James Spader delivers a career-defining performance. Red is not just a criminal; he’s a poet of the underworld. He wears three-piece suits like armor, tells rambling stories about exotic locations, and eats his enemies (sometimes literally) for breakfast. In Season 1, we get the purest version of this character—dangerous, unpredictable, yet weirdly paternal.
Does the show get sillier and more convoluted in later seasons? Yes. But is lightning in a bottle. It has the confidence of a show that knows exactly what it is: a stylish, violent, soapy thriller anchored by one of the greatest TV performances of the 21st century.
One minute he’s ordering a hit on a brutal warlord, the next he’s comforting Liz with a philosophical quote about a parable. Spader walks a tightrope between charming uncle and ruthless monster, and he never falls off. The structure is simple: Red provides the FBI with a name from his "Blacklist"—a who’s who of global criminals that the government doesn’t even know exists. Each episode is a self-contained hunt for a terrifying "Blacklister." blacklist season 1
Tom is the enemy inside the house. It re-contextualizes the entire season and transforms a decent procedural into a serialized thriller about trust and betrayal. Absolutely.
9/10 Best Episode: Anslo Garrick (Part 2) – The shootout in the box is iconic. Worst Episode: The Courier – A rare filler episode that drags. James Spader delivers a career-defining performance
Liz starts the season as a naive, by-the-book agent. By the finale, she is a woman on the run, having shot the Attorney General, discovered her husband is a spy, and realized that her entire life is a lie. The character growth is brutal, fast, and necessary. Spoiler Warning for a decade-old show, but seriously—if you haven't watched, skip this paragraph.
If you’re late to the party, let me set the scene. It’s 2013. A mysterious, high-value fugitive named Raymond Reddington (James Spader) walks into FBI headquarters. He’s been on the run for decades, yet he surrenders on one bizarre condition: He will only speak to a freshly minted, rookie profiler named Elizabeth Keen. In Season 1, we get the purest version
The show dangles the carrot perfectly. Is he her real father? A former lover? A guardian angel with blood on his hands? The season plays with the "paternity question" without giving an answer, all while Liz’s seemingly perfect life unravels.