The Blacklist
"Never trust a criminal... Until you have to."
Overview
Raymond "Red" Reddington, one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives, surrenders in person at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He claims that he and the FBI have the same interests: bringing down dangerous criminals and terrorists. In the last two decades, he's made a list of criminals and terrorists that matter the most but the FBI cannot find because it does not know they exist. Reddington calls this "The Blacklist". Reddington will co-operate, but insists that he will speak only to Elizabeth Keen, a rookie FBI profiler.
The show pivots entirely on the strange partnership between the FBI and a notorious criminal mastermind. After walking into headquarters to offer a database of untraceable terrorists, Raymond Reddington effectively hijacks the bureau’s agenda. His motivations remain intentionally opaque, leaving the federal agents to navigate a constant oscillation between treating him as a vital asset and a dangerous liability.
James Spader anchors the procedural framework with a performance defined by cryptic charm and calculated menace. The drama relies on the friction of an investigation conducted on the criminal’s own terms. By forcing a rookie profiler to function as his sole handler, the narrative keeps the focus on the blurred lines between law enforcement and the underworld. The mystery of why specific targets appear on the list often feels secondary to the question of what he truly gains by helping the FBI eliminate them.
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Details
- First Aired
- September 23, 2013
- Status
- Ended
- Origin
- US
- TMDB Votes
- 3,517