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The Blacklist

The Blacklist

Never trust a criminal... Until you have to.

2013–2023Ended10 seasons218 episodes~43 min/epTV-14Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

Raymond "Red" Reddington, one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives, surrenders in person at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He claims that he and the FBI have the same interests: bringing down dangerous criminals and terrorists. In the last two decades, he's made a list of criminals and terrorists that matter the most but the FBI cannot find because it does not know they exist. Reddington calls this "The Blacklist". Reddington will co-operate, but insists that he will speak only to Elizabeth Keen, a rookie FBI profiler.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Blacklist?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Blacklist streaming on Netflix and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Rent / Buy

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Highlights

What stands out about The Blacklist?

The Blacklist earns 4 badges, led by Universally Loved and Cultural touchstone.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is The Blacklist worth watching?

The Blacklist's Midcredits score is the 87th percentile of all shows, from 309K ratings across 2 sources. 87% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

87th percentile

Better received than 87% of shows

86th percentile among Crime86th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)81st
Approval (how many liked it)88th

Acclaim

Universally Loved: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

78 /100

81st percentile of all shows

84th percentile among Crime79th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

Approval

How many liked it

87% liked it

88th percentile of all shows

84th percentile among Crime86th percentile among 2010s
87% rated it 7–1013% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

99th percentile

305K ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Crime99th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 9% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree that James Spader's portrayal of Raymond Reddington is the defining strength, while the Elizabeth Keen character and her arc are the show's weakest element.

Fans praised

  • James Spader's performance as Reddington is the show's anchor
  • Supporting cast (Dembe, Aram, Cooper) adds depth to the task force
  • Clever, twisty plotlines keep the series engaging across 10 seasons

Detractors panned

  • Megan Boone's acting and the Elizabeth Keen character are widely criticized
  • Later seasons lose coherence with overlong mysteries and contrived drama
  • Focus shifts from crime-of-the-week to a dragged-out, self-centered storyline

What stands out

ActingDivisive70

Spader's tour-de-force performance earns near-universal praise; Boone's wooden delivery is the frequent target of criticism

Dialogue68

Red's witty, articulate speeches are a highlight; Keen's lines are often derided as whiny

CharactersDivisive55

Reddington, Dembe, Aram are beloved; Keen is reviled as unlikable, irrational, and self-centered

Plot and storyDivisive55

Early seasons praised for clever twists; later seasons criticized for convoluted, dragged-out mysteries

EndingDivisive35

Series finale widely panned as anticlimactic, even by devoted fans

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 3 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart
  • Critics vs users 4 points apart
  • US vs non-US even

Episodes

10 seasons

Season 10 · 2023 · 22 episodes · 7.9 average across 22 rated episodes

  • S10E1

    The Night Owl

    Feb 26, 202342 minTMDB rating 7.7
  • S10E2

    The Whaler

    Mar 5, 202342 minTMDB rating 8.1
  • S10E3

    The Four Guns

    Mar 12, 202342 minTMDB rating 8.4
  • S10E4

    The Hyena

    Mar 19, 202342 minTMDB rating 8.3
  • S10E5

    The Dockery Affair

    Mar 26, 202342 minTMDB rating 7.9
  • S10E6

    Dr. Laken Perillos: Conclusion

    Apr 2, 202342 minTMDB rating 7.3

Watch experience

What is The Blacklist like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, dark and intense — an even-paced watch that leaves you thinking.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
TenseContemplativeMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Wry · 7% of shows: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Case of the week plus an arcNew arc each season
ToneThe series maintains a brooding, tense atmosphere while Raymond Reddington's wry, theatrical delivery adds a layer of knowing humour.
The rideThe series maintains a baseline tension from casework and personal secrets, with its heaviest emotional weight concentrated in the later seasons as the central relationship reaches its resolution.
StructureEpisodes follow a conventional three-act structure typical of a procedural drama.
Episode formatEach episode features a new blacklister case while advancing the serialized mystery of Reddington's identity and relationship with Keen.
Season formatEach season has a distinct overarching conflict tied to the blacklist (e.g., The Director, Mr. Kaplan, the Townsend Directive), all feeding the series-long serial.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Thought-provokingHaunting · 9% of shows
Why it leaves you this wayThe series' layered mysteries and moral ambiguity linger, while its darker moments leave an eerie aftertaste.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterPredator
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18% (this title): Predator 7% (this title) · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Predator: A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).

18% of shows fit this archetype

with Mystery underneath

Why this archetypeTypical episode follows the task force pursuing a dangerous blacklist target, making it a monster-of-the-week procedural with an overarching mystery about Reddington's past.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31% (this title): Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% (this title) · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% (this title) · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6% (this title)
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsDeception · 6% of showsRedemption · 3% of shows: Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe series is driven by the murky, evolving bond between Reddington and Liz, constantly tested by lies and hidden agendas, with Reddington's quest for atonement as a central undercurrent.
StanceThe series questions whether family bonds can survive a world of lies and betrayal, without offering a clear moral judgment on Reddington's methods or Liz's choices.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalDomesticStylized realism
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score
SettingWashington D.C. metropolitan area and international locations of blacklist targets
MusicThe score blends tense electronic pulses with themes of tragic grandeur, most memorably in the finale's operatic cues.

Content guide

Is The Blacklist okay for kids?

TV-14

The Blacklist is rated TV-14. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (74/100), sexual content at mild (25/100), language at moderate (38/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (41/100) and frightening material at moderate (54/100). Overall it is heavier than 63% of TV-14 shows.

Ratings in 28 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada14+
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland15
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil16
  • Austria16
  • Czechia18+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK16
  • Hungary16
  • IndiaU
  • LTN-7
  • MexicoB
  • MYU
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway18
  • PhilippinesPG
  • Poland16
  • PortugalNR
  • RO15
  • SingaporeNC16
  • Spain12
  • SwedenFrån 15 år
  • Switzerland16
  • Türkiye18+
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 50% of all showsHeavier than 63% of TV-14 shows
Violence & Gore
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a TV-14 show
heavier than 86%
Sex & Nudity
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
light for a TV-14 show
heavier than 22%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for a TV-14 show
heavier than 46%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for a TV-14 show
heavier than 63%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-14 show
heavier than 59%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence. Everything else sits at or below what TV-14 shows usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does The Blacklist have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Blacklist?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

James Spader
as Raymond 'Red' Reddington
Globe nominee: Golden Globe nomination — Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - DramaTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Diego Klattenhoff
as Donald Ressler
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Harry Lennix
as Harold Cooper
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Hisham Tawfiq
as Dembe Zuma
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Amir Arison
as Aram Mojtabai
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Megan Boone
as Elizabeth Keen
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Mozhan Navabi
as Samar Navabi
Ryan Eggold
as Tom Keen
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Laura Sohn
as Alina Park
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Susan Blommaert
as Mr. Kaplan
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.

More like this

What are shows like The Blacklist?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like The Blacklist include Criminal Minds (2005), Absentia (2017) and The Following (2013).

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What other shows share a tag with The Blacklist?

191 other shows share the rarest tag below, follows: spy. Each tag opens Browse with the shows that share it.