The Blacklist: Season 10; James Spader Looks Back at His Decade on the NBC Series

(Photo by: Fernando Marrero/ SONY/ NBC)

This week, The Blacklist wrapped its run on NBC after 10 seasons and 218 episodes. Star James Spader recently spoke about ending the series after a decade playing Raymond “Red” Reddington.

Starring Spader, Diego Klattenhoff, Hisham Tawfiq, Anya Banerjee, and Harry Lennix, the NBC drama followed Reddington as he worked as an FBI informant in New York City.

Spader said the following about The Blacklist, per USA Today:

“I really felt like this was complete and I loved how it really completed a circle, in a way. It wasn’t just an unbroken line from point A to point Z, but it was a circle of sorts.

I would not be as curious about a show that was either just a drama or a show that was just a comedy. I felt that it was sort of nice that this show was very, very intense and brutal at times and then, at other times, very irreverent and sometimes very emotional.”

He also spoke about his popular character:

“He’s a scary monster and people like him. He inhabits the whole world, he really does. He lives in it and he really loves it. And he loves life. I guess one would understand the value of life if one has to take it every so often.

He’s someone who would show reason and caution but he was never fearful of anything. That sort of combination, I think, is compelling for people when faced with so much in one’s life and the world around you.

I think there’s something compelling, I guess, in losing yourself in a story, going on a ride along with someone, not fearful of whatever might be around the next corner or what might be across that threshold that you’re just about to cross.”

NBC also released its look-back video featuring Spader. Check that out below.

What do you think? Are you a fan of The Blacklist? Are you happy with how the story wrapped up? Did you want to see another season of the NBC drama?