BLINDSPOT Recap “Borrow Or Rob”

By Pauline Perenack

Welcome Back, #RichDotcom

Last week on Blindspot, the team discovered just how long Shepherd had been a part of Weller’s life, when it was discovered she was the one who paid for his schooling. Additionally, Patterson was able to track down a connection to Shepherd in the form of Sean Clark, who had worked with Mayfair to keep Weller in the New York FBI office. Clark also hinted at Weller’s importance in something called the Truman Protocol, making Weller much more important to Sandstorm’s endgame than he would like to be.

The episode also showed the personal downward spirals of both Patterson and Reade, which can only spell disaster for the team as a whole. Tonight however, the team was joined by none other than Rich Dotcom, so let’s recap what happened.

The Daedalus Club

Tonight’s episode, “Borrow or Rob,” took a page out of last week’s episode, and opened in the past, showing the hijinks of a young Rich Dotcom. His computer hacking skills are immediately apparent as he and a group of friends break into their school to hack the computer systems, and change their grades. However, when they’re caught by the police, young Rich Dotcom attempts to sweet-talk his way out of trouble, but gets tased instead.

Back in present day, Reade is waking up from a weekend bender. He seems to be slipping even further into a downward spiral, which also comes into play later in the episode when he has a chance to dump his girlfriend’s drugs, but chooses to snort them instead.

Meanwhile, at headquarters, Nas, Jane and Roman head out to investigate some properties owned by Shepherd to see if any of them can trigger any memories. The rest of the team focuses on a tattoo containing an equation that has balanced out, because of the all-time high selling costs of lithium on the day. The rest of the tattoo features a symbol for a secret society at Jameson College called Daedalus. Realizing they need a member of the society with them in order to get any information, the team pulls up a partial list of members leaked online a few years ago. The list contains a number of important people, including one the team knows well – Rich Dotcom.

He arrives carrying a whole new spiritual attitude, and an armload of religious books, and after seeing the tattoo formula, advises the team that it’s actually a risk-versus-reward algorithm that Daedalus members used to justify actions taken. This particular one however, denotes the optimal time to start a war, and today is that day.

Rich has the team focus on Zach Riley, who just so happens to own an electric car company which would benefit from a war with a country rich in lithium. With a winter carnival taking place at Jameson later that evening, Rich concedes it’s the perfect cover for a Daedalus party, at which the team could find Riley and find out details on the planned war.

Meanwhile, Nas, Jane and Roman venture into Jane and Roman’s childhood home, where nothing new is found. However, when regrouping at Jane’s place, a memory is triggered for Roman, and upon further investigation, it’s discovered he was sent to kill Taylor Shaw’s mother, so Jane’s cover wouldn’t be blown.

At the Daedalus party, Patterson goes as Boston’s date, while Weller is forced to go as Rich’s date. While Boston and Patterson get in without a problem, Rich is banned from the meeting, and he and Weller are forced to find another way in. Once in, they’re welcomed by men with guns, and a man named Thad Munson. After being allowed in by Munson, Weller and Rich find Riley, and determine the plans for the possible war are probably on Riley’s computer. So, while they go after the computer, Boston and Patterson stay with Riley to get the passcode from his pocket.

Both teams are successful, but Weller and Rich are caught by Riley, who is more interested in why Rich is there, than anything to do with his computer. While talking, Riley informs them he sold his electric car business, which means he stands to gain nothing if a war takes place with a lithium-rich country. As such, the team is on to the next suspect, who was spotted sneaking out of the party when everyone else was locked in. Patterson and Boston take chase, and end up walking into a trap, but are saved with some help from Weller.

After being handcuffed to a statue outside the building by Weller, Rich is found by Munson, who turns out to be the real mastermind behind the whole possible war. With his personal hacker currently in custody, Munson needs Rich’s hacking skills and takes Rich hostage. Weller quickly finds them however, and arrests Munson.

With the episode wrapping up, Rich barters with Weller and Jane to get Boston transferred to a low-security prison in exchange for a solved tattoo. Patterson meanwhile, after learning about how Dr. Sun was involved in the infiltration of Zero Group by Sandstorm, is more willing to talk to her about her own feelings of betrayal.

Finally, while Nas and Weller discuss the complete absence of Truman Protocol files, across town, Riley gets into a car with Dr. Borden. Riley is concerned about the FBI getting so close, but Borden assures him that everything is still going as planned, and that Riley is needed for Phase Two.

Welcom? Or Richler?

I, along with most of the Blindspot fandom, have been looking forward to tonight’s episode for a while, because of Rich Dotcom’s return. This character, played brilliantly by Ennis Esmer, is always a welcome highlight in the Blindspot world, and tonight was no different. His pop culture references were abundant, and he brings levity to what’s been a very dreary season thus far. The episode flowed nicely, and for the first time in a while, the hour went by quickly, thanks mostly to the back and forth between Weller and Rich. One of the liveliest debates on Twitter during the episode centered around the correct “ship” name for Weller and Rich, with most people settling on Welcom, with Richler coming in a close second. Could this outpace the Jeller fandom?

The subplot of Roman and Jane trying to trigger more memories was forgettable – with the only “reveal” being that of Roman killing Taylor Shaw’s mother. Surely, that revelation will get some play in later episodes, especially since Jane told Roman she wanted to break the news to Weller personally – but then promptly went on a date with Oliver instead.

Last week’s episode showed both Patterson and Reade starting a downward spiral, but tonight it seems as though Patterson was able to lift herself up a bit – with some help from Boston of all people – but Reade is slipping even further as he continues to use drugs as an escape. He is definitely heading towards a breaking point, and all indications seem to point towards it affecting the team in a big way.

Finally, Phase Two of Sandstorm seems to be nearing completion, and is drawing in more and more people who are connected to Weller and the team. With Borden seemingly leading the charge, the showdown between Sandstorm and the FBI is going to be intense. Until next week!