The following contains spoilers for The Blacklist.
One of the great things about the era of streaming is the way you can just hunker down and watch every episode of a TV series. Of course, when the show you choose to watch has 10 seasons, it takes up your free time for quite some time. Such was the case as I spent the last few months binging all 10 seasons of The Blacklist.
I had watched the first few seasons of The Blacklist before, but I'd fallen away from the show. Recently, I decided to start at the beginning and complete the series. It's one heck of a ride. Here's a look at what was going through my head while I was on it.
The First Scene Of The Pilot Is One Of The Best Television Openings Ever
A brand new TV show needs to grab you from the first scene or you may give up and never go back. The Blacklist has an all-time opening scene, when James Spader's Raymond Reddington casually walks into the FBI, gives them his name, and then "assumes the position" before they even realize that one of the FBI's most wanted just gave himself up.
I Wish I Looked As Good In A Suit As Raymond Reddington
James Spader always looks like he's having a blast playing Raymond Redington but the best part has to be wardrobe. I love a good three-piece suit, and so does Red. I just wish I could pull off the look half as well.
Addressing The "Father" Question Early In Season 1 Is Brilliant
The relationship between Raymond Reddington and Elizabeth Keen is what The Blacklist is all about. It's clear that she means something to him, and since we learn early on that Liz was adopted, the idea that Red might be her dad is an obvious conclusion to draw. But midway through Season 1, he says that's not true. He's not lying. The show could have left this question open longer, but addressing it makes the mystery much more interesting by taking the obvious answer off the table.
Wow, She Seriously Shot The Attorney General In The Head!
There are several moments in The Blacklist where the show goes the unexpected way. One of the biggest is at the end of Season 2. Liz is facing down with the U.S. Attorney General, who is a member of the sinister "Cabal." He's a villain, Liz knows he is, and she knows she can't prove it. Liz has a choice, kill him, or get arrested and likely end up dead. You'd think our "hero" would stop short of killing a man in cold blood. Not so much.
Everytime You Start To Like Red, The Blacklist Reminds You He's A Monster
Raymond Reddington is a charismatic criminal and thus it's easy for the audience to like him. He's a fun guy who lives by few rules. Red has a personal code, which means there are lines he will not cross when it comes to committing his criminal acts. But make no mistake, Red isn't a nice guy and The Blacklist never shies away from that. Red kills a lot of people, including many who do everything he asks of them, simply because they cross him.
The Blacklist Totally Stole A Plot Detail From L.A. Confidential
In Season 3 of The Blacklist Agent Ressler figures out that Laurel Hitchens is part of the "Cabal" because she knows the name of Tommy Markin, a dirty cop who killed Ressler's father. I can't be the only one having deja vu as this is exactly the setup that leads Detective Exley to learn that his captain is dirty in L.A. Confidential.
The Blacklist Is A Puzzle And The Pieces Fit Together Surprisingly Well
It's unclear if the story of Raymond Reddington was completely devised from the very beginning, or if it all came together later. What is clear is that The Blacklist took great pains to make sure that every puzzle piece that was introduced had a place to fit. It's not all perfect, but nothing is a blatant contradiction and there are no retcons needed. For a show that lasted over 200 episodes that's impressive.
Are Any Of Red's Stories Actually True?
Raymond Reddington does a lot on The Blacklist but it's nothing compared to what he claims to have done in various stories he tells throughout the series. He's seemingly been everywhere in the world and done everything you can dream of. Of course, we know that Reddington lies, so are any of these stories actually true?
One Line Of Dialogue Sums Up The Entire Show
In Raymond Reddington's first conversation with Elizabeth Keen, he tells the new FBI agent not to trust him because he's a criminal, and criminals lie. Then he drops the most important single line of dialogue in the show. "Everything about me is a lie." There's no way to know at that moment just how true the line is, but looking back, it's incredible.
Red's Pilot Is An Amazing Cameo
Here's a fun piece of trivia. James Spader's Pretty in Pink co-star, Brat Pack member Andrew McCarthy, is an accomplished director who directed 26 episodes of The Blacklist over the 10-year run. In one of the show's final episodes, we finally got to see Edward, the pilot of Red's private plane, and the role was played by McCarthy.
The Blacklist Does A Fantastic Job Of Keeping The Story Moving
A show like The Blacklist which is based on a mystery can become a chore if viewers aren't given answers. The show is remarkably good at keeping things moving. Rarely is there a question that goes more than a few episodes without an answer. It's just that the answer leads to a new question. It's incredibly well-paced, especially for binge-watching now.
Liz & Tom Win The Award For The Strangest Relationship Ever
Look, we can't always control who we fall in love with but falling in love with a guy who is actually a spy sent to watch you, only to discover he's a spy, shoot him, kidnap and torture him, and then fall in love with him again, is a choice.
Mr. Kaplan Has An Incredible Story Inside The Blacklist
There are several compelling supporting characters on The Blacklist, but my favorite has to be Mr. Kaplan. She has an incredible story that goes as deep as Red's own and continues to surprise as the show goes on. She even becomes the show's main antagonist for a while, making her the most sympathetic villain on the show.
Why Did The Blacklist Assume Everybody Watched The Spinoff?
I had forgotten there was a one-season Blacklist spinoff, called Blacklist: Redemption. Some important revelations take place in the spinoff that are never discussed in the main show. For a second I thought I missed an episode.
Nobody Is Safe On The Blacklist
While most of the core cast of The Blacklist survive from the beginning to the end, there are several surprising deaths throughout the series. Most of the characters who leave the series do so in a pine box, including some of the most important characters on the show.
Why Doesn't Liz Get Any Better At Being A Field Agent?
Elizabeth Keen was trained as an FBI profiler. She expected to spend her career in an office, so I get that she's maybe not the best field agent at the beginning of the show. But in nearly every physical altercation with a suspect over eight seasons, Liz gets her butt kicked. You'd think after a few years she'd be better at this.
The Blacklist Bones Reveal Is An Epic Cliffhanger, Even Though I Called It
I predicted what the identity of Red's bones would ultimately be, but that didn't change the bombshell that the actual reveal moment was. It completely changes the way you look at the entire series to that point, which is something few shows pull off.
What Did Naomi Hyland Know?
In Season 2 we meet Naomi Hyland, Raymond Redington's ex-wife. When the show eventually reveals the truth behind Red, it's implied that Naomi knew the truth the whole time, but it's never really explained exactly what her part in all this was, what she knew, or why she went along with it all.
What Happened To The Gold?
Late in The Blacklist, we meet Robert Vesco, the mentor of Raymond Reddington. Vesco is a con man who, the first time we meet him, cons Red out of his share of millions in gold they stole together. The next time we see him, Red wants his share, but he never gets it. It's unclear if Vesco ever paid up.
Dembe Is The True Hero Of The Blacklist
Red and Liz may be the main characters of The Blacklist, and Reddington is certainly the protagonist, the character whose growth and change is most important, but the hero of The Blacklist is Dembe Zuma. A fiercely loyal man who always tries to do what's right, though he accepts sometimes doing what's right means doing what's wrong.
By Season 6 They Were Out Of Villain Names Weren't They?
The conceit behind The Blacklist is that the criminals the task force chases after are so secret, the FBI doesn't know they exist. As such many of them go by nicknames. In the first few seasons, these were cool names like The Kingmaker, Lord Baltimore, and The Apothecary. As the show wore on, however, they seemed to run out of names. We got The Pawnbrokers, The Hawalander, and The Fribourg Confidence.
Redding Representing Himself Is Giving Me Boston Legal Vibes
In Season 6 Red is arrested and goes on trial for treason. It's a fitting place for James Spader to be considering he spent most of the decade before The Blacklist playing attorney Alan Shore on two series, The Practice, and Boston Legal. He brings some of that same energy to his trial scenes here and it's glorious.
Ressler's Backstory Makes So Much Sense
Agent Ressler is the task force's straight arrow. He's the "by the book" guy that every team of cops needs. Of course, throughout the series, like all his colleagues, the lines between right and wrong get blurry. A character like this is a trope, but when we learn Ressler's backstory, it explains everything. Ressler wasn't always so honest, which explains why it was so easy for him to bend the rules when given the chance.
The Animated Episode Was A Necessary Band-Aid, But Finishing It Later Would Have Been Nice
When the global pandemic hit, The Blacklist was only about 1/3 of the way through filming the episode that would end up being its last of the season. The show worked quickly, turning to a pre-vis animation house to fill in the gaps so the episode would work as a season finale. The animation is rough, as the speed with which was needed certainly required, but considering how popular The Blacklist is streaming, going back to finish filming, or at least improving the animation, would have been nice.
Liz Going Full Supervillain In Season 8 Is Frustrating, But It's In Character
Season 8 turns the tables in a big way by making Liz the villain for most of the season. It's potentially frustrating to see one of the show's heroes make some pretty big assumptions and refuse to listen to reason when she goes bad, but when has that ever stopped Liz? She was always a character who acted rashly and emotionally, so while it's frustrating to see her make some bad decisions, it makes perfect sense.
The Death Of Glen Was Ridiculous And Beautiful
Of all the characters Red works with, Glen, the DMV supervisor who is also an excellent tracker, is one of the best. Unfortunately, actor Clark Middleton passed away while the show was on the air. Rather than simply leave the character behind, The Blacklist sees Glen pass away, of the same West Nile Virus that took the actor. It's a tribute that is quite touching, and also, like Glen, more than a bit silly.
How Much Of Raymond Reddington's Life Has He Spent Sitting In Dark Rooms Waiting For People To Get Home?
Over the course of ten years, there are numerous scenes where somebody comes home to discover Raymond Reddington sitting comfortably waiting for them. Unless he knew exactly when they were coming home and timed things perfectly you have to assume Red has spent hours, maybe days of his life just sitting in living rooms waiting. Does he bring a book? Maybe a crossword puzzle?
The Reddington Reveal Is A Work Of Art
The fact that some people aren't sure The Blacklist ever answered the question of who is Raymond Reddington is proof that it was handled perfectly. The answer is there, but a definitive statement is never spoken. It's obvious if you're ready for it, and it's incredibly satisfying.
Would Season 8 Have Ended Differently If There Hadn't Been A Season 9?
In many ways, the end of Season 8 feels like the real end of The Blacklist. At the same time, the ending is a cliffhanger and quite a downer for anybody who has grown to love these characters. It makes one wonder if the same ending would have happened if the show hadn't already been renewed for another season.
Season 9 And 10 Feel Like The Show Went Off The Air For A Decade, Even When You Binge Watch It
Season 9 of The Blacklist takes place two years after the end of Season 8. If you binge-watch the show, one episode follows the other in quick succession. And yet, the final two seasons of the show feel like the show was rebooted a decade later. It makes the last seasons feel like they're almost a different show.
Aram Deserved A Better Send Off
Aram Mojtabai is a member of the task force whose role starts small but he becomes a vital member of the team and an incredibly wonderful character. He gets an unusually happy ending, in that he doesn't get killed off, but he also has a pretty unceremonious send-off. Aram decides to leave at the end of Season 9, but then he cameos in the opening of Season 10. You get the impression that maybe he'll be back, but he never is.
The Ending Is Anti-Climactic, But I'm Not Sure Any Ending Would Have Been Enough
Every show has to end eventually, and The Blacklist does after 10 seasons. The show does get a definitive conclusion, which is nice. Reddington's fate is probably a somewhat frustrating ending for most people, myself included. But then, I'm not sure how a show this epic was ever going to end in a way that would have made everybody happy.
