The Blacklist really knows how to deliver some fantastic endings.

I was expecting the return of Mr. Kaplan for The Blacklist Season 4 Episode 15, revealing that it’s been her that’s been attacking Red and his organization.

Finding out that Dembe, one of Red’s most trusted associates, if not his most trusted, was the one who poisoned Red was a great and shocking conclusion to the winter finale.

Dembe may have gone rogue, but it wasn’t out of the blue. Ever since Mr. Kaplan’s “death,” he’s been questioning Red and his ability to work with him.

But to poison him?

That takes things to a different level, and it will be interesting to learn more about that particular move in future episodes.

There’s definitely more at play with regard to Dembe’s actions and Red being poisoned, but I still think that Mr. Kaplan is the puppet master behind it all.

And if that’s the case, she’s pulled a wild move on Red beyond just trying to kill him; she’s taken someone close to him, someone he trusted.

Then again, wasn’t Mr. Kaplan also someone close to Red, someone he trusted?

Look where that got her.

Having Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” play after Red’s dismay and denial/realization followed by Dembe walking around the city streets was an excellent choice.

The Blacklist also does a fantastic job with its song selections, and that was clear during the closing moments.

What a way to tease and excite fans before going hiatus for a few weeks.

That said, this episode was all about getting to those final minutes.

Did anyone believe Red was going to die?

It’s hard to imagine The Blacklist without Red, so even with James Spader’s solid acting of coughing fits, stumbling about and looking like he was at death’s door, there weren't any real worries there.

The hour did a solid job of slowly revealing what happened when Red lost his memory.

The way things jumped right into the action after Red got the drink from Dembe — seriously, the answer was there the whole time — really kicked things off without taking a while to build things up.

The whole side case wasn’t that interesting, and I didn’t care about that characters involved, but that was mostly about leading the FBI team to the Apothecary, who had his hands in both situations.

The Apothecary himself was a major creep. Just seeing him keep his wife sedated and imprisoned while he raped her multiple times so they could have a baby was all kinds of wrong.

I’m surprised Ressler didn’t get more hands-on in the interrogation room with him.

Seriously, the scenes with the Apothecary were unsettling.

But again, they were all building up to that big reveal, and it delivered.

It’s a twist that will truly shake things up for Red and the story going forward, and it will be fascinating to see how everything ends up.

Because when the dust settles, can Dembe go back to working with Red? Can Red work with Dembe again?

Could Red work with Mr. Kaplan again?

Is there an ending for this particular chapter that doesn’t end in bloodshed and instead closes with the characters letting the past be the past?

Or is this only the beginning of Red’s war? Is there death on the horizon?

Regardless of what happens, things are heating up as the show heads toward its season finale. Buckle up.

Were you shocked it was Dembe? Do you think Mr. Kaplan is working with Dembe? What’s next? Sound off below, and be sure to watch The Blacklist online at TV Fanatic.

NOTE: The Blacklist Season 4 Episode 16 airs April 20 at 9 p.m.

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