It was a very Tasha-centric episode.
It was revealed that the chemical weapon at the center of Madeline’s plans has a tie to Zapata on Blindspot Season 5 Episode 4.
The problem is that particular weapon was checked into evidence nearly a decade ago and Tasha was having trouble remembering much about it.
That’s because it came into FBI possession on a very special day: when she and Reade started at the bureau.
So all that Zapata could recall was Reade and the beginning of their work life together.
Which wasn’t much help when it came to learning more about the weapon.
Although it seems a little early in the final season, at least TPTB found an organic way to have Reade appear one more time, through that time-honored mechanism: the flashback.
Those trips back to 2011 allowed fans to experience their relationship from its origin, as they fought their attraction to each other in favor of a professional pairing until just before Reade’s death.
The episode also resurrected Jonas Fischer, last seen on Blindspot Season 1 Episode 13. It also served as a reminder that Weitz is just the latest in a line of self-promoting supervisors with whom Weller and company have had to deal.
It’s good to see that being dead isn’t enough to keep past characters from making one more appearance in this final season, although flashbacks have to be used sparingly.
They worked this time because it gave Tasha a chance to heal from the loss of Reade, at least somewhat.
Frankly, the pair was a lot more fun before life and work began to beat them down. Denying their feelings for each other certainly didn’t help on that front.
It was a difficult balancing act for the team. They needed what was locked up in Zapata’s head while still being sensitive to her grieving.
Fortunately, the more Tasha thought about Reade, the more clues she was able to excavate from that first day, even if it was a painfully slow process.
It was also hilarious to experience her versions of her current teammates, including an even more nerdy Patterson, who Zapata didn’t recognize initially, and a snappy Weller, who was familiar to everyone.
Glacially, the puzzle came together. There was their cold case involving a deadly chemical compound and the scientist they interviewed who was now working with Ivy and who Jane had shot on their last mission.
Wasn’t it convenient that the weapon was being assembled nearby the fugitives’ bunker instead of, say, South America?
After her walk down memory lane, Tasha also got by her yips, thanks to her spirit guide Reade, and went in shooting to save Jane and Weller and at least partially complete the mission.
The scientist just needs to whip up a fresh batch of deadly compound but this had to set Madeline and Ivy back a couple of episodes, right?
What will happen next with Zapata now that she has Edgar Jr. or Tasha Jr. on board? She just got over being anxious, and now she has being pregnant to deal with as well.
Even better, she’s got Rich as her lone confidant. He resisted gentle questioning from Patterson but really, how long can he keep his mouth shut, when his thing is babbling on and on and on.
Besides, as the episode’s other storyline proved, keeping secrets is a bad idea with a squad of five.
Weller was mopey because they didn’t manage to depose Madeline, the nation’s law enforcement czar, in time for him to get home for his daughter Bethany’s birtday.
Kurt had already made it clear that being separated from Bethany was weighing on him
That’s understandable, even though he does have Jane with him, while Rich, Patterson, and especially Zapata are apart from their loved ones.
Suck it up, buttercup, right? Ally would keep Bethany safe.
Jane was empathetic, framing Bethany’s artwork for him. Then she had Rich check into Ally and Bethany for Kurt which may have been a mistake in retrospect.
For Rich came back with the bad but not totally certifiable news that Bethany, under one of her aliases, had been hospitalized.
Then Jane made the tough call to keep Weller in the dark until Rich could firm up his intel.
Kurt put Jane in charge of their band of the run for a reason. She was accustomed to making calculated moves that enabled them to stay out of sight.
Whereas Weller is a more impulsive type, especially when family is involved.
At least she was able to convince him that there was little he could do and that his getting captured wasn’t going to help Bethany anyhow.
But it did result in unnecessary tension at exactly the wrong time.
After their mission went so well, it was clear that something bad was about to happen.
Zapata was the obvious target, walking along in her Reade-infused daydream.
Jane took out her attacker but got shot.
So that left Kurt to be captured anyway, with Jane incapacitated.
It will be intriguing to see how he holds up against Ivy’s torture on Blindspot Season 5 Episode 5.
It was nice having none of the Weitz-Madeline mind games, in which there is no one for whom to cheer, on this episode.
To check on the fugitives’ progress, watch Blindspot online.
Has Tasha dealt with his grief, at least somewhat?
How long can Kurt hold out?
Will Ivy’s troops get a fix on the bunker?
Comment below.
Dale McGarrigle is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.