The Blacklist started the current ninth season off in a brand new way with a big time jump following the death of Liz Keen, and it has only gotten more complicated for Cooper after he was quite convincingly framed for murder. He's being blackmailed, and only really has Lew to confide in. In an exclusive clip from the upcoming episode that airs on March 25 (seen above), Lew brings an intriguing lead to Cooper, but it's already complicated for him as the plot thickens.
Lew sums up Cooper's unfortunate situation with the blackmail: he was drugged, framed for murder, caught in a lie, lacking in leads, and the one possible woman who could help went AWOL. But they finally caught a lucky break, as Lew has located the woman who could have some much-needed information. The problem? This woman is presumably an innocent bystander, and Cooper doesn't want to bring her into "this mess" that has turned deadly more than once.
Lew makes the point that the woman is already at risk and could be the "piece of the puzzle" to clear his name of committing the murder that started the whole mess earlier in Season 9. Although the clip ends with Cooper still not looking entirely convinced, the description for the episode – called "Genuine Models Inc." – reveals that Cooper is heading down to Atlanta to pursue this lead, while the Task Force is on a case of wealthy clients dying after making use of an escort service, while Red is joined by a friend at a memorial.
While this lead is arguably the most promising that Cooper has had for a while – as least insofar as the woman seemed to escape to safety and is still alive – this wouldn't be The Blacklist if everything goes swimmingly for him in Atlanta. It should be interesting to see if Lew goes with him down south. Lew has a knack for encouraging Cooper to bend the rules, while Cooper might prioritize the woman's safety over finding his blackmailer.
All things considered, "Genuine Models Inc." appears to be an exciting episode of The Blacklist for Cooper, so be sure to tune in to NBC on Friday, March 25 at 8 p.m. ET in the 2022 TV schedule to see what happens next with this lead against his blackmailer. The show moved back to Friday nights in 2022 following the end of the Olympics, after starting the season on Thursday nights ahead of Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order: Organized Crime. It did well on Fridays in earlier seasons, so the Season 9 switch back could be a good thing moving forward.
Plus, The Blacklist is guaranteed to keep moving forward for at least one more season, as NBC renewed the drama for a tenth season back in February. Few shows are able to last that long on network television, although NBC has found some other long-running hits in recent years with shows like Chicago Fire and (of course) Law & Order: SVU. With how successful The Blacklist has been in delayed viewership and ratings, a Season 10 on the way isn't too surprising.
