Blacklist final season is a cracker

The tenth and final season of The Blacklist is so good that when the end of the series’ credits roll, it’s saddening to think that there will never be another instalment of one of television’s longest running and most popular thrillers this century. At least there are 22 episodes to indulge in.

The final season of The Blacklist is available on DStv, Catch Up and Netflix. At the latter the entire collection from the show’s debut is available, and if you have not watched the show before, start with Episode 1, Season 1, because the complex characters like Raymond Reddington, his sidekick Dembe and the FBI Task Force team develop over time, and ergo context, when viewing the final episodes, is important.

The Blacklist kicks off at a rapid pace and sets up the balance of the episodes with brilliantly interwoven intrigue and the complex dynamics that audiences have come to expect from the show. There are also new layers introduced along with fresh characters that, unlike in many other shows, are expertly written into the plot and never stand out as a sore thumb; instead, it deepens the intrigue.

Malik ads additional emotional character exploration

The departure of Elizabeth Keen, played by Megan Boone for eight and a half seasons, did not pull the rug out from under the narrative’s feet. Instead, the producers introduced Siya Malik, played by Anya Banajee. She is a MI5 operative and the daughter of Meera Malik, who was a member of the original task force for six seasons.

Her introduction into the task force adds additional emotional and character exploration with Malik exploring her mother’s past and later, audiences discover her own skeletons may have informed darkest motives for joining the team.

Malik’s character does not detract from, but rather enhances the show, adding to themes of loyalty and vengeance that enjoy significant prominence this time around.

James Spader is magnificent, again, as Raymond Reddington and the balance of the cast is superb.

The first episode is titled The Night Owl and drives the notion of the impact that Reddington’s past, his web of relationships, friends, and enemies, has had not only on the master criminal himself, but the people around him. It’s a theme that carries through the entire collection of the season’s instalments. It also forms the base for the thread that runs through all the episodes, as is tradition on The Blacklist.

Then, a formidable group of former blacklisters led by Wujing, a Chinese criminal, are out to exact revenge on Reddington whose leverage over the FBI Task Force resulted in many of his competitors being captured or murdered. It’s a powerful narrative that leads to the conclusion in the final episode. No spoilers in this article though, because it’s simply too good.

Reddington and Demba’s relationship a highlight

A major highlight of the season is the deeper look into the relationship between Reddington and his former aide and bodyguard Dembe Zuma, who joined the FBI in the previous season. It’s compelling viewing and when the relationship is put to the test, like never before, tension is palpable and absolutely engrossing. It aids the theme of loyalty, revenge, and betrayal, central to the season.

The producers have also brought back many characters from past adventures and this forms part of a greater whole where the tangled web was spun, over the years, revealing its interconnectedness and the pieces of the puzzle that left many unanswered questions between seasons. Best of all, is that we start to understand Reddington’s motives for every action he took.

The Blacklist Season 10 delivers all the action and intrigue that the nine preceding instalments have, and in many ways, there’s a lot more to the final season, a lot more action, and a lot more of the brutality of Reddington. We see him pull the trigger himself, something quite absent from preceding seasons.

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