NBC will air two new episodes of The Blacklist this Friday. In the first, at 8 p.m., Ressler (Diego Klattenhoff) discovers something about Liz Keen's (Megan Boone) mother, Katarina Rostova, and her past; the 9 p.m. hour focuses solely on her backstory — no "blacklister" in this episode.

Titled "Rassvet," the special second hour sees the return of Lotte Verbeek — seen here with guest stars CJ Wilson and Gabriel Mann — as the enigmatic Katarina, and explores her turbulent spy history. On the run after a mission goes wrong, she turns to a man who has always vowed to protect her (Mann). It's “essentially a 45-minute independent film that dives deep into the mythology,” executive producer Jon Bokenkamp tells EW. “It’s an episode with some big answers, an episode that we’ve been waiting a number of years to tell.”

Ahead, see exclusive photos from the special episode of The Blacklist, airing Friday at 9 p.m. (following another new episode at 8 p.m.) on NBC.

—With reporting from Shirley Li