The Blacklist was a show that for the longest time, my dad was telling me that I had to watch. To be honest with you, he was not the only one. The Blacklist was one of those rare shows that everyone I knew who watched it, seemed to love it. The reception online too was overwhelmingly positive as well.
How to Download The Blacklist
You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. If you enjoy TV series like this, check out also our review of Homeland.
The Movie Review
I eventually jumped in when the fifth season of the show was just starting to air and I have to say that I binge-watched those first two seasons so fast! As I write this season 10 has not yet come to its close, but we know that it is going to close with a two-hour series finale. I wanted to talk a little bit about the show today to try and get some of you guys who still have not watched it some motivation to give it a try.
Our main character is a man called Raymond Reddington who goes by Red. Red was once a US Naval Intelligence officer who became a criminal. I thought that the idea of this high-profile officer going rogue and just doing what he wants for his own reasons was pretty cool. However, it is far deeper than the premise makes you believe!
You see, Red is no normal criminal, he is one of the elite, he is actually on the FBI’s most wanted list so you know that he is no joke! The FBI cannot get close to him and he truly is some kind of mastermind and a step or two ahead of pretty much everyone else that could get close to him!
Now, things take a twist as Red waltzes into the FBI and turns himself in. Red tells the FBI that in the years he has been “working” he has made a list of the most dangerous criminals in the world, some of which are not even on the FBI’s radar! The name that he has given this list is The Blacklist.
He agrees to help the FBI track down these criminals, but he has some demands. To start with he wants immunity from prosecution, but he also wants to work with FBI agent, Elizabeth Keen. His second demand takes everyone by surprise and for a very good reason too. Agent Keene is actually a rookie so many are surprised (including her) as to why Red wants her to work with him.
This is just such a fun show. Most episodes are about the team trying to track down one of the dangerous criminals on the list. I like how we get background on the criminal, how Red knows about them, and then the taking down of the criminal. I am greatly simplifying it here, but this is the kind of show that really does keep you on the edge of your seat.
I am going to be careful here, but there is a twist and a plot thread that runs through the show and that is why Red was so insistent about working with Agent Keen. I thought the twist was quite interesting, but there were some who hated the twist. I think the fact that it is so divisive shows that they clearly did a good job here as no one I know was like “meh” everyone had a strong opinion, one way or the other.
The Blacklist has a great cast. James Spader is at his absolute best in this role, he is just so captivating and so much fun to watch. However, the likes of Megan Boone as Agent Keen, Diego Klattenhoff as Donald Ressler, Ryan Eggold as Tom Keen, and Harry Lennix as Harold Cooper are a few who spring to my mind.
I loved The Blacklist and while I do feel that the quality of season 9 was not quite up there with season 8, I am excited for season 10 to finish so I can binge-watch it all. If you like clever, cool, and awesome thrillers, The Blacklist is an absolute must-watch and a show I am sure you will have a lot of fun with.
