The Alchemist

Previously on The Blacklist...
Tom: I just want to be a normal, boring couple.
I applied for a job in Lincoln.
You're leaving?
Well, the interview's tomorrow.
I'm flying out this afternoon.
Someone with far greater access supplied all the knowledge required for the incursion to take place.
Someone on the inside.
My house is clean.
But yours... is not.
Audrey? Hey.
What are you doing here?
Did you bring me anything?
Yes.
The next name on the blacklist.
There's someone I think you should find.
He's a man who protects the guilty by preying on the innocent.
He's killed women, children, infants if need be-- whatever the particular job calls for.
I bring this to your attention because I've learned that he's been contracted to protect Pytor Madrczyk and his wife.
The mob informant?
The same.
And this blacklister-- does he have a name?
They call him the Alchemist.
[ Chuckles ] [ Chuckles ] You okay?
I'm fine.
[ Laughs ] What's going on?
I don't know.
Liz: Why do they call him the Alchemist?
Red: Because he relies upon science to transform one person into another.
Pytor! Pytor, where am I?! Huh?
Where am I?! What's going on?! Where are you taking me?! I don't know what you're talking about.
Ow. My teeth.
Are we on a plane?
Yes, we're on a plane! What the... Pytor, is she okay?
Is she dead?! Why are you calling me "Pytor"?! Your passport! I don't have a passport! I don't like to fly! I don't have tattoos! Who are you?
Your pilot.
Better buckle up.
[ Screams ] Man: - Flight low. - Flight low, flight low. - [ Gasps ] No! _ Meera: The victims of the plane crash were identified as Pytor and Catherine Madrczyk-- ex-Serbian mob, turned informants.
Reddington said these people were gonna disappear.
Now they're burned beyond recognition.
What's his explanation?
He hasn't given me one, sir.
So call him. Get him in here.
He'll only meet off-site.
He doesn't think the mole hunt ends with Newton Phillips.
Reddington believes there's someone on the inside.
Well, the DOJ disagrees.
They're satisfied it's over.
Ressler: Whoever was surveilling us-- they're not working on this unit.
What I'm concerned about at the moment is this case.
If this crash is not an accident, then I want to know what it is.
So meet with Reddington.
Get him to talk.
Borakove: Here's where we are on your mole hunt.
Yadin spent three days reviewing "tragedy texts" between government employees on and around the day the black site was breached.
We've been sifting through phone calls, digital data-- everything.
You're burying the lead, Borakove.
It's just we haven't quite... I mean, another week or two and-- There he is.
We brought a little something for Julian-- a care package.
It's a Tibetan singing bowl.
What do we have here?
Some jackfruit, vitamin D, kola nuts.
But we've got to get him to eat more protein.
He looks like hell.
He isn't vegan, is he?
Anyway, I've also included a couple of my favorite Richard Pryor records.
I want to try and inject a little levity into the proceedings.
I mean, Julian looks so crabby all the time.
House arrest can be grueling.
[ Chuckles ] Didn't you spend, like, four months in Phonthong?
Seven.
How did you survive?
Naps.
Occasional calisthenics.
So, the defense fund-- where do we stand?
Well, we've put together an amazing team, but it's expensive.
He's been holed up at that embassy for, what, two years now?
It could go on forever and cost a fortune.
I'm practically bankrolling the entire defense fund as it is.
For that, I need best efforts.
Surely, there's some stone you've left unturned.
[ Paper rustling ] We have a man inside a company that shreds classified documents, mostly private firms that do business with the government.
We've got mountains of raw data.
It's just not worth the trouble.
Not only is it impossible to reassemble, it's second-tier intel.
Put it together.
You're kidding, right?
Borakove, I hate sarcasm, and I love puzzles.
I think I was followed.
You were-- by my people.
Is this really necessary?
Yes.
It's a sanctuary.
And until the deficit in your organization is found, I'm keeping a low profile.
You were wrong about Madrczyk.
You said the Alchemist was hired to protect him.
Now he's dead.
Pytor Madrczyk is alive.
No, he's dead.
Your medical examiner has it wrong.
It's been confirmed by the lab-- DNA tests.
Dental prints.
Yes.
Y-you can't change DNA.
Well, the Alchemist can.
Lizzy, this man is a forensic virtuoso.
He's an artist who paints in blood and saliva samples.
Human tissue is his canvas.
I'm not ashamed to say he's even better than me at helping people disappear, which is why Madrczyk hired him and not myself.
Wait. Madrczyk tried to hire you? Competition is fierce.
Are you telling me that you know where he wanted to flee?
If I tell you, you have to promise me you'll try the fertilized duck eggs.
It's a daring and unique dining experience.
You'll think you've died and gone to hell.
_ You have eyes on the target?
Meera: - Target is dead.
Hold tight while I look for his ghost.
My ex, Audrey-- she's getting married.
She just texted me again.
Wants to meet for drinks to talk about Tassels.
Tassels?
Is that her dog?
[ Chuckles ] No, it's the guy.
He's a hedge-fund guy-- pink shirt, loafers with those tassels.
Anyway, the thing is, I got to tell her I'm happy for her when I'm not.
The guy's a tool.
I have eyes on him.
He's headed your way.
Any sign of the wife?
Nope. It's him.
Everyone in position.
Man: Officials are blaming engine failure for the plane crash that clai-- [ Door closes ] Hey. You're home.
How was the job interview?
I didn't go.
I mean, I got there, but... [ Breathes deeply ] I couldn't.
Because all I could think about was you... and your dad.
My dad? - You know, just everything that you've been through.
And I realized I can't put you in that position of choosing between your career and me.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
But Jeni is due in six weeks, and I think she's expecting us to take her baby.
I'm expecting us to take her baby.
I think about it all the time.
Do you?
'Cause we never talk about it.
It used to be all that mattered.
I know.
I would quit my job if I could-- I know you don't believe that.
No, no.
I'm not asking you to quit your job.
I just need you to be more safe and to be more present.
I can do that.
I promise.
And you have so many secrets.
And I wish you didn't, because I don't have any secrets.
Except one thing.
I may have watched the last Real Housewives in my hotel room without you.
I know. It showed up on our Netflix queue.
Sorry.
I will do anything to make this easier.
Yeah? Anything?
Anything.
Oh.
You remember Mrs. Sutton?
She wanted to throw us a baby shower, invite all the teachers.
Please tell me she's not.
We're hosting.
Liz: We got the autopsy results back for the male victim on the plane.
The dental plates pulled by the ME were within the margin of error-- not perfect, but close enough to determine a match.
Then, when they inspected the teeth themselves, they found they'd been altered.
What do you mean, "altered"?
His teeth had been surgically replaced, some of them filed, modified.
Okay. Filing teeth I get.
It's strange.
But the DNA?
Somehow, the Alchemist got Madrczyk's DNA into the body of this john doe.
How does he do it?
I don't know even half of it.
I've heard rumors-- removing the white blood cells from the victim and replacing them with the red blood cells of his client, leaving clone DNA at crime scenes to mislead the police, even incorporating synthetic DNA into genuine human tissue.
So this isn't just evidence tampering.
This is genetic manipulation.
Yes.
It's a trade in death.
The guilty give their blood and genetic identity.
The innocent give their life for the guilty to live.
If you find the Alchemist, you have a chance to resurrect the dead, to bring to justice some of the most... vile creatures who ever lived.
April 2009-- an $8 billion Ponzi scheme wipes out the savings of every account holder at Chariton National.
December 2011-- seven people are found dead in a diner, victims of a mob hit.
Two months later, the Bronx DA files charges on behalf of 24 teenage boys who claimed they were molested at church.
There are more, and in each of these cases, investigators found perpetrators of the incidents dead.
According to Reddington, they're not.
How many cases is he talking about?
The female victim on the plane was named Sarah Jenkins.
How did you identify her?
The Alchemist knew that, based on a forensic procedure, we wouldn't run tests necessary to distinguish between synthesized and natural DNA.
Now that we know what we're looking for, we pulled the bone-marrow sample, ran it against our database.
Jenkins was single, lived alone, but I did find this.
Last time she was online was over 72 hours ago.
She visited this dating website, which is also where I met Phyllis Tugenberg... and her cankles.
Aram, Sarah Jenkins-- who was she online with?
We don't know, but we've issued a subpoena to find out.
I got a call.
Are you Trettel?
We have a situation.
Yeah, we have a situation.
You crashed our jet, murdered five people.
We're supposed to be gone.
You assured us.
I was on my way to Budapest when my husband was taken into FBI custody.
Who did you tell?
We paid you to make us disappear.
Ms. Madrczyk, I need you to listen to me very carefully.
What is this place?
Is this where you do the work?
I need you to write down the names of anyone you think might know your plans-- family, friends, anybody.
I didn't tell anybody.
I need to know the name of your husband's lawyer.
Clark Schroeder. Why?
Are you calling him?
Please tell me you can fix-- Ressler: You broke an immunity agreement, which means you're going to jail unless you start talking about the Alchemist.
Who is he?
Got a cigarette?
Yeah. I do.
I never met the guy.
Everything was done through the couriers.
Gives you this-- it's-- it's like a checklist.
Checklist for what?
Everything-- medical and dental records, blood samples, saliva.
How much did you pay him?
I want to talk to my wife.
Tell us about the accounts he used to take payment.
We can start talking about a new deal.
Attorney's here.
Who are you?
Mikkelson.
Schroeder is en route.
Moment with my client?
How long did they have you in here before I arrived?
Where is Schroeder?
He should be in here now.
I don't even know who you are.
I need to know exactly what you told him.
No, you don't.
All you need to know is how the hell you're gonna get me out of here.
That's why I have you schmucks on retainer! All right, calm down.
Take a breath.
I was abducted, flown 4,500 miles to be put into this box! Call Schroeder! Tell him to put his damn golf clubs down and show his ass here now! Give me one of those.
Sarah Jenkins was using an online-dating site.
That's how we think the Alchemist found her.
Gave him everything he needed to know to double her as Catherine Madrczyk.
Who was the date?
Did you get a name?
No. Uh, an alias.
But we got a photo.
Ressler.
Get a medic.
Meera: We pulled the unsub's photo off a dating website and got a match from a rental-car surveillance camera.
His name's Eric Trettel.
Flunked out of med school.
Falsified a degree from Harvard and used it to land a job in the Human Genome Project.
He spun that into a career as an expert witness specializing in DNA evidence.
He testified in a case on behalf of Carlos Trena, a soldier in the D'Angelo crime family facing three counts of murder one.
Trettel was hired to present exculpatory DNA evidence.
Problem is, that evidence was falsified.
Trettel was outed as a fraud and disgraced.
Two weeks later, he disappeared.
It was believed either the D'Angelo family had him killed or he fled to avoid indictment.
He have friends or family?
Wife and daughter in Bethesda.
Keen, pay the wife a visit.
Ressler, find that car.
Well, when's the last time you saw him?
Six years ago, after the trial.
Annie was only 2 when he left.
Honey, why don't you grab something to eat-- some nuts in the kitchen?
Your daughter-- she's diabetic?
Just diagnosed.
How much does she know about her father?
You shouldn't be here.
Eric is a very dangerous man.
In his head, he thinks we're still together, a family.
So you're saying you've had contact with him?
He comes here sometimes.
He says he wants to help Annie and me.
I say no, but he doesn't hear it.
He only becomes more determined.
That's what he loves about science.
It's the challenge, the way it pushes back at him.
It's the reason he spent all those hours in the lab.
What lab?
Call came in less than 20 minutes ago.
The car was completely engulfed.
The remains match the description of Catherine Madrczyk.
If it's her, I'd say our guy is trying to cover his tracks.
I got something.
Ressler: 261729.
We actually reached out to the Germans for help.
They're the ones who designed the software.
Ah, the Germans.
Despite the headlines, they're still the best at keeping an eye on their fellow man.
It works on pattern recognition.
It scans the fragments and treats each scrap as if it were part of a huge jigsaw puzzle-- font, color, shape, thickness of paper.
It's all analyzed and used to rebuild the original document.
You see, Borakove?
You do have a head underneath all that hair.
Forget Julian and his defense fund.
We have a bright future right-- Lizzy, come look at this.
The boys have come up with a remarkable little game.
I really don't understand how any of it works, but I just love that... smell the machines make.
Whose garbage are you combing through now? - Yours.
Shredded communications from private contractors working with the DOJ, NSA, CIA, FBI-- all the initials.
This is about the incursion.
When you called, you said something about numbers.
We found this in the car rented by the Alchemist.
Forensics ran an analysis on the paper.
It traced to a manufacturer in Albany.
They produce stock for business forms.
One client stood out-- bank Credit Suisse Zurich.
We think this is a sequence of numbers associated with a bank account, maybe one used to pay the Alchemist.
Perhaps.
Could be the combination to his gym locker.
What do you know about the man specifically?
What is it that makes him unique?
He's, um... a scientist, an expert in DNA.
That's what he does.
Who is he?
[ Sighs ] He's nobody.
He's a lab rat.
He's a lab rat.
Audrey texted me again.
I mean, what? Is she trying to rub my nose in this thing?
I'm not giving Tassels my blessing.
Tassels is gonna have to wait.
I think I figured this out.
Come here.
Take a look at this.
Trettel's wife told me he had this lab in the basement, so it got me thinking.
What if that number we found in the car was from a lab, like, a piece of equipment, a model number, or... Or a serial number.
Hey, I want to know who manufactures equipment used to sequence DNA.
And find me the companies of the clients that they've sold to in the last six years.
Eric: Mandy, hi.
Thank you so much for calling me back.
You are perfect for this part I'm casting.
[ Chuckles ] I need to put you on tape for the producers.
I know it's such short notice.
I'm sorry.
But, um, the part does shoot tomorrow.
Great.
All right, the address is 75 Broadway.
_ Remind me again why I want to be an actor.
I was just asking myself the same thing.
Do you know where they moved the casting call?
Supposedly, it's not too far from here.
Is it walking distance?
Mnh.
Want to share a cab?
Yes, thank you.
That would be great.
Of course.
I'm Jolene.
Nice to meet you.
All: 3, 2, 1! Go! Squash? No, no.
Oh. Carrot.
Oh, I'm so jealous of you right now.
I took 12 weeks with Eddie.
It was just... magical.
Actually, uh, Liz isn't taking maternity.
Why not? - I just can't take time off my work right now.
I'm still trying to convince her.
Well, studies show those first six months between mother and child are critical to the baby's development.
That's what I keep telling her.
But, uh, we're figuring it out.
What's to figure out?
What did you want me to say?
You made it sound like it was all my decision.
Because it is, Liz.
What?
No! We talked about this! I'm not asking you to be Holly Homemaker, Liz! It's not unreasonable to me that you might want to spend some time with our child at home.
Then would it be unreasonable for me to think you might want to do the same thing?
How about you stay at home?
I've taken time, Liz.
You sound so selfish right now.
Okay! Uh... So-- so, here's the thing-- I-I was not digging through your medicine cabinet.
I was waiting for you guys to finish arguing, but it just sort of-- it just got kind of weird for me.
And I'm also mildly claustrophobic. Hi. I'm Jolene.
Liz.
Um, sorry. Tom.
You're subbing for Mr. Sinnard, right?
Yes.
Yes, sir. Yep.
I'm sorry you had to hear all that.
Ah, please.
That was nothing.
Keen.
Uh, yeah.
I'll be right there.
"Selfish." [ Inhales sharply ] Bad move.
You're gonna pay for that one.
Yeah.
Don't worry.
This will all be over very, very soon.
Any word from, uh, Liz?
I told you "selfish" was a bad idea.
Now you're the bad guy.
Look, it's not as bad as it sounds, all right?
She's under a lot of pressure from work and, you know, getting ready to have a baby.
So stop being such a downer.
Look, you want to fix your marriage, y-you got to show her a good time.
I don't think I asked for your advice.
Okay, smartass.
What's your plan of attack?
And if you say you are gonna make her dinner and buy her flowers, I will literally vomit all over this countertop.
You have to have some fun.
Do you like photography?
There's this amazing photography exhibit tomorrow night.
You guys should come.
Um... photography exhibits-- not really me and Liz.
Okay, she seduces married men, sleeps with them, and then takes a photo mid-act.
Wait. You know what?
I've heard of this woman. Yeah.
In fact, I-I have a friend, and she took his photo.
You know one of her subjects? - [ Laughs ] No! Are you crazy?! Oh, my God.
What kind of woman does this, anyways-- going around, photographing herself having sex with random strangers?
What is that?
Actually, it's my show.
No, it's not.
Yeah. It is.
Really?
It's cool.
Oh, I'm-- I'm sorry.
I, uh... No, I-I really like photography.
I didn't know you were an artist.
I'm kidding.
Oh, my-- [ Laughs ] You really think I'd go around, sleeping with married men?
I'm a substitute teacher.
[ Laughs ] Your hunch about the numbers was right.
It wasn't an account.
We checked one of the companies that produced that particular paper stock and found a company that produces medical equipment.
It's a serial number for a centrifuge purchased around the same time Madrczyk hired Trettel.
Were you able to trace the sale?
It was corporate-- an LLC called MedTech Horizons.
They specialize in DNA-sequencing research.
Time to pay a visit.
Hey.
Take a look at this.
Two more rooms in the back.
Everything's packed up.
He knows we're onto him.
That's why he took the risk of coming into the field office.
Got Madrczyk, his wife-- The guy's killing everybody that might lead us to him.
Oh, my God. His family.
Two victims.
Gunshots at close range.
It's not pretty.
Malik, we're too late.
Molly and Annie Trettel are dead.
Hey! I'm sorry I missed you this morning.
No, I'm sorry.
I-I got in late last night.
I didn't want to wake you.
Look, about last night-- I totally overreacted.
I get that you don't understand my decision, and I know that's hard.
We should talk about that.
I want to hear what you have to say.
Let's carve out some time just for us tonight.
Yeah-- uh, actually, one of the teachers mentioned this, uh, photography exhibit.
What if I countered with dinner at home? I'll cook.
Why would you want to punish me twice?
Okay, compromise-- you cook.
I'll grab dessert?
Please, Tom, let me make this right.
All right.
You got yourself a date.
Great. Love you.
You too.
The hard drives we found at Trettel's lab-- where are we on the data recovery?
We had a few corrupted sectors, but I found something interesting-- DNA panels-- several, actually.
We had already identified Sarah Jenkins as the woman who died on that plane, but I think now we've also got the name of Madrczyk's stand-in, as well as the pilots.
There are multiple case files here-- photos of the victims while they were sedated, genetic breakdowns, medical and dental records-- probably all from old clients.
How many more did you find? - A dozen or so. But I'm sure more will turn up by the time I've reconstructed the whole drive.
What is it?
Molly and Annie Trettel are alive.
The victims at the Trettel house-- I want autopsies done immediately.
I'm not interested in cause of death.
I want bone marrow drawn, tissue samples pulled.
And if it isn't them?
Then this is an abduction.
Put an amber alert on the girl.
Get pictures of Trettel and his wife to the media, any news outlet that will pick up the phone.
Borakove: I called you as soon as I could.
Ravi actually caught it, noticed the document referenced the address you gave us, and we thought it might be worth pointing out.
Red: Blow it up.
_ Attractive but treacherous.
It's Agent Keen.
Excellent.
Print me a copy.
Just out of curiosity, what number am I on your speed dial?
Liz: - Seven.
Who's six?
Chinese takeout.
Can we come back to this later?
I need your help.
I think Eric Trettel abducted his family.
Tell me what you know.
Two bodies at the wife's house-- a woman and a girl-- doubles for his family.
Trettel-- he's a... cipher, closed off from the world, shut away in his lab.
But now he's on the run.
He must be leaving some kind of trail-- bank records, uh, wiring money to his new identity.
You don't have time for that.
Go back to the wife and daughter.
He's not alone anymore.
You have to look to their lives in order to find him.
They're the ones that matter.
They are his vulnerability.
The wife-- she's a nurse, single mom.
The daughter-- she's sick.
Diabetic.
There you are.
Annie Trettel has an insulin pump.
Pull her medical records.
I want the make and model.
How does that help us?
Some new medical devices operate using radio frequencies.
If I could ping a signal, I may be able to access it, and we could... Locate her using the insulin pump.
Annie Trettel's medical records.
Pump manufactured by Zetak Industries.
Do we have a serial number?
Alpha 479 Delta dash 936 Zed.
Come along, dear.
I got a hit-- signal emanating from a location nearly 70 miles from here.
Contact local law enforcement and have them tie those coordinates to an address.
Trettel does not leave that location.
You're not gonna get away with this.
The people in your house don't just look like you.
They are you.
I took samples from your shower drain, toothbrushes, Annie's cord blood, so they have your DNA.
And that's all the cops need.
Hey, baby.
What are you thinking, huh?
You want a candy bar?
Are you nuts?
She's diabetic.
We have to go.
Mommy, look.
I'm on TV.
_ Hey! Put the phone down! I said put the phone down! Get in the car! Drop it, or I'll shoot! God! What?
Help! Annie?! Annie! No! No, no, no, no! Hey! Look at me! [ Siren wailing ] You're gonna be all right.
Okay, you're gonna-- you're gonna be all right! Special Agent Ressler and Keen.
Suspect's name is Eric Trettel.
We're pursuing him as part of a federal investigation.
Well, your federal investigation has barricaded himself inside.
I've got a team on standby ready to move in and snipers in place.
We get a visual, I will take him out.
Absolutely not. The suspect has information we need.
He's got multiple hostages in there.
I need to talk to him.
Then your boss better call my boss, because my orders are to protect those hostages at all costs.
The hell are you doing?
I said I need to talk to him.
Do not step over that perimeter, Agent.
That's an order! Hello?! Eric?! My name is Elizabeth Keen.
I'm an agent with the FBI.
Show me your hands! I'm unarmed! I just want to talk! I'm not talking to anyone until you send me a medic.
You injured?! It's my daughter! She's been shot! Let me handle this.
You're gonna get us all killed! Shut up.
You send a medic right away, and I can give you names-- hundreds of them-- people you think are dead, people you're gonna want to talk to.
Okay, Eric, that's good! We'll talk later! But right now, your daughter needs help! You need to open that door.
I'm not opening the door until we make a deal! Please! She needs a doctor now! Shut the hell up! I'm getting her a doctor! I'll get you the names, and I get full immunity with WITSEC relocation for the three of us.
I can't authorize that! But I can help save your daughter's life.
You're in control here, Eric.
Annie's life is in your hands.
Just do what she says! No! [ Screams ] This is Delta One. I've got the shot.
Delta, green light.
Take the shot. Take the shot.
Man: Move in! Let's go, go, go, go! Hey.
Please tell me you didn't cook.
No, I didn't cook, because I figured you'd be late.
So... it is what it is.
I thought we were gonna carve out some time, finally have that talk, just you and me.
How about I pick up some Chinese?
Perfect.
Good luck with Audrey.
Decided what I'm gonna do.
I'm gonna tell her it's a huge mistake.
She wants to know my opinion, I'm gonna give it to her.
Are you sure about that?
[ Chuckles ] Yeah.
Excuse me.
I found Trettel's database-- the list of criminals he disappeared.
The Alchemist-- you found him?
Yes.
And you were right about the people he helped disappear.
Some of them we don't even know.
Cooper thought you might be able to... You didn't even look at it.
I have other business.
That's what this was about-- sending us to find the Alchemist for you so you could have that list.
Who is it that you're looking for?
I'd love to talk, Lizzy, but as I said, I have unfinished business to attend to.
Hey.
Hey.
[ Clears throat ] Thank you so much for coming.
I-- Look, here's the thing-- I've thought about this a lot, and-- and I want you to know that, for what it's worth... I think you're making a great decision.
You and Michael, the two of you-- We broke up.
What?
Well, we put it on hold-- the engagement.
I just-- I saw you in the hospital, and... I just haven't been able to stop thinking about you.
Okay.
Hey, it's, uh... Tom-- Tom Keen.
Yeah. Uh, yeah.
No, I was just calling to see if, uh... if your invite still stands for the art show tonight.
Uh, no, no. It's-- No, it's just gonna be me.
Tom: Hi. You've reached Tom Keen. I'm away from my phone right now, but leave a message, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Hello, Meera.
I trust you know why I'm here.
Yes.
You're here to kill me... because I'm the mole.