User Reviews

While I join the many fans who are disappointed with the fact that there was no real reveal and that Liz died without knowing the truth about who Red is to her, I still give it a 9. There were some great scenes in there, the park scene was lovely. But the real reason for the 9 is simply Spader's acting in this episode, which was phenomenal. Incredibly nuanced, multi-layered and so very emotional. From funny to sad, from feeling the incredible weight of his decision, the look in his eyes reflecting his impending death, his doubts, the sadness and hope that his plan to sacrifice himself would give Liz what she needed to survive after all the damage she had done. And at the end, the horror of how it turned out. Spader deserves all possible awards for this performance alone.

Having known that Boone was leaving the show, I'm ok with the fact that they killed off Liz, though I wish she would have gone knowing the truth, whatever it may be. After this episode I feel a heavy sadness, not so much for the demise of Liz, but for what it means to Red. And that is because Spader portrayed his character so amazingly.

Eight seasons of back-and-forth over Red's identity. Eight seasons of turning Keen into the most unsympathetic lead female I can think of in any current drama series. I know lots of viewers disliked Megan Boone's acting. I don't think she did a bad job, let's face it, she was up against the mighty James Spader. I think Megan was handed a poisoned chalice by the writers and show runners. They made Keen into a narcissistic, whiny, self-righteous pain in the backside, to the point I was talking to the screen telling Keen to STFU by season eight.

To kill Keen off without her getting the answer that has been dangled in front of both her and we viewers was disrespectful on the part of the writers and show runners.

The montage was affecting, Spader's acting was as good as ever, but I'm still left with a bitter taste in my mouth.

I have watched, and loved, The Blacklist since the beginning. The supporting cast, especially Harold, Aram and Dembe were favorites but Spader was simply sublime: hilarious, thoughtful, kind, loyal and ruthless. This episode broke my heart for Red's sake. I was never a big fan of Elizabeth but she has been his raison d'etre across the years and now I wonder what will replace that. I was saddened by this episode, hearing him discussing his life in a world-weary way rather than his usual full-of-life conviction, forcefulness and self-interest. It was beautifully acted and made us see him, understand his feelings and sympathize.

It was not until TODAY that I heard about the "Red is Katarina" theory and was simply floored at the idiocy of it, never mind the writers sledgehammering the viewers with endless hint-drops. I thought he might be her uncle, perhaps Katarina's twin brother that we weren't aware of heretofore. I never thought that the thin, diminutive Katarina could be surgically altered to become a much taller, heavier man with different bone structure. Also, she was a spy, not a criminal, and in order for her to build a worldwide network of information and manipulation at the highest echelons, she would have needed contacts and access, not to mention astronomical assets, going in, since the twenty-five years or so between her abandoning Elizabeth and Red's appearance in Washington, wouldn't have been enough time to constantly travel the world, enlist myriad people--willingly or un- --to behave as he wished and so, so many other things which would stretch credulity. And there are the women Red obviously pleased amorously, which, if one had been reconstructed, would seem to require extraneous methods and/or appliances, to achieve the desired effect. I simply can't support this very startling conclusion. An emotional season ending. I can't imagine where it will proceed from here, but I intend to see it through.

You need to understand that she didn't need a letter to realize who Red was to Liz. Especially because the memories all show how much he is willing to give up for her.

Tips: Watch the photo scene Then the surgeon scene Now the end scene You'll get it.

Liz figured out the mystery as she was dying. It was beautifully done, if you were paying attention. It could have worked as a series finale, even though it would have REALLY pissed off the percentage of fans that need everything spelled out for them.

I have been a loyal fan of Blacklist since season 1. The storyline over the last two seasons has been bumpy but there has been enough great episodes each season to offset the over arching story that ended here. In addition, when you have James Spader, you're going to be okay.

I'm not a "Liz hater" and I think Megan Boone is a good actress. Unfortunately, at least in my opinion, they put her character in a plot line that Meryl Streep couldn't save. Seeing how calm and peaceful she was in this episode tells me she was ready for this to be over too. Hope she gets work that allows her to be successful, going forward.

The one thing that the season told us, with Liz missing for 6 or 7 episodes, is that the show can continue and be very good even with the loss of a key character. Hope the writers bear down in season 9 and gives us some solid, back to Blacklist episodes to hold our attention.

Up until the very end, this episode felt like an odd fever dream. Everything felt uncanny and off. As someone who was never a huge Liz fan, I will say her death scene was sad. Probably hit me because they showed flashbacks and reminded me of when I cared about Liz, but there was something about experiencing Liz's life flashing before her eyes that hit even my jaded heart.

Elizabeth Keen should have been so much more. Something along the lines of a Buffy Summers type, deeply flawed and vulnerable but strong, smart, relatable, sympathetic, tough, someone you can't help but fall for. Instead, Liz was the single most poorly written female lead I have ever witnessed. Granted, the shoddy writing was probably necessary at times in order to facilitate her keeping Tom around after all his stunts, and working with Reddington at all after basically the first season, and I could forgive all that. They made it make enough sense. What I can't forgive, is the lack of true character development. Liz stalled and went in circles past a certain point. All I can figure is the people in charge are clueless about writing women, because when Liz was at her worst these past 2 seasons, it seems we were supposed to be most impressed.

I could mostly understand the Liz we got the first 5 seasons. I could understand her in season 6 when she secretly had Red put in prison. I believed her remorse when she realized she made a terrible mistake. Nothing was truly unforgivable until that BS in season 7 with blonde not-Kat. She went from being on great terms with Red, to oddly distant after he'd been kidnapped. Why? One week she hates him, the next she's warm and thankful he made it to her daughter's ballet reception. Then she hates him again! In my opinion, this poorly executed, one sided Liz VS Red war was the start of what has ruined the show. They wrote their co-lead into a volcanic pit, and they did it poorly whilst making every other main cast character look dumber than a bag of rocks.

I don't know what, if anything went on behind the scenes to propel this, but regardless, the people in charge should be ashamed. The fans, regardless of what faction they're in, they deserved better. The cast deserved better. How did we go from intriguing and dark crime/spy drama taking down creepy and colorful criminals to a mediocre soap opera with forced feuds, forced sleazy romance (sorry keenler crew, you weren't my cup of tea but you did deserve better), forced stupidity, and an adversary so cartoonishly embarrassing? What the heck went wrong?

Liz never got the answers she so desperately sought. Red would only grant her this knowledge after she killed him. Liz agreed, but when the time came she didn't want to do it, because even after all her misdeeds and painfully stupid stunts, Liz had a heart and Red was family. If she was ever truly capable of killing him, she would have shot him after she killed Anne. Liz didn't want to kill someone who, as damaging as he was, looked out for her, who cared for her daughter while she was in a coma, who wanted to leave her everything he had. Liz was a lot of things, but not heartless. She could not kill a man her daughter lovingly dubbed Pinky. Even if this had been the series finale, it never would have happened, at least not believably.

It's because of Red's ludicrous request, Liz ends up dead. You'd think after everything, Red would have sought out Townsend's remaining ally. Liz surely knew how dedicated VanDyke (?) was to Townsend. Red should have squashed that bug, but much like with Townsend himself, Red was careless and let this guy live because plot demanded it. So this henchman of the worst villain in the series shoots Liz from behind, fulfilling Townsend's wish of having Red watch Liz die. Seriously? By the way, why on earth would Liz want to raise her daughter living even deeper in Red's world? You'd think Liz would want to take her kid and have a peaceful life. Give her daughter stability and a mother she could rely on, but Red's stupid desire to have Liz take over his empire was more important.

A good, respectable enough exit would have been Liz telling Red to take his empire and shove it. She should have demanded he facilitate her going into deep, deep hiding and he should have respected that. Liz should have stood up for herself and her daughter but instead, she goes with Red's dumb request because he has some disease that writers probably can't figure out. I have never seen a show sabotage a lead character the audience is supposed to root for the way Blacklist relentlessly sabotaged Liz. I thought I'd be happier she was gone, I didn't think they'd kill her.

6/10 because they pulled off the amazing trick of making me feel bad for Liz for the first time since season 6. This was a strange episode, that by the way, refused to confirm Red's identity. They purposely fueled the "Redarina" fire, and I doubt they'll ever bring it up again so the audience factions can be in an eternal civil war. No one wins except the "Redarinas". They have likely angered all of the Lizzingtons, the Keenlers, the Daddygaters, the Other Dude theorists, the people who just wanted a good story, we all lost. I'm not mad because "it's not the story I wanted", I'm mad because they took a good, intriguing, fun story with endless potential, and turned it into a dumpster fire.

This show used to be great, but wow! Such a completely disappointing way to end the season. They hyped this final episode to the moon promising all sorts of reveals and then killed off a major character without resolving her biggest mystery. I've been no fan of Megan Boone's acting. It was James Spader who kept making the show great. Boone won't be missed. But that was a completely unsatisfying way to end her story arc.

I honestly have no idea how to rate this episode, I had a strong headache after watching it, I swear to all the Gods.

On the one hand, I was so absorbed into it, the entire plot of this episode made me believe it so hard and feel so attached that I actually cried for his almost-departure, even though I know for a fact that Red is gonna be around for next season, but this is how good you did.

On the other hand, it's really too much for him to carry this burden! I mean, OH MY GOD! The man was prepared to literally die for her and now he has to live with fact that she's dead? This is too much for him. I was hoping that Boone's departure will translate in Keen going into hiding just as her mother, which maybe will be a burden for Reddington, as well, but it's not gonna be as bad as her dying in his arms. I mean, come on! Wouldn't that have made more sense?

It would've been way better to resolve this plot and disclose the secret now, then try to come with post-truth complications in your story if you must insist on 9th seasons. You've killed one of the 2 main characters and did not give us any closure after you promised, what a weird way to end it and to keep the suspense! I mean yes maybe some of us will stick around, but furious and angry.

Then again, don't cancel the show before the 9th season. Because your audience deserves a closure after 8 years. Even if the audience base will diminishes, you awe it to them to try your best.

Megan Boone, you'll be missed. Good luck in your future endeavors.

A very good episode if not the dark clouds of Redarina was ruining it all. If Raymond Reddington turns out to be Katarina Rostova the best Tv-show and tv-character of all time turn in to the worst.

A good twist is when it's something you didn't realize until the end and it's realistic. This is something you don't figure out because it's unrealistic and stupid. Kill of Redarina!!

Episode 22: A superb episode that brought tears to my eyes; finest performance by James Spader and an emotional good bye to Liz Keen. Loved you very much and against all odds, you cemented yourself with The Blacklist.

The wide range of emotion so heartfeltly displayed by Reddington is another proof that James Spader is a living legend and deserves many awards for this episode alone. May he get them and inspire others more.

It's an honor...

It all fits together. Although it's sad to see Liz go, I appreciate the bald move of the writers and think it's the best and most likely way to continue this story.

To be honest, I wished she had passed away 2 seasons ago until this happy moment came.

I do not want it to appear that the series is better without her, on the contrary, it was a reason for me to watch those events that gave her the opportunity, but she judged herself.

My only problem with this episode was, they hyped us for revealing who RED really is but not saying it (I've been watching entire show again and all the facts shows that RED is KATARINA but it doesn't make any sense since MR. KAPLAN knew real REDDINGTON was dead and he is an imposter so she should have known who is he and if he is KATARINA why she hate her and wanted to kill her/him

and about KEEN it was the best way to kill her, sad and emotional, with great ending.

I only afraid that writers know they can't say RED is KATARINA so because of that they never gonna reveal who he really is.

So much hatred towards how they ended this arch, although honestly I thought it was a good way to end it. Keen did get her answer in the end as the last moments flash in front of her eyes. The big reveal which is hinted at strongly stays unmentioned, which allows for deviation although it was heavily implied.

Now to honor the ending, also make sure to put Keens character to rest, she contributed to the show in her way, although I think season 8 beginning episodes and the episodes with Anne, have shown that in the end it is James Spader and the atmosphere around Reddington that he and the show portraits is what makes the Blacklist such a good show to watch..

Simply too much forced interaction, hypocritic behavior and putting Keen on the pedestal over and over again over multiple seasons in various kind of ways, drags down the quality of the writing of the show.

I understand that Megan wanted to quit the show, but it's not an excuse to write something this bad and cheap.

I don't see any future for the show from there. It has gone full downhill and even if there will be a season 9 it won't manage to survive. Not with this writers room at least who have proven themselves to be trolls and incapable of writing.

It's truly disappointing that the show has fallen in such a way.

I've been somewhat critical in the past year and news that Boone was leaving was no surprise, but what a way to go. I judge actors mostly based on could someone else do just as good a job. Spader is irreplaceable, but a lot of people could replace Boone. That said, I have to admit she did a decent job in her final appearance. Can't wait for next season.

So I was never a fan of the Liz character. Her character development these past 8 seasons has been minimal at best. And scenes that produced investment in her character were minimal. Sadly her surprise death scene was one of the few scenes that I felt invested. But seconds after, I was like whew, finally! Now we can move on to something better. Her character was always a tool to be acted upon...either fir plot or fir the needs of another character. Never the other way around. Characters that suit that need are usually new each episode or fir just a season or two. Not often the lead.

I hope the show gets back to open and close episodes about the blacklist. Instead of a movie plot that gets stretched over 200 episodes to the point you no longer care.

I have invested 8 years into this show and the season finales kills off the main character who never ever got her answers? To end with her dying and nothing else? To leave it open ended that Red is mostly her Mom due to going under the knife to protect her identity? This is totally agenda driven and disappointing. I'm not hating on anyone in real life by the way, I'm strictly speaking of the show. SO DISAPPOINTING and wish I never invested 8 years into it. Done.