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- NBC
- Sep 23, 2013
- NBC
- Sep 23, 2013
Summary One of the FBI's most wanted men Raymond "Red" Reddington (James Spader) offers to turns himself in to help catch a presumed-dead terrorist, but only if he is partnered with newly graduated profiler, Liz Keen (Megan Boone).
Created By: Jon Bokenkamp
- NBC
- Sep 23, 2013
- NBC
- Sep 23, 2013
Summary One of the FBI's most wanted men Raymond "Red" Reddington (James Spader) offers to turns himself in to help catch a presumed-dead terrorist, but only if he is partnered with newly graduated profiler, Liz Keen (Megan Boone).
Created By: Jon Bokenkamp
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10 Seasons
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 31 Critic Reviews
74
84% Positive
26 Reviews
26 Reviews
16% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 31 Critic Reviews
74
84% Positive
26 Reviews
26 Reviews
16% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
You think you know this situation and how it will turn out, but there are surprise, yet entirely credible, twists throughout Monday's episode.
Those two alone [Raymond "Red" Reddington (James Spader) and Liz Keen (Megan Boone)] are worth watching Blacklist, but the drama's storytelling is powerful enough to make you commit to it from the very first episode.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 504 User Ratings
7.8
79% Positive
400 Ratings
400 Ratings
10% Mixed
49 Ratings
49 Ratings
11% Negative
55 Ratings
55 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 504 User Ratings
7.8
79% Positive
400 Ratings
400 Ratings
10% Mixed
49 Ratings
49 Ratings
11% Negative
55 Ratings
55 Ratings
This a great tv show ! I’ve been watching this since the beginning . Loyal fan
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SEASON 1
I have just discovered this tv series and I have to say, I am so excited to watch the next episode. I was never a super fan of James Spader, he was ok in my book with parts that lead me to believe he was uppity. However, having just binge watched 5 seasons of The blacklist on Netflix, OMG he is so good. He is like a fine wine imo, he has fermented and leaves his viewers wanting more like right now. The cast is just awesome and the story lines are not boring or repetitive at all. I cannot say enough about this series, all I do know is I want more and I want it now :)
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SEASON 1
The Blacklist won’t be the most cerebral show on television. It’s a fast-paced mystery that’s just plain entertaining.
[A] pleasurable, cheeky new crime drama. [21 Oct 2013, p.47]
It helps to have a great actor like Harry Lennix in the supporting cast, but the writers of The Blacklist need to prove that it’s about more than just Red.... But, for now, Spader is enough reason to watch.
It's a pretty shameless "Silence of the Lambs" rip-off--one scene in the pilot beat-for-beat copies the "quid pro quo, Clarice" scene where Lecter gets Clarice to talk about her childhood--but also a fun character for Spader to play, and the writers know what to have their leading man do and say.
The pilot episode is stylish and swiftly paced, but that’s all it is, and despite some intriguing plot twists, there’s not a lot of motivation to keep coming back.
[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
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SEASON 1
Along with alot of other reviews on here I agree that James Spader is a great fun to watch. Ever since a kid and seeing Stargate I have enjoyed his work. Unfortunately, and despite Spader's performance as the all-knowing mastermind, this show is the complete opposite of Homeland in terms of a realistic counter-terror fiction. It steals plot from 24, Alias, and other spy shows, but Megan Boone is no Jennifer Garner and Klattenhoff is no Cooper. I think if the task force surrounding such a highpowered terrorist and national criminal was larger, had more reach, and perhaps more star power then maybe the show could carry some of its preposterous plotlines a bit more effectively. If Klattenhoff was the sidekick to a more gravitas-inspiring actor then he wouldn't seem so over his head. Suspects who jump off balconies or out windows and yet scramble to their feet as if they just got out of bed, the same white dude fbi agent (Klattenhoff) as the only one chasing suspects, altogether unsubstantial operatives from all branches of the US government for many of the incidents that are in the show... These are just a few of the 'shake your head' moments the show likes to provide viewers.
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SEASON 1
Show was ok, until episode 10 of first season. Who wrote that?! Whoever that was spoiled the whole thing. Completely unbelievable characters and actions. Episode 9 was fine, I was in and curious of what`s going to happen. And that episode 10 happened. Horrible writing. It was such a bad experience that I had to write it somewhere :)
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SEASON 1
So what is cool about deus ex machina?
A criminal -James Spader- declared to be a brilliant mastermind because the show tells he is, turns himself in, seemingly to rat on some other super criminals. To underscore his mastery, he gets to be omniscient.: he knows what nobody else knows. Except of course for those other criminals. They might not know as much as he does, but at least they know more than the FBI does.
To further his daughter's FBI career he only wants to speak to her. Daughter? Is that a spoiler? Nope: it is so obvious dished out that it is probably a red herring. Yes, everything suggests she is, but she isn't. Haha. Outwitted you there, laddy.
About fifteen minutes into the first episode and somehow the band of criminals figured out not only when the FBI would pick up a girl that is threatened by them, but also know what route they take so they can spring a trap on them during broad daylight smack bang in the middle of the city that is so glaringly obvious that the FBI ignores it out sheer disbelief. Is this an ambush? Nah.. it might look like one, but it isn't. It can't be! So it isn't! Not only is this ambush thus sprung, but somehow the criminals know exactly in which of the row of black cars the girl and our heroine sit.
But I am getting ahead of myself. Let's go back to five minutes into the series: our heroine, once criminal mastermind dad has asked for her, gets picked up by a helicopter and two black FBI cars and a score of agents just when leaving her house. This while she is late for her first day at work. What coincidence.
By the way. Did you know she was a profiler? Criminal mastermind? Profiler? Yes, it is and it isn't.
So twenty minutes in and our heroine's house and husband are violated by the villain the FBI is chasing.
How did he know where she was? And that he was alone? And that she would come in alone? That there was nobody to guard hubby?
Because he is omniscient, of course. Or someone told him. You can alway spin some kind of tale.
So that is where I stopped watching.
This is a series that is going to dish you surprises and coincidences that make up for the lack of a well-written plot. This will be filled with an unrelenting stream of deus ex machina. Poof something happens. Why? How? Wel because hubby is actually a sleeper. What? Because someone with the FBI is leaking information. Huh? Because Martians eavesdrop on everyone on the planet.
But foremost: because the writers write themselves into corners and need to save the day by illogical plot twists so the series can go on.
Next to James Spader the cast is lacking, especially the heroine. Spader might make for a Hannibal Lector substitute, but Megan Boone holds no candle to Jodie Foster. Wasn't there someone else?
Totally vacuous.
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SEASON 1
James Spacer- Awesome. Why in the world he would agree to take on a horrible actor like Megan Boone as a co-star, I have no idea. The writers are so inept that this series is doomed to fail. Diego is also a horrifically flawed character. I think that this series shows a total dysfunctionality of the writing staff. I truly believe that the irrational behavior of the characters probably mirrors the writers. I am such a fan of James Spader, but other than that this series is doomed to fail.
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SEASON 1
