'The Blacklist' Season 2 Spoilers: Liz Gets Set Up In Episode 21; What Happened In 'Karakurt'? [RECAP]

Things got a little hairy in episode 20 of “The Blacklist,” Season 2, when Red (James Spader) kidnapped Kenneth Jasper (James A. Stephens) -- one of the Cabal’s leaders -- and sent the director (David Stathairn) the man’s tongue. However, the Cabal would go on the offensive in episode 21, “Karakurt.” Would Liz (Megan Boone) become a target?

The episode began with Red worried that Karakurt, the Russian assassin Cabal smuggled into the country in the last episode, was planning a series of attacks on American defense installations to trigger another Cold War. Liz, though, was more concerned with learning more about her mother, but Red was not giving up any information.

Later, Liz and Ressler (Diego Klattenhoff) went to a Russian intelligence compound where she hoped to kill two birds with one stone. The center did not have much to give them on Karakurt, but one analyst did promise to try and find someone who could tell Liz something about her mother.

Meanwhile, Red was torturing a man who he believed helped Karakurt get set up in America. He was able to figure out that Karakurt was planning on using a truck to bomb an intelligence target. Unfortunately, that target was the intelligence compound Liz and Ressler had just visited. No sooner had the pair left than an explosion rocked the building, killing a dozen agents inside.

As the FBI scrambled to figure out Karakurt’s next target, Red was tipped off that Karakurt had turned back up at an apartment Red had previously searched. However, Tom Connolly (Reed Birney) continued his blackmail campaign against Cooper (Harry Lennix) , forcing the FBI director to divert Liz and Ressler to Union Station, instead of the apartment.

At Union Station Liz was attacked by a mysterious man that she believed to be Karakurt, but she was not able to capture the assassin.

Returning to Karakurt’s apartment, the FBI discovered a bio-chemical lab and surmised that Karakurt was planning to unleash a pandemic on the population. However, a chemist friend of Red’s reviewed Karakurt’s notes and determined that the virus the assassin had created was designed to infect only one person and could be transmitted simply by skin-to-skin contact.

Liz realized that Karakurt planned to infect a high-level government target at the memorial service for the agents who were killed in the explosion earlier. Red had the FBI search for others who had died from symptoms similar to Karakurt’s virus, believing he must have tested his weapon beforehand. Agent Navabi (Mozhan Marno) discovered that Senator Hawkins’ estranged son had been killed a week prior while at college, indicating that the Senator was Karakurt’s target.

Liz rushed to the memorial service, rescuing the Senator before he could make contact with Karakurt, who was posing as a journalist. However, Liz was shocked when Hawkins had a seizure and died in the car anyway. Red put the pieces together and realized the Cabal knew her identity and had set her up to take the fall. Karakurt had infected her with the virus at Union Station. Liz would now have to go on the run!

What did you think of “Karakurt?” Tweet your thoughts to @Ja9GarofaloTV