The Blacklist Season 8 episode 1
The Blacklist EPs Break Down Liz and Ressler's Pivotal Premiere Moment, Why It Will Prove 'Difficult to Navigate'
November 13, 2020 5:59PM PST Courtesy of NBC RELATED STORIES
The following post contains spoilers for The Blacklists Season 8 premiere. Show That faint scent of smoke youre smelling after watchingThe Blacklists return? Its all those bridges Liz Keen burned in the very first Season 8 episode. After an abbreviated seventh season, half-animated finale and extra-long hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic,The Blacklist returned to NBC on Friday, bringing with it Lizs renewed determination to get real answers from Reddington. In the process, Liz not only doubled down on the new alliance with her mother, Katarina Rostova, but she betrayed both Red and the FBI task force, perhaps worse than she has in the past. Early on in Fridays premiere, Katarina informed Liz that shes seeking answers about the Sikorsky Archive and a KGB mole under the alias N13; Katarina was previously (and wrongly) accused of being N13, but she suspects it could be Dom, Red or even both of them, somehow. But in order to get the answers she wants, Katarina needed to get Dom alone, and she concocted a plan to abduct Dom now awake from his coma while he was being relocated to a new facility. (Dom, previously played by the late Brian Dennehy, has been recast with Guiding Light alum Ron Raines.) Despite some initial hesitation, Liz ultimately helped facilitate Doms abduction, completely blindsiding both Red and the task force as she did so. Dembe reminded a forlorn Red that Lizs betrayal has always been a possibility Yeah, I know, Red replied. And I let it happen anyway. while the task force was obligated to launch a manhunt for Liz, whos now on the run. She did, however, have a brief rendezvous with Ressler before she took off, and the two shared their first kiss (!) before Liz made her sudden escape, pointing Resslers own gun at him as she walked away. Popular on TVLineTVLine spoke with executive producers Jon Bokenkamp and John Eisendrath about the premiere, including that long-awaited smooch, the decision to recast Dom and where the task force goes from here, now that Liz is in the wind. TVLINE | Ill admit, after Brian Dennehys passing, I assumed Dom wouldnt survive his coma, and the character would no longer be on the show. But now, after watching this episode, it seems Dom is more integral than ever. Was recasting the only logical option? TVLINE | We knew, ever since last seasons finale, that Liz was going to betray Red after siding with her mother but her betrayal of the entire task force was more unexpected. Why have her blow up all of her relationships so thoroughly? TVLINE | And this isnt the first time shes gone rogue, either. She shot Tom Connolly, she faked her own death, and on multiple occasions, the task force has given her the benefit of the doubt and brought her back into the fold. Will any of the task force members have a hard time forgiving Liz after this? That said, it is an incredibly hard position for them to be in. They have an immunity agreement with the very person that [Liz] is dedicated to doing whatever she has to do to get the truth from, and theyre law enforcement officers, and shes breaking the law. It feels like a situation where, rather than say, Enough, were done with you, they are caught up in this very human tragedy. TVLINE | How do you interpret the kiss Liz and Ressler shared? Its hard to get a read on Lizs motivations in that scene. Is the kiss genuine? A con? A little of both? OK, your turn! What did you think ofThe Blacklists Season 8 premiere? Cast your vote in our poll below, then hit the comments with your full reviews! Take Our Poll72 Comments Share This |