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The Blacklist
TV Series

The Blacklist

2013Crime, Drama, Mystery • 10 Seasons

Woke Score
3.5
out of 10

Series Overview

A highly articulate, erudite and intelligent businessman and mastermind, "Red" Reddington, has allegedly been on the "10 Most Wanted List" of various U.S. law enforcement agencies for over 20 years. The legend is that Red is as elusive as he is clever, controlling a labyrinth of creative enterprises, coupled with uncanny ability to gather and finesse information at the drop of a hat. On the first day at FBI for a new female profiler fresh out of Quantico, Red offers to bandy wits with the FBI. Red promises to deliver various criminals and plots previously unknown to any branch of law enforcement... and all Red requests in return is to choose his muse.

Season-by-Season Breakdown

Season 1

1.6/10

For decades, ex-government agent Raymond "Red" Reddington has been one of the FBI’s Most Wanted fugitives. Brokering shadowy deals for criminals across the globe, Red was known by many as the "Concierge of Crime." Now, he’s mysteriously surrendered to the FBI with an explosive offer: he will help catch the world’s most elusive criminals, under the condition that he speaks only to Elizabeth "Liz" Keen, an FBI profiler fresh out of Quantico. For Liz, it’s going to be one hell of a first day on the job.

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Season 2

2.2/10

For decades, ex-government agent Raymond "Red" Reddington has been one of the FBI's Most Wanted fugitives. He mysteriously surrendered to the FBI but now the FBI works for him as he identifies a "blacklist" of politicians, mobsters, spies and international terrorists. He will help catch them all... with the caveat that Elizabeth "Liz" Keen continues to work as his partner. Red will teach Liz to think like a criminal and "see the bigger picture"... whether she wants to or not.

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Season 3

3.4/10

Now a fugitive on the run, Liz must figure out how to protect herself from the fallout of her actions in the explosive season two finale.

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Season 4

2.4/10

A mysterious man claiming to be Liz’s real father targets her, but first she must resolve the mystery of her lost childhood and reconcile her true identity with the elusive memories corrupted by Reddington. Without the truth, every day holds more danger for herself, her baby and her husband Tom. Meanwhile, the Task Force reels from Liz’s resurrection and friendships are fractured. Betrayed by those closest to him, Reddington’s specific moral code demands justice, all the while battling an army of new and unexpected blacklisters.

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Season 5

4/10

Feeling surprisingly unencumbered, Raymond Reddington is back, and in the process of rebuilding his criminal empire. His lust for life is ever-present as he lays the foundation for this new enterprise - one that he'll design with Elizabeth Keen by his side. Living with the reality that Red is her father, Liz finds herself torn between her role as an FBI agent and the temptation to act on her more criminal instincts. In a world where the search for Blacklisters has become a family trade, Red will undoubtedly reclaim his moniker as the “Concierge of Crime.”

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Season 6

3/10

Following the startling revelation that Raymond "Red" Reddington isn't who he says he is, Elizabeth Keen is torn between the relationship she's developed with the man assumed to be her father and her desire to get to the bottom of years of secrets and lies. Meanwhile, Red leads Liz and the FBI to some of the most strange and dangerous criminals yet, growing his empire and eliminating rivals in the process. All throughout, Liz and Red engage in an uneasy cat-and-mouse game in which lines will be crossed and the truth will be revealed.

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Season 7

6/10

After being abducted by Katarina Rostova, Raymond "Red" Reddington finds himself alone in hostile territory, unsure of who, if anyone, he can trust. Surrounded by old enemies and new allies, Red must stay one step ahead of the Blacklist's most dangerous criminal, who will stop at nothing to unearth the very truth Red wants no one to know about. To find it, Katarina will insinuate herself into the life of Elizabeth Keen, who has finally reunited with her daughter Agnes. Katarina’s presence will bring danger to Liz’s doorstep and forever alter her relationship with Red.

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Season 8

5.8/10

With his back against the wall, Raymond Reddington faces his most formidable enemy yet: Elizabeth Keen. Aligned with her mother, infamous Russian spy Katarina Rostova, Liz must decide how far she is willing to go to find out why Reddington has entered her life and what his endgame really is. The fallout between Reddington and Keen will have devastating consequences for all that lie in their wake, including the Task Force they helped to create.

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Season 9

4/10

In the two years following the death of Elizabeth Keen, Raymond Reddington and the members of the FBI Task Force have disbanded – their lives now changed in unexpected ways and with Reddington’s whereabouts 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.

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Season 10

3/10

With Reddington's covert role as an FBI informant facing exposure, former Blacklisters will unite against him in their lethal desire for revenge – testing Red and the FBI Task Force as never before.

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Overall Series Review

The series begins as a standard procedural thriller, centering on the captivating relationship between a master criminal, Raymond Reddington, and the FBI profiler he chooses to work with, Elizabeth Keen. The early seasons focus on high-stakes international crime and a compelling central mystery regarding Reddington's true identity and connection to Keen. Over its run, however, the narrative begins to increasingly introduce overt socio-political commentary that disrupts the core story's focus. Episodes incorporate explicit political talking points on issues like gun control, the wage gap, and systemic oppression, often through character dialogue or the villains' backstories. The show's most significant thematic element is the central mystery's resolution, which deconstructs gender identity and biological reality. While the overall execution of crime-fighting remains the framework, the later seasons utilize the episodic format to promote specific contemporary political and ideological messages, resulting in a distinct shift from a focus on universal merit and objective morality to a narrative centered on identity politics and moral relativism.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics3.2/10

The narrative evolves to include explicit political lecturing on race and social justice issues, particularly in later seasons. Dialogue includes direct references to a criminal hiding 'fascism behind good old America-first rhetoric' and the government using tax money to 'lock up young black men'. One episode features a criminal lecturing the main characters on 'pain politics' and referring to the primary white male lead as a 'privileged white guy'. The show attempts to force political points into unrelated plot lines, such as a clumsy attempt at a pay-gap plot line where a character suggests a paycheck mix-up was due to 'two brown faces'.

Oikophobia2.7/10

The core premise hinges on the FBI and major US government institutions being consistently compromised, incompetent, or embroiled in massive, decades-long conspiracies involving deep corruption at the highest levels. The government is repeatedly framed as the primary systemic obstacle and the true source of danger to the American people, necessitating a master criminal operating outside the system to expose and eliminate the institutional threats. This framing fosters an atmosphere of profound distrust toward national institutions and political systems.

Feminism4.4/10

The main female protagonist is often portrayed as reactive, consistently needing rescue, and failing to take decisive ownership of her actions, which is a departure from the 'Girl Boss' trope. However, the series pushes anti-natalist messaging by portraying the female lead as choosing a career over family fulfillment, with motherhood being a barrier to her mission, and featuring a highly controversial episode with men becoming pregnant. The ultimate plot resolution suggests a profound transformation in gender identity was necessary for a character to achieve the highest level of competence and power as a crime lord.

LGBTQ+3.3/10

The fundamental mystery of the series, Raymond Reddington's true identity, is resolved by the reveal that the character is the biological mother of the other lead, who transitioned and assumed a male identity in a scenario dubbed 'Redarina'. This choice centers the entire 10-season narrative on the concept of gender deconstruction and the adoption of a different sex/gender identity, placing alternative sexual ideology at the core of the show. Later seasons also feature explicit discussions about pronoun usage inserted into the script.

Anti-Theism3.9/10

The show is built on a foundation of moral relativism, where the protagonist, Raymond Reddington, is constantly compared to the devil, acting as a force who justifies his evil to combat the greater evil of others. This narrative structure actively promotes the idea that morality is subjective and dependent on context and outcome. Certain episodes feature explicit anti-theist sentiment, portraying Abrahamic religions as supporting child-brides and forced marriage in a critique of traditional faith.