The Blacklist: Three Things to Know about the Katai Fellowship
If you are a fan of The Blacklist – and I’m talking about a deep, in the weeds, Katarina Rostova cosplay type of fan – you are likely curious about the Katai Fellowship that Samar was nominated for at the end of Season 4. We’ve scoured the internet for all the details on the Katai Fellowship; here are three things you need to know!
Fair warning: there are spoilers below!
Three Things you need to know about the Katai Fellowship
The Katai Fellowship is first mentioned in Season 4. While it is an important part of both Samar and Aram’s stories, there isn’t a lot of information given in the episodes about the award. We did the research so you don’t have to: here’s what you need to know.
1. The Katai Fellowship is a Prestigious FBI Assignment
There isn’t a lot to go on when it comes to what the Katai Fellowship entails. We know that it is an on-going fellowship, much like the ones in academia. We know that it is filled somewhat frequently, and that it is very difficult to obtain. While we don’t have a lot of information about what the position entails, it is strongly implied that by if she accepted the fellowship, Samar would have to leave the team – and Aram.
That makes for an interesting plot point, because it was Aram that nominated Samar this time around. He appears to have greased the wheels for her nomination as well, as there is dialogue about Aram’s efforts to get Samar nominated.
2.Samar had been Nominated Previously
One one of the most interesting details about Samar’s nomination is that she has been nominated before. As we learned, part of the selection process is an in-person interview with the chair of the fellowship. We don’t know how close Samar got in previous nominations, but we are left with the impression that it is something that Samar has long sought to obtain. That makes her turning the position down even more interesting. Thanks to Aram’s efforts, Samar finally got serious consideration for the fellowship she has been after for years. But in the end, it appears she gave up the opportunity to be with Aram.
3. The Fellowship doesn’t exist in Real Life
One of the questions we got most frequently in our research was whether or not the fellowship was based on a real-life award. While there are a number of fellowships in the FBI, the Katai Fellowship is fictional and exists only in the world of The Blacklist. The first mention of the fellowship was on the 18th episode of Season 4, titled “Philomena.”
Nerds and Scoundrels
And that’s what you need to know about the Katai Fellowship! Did you find this guide helpful? If so, let us know in the comment section below. We want to hear from fans of The Blacklist in case we’ve missed anything, or if there is any other content we should cover. And don’t forget to check out the rest of our Blacklist content like our Mr Kaplan guide here at Nerds and Scoundrels.
