#And she becomes super close with Alekos

[shima-draws]

Lies down bc I have new TTM OCs I’ve been shipping for like a week now

Like you know that feeling when you’re coming up with new characters and you debate for a while who they’re gonna end up with?? (If you intend for them to have a romantic partner, anyway) I originally had this one who acts as an enemy to the main group for a while before they end up nabbing him on accident and so, he eventually switches to the good side (and I’ll get into his backstory later) but YEAH at first I wanted him to end up with Benji but I changed my mind. He’s gonna end up with Emilio’s techie roommate instead and god they’re so fucking. Cute together //shakes fists

[ventingblacklist]

I think they had a Kaplan backstory in mind by 2b. They may not have had it all hammered out by then, but I think they had an idea. Because of what Red said in Leonard Caul. It made me think that she was the person he trusted with his Liz plans.

Red almost dies all the time, it only made sense that someone else be around to handle the Liz stuff if he died. Kaplan’s a good choice because she’s usually out of the firing line.

I didn’t have the idea of her being the nanny in mind, but I did think that she stretched pretty far back to be trusted with Liz plans. Given her medical knowledge, I was thinking more nurse. 

I later headcanoned that maybe she was KGB working with Katarina. Was Kat’s cleaner. That she was a witness to what happened and teamed up with Red after it all fell apart to help him look after Katarina’s daughter. Her from Kat’s side and Red from his side. 

I thought that 4x17 explained her thinking in 3x18 pretty well, especially having Liz echo Kaplan’s own concerns before the pilot. 

I do think her Liz love was laid on a little too thick. I can see why people thought it came flying out of the clear blue sky. Although they did put in the thing about it becoming more about Red than Liz. It has been decades, after all.

Anyway, a rundown on Kaplan so far. 

Season One:

1x10

Red is being hauled off by Garrick and he tells Liz how to get a hold of Kaplan before he gets her to jump out of the van. She meets Liz in the Apple Man house and takes care of the man Liz shot. 

“I have two directives – to protect you and find my employer. I intend to do both.”

When they get to the warehouse she makes Liz stay in the car while Dembe and company raid the place.

It’s interesting to me that Kaplan’s debut was in part two of an episode where Red is being hunted down by another associate he shot in the head. I’d like to give the writers credit for being super prescient, but I think that’s probably just a cool coincidence.

Ha. She shows up in Garrick part two. She kind of is Garrick part two. In the bullet-in-the-head, out-for-revenge sense.

1x13

Kaplan cleans up Diane.

Gordon Lightfoot songs play over that scene and the scene that Red shoots Kaplan in season four. Just random interestingness.

1x17

Kaplan discovers Jolene’s body. This ultimately leads to Liz discovering the truth of Tom Keen.

Season Two:

2x2 

We get a glimpse of how close Kaplan is to Red. She’s allowed to tell him he’s going too far. Allowed to reign him back in. And there’s indication that she knows personal things about him. Talks to him about his wife. 

Kaplan: This business with your wife, this pursuit, it’s pushing you in ways that I don’t like.

Red: Don’t start with me, Kate. I’ll handle my business, you handle yours. ...  Mr. Kaplan, I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m out on the far end of the limb.

Kaplan: Take a moment. Read a book. You will find your wife.

2x3

Kaplan is called in to do an autopsy. We learn she’s probably a lesbian (bi was a possibility) as she and Red reminisce about previous corpses and Reuben soup. She calls Liz “sweetie” but nothing is really made of that. 

2x8

Aleko disposed of the Harbormaster’s body. Red says that Kaplan is with Aleko trying to contain the situation.

2x18

Kaplan is sent to recruit Vanessa Cruz.

2x19

Kaplan is called in to set up a hospital room for Red. She recognizes that the Cabal agents are imposters and shoots them. She pays Nik. Liz is gone out for the Fulcrum. The Cabal descends. Kate doesn’t want to leave, but Red forces her to. 

“You need to go. Find a way out. I’ll be fine. And if I’m not, you know what to do. But you won’t be able to do it unless you leave.”

This to me was the first real indication that Kaplan had a role to play with Liz as well. If Red dies, it’s her job to look after the Liz situation.

‘It’s real sweet that you want to stay here and die protecting me, but you really need to survive. One of us has to.’

2x22

Kaplan sets up the room for the revealing of the Fulcrum to the reporters.

Gambler Comic:

The Gambler comic came out in August of 2015, between seasons two and three. Obviously it was planned out a bit before then. 

It’s supposed to take place not long after Fitch blows up. Red is thinking about Fitch’s death. And about his own. 

So we see Kaplan and Reddington updating their “what to do regarding Liz if Red dies” plans.

Red makes a new tape and tells Dembe to give it to Kaplan. She’ll know what it’s for.

In his pursuit of the blacklister, Red fakes his death. 

Liz finds an encrypted video file. She gives to Aram. At the end of the comic, she goes back for it, only to find the data erased.

Kaplan in Season Three:

3x5

Kaplan cleans the airplane hangar. She snaps photos of Liz’s fake death and sends them to the papers. 

3x10

Kaplan screens the people coming in to meet with Red to help Liz. 

Red calls Kaplan his better half. In the same conversation he says he abhors working with a partner. Interesting because in the ep after he shoots Kaplan, he again reiterates that he hasn’t had a partner since those lawn days.

Kaplan is the closest thing, but he insists he has no partner.

Kaplan helps set up the scene to snag the Director. She masquerades as Pamela, the fill-in receptionist.

3x11

Kaplan and her cleaners are attacked. All killed except for Kate so she can deliver the message to Red. Red is very upset at this. Kaplan warns Liz that Red is in a bad mood.

Liz begins to pull away. Her badge is lost, Tom is looking to start over with her, and she’s ready for a break from all the crazy. Red shows her the map and warns her about Katarina’s enemies. He’s not sure at the end where they stand. Kaplan comforts him that no matter what happens, he won’t lose her. 

3x18

Kaplan picks Tom and Liz up from the hospital because Red fears there will be too many civilian casualties there. She drives them to the nightclub. Liz’s water breaks.

Liz echoes back to Kaplan the fears that Kaplan had before all this began. She decides to get Liz and her baby away from Reddington.

"This is on you, Raymond. Nobody else. You were wrong to make her believe you could keep her safe. You made us all believe." That was an odd line at the time. Hinting as if Liz's safety was something Kaplan cared about. Seems to speak to him turning himself in. And then in 3x23 - "I’m sorry you wanted to know her so desperately that you convinced yourself we could keep her safe." It seems this refers to him turning himself in too. Kaplan thinking it has less to do with any real danger and more to do with Red's desperation to know Elizabeth.

Agnes is the catalyst. It's been decades. You may have loved a child once, but it's been decades now. But a new baby. Stirring up those old feelings. Kaplan saying that Agnes reminds her of Elizabeth. Not wanting a repeat of history. 

And I’ll stop it there because we pretty much know the rest.