“We’re on borrowed time”: James Spader Revealed Why The Blacklist Getting Season 11 Never Made Any Sense

The Blacklist ended after almost a decade on an air, with James Spader admitting that the series was morphing into something different.

James Spader delivered an iconic performance as Raymond “Red” Reddington, the main character in the hit NBC crime-thriller series The Blacklist. The series lasted for ten seasons, airing from 2013 to 2023, attaining Spader critical acclaim for his role. However, Spader was adamant that the series could not continue beyond season 10.

During an interview, Spader addressed the show’s eventual conclusion with its tenth and final season. At the same time, Spader also addressed the possibility of the series continuing with an eleventh season, which the actor quickly shut down. Here is why Spader thought that The Blacklist was destined to end after almost a decade on air.

The Blacklist Star James Spader Revealed Why the Series Never Got a Season 11

James Spader played Raymond “Red” Reddington, a former fugitive turned FBI informant, for ten seasons of the NBC series The Blacklist. The series premiered in 2013 and eventually concluded its run in 2023. During an interview, Spader revealed why the series had to end after ten seasons.

I think if the show went beyond this year, it would turn into a very different show.

Spader made the above statement to Hollywood Outbreak, explaining how the series had to change its tonality after season 8, which saw some major creative changes behind the scenes.

We’ve been creating an ending. So we’re on borrowed time — and so is Red.

Spader used the above words to describe the show’s inevitable conclusion with the tenth season in a sneak peek of the final installment.

From Spader’s comments, it is evident that the series was reaching its conclusion, especially since it underwent a drastic tonal and narrative shift after season 8. While uncovering the true identity of Red was the major plot point till the eighth season, it was sidelined for the final two seasons, proving that Spader’s thoughts about the show ending in season 10 were correct.

The Blacklist‘s Behind-the-Scenes Changes Meant the Series Had to End With Season 10

In the aforementioned interview, Spader confirmed that The Blacklist ending with season 10 was the right choice, primarily because the series was morphing into something else with each passing installment.

Firstly, actress Megan Boone who played Elizabeth “Liz” Keen, the second main character of the series, exited after the eighth season. As a result, the storyline revolving around Liz searching for Red’s true identity and her connection to him was left unresolved.

Similarly, series creator Jon Bokenkamp also exited after the show’s eighth season, with the subsequent installment taking a different creative direction. Hence, by the time the show entered its tenth season, two major players from earlier seasons were missing.

Moreover, the series also saw a steep decline in ratings, with season 9 averaging only 5.47 million viewers per episode, almost one-third of the show’s viewership in its first season. Therefore, by the time the series entered its tenth season, the writing was on the wall and it was clear that The Blacklist could not continue beyond season 10.