Blacklist - Suicide by Bull? WTF?

 All good things...as they say. But the end to The Blacklist was, for me, at least, disappointing. I was very happy with the writing up until the very last scene of the very last episode. Agent Ressler finds the dead body of Red Reddington in a field. He had been gored by a bull. So, yeah, like WTF?

In the show, Red had entered into a bull's corral, whether by accident or deliberately, (the writing did not make it clear.) But what was clear is that when Red faced off with the bull, he made no effort to vacate the area. He just stood there and waited for the bull to gore him. Actually, the bull seemed to be giving Red a chance to leave. But he didn't. And the last thing we saw in that scene was the bull beginning its charge. So, yeah. I've heard of suicide by cops, but this was on another level.

And, as I said, the final scene of the series is Ressler finding Red's gored and bloodied body. And very dead. A very anticlimactic ending, imo. We did have a eulogy of sorts, for Red, shortly before that, from the bed-ridden Dembe, which was fitting. However, for me, anyway, it would have been better writing if the camera never showed the dead body of Red. After the "bull" scene, I think it would have been better if Red was never seen again, alive or dead, by Ressler or anyone else. 

And if Ressler had never found the body of Red, then the audience could have fantasized that Red was living out the rest of his days somewhere with that very nice Cuban woman which the writers had established was very willing to do so. (You know, the younger sister of his former girlfriend.) Btw, about that. How was it that Red hooked up with his former girlfriend's little sister? That was never explained. Some people would call it lazy writing. But I digress.

A great character like Red Reddington, like Conan, should never be shown killed or dead. That's not to say he can't get killed. It just shouldn't be shown. It's what I didn't like about the final Daniel Craig Bond movie. Well, they really didn't show him killed, did they? (Nor did they show his dead body.) Okay, then, it is one of the major criticisms I have of the Star Trek movies because they did show Captain Kirk killed and even buried. (I hated all those movies.)

And yes, I do place the character of Red Reddington up there with my all-time favorite characters, which include Conan, James Bond, and Captain Kirk. Yes, indeed. Red belongs. 

One last comment. I never got my wish for the show to provide a definitive statement that Red was the biological father of Lizzy Keen. Although the writers were kind enough to put in the dialogue that he was the grandfather of Lizzy's daughter. I suppose that will have to do.

The Blacklist Once Again Back on Top

I know I've been all over the map with my opinions of the TV show called The Blacklist. I had praised it, I had panned it, and I had been everywhere in-between. The highest opinion I had at one point of this show was that it had supplanted Star Trek, TOS, as my all-time favorite TV show. That was after its third season, I believe. And I am glad to reveal that now, in its tenth and final season, The Blacklist has once again resumed its place on my all-time favorite TV show list.

The reason is a simple one. James Spader. The role he plays, Raymond "Red" Redington, is a great role. The world's most notorious villain. Except, he isn't really a villain. And his acting is absolutely flawless in every single episode. The supporting cast, now that Megan Boone is gone, is also stellar. And, yes, that was a knock on Megan Boone.

At one point I had thought her role in the series was necessary. And it was during its time as my favorite show. But it was largely, (although, not solely) because of her my opinion of the show began to wane. I was getting tired of this actress, or her role, and I found myself not enjoying the show as much because of her and other reasons. Those reasons I have documented often on this blog.

As for the final season now under way, we have found that the role of Elizabeth Keen was never necessary, and neither was the actress Megan Boone. James Spader was all the show ever needed. Of course, the FBI task force of Assistant Director Cooper, Agent Ressler and the new computer guy, Herbie, who has taken on the comedic role in place of the since departed Aram, is doing great and so is the new female member, Siya, who is a far preferable character than Lizzy Keen. 

But to wrap up this great show, it's great writing that takes precedence. Red knows he is dying and he is disassembling his mighty empire piece by piece, while at the same time, taking care of all the people who had worked for him. And that includes the FBI task force.

The only thorn in my side is that annoying politician who seems to be so hell bent on taking down the task force for no other reason than because the Attorney General won't fill him in on the secrecies of its mission. He has a driven mistrust of them and believes he is in the right. 

It's annoying, like I said, but I have no doubt that the great writers will pan it out to my satisfaction with the final two episodes that are left in this final season. And then, perhaps I can re-watch the entire series from the beginning, this time knowing that I don't have to be disappointed by the episodes that disappointed me before. Because I'll know it will all work out in the end. 

Oh, and before I forget, I still would like the final episode to reveal, once and for all, something we all must already know, that Red is the real father of Lizzy Keen. But even if they don't, I would like to thank James Spader for his contributions to a great show, a great role, and a great performance.