Carter meets with Reese and Finch, who reassure her she can trust them. She confesses she doesn't have time to get warrants to track all Elias's money transfers. Finch suggests..alternative means of obtaining that info. Reese also offers her a shotgun and a few grenades. You know, for home defense. She goes to Fusco for backup, because he's "the only cop she can trust." Hoo boy. They go to the last three Dons and basically shanghai them for their own protection. They beat Elias's button men and make it to a Finch-provided safe house. Everything seems to be going swimmingly until Elias's man kidnaps Carter's son. Reese attempts to break up the kidnapping, but ends up once again watching a car drive off again while gritting his teeth.
Elias has a bargain for Carter: Taylor for the Dons. Reese vows to get him back unharmed, but he better hurry because Elias shows up at the safe house and reiterates his offer, all while thoughtfully massaging a scar on his hand. Wait, that can only mean...
Another flashback! 1991 again (I can almost hear "[Everything I Do] I Do It for You" playing). In a surprisingly artfully shot scene, Elias foils an assassination attempt by dear old dad's men (including a hand-scarring garrote). So much for family reunions.
Finch seeks help from...Simmons? "HR severs its ties with Elias as of this moment." Yeah, it's always been my experience that cops respond well to threats. Then again, maybe the photos of an ex-con surveilling his family struck a chord.
Zambrano starts dishing about Fusco's bad old days, but things happen pretty fast and Carter can't properly process the insinuations (for now...). Reese shows up at the house where they're holding Taylor (he doesn't like it when they mess with kids). He kills two guys but fails to neck-snap the third, not coincidentally the same guy who eluded him after the Capparelli bombing and Taylor's kidnapping. Luckily, Taylor (and Moretti) is now safe.
HR pulls coverage off the safe house, which would be good news for Carter and Fusco, until Zambrano turns out to be a rat. He appeals to Fusco's worse nature, which apparently doesn't work because when Elias and his guys finally break in, there's Zambrano dead on the ground. Elias comes in and...gets arrested? He's harmless now, right? Well no, because the guy Reese didn't kill plants a car bomb that takes out Moretti and Moretti Jr. And just like that, all five Dons are worm food.
Unfortunately for Elias, he can't immediately capitalize on this. It's apparent from his little nod to his jail guard that escaping won't be a problem. And once he gets out, he's probably not going to be as patient with Reese and Carter.
"Flesh and Blood" was a solid episode: well paced with a ton of action and exposition out the wazoo. It'll be interesting to see how they keep the momentum going for the last few episodes.
And the answer to that is: not very well. We're not getting another episode until April 26. See you in three weeks.
