The Blacklist
Antihero leadA protagonist doing bad things you can't stop watching.This show: 9/10Mystery boxCentral riddles sustained across whole seasons.This show: 8/10Criminal underworldOrganized crime, gangs and the criminal life seen from the inside.This show: 8/10Secrets & liesHidden truths straining every relationship.This show: 8/10Cliffhanger-drivenEngineered for the 'one more episode' effect.This show: 7/10ProceduralA case or problem of the week, solved by a formula that works.This show: 7/10Morally grayNo clean heroes or villains anywhere in sight.This show: 7/10SerializedContinuous arcs where every episode builds on the last.This show: 7/10
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Starring
James SpaderMegan BooneDiego KlattenhoffRyan EggoldHarry LennixHisham Tawfiq
Written by
Jon Bokenkamp
Starring
James SpaderMegan BooneDiego KlattenhoffRyan EggoldHarry LennixHisham Tawfiq
Written by
Jon Bokenkamp
Ratings per Episode
Votes per Episode
The Blacklist Episode Ratings Heatmap
| Avg | E1 | E2 | E3 | E4 | E5 | E6 | E7 | E8 | E9 | E10 | E11 | E12 | E13 | E14 | E15 | E16 | E17 | E18 | E19 | E20 | E21 | E22 | E23 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | 8.0 | 8.2 | 7.8 | 7.6 | 8.0 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 7.7 | 8.9 | 8.7 | 8.3 | 7.8 | 8.0 | 7.7 | 7.8 | 8.0 | 7.7 | 8.1 | 8.3 | 7.9 | 8.4 | 8.7 | ||
| S2 | 8.0 | 8.1 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.7 | 7.5 | 7.9 | 8.0 | 8.5 | 8.7 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 7.4 | 7.6 | 8.0 | 6.9 | 8.3 | 7.6 | 8.0 | 8.8 | 7.8 | 8.7 | 9.1 | ||
| S3 | 8.2 | 8.8 | 8.6 | 8.1 | 7.9 | 8.2 | 8.4 | 8.0 | 7.8 | 9.1 | 9.2 | 8.4 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 8.9 | 7.8 | 7.7 | 8.1 | 8.4 | 8.8 | |
| S4 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 7.8 | 7.6 | 7.2 | 7.6 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.2 | 7.3 | 7.4 | 7.3 | 7.5 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 8.5 | 8.7 | 9.0 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 8.1 | 8.4 | 9.0 | ||
| S5 | 8.1 | 8.0 | 8.1 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 7.9 | 9.2 | 8.5 | 8.0 | 8.5 | 7.6 | 7.7 | 7.8 | 7.5 | 8.1 | 7.6 | 8.0 | 8.6 | 7.4 | 7.6 | 8.6 | ||
| S6 | 8.3 | 8.0 | 8.4 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.0 | 7.8 | 7.6 | 7.9 | 8.6 | 8.1 | 8.7 | 8.5 | 8.1 | 8.9 | 7.9 | 7.7 | 7.8 | 8.1 | 9.0 | 7.8 | 8.7 | 9.0 | ||
| S7 | 7.5 | 8.3 | 8.4 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 6.8 | 8.0 | 8.1 | 8.2 | 7.1 | 7.8 | 7.5 | 7.4 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 7.3 | 7.8 | 5.9 | |||||
| S8 | 7.2 | 7.0 | 7.8 | 6.5 | 5.4 | 7.0 | 8.5 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 6.4 | 6.7 | 6.4 | 8.2 | 8.6 | 5.0 | 6.6 | 6.8 | 8.3 | 7.5 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 8.4 | 7.7 | ||
| S9 | 7.3 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 7.1 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 6.6 | 7.1 | 6.7 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.3 | 6.7 | 7.3 | 8.1 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 7.7 | 5.4 | 8.4 | 8.2 | 7.8 | ||
| S10 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 7.8 | 7.9 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.5 | 8.7 | 7.4 | 7.7 | 7.0 | 7.1 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.7 | 7.9 | 7.6 | 8.4 | 8.7 | 8.8 | 6.6 |
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About
"One magnetic villain, an ever-thickening decade-long mystery"
A notorious criminal fixer surrenders to the FBI and offers to help hunt down dangerous fugitives, but only if he works exclusively with one green profiler. What starts as a slick case-of-the-week procedural gradually reveals a much deeper, twistier conspiracy about who this man really is and why he chose her. It's carried almost entirely by its lead's magnetic, theatrical performance, all tailored suits and cryptic monologues, while the mystery engine keeps things watchable long after the plotting turns baroque and repetitive.
Watch it for
the lead performance, a gleefully theatrical criminal whose scenes elevate every episode he's in.
Maybe skip if
you need tight, resolved mythology rather than a mystery stretched across many seasons.
Written by our AI editor to help you decide, spoiler-free by design.
All Seasons
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Season 12013
8.078K2215h 33m
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 22014
8.056K2215h 42m
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 32015
8.255K2316h 29m
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 42016
8.040K2215h 44m
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 52017
8.138K2215h 44m
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 62019
8.337K2215h 25m
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 72019
7.531K1913h 26m
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 82020
7.241K2215h 35m
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 92021
7.326K2215h 46m
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 102023
7.624K2215h 25m
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.
Full Cast & Crew
Cast
James Spader Raymond 'Red' Reddington
Megan Boone Elizabeth Keen
Diego Klattenhoff Donald Ressler
Ryan Eggold Tom Keen
Harry Lennix Harold Cooper
Hisham Tawfiq Dembe Zuma
Amir Arison Aram Mojtabai
Mozhan Navabi Samar Navabi
Laura Sohn Alina Park
Susan Blommaert Mr. Kaplan
Crew
Jon Bokenkamp
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