It’s surreal that this is the beginning of the end.
After nine seasons and over two hundred blacklist cases, we are preparing for one final season to bring the whole thrilling saga to a close.
The Blacklist Season 9 saw Raymond go scorched earth to try and unearth Elizabeth’s killer, not knowing her murderer had been right next to him all along.
Marvin Gerard proved a formidable foe when he killed Elizabeth and set his sights on killing Raymond and taking over his empire.
It culminated in a showdown that saw Raymond emerge on top but only with some casualties.
The final season is bound to look and feel slightly different, and some changes were teased in the Season 9 finale.
Spoilers for The Blacklist Season 10 Episode 1 tease a smaller team, a new cast addition, and the team going on the defensive while playing offense to some extent.
The team minus three members.
We went through Season 9 without Elizabeth Keen, and whatever your feelings were for the character, we can all admit that she profoundly affected the other team members. They did everything in their power to bring her killer to justice.
While some viewers didn’t particularly miss the obnoxious, flawed, and incredibly human character Elizabeth, we all missed seeing her smile on one of those rare occasions she was happy.
The team settled into a routine without Elizabeth, and it seems they will have to get comfortable because she is dead and not coming back.
She might occasionally appear during flashbacks or if someone else hallucinates but don’t count on her returning.
In The Blacklist Season 10, the team loses two more members.
It was quite clear that the job was seriously messing with Aram’s mental health, and it didn’t come as a surprise when he revealed he would time off to go live a little.
It was revealed that Amir Arison, the actor who portrays the character, would be exiting the series to focus on his interest in Broadway. He was later cast in a new Apple TV+ series which means a different schedule colliding with The Blacklist.
Like many stars who have left the show, we can only hope to see him in some guest appearances but nothing significant.
Laura Sohn, who portrayed Alina, will also not be returning.
In ‘Marvin Gerard Conclusion pt 2,’ Alina revealed that she would also be taking time away from the task force after learning that she was pregnant.
With the season picking up months after the end of the previous season, one can assume she is still on leave and might extend it until she has given birth and seen the baby through the early periods of their life. And by then, the show will have ended.
Laura revealed that she would be focusing on other aspects of her career. Like Amir, we can only hope she appears in guest appearances.
The team plus one member.
With three integral characters off of the team, it’s safe to say the team will be stretched thin. Aram was the resident IT guy, and he left a huge gap.
Elizabeth and Alina went out of the field more, and with both out, the team will feel the hit.
They need at least one more member.
So, Anya Banerjee joins the cast as … wait for it … Siya Malik.
Remember Meera Malik? No?
Meera was one of the original task force team members who sadly was stabbed and killed in the show’s early seasons.
Like her mother before her, Siya is an active agent for the British intelligence service known as MI6. If she is anything like her mother, we can’t expect her to be badass.
The end for Raymond Redington begins.
Before he committed suicide, Marvin Gerald made one final play that made sure he would continue to make Raymond’s life a living hell beyond the grave.
Raymond has been able to take down so many of his enemies and competitors because he did so under tight anonymity.
Marvin exposed Raymond’s CI status to the FBI by giving a former Blacklister — Wujing — a list of names Raymond had helped put people behind bars.
On The Blacklist Season 10 Episode 1, it’s been six months since Wujing escaped custody. An explosion sees Raymond resurface in Manhattan, where a former Blacklister is also found.
Raymond is being hunted.
When Marvin gave that list to Wujing, he knew what he was doing. He knew all those criminals Raymond had snitched on would stop at nothing to kill him. And it seems they haven’t.
The best cause of action would be if they banded together, pooled their resources, and hunted him together. Criminals are not known for their brains, so it’s doubtful they will do that. They each felt pain solo, and they will be seeking revenge solo.
If they do this, they will make it easy for Raymond to pick them off individually.
Rarely is Raymond caught unawares or on the defense, and it will be interesting to see how he rises to the occasion.
Season 10 is where all the secrets will be revealed, including who Raymond really is and where Katarina has been all along.
It wouldn’t be The Blacklist without an elaborate conspiracy, and this season teases one. The best guess would be that it’s how the Blacklisters will take Raymond down once and for all.
The season trailer teases some of the original Blacklisters, who might be back, led by Wujing.
Check it out below and see how many you recognize.
Catch the episode live on Sunday, February 26, on NBC at 8 p.m. E.T. and a review of the episode right after here on TV Fanatic.
It’s yours to watch The Blacklist online via TV Fanatic to prepare for the beginning of the end.
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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