The Blacklist (2013–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - Pilot - full transcript

Must be good
to be home again, sir.

Yeah.

Well, we'll see about that.

Good afternoon.

I'm here to see Assistant Director
Harold Cooper.

Do you have an appointment?

I do not.

Tell him
it's Raymond Reddington.

Ressler.
Washington field office.

I'm the case agent
on Reddington.

- When did this happen?
- Under an hour ago.



We confirm it's actually him?

It's him all right.
Prints match. Tattoos.

He even volunteered classified details
about a Brussels mission in '08.

- What happened in Brussels?
- Sir?

We tried to kill him, sir.

It really is him.

Came in with a briefcase containing
every alias he's ever used.

Most of 'em we've
never even heard of.

What does he want?

Don't know. Won't talk.

He's a stone.

Call lab services.

Have them fit him with
an AlphaChip RFID tag.

Assemble a full intel review.
NSA. CIA.



What exactly
do you want to know?

Everything.

Raymond "Red" Reddington
attended the Naval Academy.

Top of his class.
Graduated by the time he was 24.

He was bring groomed
for admiral.

Then in 1990,
Reddington's coming home

to see his wife and his daughter
for Christmas.

He never arrives.

This highly respected officer

up and disappears from
the face of the earth...

until four years later

when classified NOFORN documents
start showing up in Maghreb,

Islamabad, Beijing.

These leaks were traced
to Reddington.

This guy's an equal
opportunity offender,

a facilitator of sorts,

who's built an enterprise brokering deals
for fellow criminals.

- Ouch.
- He has no country.

He has no political agenda.

Reddington's only allegiance
is to the highest bidder.

They call him something
in the papers.

"The concierge of crime."

He's online.

Evidently someone with the authority
to make decisions has arrived.

I think I smell the stench of your cologne,
Agent Cooper. Smells like hubris.

Get these feeds fixed.
I want him up here. Come on.

You must have many questions,

so let's begin with the most
important one... Why I'm here.

Remember the 1986 attack
on the U.S. Embassy in Damascus,

the abduction of
the six foreign nationals

from the French consulate
in Algiers in '97,

or the 2002 breach of the
Krungthai Bank in Bangkok?

You see these events
as unrelated.

I can tell you one man is
responsible for all three.

His name is Ranko Zamani.

You want him. I want him.

So let's say for the moment
our interests are aligned.

Ranko Sinisa Zamani.

Serbian national
educated in the U.S.

Ranko Zamani's
been dead for six years.

- He's a non-existent threat.
- Then a dead man

just stepped off United 283
from Munich to Dulles.

He entered the country
under the name Sacha M. Chacko.

- Cleared customs at 10:56 a.m.
- Listen up, people.

The lab just pulled a latent
print from the airline arm rest.

Nine points of comparison.

Zamani's alive.

You have my attention.

Were you wrong?

I was wrong.

Yes, you were wrong.

At least it's not the first time.
Familiar territory.

Now, I'll give you Zamani,
but first...

No "but firsts."
You don't decide anything.

Agent Cooper, you've overestimated
your authority.

I said I'll help you
find Zamani, and I will.

But from this point forward,
there's one very important rule...

I speak only with Elizabeth Keen.

Who the hell's Elizabeth Keen?

Oh, buddy.

Seriously, dude?

Babe, what time is it?

I don't know.
What time you gotta be there?

- Oh, crap.
- What's up?

- Crap!
- What?

No! My first day!

Babe, are you good?
You need help?

I missed the bus, babe.

I'm gonna need to take the car.

You can't take the car.
I need the car.

I've got field trip
planning committee.

You took the dog out, right?

I did. For the field trip...
Air and Space or the D.C. Zoo?

- The zoo's gender neutral.
- All right.

- Good thinkin'.
- We're out of milk.

- Oop. Sorry.
- Is this pee?

I'm standing in pee, babe.

- He's your dog, too.
- Yeah, thanks a lot.

I'm gonna smell like a urinary
tract infection on my first day!

Hey, don't forget we got the last
adoption meeting today. One-thirty.

You heard me, right?
One-thirty.

Yep. One-thirty.
Last meeting.

I'm in the car.
You got the keys?

Yeah, in my pocket.
I got your coffee.

No more peeing, dude.

What?

We both woke up
seven minutes ago.

I'm pretty sure my pants
are on backwards

and I can barely see straight.

But you are somehow dressed,

composed, and as beautiful
as the day I met you.

- I think I'm forgetting something.
- Yeah.

You know I'm not gonna let this job
come between us and our family, right?

I know.

We want a family,
we're going to have a family.

Were you serious about that kid thing?
Because I got stuff goin...

Ow!

Mama.

Today's the day.

Yeah, I know.

Man, I am so proud of you.

- Thanks.
- You worked so hard for this.

Are you nervous?

No. But I am very late.

Agent Keen.

Donald Ressler.
Washington field office.

I need you to come with me
right away.

Babe, I don't think I'm
gonna need to take the car.

Agent Keen.
Am I getting that right?

- Yes, sir.
- Harold Cooper.

Assistant Director
of Counterterrorism.

Yes, sir.
I know who you are, sir.

So, uh...can you
tell us what's going on?

I wish I could.

I can tell you that...

I've been vetted by the
agency like everyone else,

you know, same background checks,
psych profiles.

I'm sure OPR's trolling
my digital footprint right now,

and I can tell you
what they'll find.

What will they find?

Nothing. I have no history
with Reddington.

They tell me today's
your first day as a profiler.

Yes, sir.

I was reassigned from New York.
I graduated Quantico last month.

- Congratulations.
- Thank you.

Do me a favor.
Profile yourself.

I'm sorry, sir?

Who are you?
What is he looking for?

Profile Elizabeth Keen.

Oh. Okay.

Uh...

Um, well, I've been with
the Bureau for four years.

I was the head of the Mobile
Emergency Psych Unit in New York.

We worked murders,

- extortion...
- Read your résumé.

Of course.

My colleagues call me "sir."

They think I'm...

a bitch.

Like most kids
who raised themselves,

I can display
narcissistic behavior.

I can be withdrawn,
disconnected. Uh...

I have a deep yearning to understand
and relate to the criminal mind.

I'm board certified
in forensic psychology,

and yet I operate
under the delusion

that I can rewrite my past
by having kids of my own.

Do you find it odd
Reddington surrendered himself

the day you started working
as a profiler?

I think that it suggests
he was waiting for me.

Why you? Specifically.

Because I'm new and he thinks
I can be easily manipulated.

The man obviously
doesn't know me very well.

What is this place?

D.C. Metro Sorting Facility,
U.S. Postal Service.

It was abandoned and slated
for demo twelve years ago.

The Bureau acquired the building
post-9/11.

Been operating a variety of covert
operations here ever since.

So this is a black site?

We're sentimental.
We prefer to call it The Post Office.

If you need anything,
remember...

we're right here.

Agent Keen, what a pleasure.

Well...

I'm here.

You got rid of your highlights.

You look much less Baltimore.

Do you get back home much?

Tell me about Zamani.

I haven't been home in years.

Why involve me? I'm nobody.
It's my first day.

Nothin' special about me.

Oh, I think
you're very special.

Within the hour,
Ranko Zamani will abduct

the daughter of
U.S. General Daniel Ryker.

There'll be
some kind of diversion,

communications will be scrambled,

then he'll grab the girl.

He wants to be out of the
country within 36 hours.

If you don't move quickly,
she will die.

That's what I know.

And how do you know this?

Because I'm the one
who got him into the country.

And I'm supposed
to believe you?

No, of course not!

I'm a criminal.
Criminals are notorious liars.

Everything about me is a lie.

But if anyone can give me
a second chance, it's you.

The two of us have...
overcome so much.

I mean, look at you.

Abandoned by a father
who was a career criminal,

a mother who died of...
weakness and shame.

And yet here you are, about
to make a name for yourself,

about to...
capture Ranko Zamani.

I'm gonna make you famous,
Lizzy.

What did you tell him?

What are you talking about?

How did he know those things?
Private things about my family?

Why didn't your father's criminal record
show up on your background report?

We need to contact the SWAT commander
at Quantico. Roll a team out to the girl.

This is nonsense.
He's bluffing, sir.

No, he's establishing value.

I've been the case agent
on this guy for five years.

And five years
has gotten you what?

You asked me here,
you asked my opinion.

Here it is...
That girl's gonna get taken.

Excuse me.

Tom.
Thank God you picked up.

Hey, tell me you're close.
What's going on? Are you close?

That helicopter,

they flew me to
the Assistant Director,

put me on a case, and I
can't get away right now.

You're kidding, right?

The adoption people,
they're all waiting.

- Liz, are you there?
- Put on a great show in there.

You better
pull yourself together

because you just
called in the cavalry.

Can I just have one minute,
um...

We don't have a minute.
Come on.

Let's go.

I'm sorry. I know we had

an appointment, but there's a
girl, something happened...

I-I can't tell you.
It's classified.

- This whole...day is classified.
- Lizzy...

Lizzy, babe, if...
if it's too much,

we don't have to
do this right now, okay?

We don't have to do it.
We'll just... We'll do it next year.

But if we are gonna go through

with this,
you gotta do it with me.

- I can't do it alone, Lizzy.
- We gotta go.

No. No. Tom, listen,

our family is the only thing
that matters, okay?

- It's the only thing that matters.
- Okay.

All right, let me, uh...

Let me handle it, I'll,
um, I'll take care of it.

I think this woman might
punch me in the face,

- but I got it.
- I am so sorry.

Don't be sorry,
just be safe, okay?

I love you.

I love you too.

Sir.

At ease.

We have a situation, sir.

It's about your daughter.

My daughter?

Guys, with the guns, please.

We don't want to
scare the kids.

I got this.

Beth. Sweetie, this lady
needs to speak to you.

Hi, Bethany, don't be scared.

I just need you
to come with me, okay?

Thank you.

Your name's Beth, right?
Yeah?

My name's Beth, too.

I'm Elizabeth.

My friends call me Liz, though.

You can call me Liz
if you want.

My daddy has a pin like that.

Oh, yeah? I bet your daddy
has lots of medals.

To get a pin like this
you gotta be really brave.

This can be
your special pin, okay?

There you go.

You like it?

Oh...

You don't have to...

Thank you so much.
This is beautiful.

Wow.

The bull's pokey.
Be careful.

Okay, I'll be careful.

What's going on?

Hey, what's going on up there?

HazMat has the road closed.
We'll be turning around.

Rolling
Thunder to Follow 1.

Be advised we have
a chemical spill ahead.

Copy that.
Proceeding to alternate route.

Do you want to call your daddy?

Yeah, I want to
tell him I'm okay.

Okay.

Back up!

- Are you okay?
- I think so.

Tango, tango,
tango, respond!

I can't see!
I got blood in my...

Get the girl!

If you want to save the girl,
do not fire your weapon.

Take it.

Okay, baby,
this smoke's gonna hurt us.

All right? I need you
to put this on for me.

- What about you?
- There's only one.

It's for you, hon.
Okay, listen to me.

- These men are gonna take you.
- Are they gonna hurt me?

They're not gonna hurt you.
I'm gonna find you, okay?

Okay.

Beth, I'm gonna find you.

Who made the call to send that girl
after my daughter?

Who made the call?!

Where's the girl?
It's been four hours.

Your people haven't made
any demands.

My people? I told you
Zamani would take the girl.

I told you that's all I knew.

This is in your hands now.

I need your help with Zamani.

How about a trade?

You tell me and I'll tell you.

Tell me about
the scar on your palm.

I've noticed how you stroke it.

There was a fire.
I was fourteen.

Someone tried to hurt you.

Not exactly, no.

May I see it?

Is a child really what you want?

How on earth...

But a baby won't fix
what happened in the past.

You lost the right
to speak about parenthood

when you abandoned your wife
and daughter on Christmas Eve.

- The girl.
- You won't find the girl

until you learn
to look at this differently.

And how should I look at this?

Like a criminal.

May come easier than you think.

Shall I show you?

Well, at least you know
what Zamani looks like.

Oh, my goodness!

I haven't seen him in years.

Very interesting fellow.

Completely unrelated to this.

You're pointing at
the wrong guy here.

Miroslav.

They call him The Chemist.

A highly regarded munitions expert.

He left MIT to work for
the Russian, Vor Usoyan.

Last two years...
very expensive freelancer.

I don't know what the hell
any of this is.

Ooh, the German.

A banker. Name's Reinhardt.

He's most likely
moving the money.

What about the girl?

What do you have on
the girl and her father?

Your 36-hour timeline
would suggest a singular event.

Something in D.C.

I'm not sure how the girl fits.

What about the Chemist?

Important...well paid...

Whatever Zamani's planning
is expensive.

Some sort of attack?

You're thinking like a cop.

Cops are so objective.

They're obligated to protocols.
Make it personal.

Okay, this is nonsense.

Zamani's sick.
CIA says he carries Nipah virus.

Dying makes him dangerous.

So what does he desperately want
before he dies?

And how does that relate
to the little girl?

Her father, the General,
spent time in Bosnia...

supporting NATO troops
in the Bihac Pocket region.

Zamani's home.

He bombed a chemical weapons
facility...

poisoning the village.

It's about his family.

They died, Zamani survived.

He wants revenge.

He hired the Chemist to build a bomb,
detonate it in Washington.

He's gonna use Beth
to settle the score...

deliver the bomb.

Okay, let's move.
We're on a clock.

I have an acquaintance.

They call him The Innkeeper,
runs a series of safe houses.

Lean on him.
He'll know where to find the Chemist.

You find the Chemist,
you'll find Zamani.

Where is this Innkeeper?

If I tell you, you have to
give me something in return.

No more restraints,
no more cages.

If you want to capture Zamani,

he has to believe
I'm moving freely...

in touch with old friends,

staying in one of
my favorite hotels...

If you think we're gonna
put you up at the Sheraton...

Save your Starwood points,
Harold.

The Sheraton's not my scene.

Hey, live it up, pal.

Soon as this is over, you're
headed back to a black site.

Mr. Homan, it's awfully nice
to have you back.

There's complimentary Champagne.

As usual, the bed's made up with
blankets instead of a comforter.

- Will there be anything else?
- No, thank you, Eric.

Tip the gentleman, will you?

Where is the Chemist?

FBI. Hands.

Tranquilo, papi.

♪ How lucky can one guy be? ♪

♪ I kissed her
and she kissed me ♪

♪ Like the fella once said ♪

♪ Ain't that a kick in the head? ♪

They found the lab.

They're interrogating
the Chemist as we speak.

- What about the bomb?
- We think that we got there

before he built it.

I gotta get out of here
and clear my head.

Take a shower, see my husband.

Don't go too far.

Oh, my...

Did they say yes?

Oh, baby!
How did you do this?

Oh, my God, I cannot believe...

We're gonna have a baby,
and this is exac...

Tom?

Sit down.

Sit down!!!

Do what I say
or I'll shoot your husband.

See, Tom and I,
we have been talking,

trying to figure out how
you knew I was in town.

I tell him you figure out
my plan...

to take the General's daughter.

Tom, look at me.

Make for nice surprise.

But my people handle
quite well, I think.

It's gonna be okay.

But then, your people
come for my Chemist friend.

I was finished with The Chemist,

so you saved me payment
for services.

And for that, I thank you.

But...it did make me wonder
what else you know.

What else do you know?

I don't...

Tom.

No, no, no, no, no.
Over here.

I ask question.

What else do you know
about my plan?

A bomb. Maybe.
We don't know.

We only knew about the girl.
The rest is just speculation.

Tom, baby, it's gonna be okay.

- Uhh!
- You son of a bitch!

What else do you know
about my plan?!

Nothing! I swear!

Oh.

My God.

You're not as smart
as Reddington says.

My friend, he is always
so obsessed with you.

I'm not sure why.

It's gonna be okay.

Now, what I have planned
will make for many casualties.

So now you have choice.

Stop me now
and save many Americans,

or save only...

one.

What do you choose?

Tom. Baby.

Oh, my God.
Baby, keep your eyes open.

I'm gonna get help.

I'm gonna get help.

Don't fall aslee...

You're gonna be okay!

- You're gonna be okay.
- 911. What is your emergency?

Did you send him?

Are you the one who did this?

Did what?

He was in my house!

My husband is on a ventilator
because Zamani came...

Calm down
and tell me what happened.

Don't play stupid.
You're the only thing connecting us.

He told me that
you're obsessed with me.

Did he mention
the girl or the bomb?

We're not a team.

- Zamani.
- I'm not your partner.

What did he say?

I don't know, he said...

he said something
about casualties...

and chemical agents, and...

he talked about you.

He even thanked me for
getting rid of the Chemist.

So the bomb's still in play.

Why the hell was he
in my house?!

Tell me! You know him!

Why is my husband dying
in a hospital right now?!

The truth is, despite your feelings,
your husband doesn't matter.

Zamani did you a favor, Lizzy.

Now, you know I just punched
a hole in your carotid.

Best chance, one minute
before you pass out.

So here's how it's gonna work.

You tell me how I find Zamani
and make this right,

or I let you die right here.

Understand?

Yeah.

But if I die...

you'll never know
the truth about your husband.

You know nothing
about my husband.

Agent Ressler?

I gotta talk to him.

You shouldn't even be here.

You're under official review.
You know that.

I know.
The Chemist isn't talking, is he?

No.

Red knows Zamani.
Just give me five minutes.

Thank you.

He's gone.

It's good to see you,
old friend.

Initiating track.

Okay, got him.

His chip indicates
he's at the Lincoln Memorial.

We're on him.
Forty seconds out. En route.

How did things go
with Agent Keen?

Paid her a visit, like you asked.

And the husband?

Like you asked.

It's a shame you're gonna
miss the cherry blossoms.

I think a great many people
will miss the cherry blossoms.

Tell me, the General's daughter
is such a risk.

This is about
much more than one girl.

He's on the move.
Heading westbound.

This is about...

the children.

Raymond, today...

on this day...

I am giving their plague
back to them.

In sixty years they will be
talking about this day...

about my legacy.

Still heading west.

300 yards from your position.

- Hello?
- There's a wrinkle.

Zamani wants more
than the General's daughter.

- He's after children.
- Where are you?

Approaching 14th.

You gotta move!
You gotta move!

I need you to tell me
what Zamani said.

In the house...

what did he say,

what did you see?

He, uh, he asked about
the Chemist and about the girl.

No. What did you see?

Uh, there was blood.

There was blood everywhere.

Take a breath, Lizzy.

Over here.

There was a tattoo.

He's Serbian Orthodox.

You're closing on him.

- He wouldn't have a tattoo.
- I know what I saw.

This mark, I've seen it before.

Field trip. D.C. Air and Space
or the D.C. Zoo?

It wasn't a tattoo.

It was a stamp.

Zamani's gonna bomb
the D.C. Zoo.

I got nothin'.
Come on, where is he?!

He's turning onto Maryland Ave.

Dead ahead.
He's dead ahead.

He's stopped.

The signal has stopped.
He's right there.

Where is he?!

He should be right behind you.

Vertically.

Are there stairs near you?

Beth?

Hi, honey.
Are you hurt?

No.

Are you alone?

He said to wait here
for my daddy.

He said not to take it off.

Whatever you do,
don't touch it.

There's less than three minutes.

I've got to evacuate,
call the bomb squad...

Your people will never
be there in time.

My friend, he's on his way.

Your friend.
What friend?

Reddington!

Reddington!

Hands in the air.

Zamani.

Step down from the ledge.

Hands where I can see 'em
or I'll shoot you down!

Tell the General
his daughter was...

an unfortunate civilian casualty.

He pulled a tracking chip.

Son of a bitch.

Did Reddington send you?

I can't understand what you're saying.
Can you stop the bomb?

Can you stop it?

- Are we gonna be okay?
- Yeah, baby, we're gonna be okay.

Hey. I was scared
when I was your age, too.

But I had a secret weapon
to keep me safe.

My daddy gave it to me.

It's very special.
I've never shown it to anybody.

It's like magic.

What does it do?

Whenever I'm feeling
sad or afraid,

I just touch it like this,
and it makes me brave.

Do you want to see
if it can make you brave?

Yeah?

You're a brave girl.

Uzasny!

Wait.

Wait!

What are you doing?!

Just consider the device
his payment for services.

Pesibo! Nos dash daisa!

That is a chemical weapon!

He's fascinated by the things.

He certainly has more use
for it than we do.

Daddy!

Red vest, gray sweatshirt!
He's got the bomb!

We're gonna make a great team.

Who is the Ukrainian?

- I'm not gonna tell you.
- You gave him a chemical weapon.

He took it.

That's the price
of doing business, Harold,

with certain people who can get
certain things done. You know that.

You never look
at the larger picture.

The bomb didn't detonate,
the girl is safe, Zamani's dead.

Frankly, I think this all
went down rather swimmingly.

This was never about Zamani.

You surrendered and infiltrated
the FBI to get at our intelligence.

- Your intelligence?
- To get that weapon.

I certainly don't want your intelligence,
Agent Ressler.

I'm quite happy with my own.

I think it's more likely that I
tried to help you in good faith

and had to finish
the job myself because...

you couldn't.

I think we're finished.

Well, this was fun.
Let's do it again.

Really, let's do it again.

Understand,
Zamani was only the first.

The first what?

Name. On the list.

What list?

It's called The Blacklist.
That sounds exciting.

That's why we're all here,
of course. My wish list.

A list I've been cultivating
for over twenty years.

Politicians, mobsters,
hackers...

spies.

We have our own list.

Agent Ressler, please.

We all know your Top Ten is little
more than a publicity campaign.

It's a popularity contest
at best.

I'm talking about
the criminals who matter.

The ones you can't find because
you don't even know they exist.

Zamani was a small fish.

I'm Ahab.

And if you want the whales on my list,
you have to play by my rules.

I never sleep in the same location
for more than two nights in a row.

I want a fully encrypted 8-millimeter
tag embedded in my neck...

not that garbage from AlphaChip
you stuck in my shoulder.

I want my own security. I've compiled
a list of five acceptable applicants.

Pick two.

Whatever I tell you
falls under an immunity package

that I negotiate myself.

And finally, most importantly,

I speak only
with Elizabeth Keen.

♪ Daylight comes ♪

♪ Daylight goes ♪

♪ How far will reach ♪

♪ Ain't nobody know ♪

♪ I use state-of-the-art ♪

♪ Technology ♪

♪ It's supposed to make
for better livin' ♪

♪ Are we better human beings? ♪

♪ And I'm straining
to remember ♪

♪ Just what it means
to be alive ♪

You've discovered something
curious about your...

husband, haven't you, Lizzy?

♪ If you're havin'
girl problems ♪

♪ I feel bad for you, son ♪

♪ I got 99 problems ♪

♪ And I bet you ain't one ♪