'The Blacklist' Season 2 Spoilers: Tom Keen Returns; What Happened In Episode 3, 'Dr. James Covington'? [RECAP]

In the last episode of NBC’s “The Blacklist,” Red (James Spader) finally won a battle with Berlin (Peter Stormare), rescuing his ex-wife (Mary Louise-Parker) after Berlin kidnapped her. However, with Berlin still at large, the war between the two rivals continued, but that does not mean Red did not have time for another case in episode 3, “Dr. James Covington.”

The episode began with a shocking reveal – Tom (Ryan Eggold) was back! Well, not for long. Liz (Megan Boone) was only dreaming and in the beginning of the episode she was still not doing well. Still paranoid that she was being watched (although fans know she is) she questions a random pedestrian with a gun whom she thought was following him.

However, Liz has to focus when Red gives her another case. The body of Paul Wyatt (John Nielsen) was found with his heart harvested right out of his body. Red told Liz that the body was the work of Dr. James Covington, a corrupt surgeon who kills people to sell their organs on the black market. Things get more complicated when it turns out Wyatt’s heart was not just stolen, but repossessed after missing monthly payments.

Liz and Ressler (Diego Klattenhoff) track down a medical examiner that supplies Covington with fresh organs. After forcing him to set up a phony deal with Covington they track the henchman carrying the heart, but after a chase ensued the henchman was killed in a car accident fleeing Liz and Ressler.

Meanwhile, Red was having some problems of his own. While attempting to gain influence on the Indonesian border as part of his ongoing war against Berlin, he increases his investments in a deal with members of a company that stands to win a key government contract However, when some of his associates accept an offer from Berlin he takes matters into their own hands.

Then, Red met back up with Liz where he helped her out. Liz had found info on Covington’s next client, who happens to be an old friend of Red’s. Red paid him a visit where he shared a very “persuasive” drink with him to get him to give up Covington’s location. They would have to hurry, though, as Covington was less than an hour away from another organ extraction.

Liz and Ressler found Covington’s secret operating room, but things got complicated when they found the doctor (Ron Cephas Jones) operating on a small boy. After they momentarily halted the procedure, Dr. Covington rationalized that he did prey on criminals like Wyatt, but all the profit went into funding his operation, which gave kids who are not given priority in organ donation a chance. After some deliberation, Liz decided to let Covington operate before arresting him.

Back in Red’s world, he was still handling the business of his disloyal associates. It turns out Nico, the one associate who had stayed loyal to Red, had in actuality been the one who made the deal with Berlin and framed the rest. Of course, the whole thing turned out to be a test from Red and there never was a deal from Berlin. Red ended up killing Nico. He also reveals that him and associated had acquired the government contract after a government official who was unsympathetic to them died when he was not able to get a heart transplant in time (It was no coincidence that Red set Liz on Covington).

At the end of the episode Red paid a visit to his ex-wife, Naomi Highland. In the first time he had spoken with her since the kidnapping, she greeted him with a slap. However, the next episode teased much more from this relationship in the future.

What did you think of “Dr. James Covington?” Tweet your thoughts to @Ja9GarofaloTV.