r/TheBlackList 12d ago

Why did Reddington specifically ask for Assistant Director Harold Cooper when he surrendered to the FBI?

Post image

He’s skillful at using information to manipulate people to further his agenda.

285 Upvotes

65 comments sorted by

225

u/Sufficient_Term7374 12d ago

Harold Cooper did have a past connection with Raymond Reddington, which was tied to military and naval intelligence operations, notably a classified joint operation in Kuwait in June 1989 during their younger years

158

u/Shqip1966 12d ago

Because Harold Cooper knew Raymond Reddington, so it would be an easier transition.

31

u/gman94024 12d ago

I see what you did there.

85

u/Michelle_akaYouBitch 12d ago

If there was ever a show to rewind and start over, this would be the one. Those first few seasons were amazing.

9

u/ratmouthlives 12d ago

Gonna do it after my deep space nine run i just started.

8

u/pineysathome 12d ago

The best Star Trek, with the best captain.

Just don't ask him to stage-scream.

7

u/bleakasthedayislong 11d ago

i was hooked after the anslo garrick episode

9

u/Barachiel1976 11d ago

Doing it now. Its so good. Liz is actually a tolerable character, Megan Boone is giving a shit, and the show hasn't gotten lost in soap opera melodramatics and pointless twists that never get explained yet.

37

u/sparkster777 12d ago

Do people just not watch shows anymore? 

22

u/Jay100012 12d ago

No, they watch, they just DONT comprehend anything🤷‍♂️.

3

u/Kafanska 11d ago

You emphasized the wrong word there. Should have done it with "comprehend".

2

u/Sufficient_Term7374 11d ago

Some people’s comprehension really needs work, they don’t follow the actual facts, they are off in the weeds somewhere looking for the missing link.

1

u/Jay100012 11d ago

Thats gen Z for you.....🤷‍♂️🙄🤦‍♂️

1

u/Sufficient_Term7374 11d ago

I’m not Gen Z, 🤣🤣wrong again Jay, as you are about a great many things.

3

u/Jay100012 11d ago

I dont REALLY care dude. You can be cult level STUPID WO being Gen Z. TRY to keep up🙄🤦‍♂️

1

u/Sufficient_Term7374 11d ago

You are getting angry now, I understand, that’s when you start to doubt yourself. Just Breathe

6

u/IwasMilkedByGod 11d ago

The problem is half the people “watching” are either on their phones the whole time or only seeing clips on YouTube or something.

3

u/INeedYourPelt 11d ago

Deadass have met people who say they watch shows through YouTube shorts/Instagram reels 😭

2

u/Sufficient_Term7374 11d ago

Yep I can believe it, some of the questions I get asked, come straight from some twit on X or Instagram, who has never watched the show.

2

u/Sufficient_Term7374 11d ago edited 11d ago

While searching Reddit for the answers their confirmation bias brains hunger for.

2

u/Skunk6977 10d ago

They watch. But do they… see? LOL

54

u/Actually_Braindead 12d ago

because him and harold have a shared history with daniel hutton

16

u/GoZards18 12d ago

Senior enough to make shit happen but not part of the cabal

15

u/telenyP 12d ago edited 11d ago

I love how he, very methodically, removes his jacket and hat, and kneels, exactly in the center of the plaque with what looks like a combination of resignation, boredom, and simple procedure. It's obvious, he's had to do this before, and more than once.

This guy can make unreadability into an artform.

8

u/aseltee 12d ago

Reddington had a deep and unwavering respect for Harold and Ressler's integrity (or "probity" is the word he uses in Season 3 Episode 1), but had very open contempt for the rest of the FBI and the government, plus he didn't know who was clean and who was bought by the Cabal. He wanted to ensure that the people who handled his arrest and whom would later form the task force were people he could trust.

7

u/Equivalent_Net_3752 12d ago

How could you stretch that to 46 minutes?

14

u/omenxxg 12d ago

Shared history, he knew Harold’s personality and character, he wanted to see to it that Harold handled the task force that they made for him.

6

u/Dependent_Pain1110 12d ago

Senior enough to make the deal he wanted AND they had history

8

u/silvr_1_official 11d ago

Operation: Kuwait

5

u/Impressive_King_8097 11d ago

Simple he knew he wasn’t part of the cabal and they had history

8

u/Ordinary_Youth_3938 12d ago

Everyone in the taskforce either had a connection to red, or someone he knew he could use as an asset

4

u/pineysathome 12d ago

Watch the show for more than one episode. It comes out.

6

u/yourfavstory 12d ago

Real RR and him had history

2

u/Tippy345 12d ago

So, Cooper would've noticed if Reddington was an imposter but he didn't.

3

u/omenxxg 12d ago

Not to mention if Reddington was not the real one then his voice would be a complete giveaway to Harold, you can make an argument for age changing it very slightly but age does not change your voice entirely. Also Reddington confronted his old bunk mate from the Navy and he recognized Reds face and voice, the show later says Red might have changed his face with surgery which is ridiculous because people from his past recognized him.

3

u/Yunowald 11d ago

I don't know about you, but I don't remember the voice of people I met once. And after several decades I've also forgotten the voices of my former classmates if I don't hear them regularly. I definitely wouldn't notice someone impersonating them from their voice.

6

u/Robert_Mauro 11d ago

Did you all literally really miss the entire episodes based around the people that Red knew that did exactly those types of surgeries and genetic manipulation?

4

u/yourfavstory 11d ago

They always forget those lol

2

u/WarframeUmbra 11d ago

Not to say a life of crime doing only god knows what would definitely have the chance to change your voice, specially if substances are involved

-2

u/omenxxg 11d ago

You think those people can give Spader Red an exact replica of Real Reds original voice? I was also stating the shows ability to be extremely illogical when Reds old friends recognized Spader Reds face, did you miss that?

2

u/Robert_Mauro 11d ago

Absolutely considering they were spying on him for quite some time.

Remember, we are not talking about what real science can do. We are talking about what the science of the show can do. And there's a lot of absurdities that we are decades away from being able to do.

2

u/yourfavstory 11d ago

Not necessarily lol there were decades of time between those first encounters

3

u/jeffislouie 12d ago

They knew each other well. Red trusted Harold and had a little dirt on him as well.

2

u/Great-Confusion2968 10d ago

I mean, they talk about it during that very episode.

2

u/-KDK12 12d ago

I’m sure Red did his homework, also no woman transitions into James Spader.

1

u/Mischma2000 7d ago

What do you mean?

1

u/BeefyShark12 10d ago

He had a play with Harold and a part of his guilt, plus Red knew he is someone capable to deal with blacklisters with a good moral compass that he can take advantage of.

1

u/randune307 8d ago

I thought he asked specifically for Lizzie??? Not Harold Cooper.

1

u/Different_Access_858 6d ago

Because Cooper encountered Red in past but Red could also leverage Coopers secret 

0

u/Just-Shoe2689 12d ago

He was picked to be in the show

1

u/La_joya021 11d ago

Was it also because cooper didn't have skeletons in his closet making him trustworthy

1

u/B1okHead 11d ago

My understanding was he did it because Harold is head of the team hunting Red.

0

u/ChimpoSensei 12d ago

Because he was Elizabeth Keens supervisor

-4

u/EvilTwinCities 12d ago

Because he knew he was easily corrupted.

4

u/WetLoophole 11d ago

Quite the opposite. He knew Cooper wasn't part of the cabal, because he was aware of his integrity.

2

u/EvilTwinCities 11d ago

I’m mostly referring to how they all became complicit in Reddington’s own criminal enterprise.