The Blacklist has barely been off the air, but it feels like a long time ago. Maybe it’s because the series finale was somewhat disappointing.
The Backlist Season 10 was atypical since it had much to do, including setting up an excellent end to the series.
A lot happened, including Wujing’s return, the shutting down of Red’s empire, the threats against the task force, and, of course, that ambiguous ending.
In our season report card, we will review the season by looking at the best episode, returning blacklisters, new blacklisters, biggest shocker, worst storyline, and more.
We will also grade the season, so let us know whether you agree with our grade.
Best Episode – The Blacklist Season 10 Episode 9
Omissions and secrets are what made the show a thriller. Many a time, The FBI would be working on one thing at Raymond’s behest, but they would not have the complete picture until Raymond decided they needed to know, which was rare. They would usually be left dealing with the aftermath.
Events on The Blacklist Season 10 Episode 9 were peak Raymond Reddington.
He had been planning how to take Wujing out since he learned of Wujing’s presence, and he used the Task Force to do it.
The plan and its orchestration were thrilling, making for an intense hour.
It was everything, from the editing, writing, directing, and the James Spader of it all.
Worst Episode: The Blacklist Season 10 Episode 22
We had many questions that The Blacklist series finale needed to answer, and it didn’t answer many of them. We were left trying to piece clues from flimsy lines about questions like Raymond’s true identity.
Worse, it brought up new questions, including if he did indeed die and if he did, was Reddington’s death an accident or suicide?
The show felt like it had been gearing up for something significant, and it just ended. What happens to Agnes? What about the Task Force?
The Blacklist series finale is genuinely one of the worst series finales.
Best Returning Blacklister: Dr. Laken Perillos
Dr. Laken Perrillos’ specialty was extracting information from her victims by squeezing hard on their emotional wounds.
The show cast a great actress — Laverne Cox — to bring the character to life, and she undoubtedly had the biggest impact on the character.
Her return on The Blacklist Season 10 Episode 6 treated us to the same curated line delivery, and this time, Dembe was on her table.
Unfortunately, she met an untimely death.
Worst Returning Blacklister: Wujing
Wujing was one of the OGs. He had been there from the beginning and was one of Raymond’s blacklist victims.
The promos for the final season teased that he would have a significant arc in the season, but that didn’t happen.
He was killed off halfway, but he hadn’t been faring well even before then.
He came at Raymond from an emotional angle, making him an inefficient foe.
The show also didn’t give him significant screen time, and we had to keep begging for more, but to who? The episodes had already been written and filmed.
Best New Blacklister: Wormwood
He could manipulate anything to become poisonous. That was Wormwood’s specialty.
Trained as a doctor, Wormwood had used his skills for evil when he failed to advance in his career.
He was the bottom of the barrel as far as blacklisters are concerned, and his actions were scary.
We trust doctors so much, and any one of them can decide our time on earth has lapsed, and they would get away with it. That’s scary.
Worst New Blacklister: The Whaler
Loyalty is essential in all relationships.
The Whaler’s job was to facilitate money transfers between criminals, and she did that through illegal poker games.
Wujing reached out to her when he needed money to fund his anti-Reddington crusade, but she stole from him.
No matter what side she was on, no one likes disloyal people.
Best Storyline: The Shutting Down of The Raymond Reddington Empire
It was not as simple as calling people and telling them it was over. Raymond had to make an event out of it, and it was a great event.
It was unclear what Raymond was doing giving expensive items away on The Sicilian Error of Color, but after the events of The Morgana Logistics Corporation, the intent became clear.
The storyline was well done, leaning into the Raymond and the Task Force dynamic where he hid stuff from them and had them do all the dirty work.
Worst Storyline: Siya Malik
Siya Malik promised a return to the past due to her connection to Meera, and we expected that to have some significance to the general story, but it fizzled out.
The storyline started with some intrigue about Meera’s secret, then they dropped a bombshell about the DNA report, and something happened. What happened? That was how unmemorable the entire thing was.
Being the final one, The Blacklist Season 10 didn’t need fillers, and Siya Malik’s storyline was one.
Biggest Shocker: Raymond’s fate
Who saw that coming? Not I. I wasn’t deluded into thinking that he would live past the series finale, and I thought Red’s death was inevitable, but seeing him killed by some bull that had strayed away from the ranch was highly shocking.
A different image from the one with Red’s bloody body trampled on the ground would have been better.
Top Three Quotes
It wouldn’t be a proper season without some great The Blacklist Quotes, and we couldn’t choose one.
I am what I am! You made a devil’s bargain. Did you really expect me to stop being the devil?
Reddington
This quote shows that Red has never changed. He was still a criminal and a killer and didn’t kid himself about his nature.
It was delivered perfectly by James Spader with so much zeal and assuredness.
The final minutes of The Blacklist Season 10, Episode 22 were eerily sad. Despite our attempts to try and convince ourselves otherwise, we knew what was coming, which was scary.
However, Dembe’s long monologue eased us a little, and it reminded us of who Reddington was and how we should remember him, not as the frail older man who met a gruesome death but as a complex individual who went all out on life.
Raymond, a man surrounded by death in so many ways, so passionately committed to embracing life. He could have surrendered a thousand times over But instead, he chooses to rage. To rage against the dying of the light. To rage against the bad guys that would do us all harm. Rage to protect those people he loves. of peace and joy… and fun… …even though he knows the light is still dying. To live a most passionate life, knowing it will still lead to the same inevitable end… is perhaps the most deeply moving choice one can make.
Dembe
With all the things going through my mind…I also thought of Raymond. More than anyone I’ve ever known, he’s always been at peace with death. He says death is inevitable. It will come for us all. And that inevitability robs death entirely of its significance. What matters are the things that are not inevitable. The things we create. The things we find. The left we take when everything in our life is leading us right. How we live. I’ve always loved him for that.
Dembe
We shouldn’t aspire to be famed criminals, but living life to the fullest is good advice.
Nixon: Wait, if you are still working with Reddington, your lead could take us exactly in the wrong direction.
Cooper: Does that mean you’re not coming?
This utterance introduced us to a Harold I never knew I needed.
As mentioned in our The Blacklist series finale review, Harold had become passive through the seasons, and seeing him fired up about something was refreshing. It was also quite hilarious.
Overall, The Blacklist Season 10 earned a C.
It had a lot riding on the season, but it didn’t quite deliver as expected. Its biggest villain died halfway through the season, and that’s after spending a lot of time in obscurity.
It then introduced unnecessary storylines, but the nail in the coffin was the series finale.
The finale left more questions than answers, which is not what you want when crafting an ending. It would help give the people something, and it gave us nothing.
What did you think? Hit the comments section and let us know.
Denis Kimathi is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. He has watched more dramas and comedies than he cares to remember. Catch him on social media obsessing over [excellent] past, current, and upcoming shows or going off about the politics of representation on TV. Follow him on Twitter.
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