(Warning: This article contains plot spoilers for Seasons 8 and 9 of The Blacklist. Proceed at your own risk.)
According to series star James Spader,The Blacklistwill receive a 10th season at NBC. Spader announced the news during a visit toThe Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, where he promoted the show’s move back to its usual Friday nighttime slot.The move was confirmed in an article by Deadline.The clip fromThe Tonight Showwith Spader’s announcement is below.
Currently in Season 9,The Blacklisthas been a steady performer for NBC, averaging 22 million viewers this season. Season 9 is the first season sinceMegan Boone, who had been one of the leads since the pilot, and series creator Jon Bokenkamp left the production. John Eisendrath, who previously shared showrunning duties with Bokenkamp through the first eight seasons, has taken over as the showrunner for Season 9.
In this season ofThe Blacklist, the story picks up two years after the death of Boone’s Elizabeth Keen. The FBI Task Force that worked with Spader’s Raymond Reddington has disbanded, the lives of the members of that task force now changed in unexpected ways. Reddington’s whereabouts are unknown. Finding themselves each at a crossroads, a common purpose compels them to renew their original mission: to take down dangerous, vicious and eccentric Blacklisters. In the process, they begin to uncover lethal adversaries, unimaginable conspiracies and surprising betrayals that will threaten alliances and spur vengeance for the past, led by the most devious criminal of them all: Raymond Reddington.
Reaction to the Renewal Has Been Mixed
As with any TV news these days, there has been a mixed reaction to the news of the renewal.The Blacklisthas been a constant performer for NBC. However, the public perception of the show has been mixed over the past few years. Many fans had been calling for the departure of Megan Boone’s Elizabeth Keen for several seasons. Now that Boone has left the show, those fans are happy, while others feel that the chemistry that was the driving force ofThe Blacklistis lacking without her.
Still, Spader remains a brilliant lead actor, and he is the reason most fans tune in week in and week out. Overall, though, fans would like questions about his character’s identity to be answered once and for all, even if they know that such answers would likely end the show.
Comments made about the renewal range from excitement about the prospect of another season to one anonymous commenter on the Deadline article saying, “Loved this show for so long but I had to stop watching this season. I understand it makes NBC a lot of money but the show ended for me when Megan Boone left. Her chemistry with James Spader is what made this show so great. Also they have killed-off way too many good characters. Take a page fromThis is Usand know when to leave the party.”
