NBC’s hit series The Blacklist hasn’t always been flawless. It has compelling characters and engaging stories (and James Spader), but it hasn’t always been able to figure out a way to combine both elements in order to create a cohesive story. Sometimes the series feels like one rabbit trail after another, to be honest. But this season, The Blacklist has started to find its groove again by providing us with answers to questions, villains that are complex, and some dark material for Elizabeth Keen. All three elements are aiding to ground a series that occasionally feels reckless and provide growth and development for its characters, especially Liz and Red.

Before the series’ highly anticipated return after the Super Bowl, let’s review where we left off and discuss what we have to look forward to in the back half of this season, shall we?

Where we left off: Berlin and Alan Fitch are both dead – the former at the hands of Red after a long night of drinking and laughing and reminiscing and the latter at the hands of a bomb that detonated in Red’s old giant cube of isolation (I know that’s not what it is but it’s what I will continue to refer to it as such because it’s more amusing that way). With both “big bads” of the series dead, surely that means paradise for our morally ambiguous Raymond Reddington, right?

What I’m looking forward to: … Wrong. It looks like Red is going to be in more trouble than ever when he’s arrested and taken to a detention facility in The Blacklist’s big two-part Super Bowl episode. Will the task force be eager to try and save him? I’m additionally looking forward to the guest appearance of Ron Perlman, a thief that has a history with Red and will be in the same detention facility. From the preview video released, it looks like it’ll be about as action-packed and bloody as “Anslo Garrick” and its conclusion were.

Where we left off: Liz interrogated Tom and couldn’t kill him when forced with the opportunity to do so (multiple times, actually). The woman interrogated Tom and got valuable information from him but was unable to actually go through with killing him. Letting him go proved to be a benefit to Tom who met up with Red at the end of the episode with an envelope and a promise that he never told Liz about their working relationship.

What I’m looking forward to: More of Tom? Darker Liz? Whatever the case, sign me up for both. Except maybe the “more of Tom” part. I’m hopeful that we’ll get some clarification as to Tom and Red’s relationship – how long have the two been in communication? Have they been working together the whole time? If so… how? And, more importantly, WHY?

Where we left off: Red and Liz had a really nice heart-to-heart in the boat where Tom had been being held captive, where Red told Liz that the reason she couldn’t kill Tom was because she loved him, once. And love is powerful that way.

What I’m looking forward to: I would like more of Red and Liz repairing their fractured relationship. Although, since the whole Tom of it all is now out in the open, I’m afraid this season will end with her finding out about Red’s secrets in one way or another. For now, at least, let’s have some happy moments, ‘kay? Or at least some funny ones.

Ressler is trying to get clean after his addiction to painkillers and Liz brought him into the loop regarding the fact that Tom was actually alive and she was holding him captive.

What I’m looking forward to: Hopefully more Ressler/Liz interactions. These two have grown a lot in their trust, respect, and care for one another since the pilot episode. And clearly Liz trusts Ressler enough to let him in on the secret with Tom. I’m hopeful that the rest of this season will have them teaming up more. They are partners, after all. From the looks of the post-Super Bowl episode, Ressler will be in near-mortal peril (again… geez, can he not catch a break?) again, but this time with Samar.

Where we left off: Red monologuing.

What I’m looking forward to: Red monologuing. Because let’s be real, here: no one can monologue and spin tales as well as James Spader can.

Photos from “Luther Braxton”

A behind the scenes look at The Blacklist: