

The episode picks as Lucy and Wyatt make it back to the present day with an injured Rufus. Lucy calls for the one person that can help them, Noah. Soon, with the NSA and Rittenhouse on their tails, Lucy, Wyatt, Rufus and Jiya get in the lifeboat and jump to 1954 leaving Agent Christopher to handle with the goons.

In 1954 that's when the next Rittenhouse meeting would take place, so Flynn meets and blackmails Joseph McCarthy on where Rittenhouse meeting would be taken place. After he gets the information, Flynn tells him some information about two Russian spies that happen to be Lucy and Wyatt.

As Wyatt and Lucy try to get in the Capital, they get caught and taken in. Lucy meets with Flynn and he tells her that he'll be taken everyone out, including her grandfather as a fair warning to her because who knows what would happen after. Meanwhile, Wyatt has a nice chat with McCarthy and of course, he doesn't say anything but leaves a nice present (knocking out both guards and McCarthy out).

Lucy and Wyatt escape but now tries to find her grandfather, who happens to be at a gay night club. They meet with him and asked for his help to get to the Rittenhouse meeting, there they sneak in the back way and meet with Flynn. Wyatt was about to take a shot at him but Lucy makes the bold move and talks to Flynn of a deal.

Back at the lifeboat, Rufus and Jiya have a nice moment scenes but things get dicey when her eye gets red and starts to have seizures. This could be the effect from traveling in fours. But Lucy and Wyatt come back wit Flynn and Lucy's grandfather and they show him the lifeboat and that she's her granddaughter.

Lucy gets Wyatt, Rufus and Jiya back in the lifeboat and back to present time as she'll comeback with Flynn on the other one. Who knows what would be happening here, but Lucy tells her grandfather to do a double life as to be apart of Rittenhouse and keep secret records til she gets back to the present time for which he did, a ton of it.

Agent Christopher and Mason work together again as he was playing Rittenhouse like a fiddle and got into the top secret files that no one else in the world knows about. They both meet with Lucy and Wyatt and use those records and charged the people of Rittenhouse with many, many counts.

Lucy meets with Flynn and gives him the information about who killed his family. But before things were going so well, Agent Christopher and her team come in and arrested Flynn. I really thought that he was going to get want he really wanted and be done with it. I guess not.

We all thought that it was going to be over. Christopher tells Lucy and Wyatt that after all of this there's one more mission to get her sister back. After a very lovely moment with Wyatt and word that the lifeboat won't be ready for three hours, that gave her some time to tell her mother about what she's going to do and why. But with a twist unlike any other, after she tells her mom what she was going to do, she tells her she knows that Rittenhouse wouldn't let her die at all because she is part of Rittenhouse as she and her father met or arranged to be together as they're like royalty.

But also, the lifeboat is taken away once again but this time, it was by someone who knew it by heart, Emma. Emma takes the lifeboat and here's where we'll go for Season Two if the network picks up the series.

I literally loved this episode. I was flabbergasted on how it ended that it took me a while to process what had happen. The writing was excellent. Everyone from Spencer, Lanter, Goran and even Paterson Joseph was outstanding. Loved the warm moments like Lucy and Wyatt near the end and Rufus and Jiya both in 1954 and in the present time. Should we be worried about her later on after she seemed to have one of those spells that could have taken the Golden State bridge away? I do want a season two and along with everyone, who's seen the show and last night's episode we're all dying to see what happens next. Come on NBC, I'm sure there's a spot for Timeless for next season. I'm sure it depends on how many episodes. Come on NBC!! Overall, I give this episode a 9.5/10.

You can catch all episodes Timeless on NBC.com or the NBC app.

Kevin Can Wait "Neighborhood Watch"

When Kevin's mailbox is found damaged, he gets his buddies and forms a Neighborhood Watch team.

"Neighborhood Watch" was another funny, and yet it was a somewhat unpredictable episode. When I say unpredictable, it comes to when we figure out who was the one who induced damage to Kevin's mailbox, which was him, so that he could get away from Donna's cousin Irene and her husband, Stewart.

Kevin admits to his buddies about it and how the idea came about. One of his buddies offers them his RV to hang out, and soon, they grow into their place to do their neighborhood watch the next day. Donna asks Kevin to take Stewart out with the guys, but he urges Churgesto to do some damage to his mailbox again, and the following day, Kevin, Chale, and the guys are back out.

But Donna had about had it and sent Irene's husband to Kevin and his buddies. There, he told stories that were a buzz kill, but Kevin got him to inspect the neighborhood. That goes well until he finds the car he thinks hit his mailbox, broke the windows, and air out the tires. Plus, by the time the cops came, they had broken the owner's fence, too.

I enjoyed this episode. I thought that it was funny from the writing and even the cast from James, Cartwright, and even Stewart. Also, Grimm star Clare Coffee guest stars, and she was good. And not to mention, Bas Rutten's character was just hilarious. Overall, I give this episode an 8.5/10.

You can catch Kevin Can Wait on Monday nights at 8/7c on CBS.