Blindspot – Devil Never Even Lived

By starrymag | January 24, 2017

By: Jessica Wolff

 

Overseeing preparations for the second phase of Sandstorm’s plan, Dr. Robert Borden (Ukweli Roach) has his authority questioned by Parker (Jefferson White). Borden assures him that he is back in charge and that Parker needs to obey the chain of command. Edgar Reade (Rob Brown) is woken up by a knock at the door. Freddy’s girlfriend, Nikki (Meagan Kimberly Smith), has come to Reade’s apartment to look for Freddy. Reade lies that he doesn’t know where Freddy is, but Nikki storms into his apartment looking for him. He convinces her that he really doesn’t know where he is, but Nikki calls him a bad friend as she leaves.

 

Tasha Zapata (Audrey Esparza) asks Reade about his night with the woman from the bar, but he tells her to mind her own business. As the team gathers, Jane tells them that Roman (Luke Mitchell) solved the mysterious tattoo in the initial tattoo test. Patterson (Ashley Johnson) corrects her that she’s the one the figured out the tattoo using Roman’s cell game as inspiration. She explains how the tattoo contains mancala boards that lead to a social security number of Kat Jarett (Amber Skye Noyes), while Jane makes sure to emphasize Roman’s role in solving the tattoo. Nas Kamal (Archie Panjabi) shows them the surveillance photos of Roman previously meeting with Kat. Patterson tells them that she is a member of a notorious biker gang and that an associate of hers was arrested for smuggling weapons. Zapata speculates that the tattoo was left off because the case was over, but Jane insists that it might be a clue that leads them to Sandstorm. Jane wants to show the photo to Roman, but Kamal reminds her that it might trigger his bad behavior. Kurt Weller (Sullivan Stapleton) agrees with Jane that it’s worth a shot.

 

Dr. Karen Sun (Li Jun Li) shows Roman the photo, but he doesn’t gain any new memories. She plays him a recording of a car engine revving up and it triggers a memory of him buying weapons from Kat. Jane speculates that the biker gang might lead them to Sandstorm, but Reade and Zapata mention that it will be difficult to infiltrate them. Undeterred, Jane (Jaimie Alexander) suggests they allow Roman into the field to infiltrate the gang. The rest of the team thinks this idea is insane, but Jane convinces them that it might be their only lead to Sandstorm. Dr. Sun is also against the idea, believing that Roman is incapable of love, but Weller believes that it’s worth the risk despite that.

 

Roman is in disbelief that he’s being sent on a mission, but Jane tells him that it might be a chance to get him out of the cell. He is worried about the possibility of the old Roman coming back, but Jane says that she believes in the new Roman. Everyone stares at Roman as Jane leads him into the main room and Jane tells them that the others hold him responsible for Sandstorm’s last attack. Weller thanks him for agreeing to help and Patterson briefs him on the details of the mission. Roman’s job is to get a sit-down with the leader of the gang, Abel Marx (Charles Halford). When asked if he can have a gun, Jane assures him that she will have a gun even though they won’t need one.

 

Jane and Roman enter the biker bar and they get a lot of dirty looks. Roman sees Kat and it triggers a memory of Jane telling him to cut off contact with Kat, as he has gotten too close to her. Kat comes over and slaps him before yelling at him for disappearing. Roman introduces Remy to her and tells her that they just want to see Abel. Despite Kat’s hesitation, she brings them back to meet Abel, who is beating up a man. Abel asks Roman where he’s been and he tells them that Sheppard (Michelle Hurd) shot him after their last deal. Jane corroborates his story and they ask Abel to make another sale with Sheppard. Abel says that Sheppard only wants explosives, and Roman promises that they can find the particular type for the deal.

 

Back at headquarters, Zapata criticizes Roman for making the deal with Abel. Jane and Weller defend his choice, as it will get them closer to bringing down Sandstorm. Patterson tells them that the only way to get the particular explosive is to steal them from a military base, and Kamal tells them to go ahead and steal them. Weller runs after Kamal and tells her that they shouldn’t use real explosives as bait. Kamal insists that nothing will go wrong and explains her plan to him. Reade tells Zapata about Nikki’s visit and his guilt about not being able to do more for her and Freddy. Zapata tells him that Nikki is not his responsibility and that he needs to take care of himself.

 

Patterson requests to Kamal that she is allowed to be there for the Sandstorm deal and admits that she feels guilty about not being able to see the signs that Borden was a terrorist. Kamal tells her that she can relate and Patterson accuses her of not being able to figure it out because she was busy spying on the good guys. Weller warns Jane to be careful with Roman, but she refuses to listen to his warnings.

 

After planning the heist, Kat climbs on the back of Roman’s motorcycle and gives him a gun. Jane, Roman, Kat and Abel drive away on their motorcycles. Roman jumps onto a truck driving on the road and demands that the drivers, Weller and Reade, pull over. They pull over to a warehouse and steal the explosives from the back of the truck. Abel demands that Roman kill Weller and Reade before they can leave the warehouse. Jane tries to convince them that it won’t be necessary, but Abel is still suspicious of Roman. Roman takes the gun and shoots both of them before leaving, which shocks Jane. Weller and Reade get up as soon as everyone is out of the warehouse and Reade questions whether Roman knew they were wearing vests before he shot them.

 

Jane confronts Roman about his decision to shoot Weller and Reade. He insists that he aimed for their vests and that Abel would have shot them in the head if he had gotten the opportunity. Abel and Kat come over and drink to their success and Kat informs them Sheppard has agreed to make the deal. The problem is that they won’t know the location of the deal until an hour before, but Abel promises them that they will get there on time. Kat admits that she spent a lot of time figuring out what she did wrong after he left, but Roman assures her that it was Sheppard’s fault. She kisses him and Roman has a memory of them making plans to run away together. Roman tells her that he has to go, but he will be back later, assuring that he will definitely be back this time.

 

Jane asks Roman what he remembered. He asks her why he’s back in his cell and reminds her that things would have been much worse if he hadn’t shot them in the vest. Jane goes to check in on Weller who assures her that he will be fine. However, Jane can tell that something is bothering Weller and he tells her about Allison’s plan to move across the country, as well as the loneliness he feels as a result.

 

The team sets up outside the bar for the deal and sting operation. Jane and Roman go into the bar and two gang members take their weapons before leading them to the backroom. Kat points a gun at them and accuses them of working with cops. She is suspicious because of Roman’s hesitation to kill the truck drivers earlier, but Jane tells her that Roman has been different and better since he was shot. To Jane’s surprise, Roman admits that they’re working with the FBI to catch Sheppard. He tells Kat that if she helps him bring down Sheppard, they can run away together like they talked about. Kat is angry with him for choosing his sister over him, but he tells her that he loves her.

 

After two gunshots, Kat walks out and confirms that she killed Roman and Jane. Two members of the gang go in to collect the bodies and Jane and Roman attack the gang members. After a fight breaks out, another gang member wants to check in on the noise. Kat refuses to let him pass and shoots him, which causes Weller to run into the bar. Kat is shot in the gunfire and Weller comes in and takes the guy out before he can shoot Kat again. Kat dies in Roman’s arms and Roman is determined to bring in Sheppard.

 

Weller gets information for the location of the deal from Patterson as Jane comforts Roman in the backseat. Roman asks to bring Sheppard in alive, as he wants to know why Sheppard erased his memory. They find the truck carrying the explosives outside and Weller sends the agents in to apprehend her. Weller finds a notice on the door that the building has been contaminated for two years. They run to the truck and open it to find Abel dead and the explosives gone.

 

The team tries to figure out how Sandstorm knew they were coming and Weller says that they have to find out how they are always one step ahead of them. Kamal insists the FBI is tracking the explosives and they will find Sandstorm soon. Later, Kamal apologizes to Weller and he tells her that they both made bad decisions in the mission. She breaks up with him, telling him that they are clouding each other’s judgment and they will work better apart. Nikki visits Reade and apologizes for her attitude earlier. He tells her that he hasn’t found anything on Freddy. When Nikki worries that Freddy is dead, he assures her that he probably doesn’t want to be found. She is worried that Freddy leaving is her fault and then takes time to touch the bullet mark on Reade’s chest. She kisses him and they end up in bed together.

 

Jane goes to visit Roman and apologizes for what happened with Kat. Roman admits that he didn’t feel anything when he told Kat that he loved her and wonders what is wrong with him. Jane speculates that feelings, unlike memories, need to be earned. Jane tells him that he should be free to create a new life for himself and promises him that she will get him out of the cell. At Sandstorm’s headquarters, Borden congratulates Parker for his handling of the biker gang, but criticizes him about his recklessness.

 

Jane goes to visit Weller and tells him that he’s not wrong for feeling alone. She brings him beer and Weller invites her inside. She tells Weller that she won’t make him send Roman into the field again, but she wants him to let him out once in a while so he doesn’t feel caged. Jane notices Kamal’s NSA file on Weller on the table and they look at it together. She finds his old yearbook and looks through it. In a photo of Weller playing basketball, Jane spots Sheppard in the crowd behind him. Weller recognizes her and figures out her connection to him.