Meera Malik
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Meera Malik |
| Occupation: | CIA agent formerly a NOC |
| Relationships: | liaison of DOJ Diane Fowler, mother of daughter (8) and son (5)[1] |
| Fandom: | The Blacklist |
| Other: | Played by the actress Parminder Nagra |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Meera Malik was considered a main or secondary character on the NBC television series, The Blacklist.
Canon
Character Concept
During the early promotion of The Blacklist, Parminder Nagra was announced to play a character named "Margot Malik", an FBI agent and mentor to protagonist, Elizabeth Keen.[2] The concept of the character was later radically changed to Meera Malik, an agent in the Central Intelligence Agency.[3]
"So, I’m playing a character called Meera Malik. And I am a CIA agent. And I’m quite strong willed, brash, I’m a mother of two. I took some time out of the profession, and now I wanna get back into the profession and I’ve been landed on this particular case and I’m trying to figure out who is Red Reddington. I’m trying to figure out who this guy is. I’m trying to figure out who she is, in terms of Liz Keen. And so, I have most of my stuff with Diego [Klattenhoff], who’s playing Donald Ressler."[4]
Meera Malik is one of the few characters who's statistical information is revealed in the series.[5]
Series
Season One
Meera Malik appears in the second episode of the first season, "The Freelancer", as a liaison to Department of Justice head, Diane Fowler. Meera oversaw operations in the Raymond Reddington case, once headed by FBI Special Agent Donald Ressler, now lead by Elizabeth Keen.[3] Meera reported directly to Harold Cooper, who organized the deal with Reddington and DOJ Fowler.
After the two part episode, "Anslo Garrick", the narrative made a big to-do about the Blacksite being compromised by a mole that allowed Reddington's associates, Fitch and Anslo Garrick, inside.[6] Meera was revealed to be the mole in the twelfth episode, "The Alchemist". The following episode ("The Cyprus Agency") she reveals she was acting under orders of Cooper, who had her leak blue prints of the "Post Office" on the pretense of a security upgrade.[7] During the episode she mentions one of her two children, a daughter, is ill to Cooper. Cooper reminds her that her job comes before everything else in life. Meera's status as the mole that compromised the Blacksite later revealed to be a falsehood when Reddington discovers that Meera's superior, Diane Fowler, was responsible for the raid.
The character returns to the background as the series progresses. In the season finale, "Berlin: Conclusion",[8], Meera was sent out on assignment with Donald Ressler to locate the man known as "Berlin". When she and Ressler separated, Meera was attacked from behind and her throat was slit. Elizabeth Keen later confirmed to Reddington that Meera was killed. Shortly after her death, Aram wrote a reflective note on her death and the task force's present situation.[9]
Fandom
Meera Malik is commonly featured in ensemble fanworks, spanning from fanfiction, traditionally drawn fanworks, and a specifically animated gifs on Tumblr.com and photoshop graphics (such as screencap challenges). Fanfiction centered on Meera Malik is rare, if not, non-existent. The character appears primarily ensemble fanfiction, centered on Elizabeth Keen, Raymond Reddington and Donald Ressler, as a minor or supporting character.
The shipping blog, badcopandworecop, purports to support the character Meera Malik and her actress, Parminder Nagra, centralizing most of its content (from screencaps, commentary and reblogs) on the character chiefly and the pairing, Meera Malik/Donald Ressler, secondly.[10] Throughout the first season’s progression, the administrator of the blog raised questions of lack of characterization and development for the Meera Malik character, accusing the writers of under using and killing off its actors and Characters of Color in a manner that did not benefit the characters.[11][12][13][14]
Shortly after the finale aired, the admin of badcopandworsecop and several other users on tumblr made accusations of racism and misogyny toward series creator Jon Bokenkamp after he released a statement on the reasoning behind killing Meera Malik in the season one finale.[15][16][17][18] The last post made by badcopandworsecop was June 3, 2014.
Common Tropes and Themes
- Crossover - A small group of fans headcanon that Meera Malik and Kalinda Sharma of CBS' The Good Wife are related or know each other in come capacity on account that their actresses, Parminder Nagra and Archie Panjabi, both starred in the British film, Bend it Like Beckham as sisters.[19][20][21]
- Torture – The character is primarily defined by her knowledge of torture by the Blacklist Fandom as seen in her interrogation scenes in episodes "The Freelancer" and "The Courier".
Pairings
The most popular pairing for Meera Malik is Meera Malik/Donald Ressler, which was named Resslik by the Blacklist fandom on Tumblr.com. Rare pairings for Meera Malik are Meera Malik/Elizabeth Keen[22] and Meera Malik/Harold Cooper.[23]
Terminology
- Resslik - the ship name for the non-canon Meera Malik/Donald Ressler relationship
Notable Fanworks
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Fanfiction
- 21 Things You'll Never Know About Meera Malik by Knightqueen
- You Never Let it Sweat You by Knightqueen
- Close the Doors by Knightqueen
Fanart
- Meera Malik per Episode, by sombergrace
- ladies of the blacklist: meera malik by sombergrace
- Meera Malik poster by blacklist042983
- Tough by thedailyreddington
- Blacklist AU: Meera actually gets a funeral. by anslogarrick
- Rest in Peace Meera Malik by paulwalkers
Fanvids
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Recs
- BLACKFICTION, a Meera Malik and Resslik fanfic rec list.
Meta
- RESSLIK SHIPPING MANIFESTO by badcopandworsecop features a meta on Meera Malik's character up until the ninth episode, "Anslo Garrick".
- More About Meera Malik by f1rstperson
Archives and Communities
- Meera Malik fanworks at AO3
- Meera Malik works at FFN
- Meera Malik tag at Tumblr.com
Resources
- badcopandworsecop @ Tumblr.com (closed June 3, 2014)
- Meera Malik @ The Blacklist Wikia
References
<references>
- ^ Elizabeth Keen:' "Her kids were only eight and five." - Berlin: Conclusion
- ^ "Nagra will play Agent Margot Malik, a mentor to Megan Boone's agent character." ER Alum Parminder Nagra Checks In to NBC's The Blacklist Full-Time Published July 26, 2013 (Accessed April 24, 2014)
- ^ a b The Blacklist Season 1 Episode 2 "The Freelancer"
- ^ Parminder Nagra, The Blacklist: "The Freelancer Interview" YouTube.com. Parminder Nagra Interview Posted November 14, 2013. (Accessed 21 November 2013)
- ^ Meera Malik's partial biographical information - The Blacklist: "The Freelancer"
- ^ The Blacklist Season 1, episodes 9 and 10, "Anslo Garrick" part 1 & 2
- ^ The Blacklist Season 1, episode 13 "The Cyprus Agency"
- ^ The Blacklist Season 1, episode 22 "Berlin: Conclusion"
- ^ ARAMS_NOTES_011.TXT
- ^ badcopandworsecop: Important
- ^ THE ALCHEMIST: BLACKLIST 1X12
- ^ All the love in the world
- ^ badcopandworsecop: Deathwatch
- ^ Killing Characters of Color
- ^ Jon Bokenkamp on Parminder Nagra & the decision to kill Meera
- ^ on Meera Malik #2 Thread
- ^ So you think Meera dying is racist/sexist?
- ^ Female deaths in season 1 of The Blacklist
- ^ badcopandworsecop: Kalinda/Meera
- ^ badcopandworsecop: "Blackgate" (no. 188)
- ^ You can't tell me otherwise
- ^ I am in lesbians with you - Meera/Keen
- ^ I need more Cooper x Malik