In closing out its suspense-filled Season 4, The Blacklist pulled out all the stops in giving fans exactly what was asked for in terms of revealing Red's big connection to Liz. But that definitely wasn't the only major event that went down, as the last third of the season focused on Red's hunt for the surprisingly not dead (yet) Mr. Kaplan. In this exclusive deleted scene from now-released The Blacklist's Season 4 Blu-ray, we'll get to see what happened after Red received Brimley's python Betsy for interrogation tactics, and how Liz reacted when she first saw the snake.
The scene above was taken out of the penultimate episode of The Blacklist Season 4, titled "Mr. Kaplan." No question why that title was used, as the episode saw Red's quasi-empire crumbling after the formerly faux-deceased Kaplan got to work dismantling it, and Red was desperate to get a location on where his former cleaner was located. What viewers got to see in the episode was the oxygen-deficient Brimley dropping the python Betsy off to Red, as well as a pair of white rabbits, before making it known that he was out of Red's army, for fear of getting discovered. That was an announcement that would have been better followed by a potentially gross snake scene, but the episode proper didn't return to that situation.
Thankfully, such a scene was written and filmed, though It's easy enough to understand why it was excised. While it gave further proof that Red Reddington DGAF when it comes to interrogation methods with people he needs information from, as well as his stance on white rabbits, the narrative wasn't furthered in a way that was significantly more informative than everything else. For what it's worth, though, Red did care about sating Betsy with a live and furry meal for her efforts, even if her efforts didn't actually get an address.
That said, I believe we can all agree that Betsy's MVP move of the night was making Liz do this quick-footed number upon making eye contact with the full-bellied reptile.
Even though Season 4 capped things off by (seemingly) taking Mr. Kaplan out of the picture for good, while forcing the reveal of Red being Liz's biological father, it's not like The Blacklist played all of its informational cards, and something tells me fans are going to look at this deleted scene pretty closely. Many viewers picked up on all the different animals that were being used throughout the season, with snakes coming up several times. And the significance of "Betsy" as the python's name didn't escape inquisitive fans, as it's a shortened take on the name Elizabeth, which some took as a sign that Liz herself was being called out. Season 5 will definitely unlock more mysteries that will put theories like this to good use.
But before Season 5 can arrive on NBC , there's the matter of picking up the Season 4 Blu-ray and/or DVD sets, which are out today, August 15. (Find it on Amazon or any other preferred retailer.) The set will contain two behind-the-scenes featurettes -- one about Mr. Kaplan and one about Red's lighter side -- deleted scenes, a gag reel, and commentary tracks on three episodes. The Blu-rays also contain an exclusive extra that shows off Red's darker side. And you can also pick up a limited edition set that also contains all eight episodes of the unfortunately short-lived spinoff The Blacklist: Redemption, which includes behind-the-scenes videos and deleted scenes from that show.
The Blacklist Season 5, which has confirmed the addition of Sopranos vet Aida Turturro, is set to premiere on NBC on Wednesday, September 27, at 8:00 p.m. ET. To see everything else heading to the small screen in the near future, check out our summer premiere schedule and our fall TV schedule.
