The Blacklist - TV show, Spader messing with the FBI

[SpagMasterSwift]

No thread for this? Looks pretty good...trailer seems to show the entire first episode so be warned!

Bit Hannibal in its set up, with some 24 thrown in - but James Spader sold it to me looking like Hunter S Thompson.

[jonamok]

Watched quite a bit of it. Entertaining in an Alias kind of way. Not really a keeper though.

[Paul3704]

Yeah. Been watching it with the Missus and it's 'alright' in a safe, White Collar kind of way.

It has picked up since the Christmas break though.

[AK Bell]

I've heard about it recently and been checking for repeats on the sky box... but no luck so far

[hub2]

Frankly it's terrible, except when Spader is on screen which is when it turns into a hoot. He's the only reason to watch this.

[Yoshimax]

It's procedural garbage - and that's coming from someone who enjoys Person of Interest. With the exception of Spader the cast are terrible and the stories are dull.

[Hexx]

It's getting better as it's woven a bit of an arc in, but in general everyone but Spader isn't great.

Keen is just terrible (and laughably nothing like the strong go geter she was described as in the pilot) and her husband is a passive aggressive bitch.

The latest episode was the most unsettling thing I've ever watched though

[Guest]

I would watch an edited version of this with only Spader in it. Don't really care if it makes sense, just let the man talk.

[csuzw]

I'm 5 or 6 episodes into this and only persevering for Spader.

[Phelan]

I'm up to Ep 12 I think it is and it's one of my favourite shows to watch. The last few episodes have been quite brutal.

[KriessG]

I thought this got better as it went on, really shocked how little it's been spoke about. I can't wait for the second half of season 1. They've already signed a full 20 episode season 2 on the strength of the ratings.

[Guest]

This started off ok, but as Kriess says, it just gets better and better. It's completely fucking ridiculous and plays up to it beautifully! Love the format of the show and Spader is on fire. Then he normally is. Main woman is so hot and her husband is such a loser which amuses me no end.

8/10 series.

Series 1 is on US Netflix if not already noted too.

[Monkeyboy]

Up to episode 4, and not really feeling it, but if it gets better, I'll stick with it. Spader is great though.

[Garibaldi]

Up to episode 4, and not really feeling it, but if it gets better, I'll stick with it. Spader is great though.

Yeah, I feel much the same. It shows signs of rapidly becoming the tried and tested 'villan of the week' mechanic while slowly moving a few continuous threads forward. Unfortunately, those threads just aren't that interesting. As has been mentioned, the agent's husband is as intriguing as a pillow and so I feel little desire to see his thread resolved. Similarly, Spader's awkward obsfuscations, obviously to try and build suspense, when the agent asks him why he chose her are quickly becoming tiresome.

Saying that, some of the villans were entertaining ( though mainly the ones that verged into freakshow territory ) so I'll give it a bit more time, though I'm not really eager to do so.

[Fuddle]

I was enjoying this, but got distracted by other stuff. So only got round to finishing off season 1 the other day just in time for the second.

It's obviously at its best when spader is on screen, but it's now got a bit more of a wider story.

slightly annoying that nobody has realised the obvious thing that he is her father, and that they still dangle little bits about it to the viewer, even though we were explicitly told about it ages ago.

I was pretty shocked by the other woman agent getting killed so simply and horribly, and thought the director guy was dead too for a while.

It's also quite interesting seeing people talking about not liking the wet blanket husband. I guess he tricked everybody!

Hopefully season 2 will now start to bring the story into a bigger picture and not so much single story's.

[Chow]

Just finishing up Season 1 on Netflix, blitzed through it in the last week mainly because Spader is so great in it. The actual FBI agents are all amazingly inept though. Always getting their asses whooped, and taking some seriously easy bait.

EDIT:

All of the twists seem intentionally shit too.

So, I'm supposed to believe that Tom isn't a bad guy, because a creepy assassin said so? Nah. Don't think so.

Pretty clear that Reddington is her father from the get-go.

And you don't hire Stormare to be 'generic Russian guard'.

But, with all that said, I'm strangely enjoying the show.

[KriessG]

I really enjoyed series 1 in the end, anyone else on board for series 2 here?

[Guest]

Yep, start of episode 2 was hilarious!

I love how the show is clearly having a laugh half the time, it gets the tone pretty spot on.

[KriessG]

Yea loved the intro sequence, Spader is just awesome.

[Jonny5]

This seems to have stopped. Mid-season break I hope and not cancellation.

[hub2]

Midseason break. It's practically the only show on NBC that's doing well. The hype here is huge.

[Guest]

Second series hasn't been great so far to be honest.

[DJ KNIGHT XIII]

Surely I am not the only one still watching this ? Anyway just finished watching the first episode of season 3 , very entertaining .

[schmojo]

This has become an entirely new spectacle in stupidity. It's as if the writers are brought on new without having watched the previous week's show, and the only instruction is: "More! Stupider! Keep Tom Keen in the show inexplicably forever!".

I think that ep 3 of this series might be the dumbest piece of TV I've ever seen, but I'm beginning to appreciate it on that basis.

Also, for fans of Raymond's S1 monologues, I made this: The Reddington Monologue Generator

[MDY]

Also, for fans of Raymond's S1 monologues, I made this: The Reddington Monologue Generator

That's excellent

But what do you mean S1?? He's still bloody doing it every episode!

I think I'm about done with it, Spader's showboating shtick has got really old by now.. Keen has never moved forward from being utterly hopeless and I don't actually like any of the other characters besides Aram and Dembe..

And as you say.. beyond stupid..

[Jonny5]

I'm still watching and enjoying this, currently almost at the end of season 3 and there has been a pretty significant shock.

Spoiler

Keen is dead.  Now I was sure she would come back somehow and it was an elaborate scheme to protect her but two episodes on and she doesn't appear to be coming back.  I have three episodes left and am properly hooked to see what happens.