The James Spader-led series comes to an end this month.
After ten years of drama involving an intelligent criminal capable of moving the puzzle pieces around him, The Blacklist is coming to an end. Thanks to Entertainment Weekly, audiences can get their first look at the special two-part conclusion to the NBC series that has entertained the world for a decade. James Spader has portrayed Raymond Reddington for such a long time, and it’s time for the acclaimed performer to bring this character’s story to a close. Even long-time fans of the show won’t even know what to expect, as the journey will take them to a completely different setting from the one they’re used to seeing.
While most of the story from The Blacklist has taken place in New York City, the final episodes will take Red to Spain, where he will find out if he’s ready to meet his fate or not. The streets of one of the biggest cities in the United States have witnessed what Red has done as both a criminal and an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Other blacklisters have walked into an early death when things didn’t appear to be going in the direction they wanted it to, and it remains to be seen if the cycle will turn out ot be any different for the protagonist of the series.
Back when The Blacklist premiered in 2013, Red was introduced as a fugitive willing to turn himself in to the FBI. After reaching an agreement with the Bureau, it was decided that Raymond would help them in their mission of catching Ranko Zamani (Jamie Jackson). He wasn’t doing it out of the kindness of his heart, of course, as he established the condition of only helping if he was granted permission of speaking with profiler Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone). It turned out that the criminal knew more than expected, as a list he compiled contained the names of many potential threats that could endanger the lives of innocent people. With the premise ready to go, the pair would have plenty of adventures over the years.
The Legacy of a Criminal
As time carried on, Red went through a lot of wins and losses, and when Spader announced that the tenth installment of the show would be its last one during an episode of The Tonight Show, audiences knew that the character was already taking himself in a very dangerous direction. Even if Reddington has been trying to lead a double life for so long, it’s time for him to face the consequences of his actions, in an explosive conclusion that will see him go to the other side of the planet looking for some sort of closure.
You can check out the first images from the finale of The Blacklist below, before the special episodes air on July 13:
