With 10 seasons so far, “The Blacklist” continues to be one of NBC’s most popular shows, finding new fans on streaming services such as Peacock and Netflix every day. The series has always revolved around Raymond Reddington (played by James Spader), a high-profile criminal who turns himself in to the authorities in order to work as a consultant with FBI profiler Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone), who may or may not be Reddington’s biological daughter. Throughout the show’s run, several beloved members have remained on the task force — from lovable technical expert Aram (Amir Arison) to by-the-book special agent Donald Ressler (Diego Klattenhoff) — despite losing friends, family members, and lovers along the way, thanks to their involvement with Reddington.
It’s easy for viewers to feel sympathy for the complex and often tortured characters who help make “The Blacklist” such an edge-of-your-seat series, but fans on one Reddit thread have made it clear, some characters are easier to feel more compassion for than others, with one in particular winning their consideration.
If you think it’s Elizabeth Keen, you’re wrong
Since her first meeting with Reddington, Liz Keene on “The Blacklist” has had her world turned upside down. Aside from discovering her beloved husband Tom (Ryan Eggold) was hired by Reddington to keep tabs on her, she also learned the man she thought was her father wasn’t, that she killed her father when she was a child to prevent him from killing her mother, and that her mother was a Russian spy who gave her up to protect her. Liz was almost killed alongside Tom, who died trying to protect her, and she turned their daughter, Agnes, over to Tom’s grandmother to raise while she sought vengeance. Having lost her status as an FBI agent, Liz became a fugitive herself, eventually being shot and killed by one of Reddington’s enemies.
By the time she met her demise in Season 8, Liz had evolved into a largely unlikable character that plenty of fans were happy to see go. In one Reddit thread, a user wrote, “We’re told that everyone likes her because so likable, but she comes across as unlikable. And then she has these HUGE changes in personality that are never properly explained to an extent that we can follow it. She goes from loving to hating to loving Red. She’s never in-between.”
Agnes is going to need a lot of therapy
Poor Agnes. Not only have both of her parents been killed, but the young girl has seen her share of dangerous and violent behavior since being introduced on “The Blacklist” as a newborn. Has anyone forgotten that time the little girl’s babysitter turned out to be an ass assin who murdered a man in the park in front of her? Having a child as a character on a crime thriller series such as “The Blacklist” complicates storylines, and while some fans might wish Agnes had never been born for that reason, she has also earned viewers’ sympathy nonetheless. On Reddit, one thread declares “Agnes is going to need soooooo much therapy.”
In Season 9, her guardian — FBI assistant director Harold Cooper (Harry Lennix) — decides he will be honest and answer any questions 11-year-old Agnes has about her dysfunctional family history, and he certainly has a complicated one to reveal to the young girl. However, she’s still young and might not remember all she’s been through firsthand. As Reddit user IntrovertAdaptable posted, “I can’t remember what she witnessed. But off the top of my head … She’s too young to remember being kidnapped and dangled off the roof. Too young to remember Tom choking that dude in Esteban. Too young to remember Tom. She saw a body in that bathroom when she was with Fakerina though but I think she was still too young and thought maybe he was sleeping. But I’m sure she misses her mom.”
