The 2013-2014 TV season served up a few must-watch gems that totally made couch potato surfing exciting. While some were mysteriously or unjustly (I don't care about your talk of ratings) dropped out of the network lineups (RIP Almost Human, Believe), certain titles were fortunate enough to get a renewal for the next TV season.
And fortunately for NBC, they were quick to decide on the renewal of The Blacklist. As much as I loved all the other freshmen outings I've come to enjoy in the past months, The Blacklist was the ultimate standout in the group and the one that would have been a sacrilege to cancel.
The Blacklist refers to a list of dangerous criminals and terrorists, some of whom are not even in the radar of any of the US government agencies. A former government agent turned wanted fugitive, Raymond "Red" Reddington (James Spader) surrenders himself to the FBI and offers to give them the names on the list, but on the condition that he only work directly with rookie FBI profiler Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone). While confused about Red's insistence of working with her and his knowledge about personal details of her life, Keen joins the newly created task force centered around the blacklist. This proves to be challenging as she juggles her new role of catching criminals with building a family with her husband Tom (Ryan Eggold).
Where should I start with my season recap of The Blacklist? I guess with the man who got me interested in watching the show in the first place. James Spader has and will always be a great presence on screen (I watched Boston Legal when I didn't even enjoy legal dramas that much just because of him), and he used that to his advantage as Red in The Blacklist. Spader created a character with many layers, capable of showcasing humor, mystery, charm and menace, depending on what the situation calls for. It's not hard to find yourself chuckling as he regales his audience with yet another silly anecdote, then watch in fascination as he calmly enacts violence on others. If you've been living under a rock and don't know the kind of work James Spader has produced in his long years of acting, then I suggest familiarizing yourself with that work by watching The Blacklist. He will always be my number one reason for watching the series.
As for my second reason, then it has to be whatever grand master plan creator Jon Bokenkamp has in store for us. Every episode of the series is well-written and features well thought out twists or plot developments that elevate The Blacklist beyond the realms of regular procedural storytelling. And the apparent overarching connection between those many blacklist targets comes to wonderful fruition by the time the series neared its season finale. If Bokenkamp and the other writers of the series are able to continue the excellent storytelling well into the future seasons of the show, then I'm on board for as long as they're on air. Even if it frustrates the hell out of me not knowing for sure the true nature of Red's connection with Liz (I think I know, but I might really not... you know?).
The Blacklist is all the much stronger for its excellent cast and roster of guest stars who make up shady government officials and those whose names appear on the blacklist. I rejoiced at the sight of Parminder Nagra, who joined the cast as Meera Malik aka the one smart agent, since I missed her from my TV ever since Alcatraz got cancelled. And if you count Isabella Rossellini, Alan Alda, Lance Reddick, Robert Sean Leonard, Robert Knepper, William Sadler, Jennifer Ehle, Dianne Wiest and Peter Stormare among the recurring cast and guest stars, then you know that every week is quite the TV treat.
The Blacklist is as near perfect a freshman outing for a TV series a couch potato could hope for. Though, it's not without its shortcomings. I found the constant marital woes of Keen and Tom to be tiring, and felt great relief when that relationship blew up (and by the most spectacular fashion possible), because it opened up amazing character developments afterwards. I didn't like FBI Agent Donald Ressler (Diego Klattenhoff) in the beginning because of his suspicious, though with much justification, and by-the-books nature. But the writers did make reparations when he eventually showed concern for Keen's welfare and even became a friend to her in the end. He became a much more sympathetic character when details of his personal life were revealed. Although, I still think he recklessly puts himself in danger. Seriously, that guy gets injured at every possible turn that I thought he wasn't going to last the season. But in truth... these are just minor concerns and didn't deter from the excellent overall body of work that is the first season of The Blacklist.
There were many questions that popped up as the season progressed and some remained unanswered (especially the big one) at the end of it. But I'm at least assured that there are some 20 or so episodes starting September that could provide those answers. :)
Happy viewing!!Labels: Action, Drama, Must-Watch, NBC, The Blacklist, TV, TV Series
