This episode had a lot going on, and loads of character development at the same time. That’s one of the things I’m really liking about Blindspot, that each of the many characters on the team are fully developed, three dimensional characters with their own fairly involved stories, and they all intersect.
The episode opens with another memory, and we learn that Jane was actually involved in Orion. She was piloting a helicopter in the memory, and was the only one to survive the operation. We also learn that this wasn’t expected–she was expected to die with everyone on that mission.
Her mother and brother use this memory to narrate a bit more into what Sandstorm stands for–and lets slip that there’s a much bigger picture in play.
They’re obviously manipulating Jane here, and this makes us not want to trust them…even though they’re uncovering some seriously underhanded and illegal stuff being done by the government. Again, this makes us wonder if either side in this case is the good guys. Are there any good guys here? Is our erstwhile FBI team just a collection of good meaning pawns?
When Jane goes back to the team, she lets them know that her family has given her more info on a tattoo case, one that has to be followed up on that very day, or of course, dire consequences ahead.
It turns out there’s a grubby CIA op that’s taking guns that were used in crimes in the US, and selling them undercover as weapons dealers in order to uncover people behind crime…except that someone is siphoning the guns off to the Juarez cartel. Unfortunately, they’re using them for crimes right here in the US. The urgent part? Four Stinger missiles are the next purchase.
We also learn that Reade is still trying to follow up on the case with the pedo football coach from Season 1, and he’s getting a lot of pushback from the attorney. He was working on convincing his old friend to testify–and this guy was a mess from coping with having been molested–and now he had to tell his friend that he’s not a credible enough witness.
We see tensions rising between the team members–no one wants to work with Jane, and–awkward–Jane walks into Weller saying he can’t even stand seeing her there at all. Zapata is pretty torked off too.
Jane talked about this with psychiatrist Borden, who makes the unhelpful suggestion that she try to talk to Weller. Although Borden can obviously see what’s at the heart of everything–Weller is also still dealing with the revelation that his now dead dad really did kill Taylor Shaw–but his conclusions come up a little tone deaf.
Patterson resents Nas’ connections and access to information, and for a short while they’re clashing. Patterson is used to having all the answers at her fingertips, and for once, she’s out of her depth. Someone knows more than she does.
The team finds someone inside the gun waltzing program (the term for selling the guns off to criminals) that they thought was responsible, and quickly discover she’s not. She’s a loose end. They save her from execution via Juarez goon, and she gives them all the intel they need to find the culprit.
Meanwhile, Borden approaches Patterson. He gifts her with a vintage copy of Oregon Trail and trips all over himself trying to ask her out. ADORKABLE. Love this little development. I really want to see where it goes. The psychiatrist who always seems so sure-footed with everyone finally can’t string two coherent words together. He’s smitten. Patterson seems…amused?
As the team closes in on the bad guy, the clashes get more disruptive. Weller, ever the uniter, demands that everyone work together, and gives The Talk. Everyone is chastened, they start working like our team we all know and love again, and they go get the bad guy. In the process, their inside woman gets a little hot headed, charges in, and gets shot.
Nas learns that if she gives Weller room to do his thing, he really does bring home the results. She might be trusting the team more…or is she? We find out she’s lied to Jane’s face, saying she’s listening to case notes, when she’s actually listening to Jane’s session with Borden. Ever the untrusting NSA spook, apparently. Archie Panjabi has always been good at playing characters we really aren’t sure we should be liking, and making them likeable. We want to like Nas, even though she obviously isn’t quite ready to trust anyone.
We also learn that–uh, oh–Cade has been spotted. If anyone gets to Cade, Jane’s excuse of having been missing because she was being tortured by Cade (instead of the CIA) will be blown.
Also, Roman is a bit…unhinged?
Jane confronts Weller, saying she understands why he may hate her. He says he doesn’t hate her….and practically chokes on the word. Oh, my heart! It becomes obvious that our Weller is a big gooey ball of hurt…he doesn’t hate you, Jane. It’s obvious he’s so upset at your betrayal because he wanted to love you. You weren’t Taylor Shaw, you lied to him, and you were revealed to have been part of the enemy. Maybe there’s a little hope here?
Just before the close of the episode, Roman lets slip that they have a mole in the FBI. Get ready for the guessing game on who the mole could be. We also see part of a memory of Jane’s (at least, it plays like a memory?) where Roman is sticking a needle in her neck. Ominous.
Read previous episode recap here.
JL Jamieson is a strange book nerd who writes technical documents by day, and book news, reviews, and other assorted opinions for you by night. She is working on her own fiction, and spends time making jewelry to sell at local conventions, as well as stalking the social media accounts of all your favorite writers.