Review: The Blacklist (Season 2, Finale)

The second season of Jon Bokenkamp’s thrilling US conspiracy series, The Blacklist, has finally come to a close on Sky Living, bringing with it a game-changing new twist that has turned the tables on everything we knew up to now.

The programme follows the story of FBI Agent Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone), whose life was turned upside down when she was selected as an exclusive confidant to the enigmatic criminal mastermind, Raymond Reddington (James Spader). For much of the second season, Keen’s life has continued to spiral out of control, as she has become increasingly entangled in the deceptive criminal underground of New York, all whilst on the hunt for the ruthless felons on Reddington’s Blacklist. Keen’s mysterious past has also been a key point of interest within the show’s plot line, as it was revealed that Reddington had ordered her mind to be blocked from remembering a traumatic event in her childhood that involved a fire, her birth parents, and most intriguingly, him.

The 22nd episode sees Keen finally remember what happened on the night of the fire, after she is framed for the assassination of a US Senator by the ‘Cabal’ – a menacing crime syndicate that have been lurking in the shadows since season one. Since Keen and Reddington’s discovery of the “fulcrum” – a complex technology file that harbours intimate information about the Cabal’s members – the syndicate have been ruthless in their attempts to eradicate Reddington and the FBI taskforce. In previous episodes, we’ve seen a shocking attempt on Red’s life as well as the slow and hinting corruption of Tom Connolly – the smirking US Attorney General who also claims to be a close friend of taskforce director, Agent Cooper. As the episode goes on, we realise just how dangerous a world Liz has entered into, and how much she has changed since the first season.

Though certain questions seem to be answered – like the troubling identity of Liz’s mother and the secret at the core of her memory – there are still many teasing questions that are yet to be revealed. Forefront of the speculation, remains the question of Reddington’s connection to her family and to that specific night in Liz’s childhood. The future of the taskforce is also unclear, after the upsetting fragmentation of the team during the events of this episode. The destination of Liz’s secretive ex-husband Tom (Ryan Eggold) is also uncertain.

As a season finale, this episode excels in bringing together the taunting breadcrumbs that have been laid in past episodes, but conceals enough of the really compelling overarching plot to keep you eager for answers in the upcoming third season. The performances by Spader and Boone are also brilliant, with the chemistry between their characters set for a whole new dynamic when the show returns next year.

The Blacklist Season 2 will be available to buy on DVD from 17th August. The show will return to Sky Living for a third season in Autumn 2016.

Episodes 18-22 are available to watch on Sky Go for a limited time.