“The ending has conviction”: When James Spader defended The Blacklist's ambiguous finale

After ten seasons of deception, double lives, and cryptic breadcrumbs, The Blacklist ended not with a bang or a full confession—but with ambiguity. While fans continue to debate what the final moments of Raymond “Red” Reddington actually meant, James Spader is at peace with how the series wrapped. In an interview with the Associated Press ahead of the finale in 2023, Spader directly addressed the creative choices behind the ending, stating,

“The ending has conviction and we commit to it.”

That statement firmly pushes back against fan theories suggesting the show’s conclusion was rushed or reactive. According to Spader, the team behind The Blacklist knew exactly when and how they wanted to end the series—and they stuck to that plan.

“I was very, very glad we were able to end it exactly the way we wanted to end it,” he said. “It was deliberate and we weren’t taken by surprise in terms of when the ending was going to come.”

Tight interpretations often miss the point of any creative work, let alone the ones packed with layers such as this show. However, in this case, more thought could be given after the last scenes appeared on screen. This is because, as emphasized by Spader, the "purposeful vagueness" serves as a kind of hallmark of the mystery, sacrifice, and identity the series wanted to explore.

The Blacklist ending was always part of the plan

The Blacklist holds the distinction of ending on its own terms when very few shows are afforded the opportunity to do so in the contemporary television landscape, avoiding abrupt cancelations and forced resolvement. Spader made it clear that the finale wasn’t the product of a ticking clock or executive meddling.

“We weren’t taken by surprise,” he reiterated, dispelling speculation that NBC suddenly pulled the plug.

This focus, as Spader noted, helped the writers create a fitting series finale, even if some unresolved issues remained. In the last episode, "Raymond Reddington: Good Night," the writers infamously avoided the cliched form of wrapping everything up neatly and instead opted for a more lyrical approach that kept Red’s mysterious nature intact.

Lingering questions trace back to seasons past

Regardless, the series finale had a high bar to match. The answers to several questions fans wanted were addressed in season 10, rather than accumulated over the years. Megan Boone’s exit during season 8 and her character's (Elizabeth Keen) death was a significant turning point. With her departure, the show lost its primary and deeply woven emotional relationship, resulting in The Blacklist’s desperate struggle to try to re-center itself.

Trending

In the years that followed, the show's mythology became increasingly tangled—characters came and went, plotlines stretched thinner, and the big mystery surrounding Red’s identity remained just out of reach.

While Spader and the creators may have had a clear plan for the finale, the narrative groundwork had already become uneven. So even a planned ending—executed with conviction—had to contend with the weight of a long and winding story arc that never fully closed its loops.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback