The Blacklist: Just Tell Us The Damn Truth And Get It Over With
The Blacklist is now in its 9th season and the answers that fans have been waiting for has still yet to come. Who is Raymond Reddington? While that question lived with Elizabeth Keen, in all fairness, it should have died with her as well. For that alone, it’s time for the truth to come out. Why drag this on any longer?
With the death of Liz and the storyline picking up 2 years afterward, it’s clear that the writers of The Blacklist have decided to venture into new territory. But even with that, the main question of Red’s true identity should have been revealed right before Liz’s death.
As a writer, I can understand keeping the mystery going. It’s been working for 8 seasons but those same factors that may have driven viewers to the show are now the same reasons why viewers are looking to depart. The mystery is no longer bigger than the show.
Season 9 started with the Task Force broken up, Red hiding in the trenches, and Dembe now an FBI agent. But what fans really want to know is how can they go from two important episodes to end Season 8 and then just leave that identity storyline in the corner of the writing room as if it never happened?
One thing we do know for sure is that The Blacklist will get back to it eventually. But since Liz was the one searching for the truth, should that have ended with her? At least, let Red whisper the truth in her ear and still have fans guessing.
Related: The Blacklist: The Real War Is Within
Right now, The Blacklist seems all over the place. What has defined this show and drove it to stardom for the past 8 seasons has been the mystery. It’s almost as if the show is now searching for a new identity. There are great storylines ahead as the Task Force is now reassembled. For example; what happened between Red and Dembe? Is Dembe really an agent or is this another one of Red’s schemes? Will Ressler and Red finally have that showdown many are waiting for? And last but not least, how long before Red comes for Cooper for keeping Agnes away from him?
All of those are good but the real question is who is Raymond Reddington? If you want to keep your fans, dragging this storyline out any further is not the way to do it. Just tell us the damn truth so we all can move on.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
