Over the years, The Blacklist has given fans a number of memorable moments and plot twists. NBC star Megan Boone recently recalled several of those, from the Tom Keen twist to Elizabeth Keen faking her own death, but she also recalled one scene -- the only scene in fact -- to ever inspire a standing ovation on set.
The scene in question happened way back in Season 2, when actor Reed Birney was still on the show playing Harold Cooper’s pal Tom Connolly. During his last and most infamous appearance -- and spoilers obviously -- Liz Keen dug deep and actually killed Connolly, triggering Liz to go on the run and setting up for an exciting Season 3. As Reed Birney wrapped his run on The Blacklist, Megan Boone reveals the entire crew gave him a standing ovation, fondly remembering:
It was particularly dramatic, because we were playing the scene in this dome-shaped building, Gotham Hall, and the applause was coming from all sides and the balcony above. It just surrounded us. The look on his face at that moment was so wonderful to watch. He gave something that is so essential to the show, a great villain.
Years after the famous TV moment, Keen actress Megan Boone recalled filming the moment with EW, also telling the outlet that had never happened on the NBC series before and hasn't happened in the time since. Executive producer Jon Bokenkamp also reflected on why Tom Connolly and his subsequent execution were important to The Blacklist’s trajectory as a whole, noting it set the series up for everything that came later.
It reflected to the audience about how far Liz is willing to go. That murder is very telling of who she was, and perhaps even who she was in the process of becoming.
You know, sometimes when a show has an iconic moment, those who are on the show don’t realize the impact until much, much later. But sometimes, a series knows it has caught lightning in a bottle and that seems to be what happened with Liz and Tom Connolly’s arc in The Blacklist Season 2. Of course Liz Keen’s storyline has shifted a bunch since then, though the series has tried to keep some of the longtime family secret dynamics and other key pieces that kept fans hooked early on in the show’s run.
Season 8 of The Blacklist still has quite a few episodes left to air before it wraps, but even though the cast and crew are looking back at the drama’s longtime run, this won’t mark the end for the Peacock series. NBC gave the show an early renewal back in January, confirming it will return for Season 9. Though other network shows have not fared so well, and you can check them out with our full cancellation list.
