Blindspot Review: Naughty Monkey Kicks At Tree (Season 4 Episode 5)
Blindspot continues to tease out Remi’s subterfuge. Mixing another case of the week with the season’s long-term arc, Blindspot Season 4 Episode 5, “Naughty Monkey Kicks At Tree” delivers some laughs while keeping us guessing.
The case of the week feels like an afterthought, and perhaps it should. While the tattoos have been the conceit of the show, with Sandstorm gone they aren’t really major plot points except to find the data caches, which are the underlying story.
Yes, the team should stop a terrorist group from burning Manhattan to the ground, but they didn’t allow that plot to take over and consume the episode. Instead, they focused on a couple of the larger arcs.
Jane and Kurt have been the centerpiece of the show since Blindspot Season 1 when Jane came out of the bag with his name tattooed on her back. Their evolving relationship from an amnesiac Jane Doe to them being husband and wife is something we’re invested in, and that relationship has seen a lot of strife as of late.
On “Naughty Monkey Kicks at Tree,” Remi’s ongoing duplicity is still there, but it feels muted after she shouted at Roman to leave her alone in Blindspot Season 4 Episode 4, “Sous-Vide,” and that allows Jane and Kurt to come to the foreground.
While Luke Mitchell’s presence was welcomed and enjoyed during the first few episodes, it’s nice to see some moments between Kurt and Jane where it focuses on their relationship. Kurt and Jane in the hospital feel more like a regular couple going through an illness. Kurt is being supportive, and Jane is scared.
Watching these scenes, it’s actually hard to tell if this is Remi acting scared or if she actually is scared. Whether we’re talking Jane or Remi, the end result is that she is dying, so I can’t imagine it would be hard to conjure some fear. Had Jane’s hallucination of Roman been present in those scenes I would have imagined he’d be dictating how audiences would read the scene, and it plays better if it’s just a couple going through an experience together?
Sullivan Stapleton has really been tugging at the heartstrings as Kurt worries about Jane this season, and that really shines through here. Without the constant reminder that Remi secretly hates him, their scenes come off as loving.
It’s also disheartening to see the hope in their eyes only to have it dashed by a negative test result. It’s not entirely unexpected, since “The Book of Secrets” is probably what holds the key and we haven’t even delved into that plot point yet.
On the other hand, we also have Zapata’s story. Since Zapata was fired last season, fans have awaited a Zapata and Reade confrontation. “Naughty Monkey Kicks At Tree” gives us interesting scenes that when we look back will likely provide subtle clues to exactly what’s going on.
Reade’s observation that Zapata is in over her head was particularly interesting since I don’t think anyone saw Madeline’s coup coming in Blindspot Season 4 Episode 1, “Hella Duplicitous.” I’ve always thought that Zapata’s firing was just for show, but now I wonder if she is actually on an operation that turned bad.
This is the first time, we’ve really gotten a hint of that possibility when Madeline expresses concern that Zapata may be a mole shortly after she kills Claudia. At the same time, if she was on a super-secret operation, I thought that Keaton might reveal something to Jane or Weller after he was shot. Except, he didn’t and he’s now in a medically induced coma.
Way to subvert my expectations Blindspot.
Blindspot Season 4 is doing an ample job at keeping me guessing, and I love the slow teases we’re getting to the plot this season. “Naughty Monkey Kicks At Tree,” is yet another interesting episode that didn’t rely too much on the case-of-the-week, and it’s par for the course this season.
Stray Thoughts:
- I really don’t think that this is the last we’ve seen of Roman. I am sure he will be popping up again once Jane’s ZIP poisoning gets worse. It feels like they’re setting up for Jane’s condition to take a turn at some point this season, and my guess is that’s when he comes back.
- I’m actually kind of bummed that Claudia is dead. She was a good monkeywrench in Zapata’s storyline, but I also understand why eliminating her might have been necessary to maintain her cover. If there is a cover.
- Let Jane’s sudden, unfortunately, timed back spasm, be a warning to you to rest after a needle gets jabbed into your spine. Actually, you know who needed that reminder: Kurt. Don’t mess with your body like that man!
- Rich Dotcom’s propaganda bot sounds brilliant and terrifying at the same time. On the one hand, I want an algorithm that will just feed me Emily Dickenson. On the other, it inspired a terrorist group.
- Remote controls for the wine! This is why user experience is so important.
What did you think of this episode of Blindspot? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Blindspot airs Fridays at 8/7c on NBC.
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Lauren Busser
Lauren Busser is an Associate Editor at Tell-Tale TV. She is a writer of fiction and nonfiction whose work has appeared in Bitch Media, Popshot Quarterly, Brain Mill Press Voices, and The Hartford Courant.