His words may not be exactly what fans want to hear. However, we can’t help but agree.
The Blacklist has reached its logical ending after season 10, and while fans may be sad about it, there is one particular person who cannot share the sentiment. And it just so happens that this person is the show’s star, James Spader, who portrays Raymond Reddington.
According to the actor’s interview with NBC, it’s high time for The Blacklist to bid adieu after Reddington helped bring to justice a couple hundreds of the world’s worst criminals.
“I think if the show went beyond this year, it would turn into a very different show,” Spader noted. “Tonally the show shifts a lot from episode to episode, and I think that even the show has taken strange turns, and I suspect that the show, if it went much further, would just become something that would be less recognizable to me.”
Now, while this may not be something that die-hard fans will be ready to agree with, Spader does have a point. Many iconic and beloved shows did not really benefit from going on for too long. Seriously, did Supernatural need 15 seasons? And don’t we all agree that The Office without Steve Carell is not really The Office?
Spader does not only portray the enigmatic fugitive who helps FBI’s Task Force take down criminals, but he is also The Blacklist’s executive producer. Many fans have already noted that maybe The Blacklist is trying to avoid repeating the long-running shows’ worst mistake: overstaying their welcome.
After all, Spader is also right about one thing: the show changing over its course. OG fans remember that initially, The Blacklist was focused on FBI Agent Elizabeth Keen portrayed by Megan Boone — only for her character to get killed off and make way for the fan favorite.
Well, now Spader believes that the time is up, and it was best for the show to go out with the bang rather than drag itself further on in misery.
The Blacklist finale premiered on NBC on July 13. You can stream the show on Peacock if you feel like you can’t let it go just yet.
