Earlier tonight, NBC provided an advance screening of its new criminal drama The Blacklist across numerous cities in the United States. Stay Tuned received its invitation to see the 43-minute drama at Landmark's E Street Cinema in Washington D.C. The mood was full of eagerness and anticipation since many of the viewers had seen the show's trailer online. The Blacklist's pilot episode started off with a bang and kept viewers glued to the screen with its non-stop action, raw violence, and jaw-dropping, head-scratching moments. By the end of the episode, Stay Tuned wanted the network people to bring on the next episode. WARNING: This post contains major spoilers of the pilot episode.
The Blacklist begins with one of the most intriguing arrests seen on television recently. Criminal mastermind and one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives, Raymond "Red" Reddington, enters FBI headquarters in Washington DC and willingly turns himself in to authorities. Immediately you are left wondering why this man who has been living on the run for years suddenly turns himself in at the building's security checkpoint. It turns out that Red has a secret agenda and that the only person he will speak with is newly hired Elizabeth Keen.
On the morning of Red's capture, Elizabeth Keen is preparing to embark on her first day as an FBI special agent, particularly as a profiler. Elizabeth and her husband Tom appear to have a wonderful relationship, like most young married couples. The Keens are in the middle of completing the adoption process when Elizabeth is retrieved and taken to an FBI secret location. Neither Elizabeth nor the FBI heads can understand why Red will only speak with Elizabeth, especially since nothing in Keen's background check ties her to Reddington. When Keen is asked by a special agent to profile herself we learn that she is not the easiest to get along with, somewhat withdrawn, and narcissistic. Basically the type who could easily understand how Reddington's mind works.
The walls Elizabeth has built to conceal her life and true self suddenly come crashing down during her first interview with Reddington. He reveals the knowledge he has on Elizabeth's abusive parents and their criminal backgrounds. She really gets freaked out when Reddington mentions a scar on her palm that she obtained during her childhood. This whole exercise establishes value in what Reddington has to say, particularly when he reveals the impending kidnapping of a General's young daughter by foreign criminal Ranko Zamani.
As Elizabeth and the FBI agents transport the young girl to safety, their vehicles are unexpectedly cordoned off by armed men posing as a hazmat crew. While the ambushed agents recover from several explosions, the young girl is whisked away by the captives. Sensing that Red had strong validity in his earlier warning, Elizabeth tries to find out what the next step in the overall plan. With the help of Red, and a very blatant dig at the incompetence of the FBI special agents working on the case, Elizabeth is able to piece together the true motive and intentions of Zamani's plan: avenging the death of his children by planting a chemical bomb somewhere in DC.
In exchange for information on how to locate the chemist building the chemical bomb and ultimately the mastermind behind the whole plan, Reddington negotiates luxurious accommodations (five-star hotel, presidential suite, personal concierge, fine dining, etc.) that he has become accustomed to while on the run and under one of his numerous aliases. Reddington doesn't miss a trick as he easily spots the monitoring devices the FBI has planted in his hotel suite.
Elizabeth returns home and is informed that the adoption has gone through and the Keens will be adopting a baby girl. She spots Tom sitting at their dining room table and is horrified to see him bound, gagged, and beaten. The culprit behind the attack appears and Elizabeth isn't necessarily surprised that its Zamani. Zamani presses Elizabeth for answers regarding the uncovering of his plan. He repeatedly stabs Tom with a kitchen knife when he doesn't hear sufficient answers. The final stabbing lands Tom in the hospital, hooked up to a ventilator.
Elizabeth arrives at the hotel and seeks answers from Reddington. They ultimately decipher that Zamani plans to detonate his chemical bomb at the National Zoo and when Reddington provides more riddles than answers, Elizabeth stabs him in the neck with his pen. Reddington continues to insinuate that there is more to Tom than Elizabeth realizes, until he finally agrees to cooperate. The next day, Reddington escapes the hospital (for the carotid artery stabbing) and rendezvous with Zamani.
While the FBI pursues Reddington, Elizabeth arrives at the zoo and finds the General's daughter sitting alone on a bench. She discovers the girl is wired with the chemical bomb and only has 3 minutes left. The FBI reaches Reddington on the roof of a building and realize that it isn't him but Zamani (Red had removed his RFID tracking device and planted it on Zamani). Reddington meanwhile has a Russian acquaintance remove the chemical bomb with seconds to spare.
As the FBI prepares to wrap up the teamwork between their agents and Reddington, the criminal mastermind pulls an incredible feat and reveals that he has spent two decades compiling a list of the most dangerous criminals in the world. Most of these criminals are untouchable by the FBI and considering the shoddy work they performed prior to this case, they are most certainly going to need him. Reddington then negotiates his terms of demands and immunity in exchange for his assistance in capturing more criminals, and that the only person he will speak with on these cases will be Elizabeth Keen. Meanwhile Elizabeth uncovers a secret box that has the exact shape of her scar on the cover. Inside she finds cash and numerous passports, all belonging to Tom and his various aliases. Elizabeth reels over this revelation and connects to Reddington's insinuation. Thus the relationship between Reddington and the FBI is born as they tackle his long blacklist, and the one question remains to be answered: What is Reddington's connection to Elizabeth Keen? He has been waiting for her to arrive in her current position, and apparently there is more to his unique obsession. Is he Elizabeth's father? That remains to be seen.
James Spader gives a tour de force performance as the smug and self-assured Red Reddington. His dry humor and sarcastic remarks to the inefficient bureaucracy places a little bit of humor in spots throughout the episodic drama. Spader seems at ease with the quickness of the criminal's hot/cold personality, going from humorous to sinister in mere seconds. The chemistry between Spader's Reddington and Megan Boone's Elizabeth Keen is akin to Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster in The Silence of the Lambs. Red's obsession with the new agent seems pleasurable, almost sensual, especially when he repeatedly teases and taunts her. The plot and storyline is fast-paced and the viewer barely has a few minutes to catch his breath until the next big moment arrives. The premise of The Blacklist may not be anything new on the television landscape but the right elements with excellent casting has made this drama one of the shows to watch this coming fall season. The Blacklist left us on the edge of our seats and clamoring for the next episodes.
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