With all the Ebola panic these days, The Blacklist Season 2 Episode 5 threat of the plague seemed much more relevant of a topic for the show to focus on.

We’re especially lucky that some cult leader hasn’t gotten a hold of that virus, got his followers to become infected by it before getting on flights to spread it around. Now that’s a really scary thought.

And I’ve got to hand it to this particular episode for kicking things off with a mysterious map from a piece of art that can only be seen under some intense blacklighting. Oh, I was immediately intrigued.

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I’m sure if it was a map to steal the Declaration of Independence, we all know Red would have called up Nicolas Cage, but Liz is his go-to girl. And I’m always in for a case that lends itself to some Da Vinci Code-like clues.

So while the initial concept was a nice change of pace, ultimately, it was pretty standard case-of-the-week fare. New bad guy, new problem, save the world in the nick of time.

Certainly, the threat of plague is a freighting prospect, and I was curious as to just how far that story might go. And while I thought that perhaps there could be an intense moment of Samar possibly being killed off as she threw herself in her own quarantine, Liz stupidly jumped in with her.

And we all know Liz wasn’t going to die, so it was pretty clear she would get the cure and everything would be wrapped up nicely.

But I’m much more interested in her interactions with Red and that bigger story, that larger mystery.

I like seeing her not back down from Red. She goes after him, calling him out on looking for his daughter. And I like that she’s getting tricky with her guardian sniper.

This is a much more intense Liz, and yet, seeing her speak about having a baby with Tom or seeing the baby at the hospital revealed a much more emotional and broken aspect to her. Liz’s life was shattered from what it once was from Red’s introduction to also finding out Tom wasn’t who he said he was.

And that’s clearly affecting her as much as it seems to be fueling her to take a much more in charge approach.

I wasn’t surprised that we still have no clue what’s behind that door, but I still think it’s Tom. What else could it possibly be?

Of course, Red is one step closer to finding the “girl” and now he’s seen her at the very end of the hour. But just how will she play into his battle with Berlin?

Also, what's the deal with that key?

Frankly, it’s still really fun seeing James Spader as Red, delivering some great performances and scenes like his speech with the cult leader or something funny like bringing in a new vending machine or even the simple act of eating one of the kid’s snacks.

Spader definitely elevates this show, though I did miss the presence of the eccentric Mr. Vargas.

Even watching Red watch some old video at the end or clasping Liz’s hand continues to keep me invested in wanting to know just what that connection between them really is. Red’s such a fascinating character that I can’t help but want more of him and his story and sometimes less focus on the bad guy of the week.

Though I do wonder what his reaction will be when he uncovers the truth behind Liz’s secret. I can only imagine the clever quip he will have when he speaks with her about it.

Will we ever find out what's behind the door? Just what is Red up to? Sound off below and be sure to watch The Blacklist online to see all the best Red moments.

The Blacklist Cast: Before They Were Stars

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Sean McKenna was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. He retired in May of 2017. Follow him on Twitter.