The Blacklist
Cast & Key People
▶
Our Review
Cast & Key People
▶
Our Review
The Blacklist (2013) is a drama and crime series from NBC. It has built a run of 218 episodes at roughly 60 minutes each. It premiered on September 23, 2013. Viewers rate it 8.1 out of 10. It is currently ended. It runs 10 seasons.
What The Blacklist Is About
The Blacklist is a crime drama involving a former government agent who turned into a high-profile criminal turning himself in to the FBI offering to help catch criminals.
What to Expect When You Watch
Episodes run about 60 minutes, which keeps the pace tight, the full run covers 218 episodes, spread across 10 seasons and it leans into its drama/crime roots while leaving room for the quieter character beats.
Performance-wise the series leans on James Spader, Diego Klattenhoff and Harry Lennix to carry the emotional weight, with the rest of the ensemble filling out the world around them.
Cast and Creative Team
James Spader, Diego Klattenhoff, Harry Lennix, Hisham Tawfiq, Amir Arison and Megan Boone lead the cast.
Key roles include James Spader as Raymond "Red" Reddington; Diego Klattenhoff as Donald Ressler; Harry Lennix as Harold Cooper; Hisham Tawfiq as Dembe Zuma; Amir Arison as Aram Mojtabai.
Why It Stands Out
Fans of drama, crime and thriller have a clear reason to give this one a shot. It sits comfortably alongside NBC’s other originals, a 8.1/10 audience score puts it in steady company and it commits to its premise instead of hedging between tones.
Released in 2013 and carried by NBC with the series still ended, it lands hardest with drama and crime viewers.
How The Blacklist Compares
If The Blacklist lands for you, the next stops are Breaking Bad, Firefly and The Wire, which share its drama/crime lean.
Each of those sits at a different point on the same spectrum, so they make a natural follow-up once you finish the run here.
Where to Stream
The Blacklist comes from NBC. Check your preferred platform for current availability, since regional rights move around.
Disclosure: We may earn a commission if you sign up for a streaming service through links on this page. This helps support our independent reviews.
On the whole The Blacklist is the kind of series that rewards a patient watch, with James Spader and Diego Klattenhoff doing the heaviest lifting, a tone that stays true to its drama/crime roots, It has held up since 2013 and so if the premise sounds like your lane, the execution holds up.
The Bottom Line
The Blacklist is a safe bet for anyone already inside the drama and crime lane, at 218 episodes it is an easy run to work through, the audience score holds around 8.1/10 and so there is little risk in starting it tonight.
Verdict: 8.1/10. Watch it if you want drama/crime you can settle into.
