NBC's The Blacklist is a tense, clever mystery that's sure to thrill audiences. Driven by skillful storytelling and James Spader's charismatic scenery chewing, it's a fun -- and unsettling -- ride.
In the intriguing opening scene, Raymond "Red" Reddington (Spader), an FBI-agent-turned-criminal, gives himself up to the authorities. What's so intriguing about that? He does it casually, no coercion involved. He simply enters FBI headquarters and surrenders, unfazed by the subsequent guns pointed at him. It's a puzzling and amusing scene, made even more so by Spader's characteristic coolness, leaving viewers with many questions.
Those questions multiply as the complicated plot unfolds. After his strange surrender, Red makes a proposal: he will help the FBI catch criminals, on the condition that he speaks only to Liz Keen (Megan Boone), a new psychological profiler.
Why, after decades of being a wanted fugitive, is Red suddenly interested in helping? And what's his connection to Liz? The enigmatic plot will surely draw many curious viewers, but it's the deft execution that will keep them watching.
Before getting to the good stuff, let's be honest here: the show really isn't that original. The dynamic between Red and Liz is awfully reminiscent of the relationship between Clarice Starling and Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs. He's a psychologically manipulative criminal with his own motives; she's an inexperienced FBI agent with a dark past.
Yes, it's familiar. But you know what? It works. The actors and writers have created distinct characters with Red and Liz. Red is cunning and calculating, a fugitive who can't be trusted. However, he is curiously non-threatening. He has all the smarts to cause mass mayhem, but he doesn't seem like that much of a loose cannon, and he definitely doesn't scream sociopath. Yet.
Liz -- the yin to Red's yang -- is strong, incredibly sympathetic, and refreshingly unpredictable. She suffers immensely, thanks to Red's scheming. Her life is turned upside down, with adoption plans and her husband's life put in jeopardy. And it all happens so fast.
Understandably, she is upset. Surprisingly, she lashes out -- violently. A character that at first seems independent but mild-mannered becomes a little more dangerous. Who knows what she's capable of, or what Red is capable of turning her into?
In addition to creating compelling characters, The Blacklist succeeds due to skillful storytelling. There's a lot of show-don't-tell, especially with the character intros. In the aforementioned opening, viewers learn quite a bit about Red's personality and purpose in a very short amount of time. Similar is the first time audiences meet Liz. They learn she's a "normal" person, just by witnessing the busy morning routine she shares with her husband. It's quick. It's effective. It's believable.
One thing that makes The Blacklist so engaging is how those first impressions are subverted as the show goes on. After the first scene, Red appears to be a prisoner, now at the mercy of the FBI, but you get the feeling that he knows exactly what he's doing. Perhaps the tables haven't turned at all.
Even more interesting is Liz's story. She had a troubled childhood, marred by abandonment. She never really had that normal life implied by the morning routine. It seems she's desperately hoping for one now, though. This is made all the more interesting when juxtaposed with Red's family history. When he turned to a life of crime, he deserted his family. Loads of potential drama is built up, waiting for the right moment to explode.
Despite all its impressive storytelling techniques, The Blacklist is far from perfect. Its biggest problem? It's tonally uneven. It moves from drama to comedy to action to mystery all very quickly, and sometimes not so smoothly. It can be fast-paced to a fault. The show needs a set pace and approach. A little stylistic confidence will go a long way in making The Blacklist consistently compelling.
Potential problems aside, The Blacklist is wildly promising, its mysteries likely to keep viewers wondering, waiting to know what comes next.
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