10x20 - Arthur Hudson

Episode transcripts for the TV show "The Blacklist". Aired September 2013 - current.*
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Former government agent Raymond "Red" Reddington (James Spader) has eluded capture for decades. But he suddenly surrenders to the FBI with an offer to help catch a t*rror1st under the condition that he speaks only to Elizabeth "Liz" Keen (Megan Boone), a young FBI profiler who's just barely out of Quantico.
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10x20 - Arthur Hudson

Post by bunniefuu »

[STROMBERG] Yeah,
we're on day eight of the fallout.

For an incident no one's
supposed to be talking about,

it seems to be all anyone
is talking about with me.

Mmm-hmm.
I have an : a.m. at the White House.

POTUS and his damn progress reports.

You know what, Walter,

I already have an appointment
in my office,

even this early.

Their hackles seemed raised.

I'd better see to 'em.

Congressman Hudson, Agent Nixon,

I wasn't kidding about that meeting

with the President this morning.

The pair of you have seconds
of my time. Go.

Well, sir, we're here about
an investigation

I've been conducting into
a clandestine bureau task force.

What began as my initial look into

what I thought was
a misallocation of funds

became a full-on scrutinization
of what I presumed

was rogue leadership...

Hudson, anyone ever tell you
not to use four words when two will do?

Arthur brought to me what
looked like a rogue task force.

It's gone deeper than that now.

Task force . I'm aware of it.

Something thrown together
by one of my predecessors.

Showed decent results over the years.

Frankly, the whole thing seems
generated above my pay grade.

You're the Attorney General.

[STROMBERG] Gentlemen, it isn't rogue.

It's sanctioned by good ol' Uncle Sam.

Are we done here?

Um...

Did you know the criminal informant
supplying intelligence

to that task force is
Raymond Reddington?

That's classified information.

You seem to know more than
a congressman should, Mr. Hudson.

Let me further educate you.
The US government works

with criminal informants all the time.

Sometimes life is
a little less Frank Capra

than you seem to realize.

How about we educate each other.

That meeting you
have with the President,

would it have anything to do

with the surveillance breach
at the Capitol Building last week

that the entire intelligence community
is keeping under wraps?

Jesus, Hudson.

Okay, go on...

That's a transcript of an authorized
Justice Department wiretap

of an agent on Task Force .

I have the full recordings
to back up all my findings.

- I've heard them. They're legit.
- [HUDSON] Mmm-hmm.

Right now CIA, NSA, pick your initials,

all think we only found out
about the breach at the Capitol

because of and their informant.

But no one knows the whole story.

General Stromberg, trust me,

you really want to read this.

Go on.

What about your meeting
with the President?

The President can wait.

[HAWKINS] Ah.

Oh! [CHUCKLES]

Raymond, you scared me to death!

Spring cleaning?

I've been meaning to air out this place

and declutter it for years.

I know the feeling,

airing out and decluttering.

[HAWKINS] So what are you doing here?

I mean, you haven't tapped me
for much lately?

You have something new for me?

Heddie, it is still just
the two birds you own, right?

Oh, these?

I... I collect them.

They're just for show, not for function.

I've known a few people
in my life you could say that about.

So you didn't answer my question.

- Why the visit?
- Well, funny enough,

I was going through
some boxes myself recently,

seems spring is in
the air for all of us,

and I found something
I've had for you for quite awhile.

[GASPS] The bird sanctuary
in Costa Rica!

I was the one who told you
to go down there, remember?

I do. I finally swung by
during my time down in Guatemala

and just loved the place,
and I knew you did, too.

And, so, I went ahead and I bought it.

Okay, you did what now?

[REDDINGTON] Well,
here's the pickle though.

I make it down there
so rarely that, yesterday,

I called an attorney I know in San Jose

and had the deed
transferred to your name.

Congratulations.
I think you'll do wonders with it.

Raymond...

My God.

No one's ever done anything
like that for me before.

Raymond, thank you.

Thank you, Heddie. For everything.

You know what?
I'll give you a chance to repay me.

[HAWKINS] How could I ever?

Buy me breakfast.

There's a place up the street
that has the very best migas.

And I love migas.

I know that you do. [CHUCKLES]

So just what the hell do
we think Reddington's up to.

[SIYA] Let's step back.

What's the actual extent
of what he's given up?

Well, so far, a shipping empire

and most of his intelligence network.

- You know him best, Dembe.
- No one knows Raymond.

Not really.

I spent over years by his side

and never saw the full scope
of his operation.

He was always the central
clearing house of it all,

and the rest of us
were compartmentalized.

[RESSLER] Well, he's up to something.

Reddington always has
a card up his sleeve,

and we can't underestimate him.

He's so streamlined now,
who knows what he's capable of?

This is a fun game, you guys.

It's like throwing darts, in the dark,

on a train going off a cliff.

But I have a question,
what does this mean for us?

What do you mean?

Well, for instance,
is there still a Blacklist?

And if not, is there still a task force?

I mean, I just got here, you know?

And I finally got my desk
set up the way I like.

Sadly, my status within the Bureau
was just provisional,

so I need to report back to MI

if there's nothing
more for me to do here.

Now Siya has to go how?
This truly sucks.

[RESSLER] I'm telling you,
we need to be on high alert.

- [CELL PHONE CHIMES]
- This thing isn't over yet. Not for us.

Definitely not for Reddington.

Maybe we can find a way
to keep the band together?

What do you suggest? Rent a van?

Drive around solving crimes?

I'll be Fred if you'll be Velma.

Raymond told me never to repeat this,

but what if I happen to know
where Jimmy Hoffa is buried?

What?

[WOMAN] Agent Ressler, uh, hello.

You and I haven't met,
but my name is Jill.


I'm Jonathan Pritchard's wife.

I got this number from Jon
a few months ago.


He told me to reach out to you
in case of emergencies.


I think this classifies as that.

I haven't seen or heard
from him in over two days.


I checked all our
credit card statements,


three ATM withdrawals and tabs

at two different bars along K Street.

All recent. I think this is really bad.

Please, call me back at this number
as soon as you can.


[LINE RINGS]

Right there, if you please.

I'm amazed you have
the county clerk records

going back to .

Yes, and I discovered
the building was briefly used

as an infirmary during
the Spanish Flu outbreak of .

It's riveting stuff.

The Conservation League
of New York State

thanks you, Mr. Homan.

And just a reminder, we take
ownership at the end of the month.

Please make sure you treat her well,
Mr. Tine.

She's a great piece of history.

Can you find your way out?

- Absolutely.
- Thank you.

What was that all about?

I wasn't expecting you for another hour.

I was securing a qualified custodian

for this little gem of a building.

Raymond,

if you give this place up,
where would you sleep?

Oh, you know me.

I can sleep anywhere,
in a hammock, under a tree,

in a cave that I'd share
with a colony of bats.

I'm off to chase the moon
across the world.

That's why I asked you here.

I want you to come with me,

into the moonlight.

Raymond, what are you doing?

What is this all about?

I guess it's about life being
a series of chapters,

and this most recent one of mine

maybe lasted a little longer
than it ever should have.

Raymond,

let's say I go with you.

How would we make that work?

Hmm?

We're cut from the same cloth.

We both understand each other.
We both love each other.

But we're not going to change.

We'd miss that pump of adrenaline,
that feeling of peril.

How many days before one of us
gets restless and moves on?

I don't...
I don't have an answer to that.

Maybe you should.

Maybe it's time we both entered
a quieter, safer period in our lives.

I have a job,
working for Adolfo Santoro.

- Remember?
- It's dangerous by his side.

It's just as dangerous by yours.

Then I'll make you a proposition.

Raymond...

I'm going to be at the jet later today.

Meet me there.

Edward and I will be
wheels up at : p.m.

You don't have to make up
your mind right now.

But if you're not there by :,

I'll know your decision.

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

Cynthia, I didn't know
you were stopping by today.

Neither did I. We've both been summoned

to the office of the Attorney General.

Stromberg? When?

Now. This morning.

I have a car out front for us.

All right, let me, uh,
tell the team I'll be out for awhile.

Harold, I've learned to dread
this question more than anything

when I'm asking it to you.

You have any idea what this is about?

What are we walking into?

Please close the door
and sit down, Cynthia.

We need to talk.

Mr. Pritchard's room is just down here.

Hey, if you're here,

and the FBI is looking for this dude...

I should let my boss know, right?

No, you should go back to doing
your job and let me do mine.

[LOCK BEEPS AND DOOR UNLOCKS]

Jon?

[SPORTSCASTER SPEAKING
INDISTINCTLY ON TV]

[DOOR CLOSES]

Hey. Rough morning, Pritch?

I can't get the bubbles to work.

Yeah, it's a damn shame. Come on.

Watch your step. Watch your step.

Harold, this is insanity.

The Capitol?

I mean, I'd heard whispers around town

like everyone else had this past week,

some kind of data leak
they were keeping under wraps.

It's a bit more complicated
than that, I'm afraid.

And it wasn't just our government.

I cringe to ask. Who else?

We have evidence of
surveillance programs,

wiretapping, bugging ops
in major cities across Europe,

Russia, Asia, the southern hemisphere.

- I could go on.
- And it was Reddington?

All of it?

I could answer that question
for you Cynthia,

but you don't really need me to,
now do you?

Do you have any idea
what the fallout would be

if anyone knew that
your CI was responsible

for the greatest intelligence
breach in US history?

In world history?

I'm not sure that's
ever going to happen.

There's more.

I don't know if I can handle more,
Harold.

I should check my
systolic pressure first.

[COOPER] It was Reddington himself
who directed us

to the bugging operation at the Capitol

that then led to the
dismantling of his entire network.

Why would he do that?

[COOPER] In all my years
with this task force

and all my time with Reddington,

I've never seen anything like this.

It would seem that he's divesting

or maybe he's just downsizing.

But I don't know what that means
for the Blacklist.

None of us are entirely sure
why he's doing what he's doing.

But he's handing us
a lot of different keys

to a lot of different locks,
and there's no playbook here.

Has there ever been a playbook?

I used to think that was part
of what made us successful.

I'm not sure what to think anymore.

But I can tell you with certainty
that room

at the US Capitol,
along with rooms just like it

across the world,
are no more and no longer.

He shut them all down, Cynthia.

Maybe there's a way
to keep this under control.

We'll head to the AG's office,

answer whatever questions he has,

but as far as the United States
and any future grand jury is concerned,

no one needs to know
that Raymond Reddington

was responsible
for this intelligence breach.

The two of us can take
that information with us to the grave.

As long as we keep
Reddington's involvement quiet,

I don't think anyone's grave
gets dug today.

Mmm!

I didn't think
you'd make ice cream day this week.

Why ever would you think that?

Because of work.

I know you've been really busy.
Pops, too.

Nothing is more important than you,
sweetheart, to me and Pops.

Well, maybe one thing...

No, Pinky! You picked peppermint stick.

You're stuck with peppermint stick!

Mmm! Wow!

[LAUGHS]

I'm glad you got it.

Actually, there is a reason that today

is a special ice cream day.

I have something for you.

When she was about your age,
your mother made a promise to herself

to achieve something important,

something special in her life.

And she grew up, and she did it.

She carried this with pride,

and now I want you to have it.

Whatever you end up doing in your life,

however high you reach,

that will remind you of her effort
and determination.

You have all the best parts
of her inside you.

But maybe reach for something

a little more fun than law enforcement.

[LAUGHS]

Pinky, are you going somewhere?

I'd miss you.

Well, I'm always traveling, sweetheart.

But I'll never be too far.

I'll always be right there.

And right in here.

[SPORTSCASTER SPEAKING
INDISTINCTLY ON TV]

[RESSLER] This is what we're gonna do.

We'll wait for you to sober up.

Then, we're gonna get your ass

to the first meeting we can find,
all right?

I'm not going anywhere...
You don't tell me...

It's all right.

I know that's not you talking, Jon.

That's the junk in your bloodstream.

What did you take? Huh?

Did you mix? Do you remember?

He made me... He made me do it...

We'll figure it out, pal, all right?

...wrong about Don...

He's... He's salt of the earth...

Salt of the earth...
It's you phone... Your phone...

My phone? What about my phone?

They were listening...
I... I... They made me do it...

Who made you do what?

Hudson...

Your phone...

He's... He's listening, Don...

I'm sorry.

What are the odds we still have jobs

on the other side of this meeting?

If I get cornered,
I'm blaming everything on you.

- [CELL PHONE RINGING]
- I'm going to take this.

Head inside. I'll be right there.

Who is this?

It's Ressler. I can't talk long.

- What number are you calling me from?
- A motel.

I can't use my own phone.
But where are you right now?

About to take a meeting
with the Attorney General.

Listen to me. That congressman, Hudson?

What about him?

I have reason to believe
that he's tapped my phone.

That he's been listening to my calls.

Maybe for awhile now.
But I can't be sure.

He did what?

How do you know this?

Well, let's just call it a semi-reliable
source, but if it's true...

There's no way Hudson
received authorization for that.

Yeah, but if it is, sir,
just think about all the things


that we've been talking about
over the phone in the last few weeks.

If you're at the
Attorney General's office right now,

you could be walking into a buzz saw.

[COOPER ON RECORDING]
We stood by and offered him protection

while he built out and strengthened

a vast criminal network.

We've protected him

while he hardwired the US Capitol

and intercepted
a decade's worth of state secrets.


In a way, we've been
his partners in treason.


Director Cooper, will you have a seat?

[SIYA] Well, it's some
seriously invasive software.

We have no way of knowing
how long it's been there.

But we used to use stuff
like this all the time

when I was with MI.

Whatever it is, it treated
the encryption on your phone

like a flimsy screen door.

It's definitely government. Maybe NSA?

If they're right about this
and it is NSA equipment

or something like that,
then Hudson had help.

[RESSLER] And it means he had a warrant.

If he has a warrant,
he's been listening,

he's heard us talk about the
Capitol Building and about Reddington.

[REDDINGTON] She can
be a little hard to read sometimes.

She says we're alike,
but am I like that?

Am I hard to read?

I just want her to at least
show up at the jet.

You know?
Even if she doesn't want to come along,

I just want to hear it from her.

You know what I mean?
What do you think, Teddy?

I barely know this woman.
But I gotta tell ya,

I've been married to
my wife for years.

I love her with all my heart.

And if it was my plane,
I'd take off early.

Oh, my God. Fine. You know what?

Romance clearly is not your area
of expertise.

[BRIMLEY] Doesn't sound
like yours either.

So, you're going traveling.

- When do you think you'll be back?
- [REDDINGTON] I don't know.

I haven't really
given it much thought, actually.

Know what I think?

I think I need to find a new job.

You don't need a job.

You've saved every dollar,
millions of them.

You've got your lake here,
the rods and the reels.

- You have your family.
- Exactly.

I gotta get out of the house,
move around,

attach jumper cables to someone.

That is all behind us, Teddy.

Find a new hobby, a new passion.

I don't know, something that involves
less screaming, at least.

You remember Smokey
and that dog grooming business we had?

He did such a crackerjack job
of promoting that place.

What about something like that for you?

Animals? What the hell
do I know about animals?

Oh, you're right.

Wherever would I have gotten that idea?

All I'm saying, Teddy,
animals shed their fur,

reptiles shed their skin.

Don't be afraid to become
something new. I'm not.

You didn't use to be this much
of a fortune cookie,

- you know?
- [CELL PHONE RINGS]

Or was I always, and now I'm
just a sweeter kind of cookie?

Dembe, what a nice surprise.

Hey, send my regards.

[REDDINGTON] Teddy sends his best.

Donald's phone was bugged
the last week or two.

There's no telling what was heard.

Bugged? By whom?

That congressman...

Ah, Mr. Hudson.

He's like a dog with a squeaky toy.

Drives you crazy,
and he won't give it up.

Cooper was called

to a meeting with
the Attorney General today.

He's there now.

- We think...
- Hudson's leading the charge?

Yes, I do, too.

Thank you, Dembe. Keep me posted.

- Raym...
- [BEEPS]

That is your voice on
the recording Director Cooper?

Yes, it is, sir.

A scandal like this would stain

the very foundation of our country.

So how do we proceed?

[HUDSON] I'll ask the first question.

Director Cooper, uh,
at what point did you know

for certain you were
collaborating high treason

against the United States?

Hold on one minute!

I'm sitting here listening to you all

make accusations against Harold Cooper,

my friend and colleague
who is a patriot to his core.

What you are choosing
to conveniently omit,

Mr. Hudson, are all the accomplishments

this task force has made
due to actionable intel

provided by Raymond Reddington.

As much as one might want to sit here

and believe the defense
of a sitting senator

and an FBI director,

it is my finding that Task Force

has reached a point
where they are no longer

working with Raymond Reddington,
but rather for Reddington.

I truly believe you don't know
which way is up anymore.

You know,
I've sat in so many of these rooms,

answered so many of these questions.

The revolving door of people asking,

people wagging fingers,
pointing fingers,

the people change,
but the questions stay the same.

The carpet stays the same.

I stay the same. And you know what?

I... I don't have an excuse left in me.

I'm tired.

I was a caretaker, a night watchman,

to a cause that kept
this world a little safer.

It was in danger yesterday.

It'll be in danger tomorrow.

The best I could do
was look after it with the bit of time

I was given.

I can't justify the actions
of my team any longer

to the very people
who sanctioned that team to begin with.

We did our best to look after
the charter we were given.

And I can sleep at night.

If you want my badge,

take my badge.

I'm done apologizing.

[STATIC BUZZES]

[REDDINGTON] Hello? Hello?

Is it working?

Y... Okay. [CHUCKLES]

I'm sorry. Excuse me.

I hate to barge in like this.

But may I speak for just a moment?

Because there's a perspective
you may not have considered.


- Mine.
- [HUDSON] I don't believe this.

This is exactly
what I've been talking about.

This man has pirated himself

into a closed-door meeting
with the Attorney General.


- He's out of control.
- [REDDINGTON] Forgive me.

You all can see me, but I can't see you.

Wh-Who is speaking?

Arthur Hudson, Mr. Reddington.

And it's clear to me by this intrusion

that you have more power than
any confidential informant ever should.

It's funny.

It seems you have more power
than a congressman should.


How is it exactly
that you've anointed yourself


the Inspector General of
a clandestine FBI task force?


Someone has to stand in your way.

[CHUCKLES]

Congressman, your conflict is with me,
not the FBI.


Everything we're discussing here,

the ongoing criminal enterprise,

the invasive tactics
taken at the Capitol, it's all me.


You need to redirect your fight.

I need to put you behind bars.

I've been, several times.
It didn't take.


Gentlemen, enough!

I would like to see the results

has provided over the years.

Let's review the case files.

About that.

In the spirit of full-disclosure,

I had every mention of my name deleted

from those files several months ago,
so...


Otherwise, they're an exciting read.

Do you see? Do you see
the mockery he's made of all this?

I honestly can't believe
what I'm hearing.

I have to agree with Hudson here.

Unless someone can
convince me otherwise,

I see this informant relationship

as a bureaucratic failure.

That's a bit myopic, don't you think?

How else am I supposed
to see your actions

in regards to the Capitol

as anything other than high treason?

You call it whatever the hell you want.
That's fine by me.


But leave Harold Cooper
and his people out of it.


They don't know the breadth
of my operation.


Not a tenth of it, not a hundredth.

Even what we've touched on today

is nominal to what I have
set up around the world.


I have more bugs in more rooms
than your prosaic little mind


could possibly imagine.

I've forgotten more about

surveillance and black bag ops

than you could ever teach
in every classroom

in Langley and Quantico.

But you know what's truly inarguable?

Harold Cooper and his team have lost

and sacrificed, given their lives,

and still delivered to you
time and time again.


You want to blame someone,
blame yourself


and the others who proceeded you.

Because you want your information
from Raymond Reddington.

You want to solve cases.

You want to save lives.

You want to have an effect.

But you don't want to be guilty
of doing business with me,


not in the harsh light of day.

Well, shame on you.

I am what I am.

You made a devil's bargain.

Did you really expect me
to stop being the devil?


You know what?

- You know what I think?
- Nor do I care.

May I have a moment to think,

please?

What's going on, boss?

As of this moment,
Task Force has been shut down.

It no longer exists.

We always wondered
when this day might come.

When we would be held to account for

everything we've done with Reddington.

That day is today.

[SIGHS]

From this moment on,
I encourage all of you

to be candid and forthright
in your answers.

What answers?

To what? To whom?

Everyone, I need all personnel
to step aside,

relinquish your cell phones

and your computers
for a full audit of this site.

What the hell is this?

What he means is don't touch anything.

And keep your hands
where we can see them.

We're in charge here.

[NIXON] None of you
are under arrest... yet.

But I expect your full cooperation
from here on out.

So what, we're being punished
for spending a decade doing our jobs?

- What is he doing here?
- [SIYA] My question exactly.

This is a classified installation.

The AG asked Congressman Hudson
to observe this investigation.


Why? So he doesn't blab to the press.

Ooh, the government keeps secrets.

Let me collect my jaw
off the floor for that one.

Cool it with the mouth, Hambright.

The Congressman is here just to monitor.

I'm the authority on this site
until we complete our objective.

And what is your objective?

We're here to locate
and arrest the criminal,

Raymond Reddington.

What my team needs from all of you

is a list of known
Reddington safe houses,

modes of transportation,
resources, aliases,

associates, anything and everything.

You think we have even
a fraction of that information?

Then give us what you do have.

[NIXON] Look, I'm not here
to butt heads with anyone.

I just want to get my job done.

And your support is the best chance

we have of intercepting Reddington

before he leaves the country,

and bringing him to justice
safely and without incident.

Raymond Reddington doesn't
do anything without incident.

What is your operational status
with this task force?


It was meant to be temporary.

I sort of hung round.

Was that to continue
your work with Reddington?

It was to continue my work

with all these people
you're interrogating.

[NIXON] You worked for Reddington.

For years.

How did you even get a job
at the Bureau?


I applied for it. I had an interview.

And they hired me.

Have you ever knowingly witnessed

Raymond Reddington commit a crime?

Are you for real?

[CELL PHONE BUZZING]

I hate to be a buzzkill,
but I really need to leave by :.

Do you have any idea
the kind of mess you're in?


Do you have any idea the
mess I'll be in if I lose the sitter?


Any other questions?

Yeah, one. If you'd known what

Reddington was up to
at the Capitol Building

before he led you there,
would you have stopped him?


My oath is to this country,
not to Raymond Reddington.

So, that's a yes?
You would have stopped it?

If I had to rip out every camera

and microphone by hand myself.

Mind explaining this?

Can you tell me what you were
doing on this private plane?

Eating snacks and watching movies.

Enough games. Whose plane was it?

I heard from headquarters.

The signal Reddington used
to remote access

Stromberg's office earlier was traced

to a -square-mile radius near
Deep Creek Lake in Maryland.

They couldn't narrow it down
any further for us.

[HUDSON] We can work with that.

I had your man here enhance this photo.

We got a clear view of the tail number.

I think that's Reddington's plane

and I want its transponder beacon.

We know he was in Maryland, right?

- Mmm-hmm.
- [HUDSON] Can't be that far.

If he goes anywhere near that plane,
I want him.

He cannot leave US airspace.

Excuse me, Agent...

It's Ishwood, sir.

Agent Ishwood,
I have to use the restroom.

I'm sure I need an escort.

Yeah, sure. I'll take you.

Strange day, huh?
Babysitting other Feds?

Between you and me? Not what I thought

I'd be doing
when I woke up this morning.

No hard feelings.

You all seem like good agents.

You're just doing your job.

[LINE RINGS AND CLICKS]

They are onto the plane.
They are onto you.

If you're not already gone,
please, get out now.

[NIXON] We located that
transponder you were after.

The plane is sitting on a runway
at Brawer County Airfield.

It's a private, rural airstrip
between DC and Deep Creek Lake

where we triangulated
Reddington's video signal.

I've got the airfield administrator
on hold right now.

The jet matches the tail number
you found,

and it just finished fueling up.

That jet could be
wheels up at any minute.

- We need to be there now.
- Yeah, way ahead of you.

- Brawer, you still with me?
- [MAN] I'm here.

I've just grounded all outbound
air traffic on our runway.


Excellent. Continue to refuse clearance

to anyone requesting to take off,

but do not approach
the aircraft yourself.

We have HRT en route to you now.

- Ishwood?
- Yes, sir.

You stay behind, keep an eye
on all our friends here.

- Don't let them touch anything.
- [ISHWOOD] Yes, sir.

- What about me?
- You stay, too.

You're not a field agent,
no matter how much you want to be.

We'll keep you apprised
of anything that happens.

Yeah.

[EDWARD] Sir, I'm being told
by the tower here

that we're grounded.
I believe something is going on.

Then they found the beacon.
That was to be expected.

Should we take off anyway?

[SIGHS]

Let's just wait a few more minutes.

[EDWARD] Sir,
it's my advice that we take off.

It's too risky to continue
sitting here exposed.

I guess she's not coming.

All right, Edward, you know what to do.

Let's go.

[SIRENS WAILING]

Hudson, the plane's already in the air.
We missed him.

We're not out of the game.
We've got the transponder.

We can track it.
That plane can't fly forever.

It has to land somewhere for fuel.

[NIXON] I'll put our airports within
a , mile radius on alert.


And we'll scramble up a couple of jets.

- Is that something we can do?
- You bet your ass we can.

The minute Reddington touches
the ground, we'll have him.

[EXPLODING]

Oh, my God.

It's Reddington's jet.
There's been an expl*si*n.


The jet's going down.

It's going to crash
in the wooded area behind the runway.


No. No. No way.

Y-You've got to get over there and see.

Over there? It's an active crash site.

I can see smoke, Hudson.

And I want to see a body.
Do you hear me?

I want to know
Raymond Reddington's dead.

Have some respect.

Reddington wasn't alone.

There was a pilot on that plane.

These are human beings
we're talking about.

[SCOFFS]

I love the fact that
you kept me waiting.

I do. You never want to show
your hand too early.

But minutes late, Weecha?

I had to know you'd stick around
and wait for me.

What would you have done
had I not shown up to rescue you?

The same thing.
I've had that jet rigged for years.

You're telling me,
every time I road on that thing,

there were expl*sives planted onboard?

Every time.

Fortunately,
Edward's an excellent pilot.

- Speaking of...
- [ROCK MUSIC PLAYING]

Oh, yeah

You may want to pop the trunk.

There's a party

Edward! Unscathed!

- Well done.
- Thank you, sir.

That was quite exhilarating.

♪ They've got rhythm A little blues ♪

[STROMBERG] How much have you
been told since the plane crash?

Very little.

The crash site was located.

But there were no bodies found.

Which means Reddington was not on board.

Which means he's still out there.

You wouldn't have anything to drink
in here, would you, Harold?

Pour me a finger, and I'm going to
tell you what the deal is.

[INHALING]

Yes, sir, that's the medicine.

I'm not here to break balls.

We're two old men.

We don't have the time or the patience.

And forget about the pageant
in my office earlier today.

[CLEARS THROAT]

I am putting Task Force
back on the case.

You'll help track down Reddington.

No one knows him like you do.

I believe you and your team
are good agents

who found themselves
in an impossible situation.

But good agents nonetheless.

Now I want you to prove that to me.

What about the Congressman?

[SIGHS]

Hudson is a Boy Scout.

He doesn't have the discretion
or the caution

for something like this.

And besides, I gave Hudson
and Nixon their chance

and now we've got plane wreckage

scattered across a field in Maryland.

I want this done quietly.

And your people specialize in quiet.

What do you say?

I'm not sure I'm being given
a choice in the matter.

I didn't set up this task force.

I don't particularly care
about this task force.

But I won't have a scandal.

Someone's gonna take the fall for it.

It won't be me.

It can either be you and your team,

or it can be Reddington.

You care about your team, don't you?

They're family.

I'm gonna go give Hudson some decaf

and buy you an inch of latitude.

You go out there,
find your man, and bring him in.

Or I will recommend full prosecutions

for every member of your team.

I don't want to.

But my hands are tied.

[MAN SINGING] ♪ Rising
from the shadows ♪

♪ Deep within... ♪

I can't believe Stromberg
is putting these people

back in their posts.
What is he thinking?

About results.

You know what you do
when you're fighting

an out-of-control wildfire?

You set smaller fires.
Suck away its oxygen.

You let mayhem deal with mayhem.

These people are thick as thieves.

Someone warned Reddington.

They should all be in Federal custody.

Well, Stromberg has the last word
and you heard him.

We stand down.

I'm not gonna rest until I know
who tipped that bastard off.

Yeah. I don't trust them either.

So we stand down and let them
bring in Reddington.

Or they try to help him,

and we bring them all in.

♪ This could be the end of days ♪

[PRITCHARD] Hey, Don, it's me.
I need your help.


Please, Don. I'm sorry.

I don't know if I can hold on alone.

♪ The darkness will rise ♪

♪ So hold back the night ♪

Jon?

♪ The darkness will rise ♪

♪ So hold back the night ♪

♪ Hold back the night with me ♪

[OVER PHONE] Harold, it's Cynthia.

I don't know when you'll
get this message.


I'm not sure what the status
of your team will be


when you finally do.

[SIGHS]

I meant every word of what I said today.

Working with you,
working with your people,


accomplishing what we have
these last years,


has been the honor of my life.

You're more than just a night watchman.

You're a good man.
And this might seem small,


but it always made me feel safer

knowing you were out there,

looking out for all of us.

Talk soon.

[REDDINGTON] It's late, Harold.

Almost first light out there.

I thought you'd be long gone.

You're my last stop of the day.

Let me guess, they told you
to find me and bring me in,

or else.

[COOPER] They were slightly
more specific than that.

The word "prosecution"
came up quite a few times.

Technically, an agent named Nixon
is in charge,

but it's all hands on deck.

Whose head is on the block?

All of ours.

Or just yours.

It was when I called
the Attorney General prosaic, wasn't it?

I got a little carried away.

Don't look so glum.

It's just cops and robbers, Harold.

Always has been all these years.

I'm just glad you're the cop.

I hope Donald's still on the chase,
for old times' sake.

Let's have a little fun on the way out.

What would you have me do?

Catch me if you can.

Vaya con dios, my friend.

[LIGHT SWITCH CLICKS]

[AGNES] Pops? Is that you?

Just a minute.
I'll be right there, sweetheart.

[DOOR CREAKS]
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