Blindspot – Nor I, Nigel, AKA Leg In Iron

By starrymag | January 9, 2017

By: Jessica Wolff

 

In the aftermath of the fall finale’s cliffhanger, the winter premiere of Blindspot wastes no time in revealing that Patterson (Ashley Johnson) is shot during her altercation with Dr. Robert Borden (Ukweli Roach). Borden attempts to apologize before Patterson collapses to the floor. Jane Doe (Jaimie Alexander) drives her brother Roman (Luke Mitchell) and tries to answer his questions about his missing memories. However, Roman is terrified of her gun and attacks her. Jane swerves to avoid a car and Roman jumps out of the moving vehicle. Roman attempts to escape, but Jane chases after him. She pleads with him to get back in the car, but he fights her. While she is down, he hijacks the car and drives away, leaving Jane on the side of the road.

 

Edgar Reade (Rob Brown) wakes up in the hospital and finds Tasha Zapata (Audrey Esparza) sitting by his bedside. After checking in on him, she tells him that she was worried about him and he thanks her for being there for him. Back at FBI headquarters, Kurt Weller (Sullivan Stapleton) and Nas Kamal (Archie Panjabi) discuss the failed Sandstorm mission. Kamal blames herself for not figuring out the trap sooner and getting several agents killed, but Weller assures her that it’s not her fault. Kamal figures out that Sheppard pulled Weller away from the mission because she needs him alive for a future plan. Weller is worried about Jane, but Zapata comes in and argues that Jane might still be working for Sandstorm. Weller and Kamal refuse to believe that though.

 

As they argue, Jane is brought in by FBI agents in handcuffs. Weller uncuffs her and Jane apologizes for what happened. After an embrace, Jane asks about the rest of the team. Zapata tells Jane about Reade’s surgery and that Patterson is with Borden. Panicked, Jane tells them that Borden is a mole for Sandstorm and the team frantically tries to track her. Jane suggests that Roman could help them and tells them about what happened with Roman and Sheppard. She tells them that she zipped his memories, but lost him soon after. Weller assigns agents to look for Roman, but Zapata questions whether he would be of any use to them without his memories. Jane insists that she started regaining memories quickly and that Roman is their best tool to find Patterson.

 

Patterson wakes up on a table in a warehouse and sees Borden washing his hands. She attempts to walk over to Borden, but she is held at gunpoint by Sheppard (Michelle Hurd). Borden pleads with Sheppard not to hurt Patterson, but Sheppard tells him that she doesn’t have time for misplaced loyalties after what happened with Roman. Borden points out that Patterson could be a useful asset if Sheppard agrees not to kill her and Sheppard agrees to try and extract information out of her. Zapata tries to call Roman to track his location via cell phone, but he won’t pick up. After a couple of tries, he picks up and Jane reasons with him. She reiterates that she’s not trying to hurt him and tells him about the coin inside his pocket. Roman uses nearby landmarks to help pinpoint Roman’s location.

 

Borden ties up Patterson as Sheppard is called away. Patterson takes the opportunity to question who Borden really is. He tells her about his wife and how she was killed in a US military attack. He tells Patterson that she is on the wrong side and advises her to tell Sheppard everything she knows. In the other room, Sheppard listens to Roman’s phone call with Jane and figures out that she has been zipped.

 

Roman eats in a diner and talks to a little girl. A group of men walk into the diner and Roman is suspicious of them. He advises the waitress to take the girl and run. A Sandstorm agent approaches him and tells him that he’s there to bring Roman to his sister. Roman insists that he should wait for his sister at the diner, and fights off the agent. The other men in the diner open fire at him and Roman fires back at them. Jane and Weller come into the diner and shoot the gunmen. Jane is surprised to see Roman stab the agent in the neck.

 

Jane, Weller and Zapata watch Roman struggle against his restraints in the interrogation room. Jane and Zapata argue over whether the restraints are necessary and Kamal tells them that they need to not treat him like a prisoner if they want his cooperation. Zapata questions whether Roman will be any help without his memories, but Kamal insists that he is the only lead they have. Jane tells them that she wants to tell Roman everything, including the fact that she zipped him. Zapata goes to find another lead and Weller and Kamal tell Jane that telling Roman the truth is a bad idea. Weller reminds Jane that she hated the people that zipped her in the first place and Kamal tells Jane that a potentially fractured relationship is worth the risk of getting information.

 

Sheppard begins her interrogation of Patterson, asking her what the FBI knows about Phase 2. Patterson refuses to talk and Sheppard threatens to inject Patterson with a syringe. She sticks the needle in her ear and Patterson screams. Jane uncuffs Roman and tells him that she needs his help to find Patterson. Roman tells her that he doesn’t have any memories to help her and Jane tells him her story of being zipped. She assures him that the FBI will take care of him like they did her and tells him that he can trust her. She tells her that their mother, a terrorist, erased both of their memories.

 

Borden pleads with Patterson to give up the information and then asks Sheppard to stop torturing her. Sheppard refuses to relent and Patterson tells her that she might as well kill her. Instead, Sheppard injects her again and she cries out in pain. Kamal shows Roman photos of Patterson and Sheppard to try and jog his memory, but nothing returns to him. Sheppard demands to know what the FBI knows about Phase 2 and Patterson tells her that the FBI knows everything. Kamal shows Roman the picture of Borden and he says that he recognizes him. To Jane and Roman’s surprise, Kamal storms out. Borden pleads with Sheppard to stop the torture, but she insists that it’s for the greater good. A Sandstorm agent comes in to report that they lost Roman and Sheppard leaves Patterson with Borden.

 

Jane pursues Kamal, who tells her that she can tell that Roman is lying. Jane insists that Roman lied because he wants to help. Kamal criticizes her for zipping their only lead, as Weller tells her that Zapata has found something. Weller tells Jane not to beat herself up, as everyone is frustrated. Zapata shows them a coded message that she found on Roman’s phone and Kamal tries to decrypt it with her NSA software. Kamal looks at the photos taken in Borden’s apartment and recognizes a book as the same one that Jane found in Sheppard’s room. She uses the text of the book to crack the code and finds that it contains an address for an auto shop.

 

Before they can follow the lead, FBI Director Pellington (Dylan Baker) informs Kamal that the joint task force has been disbanded and that she is off the case. Weller argues with him, but Pellington reminds him that the Sandstorm mission was a giant disaster. Kamal agrees to leave, but Weller insists that he’ll do everything he can to get her reinstated. Sheppard continues her interrogation, but Patterson yells at her to stop. She tells her that she will never talk because she is loyal, unlike Jane and Roman. After Patterson warns her that everyone will eventually leave her, Sheppard knocks her out.

 

Weller, Jane and Zapata bring in the shop’s owner, Charly Evon (Joniece Abbott-Pratt), and question her about Borden’s location. She insists that she knows nothing, but Weller demands that she talk. She admits that she gave Borden a getaway car and tells them the make and model. Zapata demands that tell them the plate numbers, but she insists that she doesn’t know since the drivers pick their plates. She tells them that the vehicle might have its original paint on one door, and they use the lead to track Patterson.

 

Borden pleads for Patterson’s life, but Sheppard insists that she has to kill her. He asks to be the one who does it and Sheppard doesn’t think that he’s up to it. Borden insists that he can do it and Sheppard leaves him alone with her. Zapata finds the vehicle on a traffic cam and they pinpoint Patterson’s location. Patterson pleads for her life and insists that he really does care about her and that he has a choice to do the right thing. Just as Borden reconsiders, Weller, Jane and Zapata drive to the compound, triggering an alarm. A bomb flips their vehicle over and the three crawl out of the rubble. Borden runs from the building and Weller chases after him. Jane and Zapata rescue Patterson. Weller tackles Borden and Weller’s gun knocked to the ground in the struggle. They struggle to get to the gun when Borden grabs it, aiming at Weller. Borden admits that he can’t kill Weller yet, but refuses to tell him why before walking away.

 

Pellington shows Roman the photos of the dead FBI agents and Roman insists that he wasn’t responsible for their deaths. When challenged, Roman admits that he has no memories. Pellington tells him that he’s not a victim or an asset: he is the enemy. Roman breaks down at the photos. Jane and Weller see Roman being dragged away and Pellington tells them that he is taking him to the CIA to be questioned. Jane refuses to let the CIA torture Roman like they did her. Weller tells him that he will quit the FBI if he takes Roman away and sends Kamal away. He insists that he needs Kamal and Roman at the FBI to bring Sandstorm down. Pellington relents, but warns Weller that there will be consequences if things don’t work out.

 

Zapata goes to check on Reade at his apartment and fusses over him. Reade kisses Zapata and she pulls away, shocked. She insists that she only sees Reade as a friend, nothing more, before leaving. Jane goes to visit Roman in his cell and brings him food. Jane promises that the captivity will only be temporary and gives him the coin. Jane assures him that his memories will come back, but Roman admits that he’s not sure if he wants them, too. Jane tells her about her own experience and that even the painful memories helped shape her. She assures him that she’ll be there for him.

 

Weller visits Patterson in the hospital where she is recovering. He brings her flowers and she thanks him for rescuing her. Patterson shows him the research that she was able to do from the hospital, that Borden’s real name is Nigel Thornton. Weller insists that she get some rest, but Patterson is determined to get back to work. Borden goes to see Sheppard, who tells him that they need to alter their plan because of Roman’s memory loss. Meanwhile, Roman has his first memory of his time in the orphanage. Weller gives Patterson Roman’s phone and she is able to hack it. They find a video of the original tattoo test and see that there is a tiger neck tattoo that is not in the final set of tattoos.