“Older Cutthroat Canyon” continues the Blindspot tradition, where, following every couple or so mediocre episodes, there comes an installment that breathes fresh air and inspires a spark of excitement back into the series. While this week’s episode wasn’t perfect, it definitely headed in the right direction, taking us on an exciting ride as Jane is hunted down by a former member of the same organization that pre-memory Jane was a part of.
The episode starts off with Jane and the gang pursuing another tattoo case, and while I’m not typically crazy about the tattoo cases of the week, this one proved to be a little more unique, taking us into the world of underground art and then it transitioned from yet another mission for the team to complete into Jane running for her life while she’s chased by an assassin known as Kade.
This mystery of the week got personal for Jane, which is kind of odd considering every tattoo case should be personal (‘cause, you know, the tattoos on her body). The stakes were clearly raised this time around, as Jane was not only on the run but was still trying to keep Oscar, and everything having to do with her being a mole in the FBI, a secret. For the first time in weeks, we finally got to see Oscar in a setting that wasn’t the dock where he seems to begin or close out every episode with a cryptic statement. We get a better idea of how he operates and what resources he has, as he tries to help Jane take down Kade. Hopefully we’ll continue to see Oscar in more combat/covert situations in the future. There’s still so much that hasn’t been revealed about him that made it all the more exciting to see him fight alongside Jane. It’s still unclear as to just how trustworthy he is, but one thing is for certain—he cares about Jane enough that he will do whatever it takes to ensure she doesn’t die. Now, whether or not he cares personally, or for the sake of his mysterious organization’s mission isn’t quite clear, but the actor did a great job portraying Oscar as someone who would be truly grieved to see Jane die. It was the look in his eyes that sold it when he said, “I can’t lose you.”
Toward the end of the episode, Edgar breaks up with Kurt’s sister, Sarah. Sarah thinks it’s because of Kurt telling Edgar not to date her, but we know it has more to do with the mysterious masked man who held Edgar at gunpoint, telling him to stop his personal investigation into Carter’s death. To make sure he stops, the masked gunman pulled out a picture of Sarah and her son to ensure Edgar wouldn’t go any further. Edgar is probably now more curious than ever. Even though he’s likely (and rightfully) scared, it’s also a sign that he was looking in the right direction. This may hopefully be a subplot that pushes forward and puts Kurt’s family on the line, as Kurt wants to protect his sister, but her association with Edgar may now open a dangerous door.
Kade surviving in the end was kind of hokey. It looked like he was killed, but (gasp!) he lives and is probably now pissed. Dun dun dunnnn… He’ll obviously be back, but hopefully there will have been a purpose to his character being kept alive. Perhaps there’s more to him that we still haven’t learned, concerning Jane and the organization Oscar is a part of.
What made this episode especially interesting is that we got to see how Jane’s loyalties are being tested—and how it’s only going to get harder for her as time goes on. Sooner or later she’s going to have to decide if she should tell Kurt about Oscar, or if she’s going to swear her allegiance to Oscar and turn her back on Kurt and the FBI. “Older Cutthroat Canyon” opened the door for Jane to put her trust in Oscar, and if it grows, her loyalty to the FBI is only going to get shakier.