TV Rundown: Oct 19 - 24 | Liz Gets Possessive on 'The Blacklist', 'Arrow' Misses the Mark & more!

The Blacklist | Liz isn’t the only one having trouble with the suggestion that Red might have a daughter that’s not her. The key to the Liz/Red dynamic has been that she is the only person that is special to him, who he is willing to protect at any cost. If there is another person he is willing to do that for, regardless if they are his daughter or not, that kind of throws a wrench in things.

It was nice to hear Liz express her begrudging pleasure at the value of her position with Red. Despite being the show’s protagonist she is still a bit of a mystery and learning her big secret should help shed more light on her.

Dancing With the Stars | Among guest judge Pitbull’s critiques (yes, Pittbull) were that Janel Parrish showed “no passion” during her Samba. Was he watching the same performance? It was easily the most gobsmasking remark of the season so far. Of all the things that Parrish continually brings to the dance floor, passion is always at the top of the list. Thankfully, Len will be returning this week and the mayhem of guest judging will be over. More after the jump...

Arrow | A recycled plotline found Diggle attempting to help someone, only to be betrayed by them. Why couldn’t Diggle work with someone who is legit outside of Team Arrow and question whether to stay committed to working on incredibly dangerous missions? That would have provided a more interesting dilemma given his new status as a family man and helped explain his mindset for staying in his high-risk line of work. 

Elsewhere, Laurel decided to try to take up Sara’s mantle. Laurel’s moody depression has been given new life with recent events and it has gotten unbearable. Katie Cassidy is at her best when she is allowed to play a character; luminously energetic, vivacious and confident.

As Laurel she has little to work with; as the character is consistently sullen, uber serious and plagued with insecurity. Laurel will not become a stronger character because she can physically assault bad guys. Her emotional state is the problem and she is in desperate need of a reboot.

Thea’s storyline played on every cliché in the book. The worst offense was her demonstrating strength by not crying out after being scolded with hot water. Whether she yelped or not, the burning depicted would’ve left a serious mark and none of the silence in the world could keep that from developing. Ignoring the body’s signal that it is experiencing serious harm and staying the course is not a good way to exercise “inner strength”.

General Hospital | Things are about to come to a head in Port Chuckles and it is finally time for the fur to fly! The penultimate string of episodes brilliantly laid the groundwork for one helluva of a Halloween reveal.

The defining highlight of the week had nothing to do with the impending doom of Carly and Sonny though. It was the continuing formation of Elizabeth’s relationship with “Jake”. It is beyond fantastic to see Elizabeth in a front burner storyline and in a promising pairing. 

The Bold and the Beautiful | After weeks of seductive manipulation, Ridge was named CEO. However his celebration was short-lived when Maya blew the lid off of Caroline and Ridge’s infatuation. Now if only Maya could talk some sense into Katie, who has deluded herself into thinking Ridge is still committed to their engagement despite leaving a string on her finger instead of buying her an actual ring.