Blind Item Revealed: Here’s the Broadcast Drama Kicking Off Its New Season With a Major Time Jump
TVLine readers have logged their guesses about our most recent Blind Item, involving a long-running broadcast-TV drama that plans to open its new season with a significant time jump. And if you thought NBC’s The Blacklist might fit that description, you would be correct.
As TVLine can now reveal, the James Spader-led crime drama will kick off Season 9 with a two-year leap forward, picking up well after Elizabeth Keen’s sudden death via gunshot wound in the Season 8 finale. What’s more, the NBC series’ return will find the FBI task force disbanded in the wake of Liz’s murder, with their lives now changed in unexpected ways and Raymond Reddington’s whereabouts unknown.
“Finding themselves each at a crossroads, a common purpose compels them to renew their original mission: to take down dangerous, vicious and eccentric Blacklisters,” the official Season 9 synopsis reads. “In the process, they begin to uncover lethal adversaries, unimaginable conspiracies and surprising betrayals that will threaten alliances and spur vengeance for the past, led by the most devious criminal of them all – Raymond Reddington.”
The Blacklist‘s time jump comes on the heels of leading lady Megan Boone exiting the show at the end of Season 8, followed by series creator Jon Bokenkamp’s departure from the drama one day after the finale aired.
“I love this show with all of my heart, and it’s been an incredible journey, but after eight years I feel it’s time for me to step out of my comfort zone, try something new, and explore a few of the other characters and stories that have been crawling around in my head,” Bokenkamp wrote to fans at the time. “I genuinely believe the series remains full of life, creatively strong, and that bright days lie ahead.”
The Blacklist returns for its ninth — and potentially final — season on Thursday, Oct. 21 at 8/7c. In addition to Spader, returning cast members include Diego Klattenhoff as Agent Ressler, Amir Arison as Aram Mojtabai, Hisham Tawfiq as Dembe, Laura Sohn as Agent Park and Harry Lennix as Harold Cooper.
Was The Blacklist your guess for our latest Blind Item? Tell us below!
I would say about 2/3 of TVline readers called this, myself included.
It was definitely my top guess and I repeatedly stated so—however ,if you go back to when the Blind was first announced and read through the comments it was one of the more frequent guesses but not the most guessed.
Yes, I saw many more people guessing shows other than The Blacklist, like all those people who were guessing NCIS and Grey’s Anatomy. I would have been surprised if it hadn’t been The Blacklist.
I saw Grey’s listed most.
I considered Blacklist likely, Grey’s and NCIS a possibility but in hindsight, NCIS (or NCIS: LA) would not have made much sense, since that would have made crossovers rather difficult. NCIS and NCIS: LA have not done any in a while but should both do one with Hawaii, how do you explain that one show lives two years in the future and the other does not?
The Chicago and L&O shows exist in the same universe, the NCIS shows do and Grey’s and Station 19 do, so while it is my motto to say never say never when it comes to TV, I think that pretty much excluded any of them from being likely.
Greys didn’t make sense at all if people watched the finale where they basically jumped a year forward to catch up with present time… they wouldn’t have done that and skipped over so much if they were then going to jump even further forward instead of keep it the sort of present time they had jumped up to…
I’m looking forward to the show reinvented (but, I will add, I’ve never gotten over the death of Mr. Kaplan.)
Correct me if I’m wrong about this, but Kaplan’s body was never recovered after she jumped into the river. So why do you think she’s actually dead?
To have her cheat death twice would be ridiculous, even for The Blacklist.
I stopped watching when she died.
There is no reason for the show to continue without Liz.
James Spader is enough of a reason for me to continue watching
I disagree, I think the show was much better during her absence. But no matter the difference of opinion I still think the show has ran it’s course. If it’s a final wrap up season, I’m fine with that. I am genuinely curious to watch with the time jump though.
I only watched the show for James Spader. I thought Liz was annoying. I didn’t wish her ill, I just wanted her gone.
Me too. For an FBI agent she was awfully stupid and totally annoying.
There’s every reason for this show to continue without Liz.
Yes there is!
Megan Boone is a terrible actress.
Hated Liz and the wooden actress. Blacklist much better without her. I tuned out last year because of Liz drama, will check out Blacklist again.
Sure there is since the show is actually about Raymond reddington
Makes sense
I would not call two years significant. At least, not significant enough for a blind item. TV shows jump ahead by this much all the time.
A month-6 months-9 months or so are not uncommon from Season finales to their next premiers on scripted shows but,unless one is talking sci-fi/fantasy 2 years is very unusual. For a show supposedly taking place in the real world it’s too chance-y when viewers can almost pinpoint exactly when a past episode aired just by looking at the phones/computers/electronic devices shown.
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Problem is, they already did a time jump once before that caused some anachronisms with the calendar. This will just ma my e it worse.
I thought Reddington was dying and refused further treatment. Yet now they’re doing a two year time jump.
I love this show but this concerns me.
AMEN !!!
Dembi did mention to Raymond, the medication was working that Red didn’t have to do this. So I hope they do more seasons and show
The series didn’t suffer in the slightest during Megan Boones hiatus last season. If anything it lifted the mood of the series not having her character around. It became fun again.
How can it now be ok to let Spader play Red as a Trans Man?
Red isn’t playing a trans man. Red is playing someone who went into hiding as a man.
I got the distinct feeling during the last 2 episodes of Season 8 that Nicolas is correct & Reddington is indeed Katarina. JS
I was one of the people commenting who repeatedly stated that Blacklist was my top guess. The reasons why were as follows. The show fit the VERY long running Drama and has been struggling for years with ratings and viewers.The primary focus Blacklist has focused on throughout the series has been the unique relationship between Red and Liz .Red had already been disclosed to be battling a terminal decease. Liz was killed in last Season’s finale–and the direct statements of both Megan Boone and TPTB made it clear there was no “twist” or gimmick to it.Furthermore the creator who ad served at the helm throughout the series,Jon Bokencamp, quit the show soon after the finale. There really was nothing to lose by doing a time jump.If it turns out to be Blacklist’s last season,it could deal with finally revealing Red’s secrets and giving closure—-if the show is planning on continuing the jump can distance itself from the former focus with someone else taking on the mantle.
I can’t wait for the new season! 😎
I love The Blacklist but in general I hate time jumps and I think they completely ruin shows.
As a Riverdale fan, I can tell you it actually worked out quite well in that case, so there’s always hope!
Will they be using iPhone 15s and VR eyeglasses?
Reminds me of The Mentalist. I’m pretty sure they jumped 2 years after Red John was taken down. Patrick Jane was on an island somewhere and the CBI had disbanded. The FBI wanted Jane to help them solve cases and sent an agent to get him. Jane returned of course but with cast changes, a new setting, and a less than celebrated Red John conclusion, the show went out with a whimper a season later.
I just want them to actually answer the question: who was Reddington to Keane? They couldn’t even answer it as they killed off the Elizabeth character, and it’s just pathetic after 8 seasons I still don’t know. That’s the only thing I care about at this point. After somewhat hate watching this show the past 2 years, it’s the only question that matters because it’s been rehashed 8 seasons in a row. Well now, there’s no Elizabeth Keen, and there’s no reason to hide the answer anymore, not that I think an actual answer even exists based on the disaster that was the final episodes of the last season.
I’m pretty sure Red is Katarina totally transformed by Dr Koehler. The clues seem to indicate such.
Called it.
.
I don’t even watch the show. I simply read the recaps of episodes maybe a couple of times/year and it fit all the criteria. No other show made sense.
Yes, please bring back Mr Kaplan
Did you ever reveal the answer to this blind item https://tvline.com/2011/01/06/blind-item-tensions-hit-show/ from January 2011? It said a cast member of a hit freshman show who was unhappy because it didn’t shoot in L.A. and was making the production miserable. The stars were unhappy about it being shot where it was but this cast member made things bad enough that producers were considering shifting production to L.A. if the show returned. People guessed The Walking Dead (Georgia), Blue Bloods (NYC), and Hawaii Five-0. I didn’t think there was any doubt that those freshman shows would return. And, I can’t see “the stars” being generally unhappy about filming in NYC or Hawaii though maybe rural Georgia if shooting conditions were unpleasant. So, Mike, will you tell the two or three of us who still care?
I really look forward to seeing where the characters have ended up two years after the task force disbands, and to see how they processed everything that happened.
That said, a new showrunner…..well, fingers crossed it’s a really good final season.
Yep, I guessed The Blacklist.
I’m convinced that Raymond Reddington is really Katarina Rostova, Liz’s mother. That the surgery Red had all those years ago was really a sex change. The love he has always shown Liz and Agnes only comes from a parent — mother or father.
I know it sounds crazy but it ties a lot of pieces together.
I had a theory all along that Liz and Ressler are actually, unknownst to each other, brother and sister. Katarina and Red may or may not know. He had the same blood type as Red. It would make sense to make him the new Liz, just a hotter, better actor who would improve the roll. And just continue with the saga after the big discovery is made and explained. I will still watch for Spader and Klattenhoff.
So glad that annoying and whiny Elizabeth is gone. To the writers: PLEASE DO NOT BRING HER BACK FROM THE DEAD. For an FBI agent she was clearly awfully stupid and totally annoying. Could not wait for her to be gone/killed. Same for the backstabbing Mr. Kaplan, whose character was likable, but turned out to be super cruel and vindictive. Both had to die. Would have liked to see Samar grow into her character. Love Red’s character.
I find Raymond Reddington and the way James Spader plays him riveting! He has a presence in every scene. I didn’t think I’d like the show when Liz left but it’s still a great show! The cast is terrific!
One of the best series
I was crying so much during the montage for this last season and last episode of Blacklist . I was truly connected to these characters it has upset me where I feel like I’m giving up on these types of series . I’m pissed ! They’re too addictive plus these bad endings make me think it was a waste of time
I just started the new season let’s see