Alina is done helping Ressler cut corners. Ressler comes to Alina’s office to check on her in this EXCLUSIVE preview of the January 13 episode of The Blacklist, but their conversation takes a quick turn. Alina doesn’t have a headache, she just wanted to avoid Ressler.
“I don’t have an excuse, but I do have an explanation,” Ressler says to Alina. Alina snaps, “I’m sure you do. I’m sure you have a thousand explanations but not one that could explain how you could be such a dick. You do know my marriage is hanging by a thread?”
Despite everything, she’s still found the time to help him keep his job, which could cost her. To get Ressler to wake up, she gives him an ultimatum.
“Helping you cheat the drug test so you wouldn’t lose your job to addiction like my mom lost hers. She fell apart after that so I figured if I helped you, you wouldn’t,” Alina tells Ressler. “Well, I’m done helping you. And if you don’t help yourself, I’ll tell Cooper about the drug test.”
Ressler notes that if Alina tells Cooper about the drug test then she’ll be in just as much trouble as he will be. At this point, Alina doesn’t care. “That’s right. It’s called taking responsibility for your actions, something you’re clearly incapable of,” she says. “Shut the door on your way out.”
The Blacklist season 9 featured a 2-year time jump after Liz Keen’s shocking death at the end of last season. Ressler has struggled to grieve the loss of Liz and became addicted to painkillers in the aftermath.
The synopsis for the January 13 episode reads: “The death of a professional tennis player leads the Task Force to a doctor who may be fixing the odds for a major sports betting syndicate. Red digs deeper into Dembe’s betrayal. Ressler struggles with sobriety.” The Blacklist season 9 airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. on NBC.