Blindspot Roundtable: We Didn’t Start the Fire

Blindspot is back at last for its final season and started off with a bang and continues with more this week.

Jane and the team reach out to Patterson’s father in the hope of gaining access to a high-level conference in Finland where they hope to bring Matthew Weitz their side. Bill Nye reprises his role as “Bill Nye.”

Join the NiceGirls staff as they discuss the episode using our new feature SASSY: S(tupid), A(wesome), S(o) S(o) and Y(our Thoughts):

*warning spoilers ahead*

STUPID

Roz: Burke’s hyper-vigilance makes me annoyed to all end. She has a plan and she’s going at it in a way that I hope means we see a full-scale revolt from the FBI rank and file. She can’t even trust the mercenaries she hired so I don’t know how long she can stay at the top.

Cay: “William.”  Really?? I can imagine Patterson’s first name could be something really nerdy, but William is just lame!  Also, how the heck did Weitz end up in his job? He’s completely incompetent.

Lisa: I am sick to death of Burke and it’s only 2 episodes in this season. Ugh! And William? I would have rather never found out her first name than hear that mess. No wonder she goes by Patterson.

Rueben: Yeah, I was thrown by Patterson’s first name too.  Ok, so she got it from her dad, but really?!  I have to admit that I’m curious now what her space camp name was.

Leah: I’m going to follow suit – and maybe it is because we were just “treated” to Elon Musk’s kids name, but I was pretty let down by Patterson’s first name. How almost mundane.

AWESOME

Cay: I loved Patterson’s disguise and also that she got to see her Dad, even briefly. I always enjoy a good undercover episode.

Lisa: Bill Nye! I love when he’s on the show. His scene with Patterson (or William I should say lol) was so touching. I loved when he flipped out about climate change when the security guards were on to him. He got out of that hot water brilliantly and I loved it!

Roz: I love Bill Nye coming back and being such a huge part of the episode. Weller fanboying over him always puts a smile on my face. That Weitz is not as big a deal to Burke as we imagined was also a great trick. I may not always like him, but he’s someone we can trust.

Rueben:  As much as we all dislike Weitz, he did have a great line.  It’s like “Orwell night at Comic Con.”  He said that to Patterson and Weller when talking about what Burke has done to the FBI office.  Did you guys notice the changed intro?  I thought that was pretty awesome; although I miss Reade.  Seeing Bill Nye get to have an even bigger role in this episode; that was so much fun to watch; and I loved the recording message he gave to Patterson.  That was such a cute scene of her listening to him.

Leah: Yes Cay – I love an undercover episode! And I think we all agree Bill Nye is a good guest star. That is something Blindspot has always done well – good guest stars.

BLINDSPOT — “We Didn’t Start the Fire” Episode 502 — Pictured: Aaron Abrams as Matthew Weitz — (Photo by: Barbara Nitke/Warner Brothers/NBC)

SO SO

Roz: Burke’s plan is annoying as hell. I hate how paranoid it’s making everyone we still like in the FBI, especially when it seems like Burke’s plan is more wide-reaching than we thought.

Cay: I’m remembering when it felt like the team defused a bomb with seconds to go in so many episodes last season. Apparently we’re back to the bombs!

Rueben:  Exactly, Cay.  As soon as they revealed that bomb, I thought of you and all those times we complained that we couldn’t have another bomb storyline.  But at least it got Bill Nye and Patterson in a scene together; where he got to help save the day.  I’m so over Burke already, and just want her gone.

Leah: For the love of all that is good – no more bomb storylines. Their must be other catastrophes we could explore.

Lisa: I agree!  The only bomb I want to see on this show is if it’s blowing up Burke. Over it!

YOUR THOUGHTS

Cay: Burke is so over the top that it’s hard to believe that no one in the government would stop her and that she’d be able to essentially rewrite history in her favor.  How could she have that much power? Then again, IRL we seem to be having a similar issue with some members of our government, so maybe it isn’t as far-fetched as it seems.

Rueben:  I was really hoping that Briana was gonna be able to get the intel from that phone uploaded to the team; or at the very least let that be a decoy so that Afreen could be the actual one getting the intel to them.  That would’ve been a great twist.  Watching Weitz attempt to keep that other speaker off the stage was comical, but it also goes back to what Cay said, he’s incompetent.  How did he get his job?  Don’t even get me started on how Burke can have her position, and how anyone in the government – like you said Cay – allowing her to stay in that position.  Also, how did Zapata get that piece of art for Rich to put up in the bunker?  Rich talking about the art he’d like to see in the bunker was quite funny too.  A little levity helps.

Roz: The Chore Wheel being a part of the episode after I thought it was a joke was well done. I get that this new normal for them isn’t what they want, but it will be something that has to happen.

Lisa: I really enjoyed Rich talking about the art! He is so funny and every time he is in a scene he steals the show! We so need him for comic relief to deal with the stress of Burke. More Rich and less Burke please and thank you.

[Photo Credit: Barbara Nitke/NBC/Warner Brothers]

BLINDSPOT will be back with an all-new episode on May 28th at 9/8c on NBC.

Make sure to check out our discussions of Blindspot here.