katykw-2

Keen gets more and more annoying with each episode. If she is an FBI profiler, I am Santa Claus. She has no idea how to read people or know when they are lying. She whines about Red manipulating her but she asks for his help every single episode. She is an absolute horrible actress, or at least for this role she is. She is not in any way believable.

On the flip side of the coin, James Spader is magnificent in this role. He plays narcissistic, smug, arrogant, highly intelligent, devious, and affable...all with equanimity and tremendous talent.

I love James Spader and he is fabulous in this role. He pulls off smug and Blacklist began with an interesting and very promising plot. I enjoyed Spader's character (Reddington) immensely. He was a true chameleon who adapted to whatever surroundings and people were at hand. A rich, multi-layered personality who bears the nickname in the criminal underworld of the Concierge of Crime. He shares a strange symbiotic relationship with criminals around the world. They don't trust him but they do their "business" with him because he always delivers. It's delightful to see the fluidity with which he changes personas in each situation.

On the other hand, Megan Booth (Agent Liz Keen) is a cardboard joke. I suspect she is just being herself who has memorized the script. She is supposed to be an FBI profiler. So far, (I am on Season 2, Episode 8) and I have only seen her twice utter anything that sounds like a profile on anyone. She constantly disobeys orders and commits insubordination, which would have gotten anyone else fired long ago. Luckily the FBI needs the information he can provide and he will only speak to Agent Keen. But after a while this just gets tedious and annoying. It is a never-ending love-hate relationship with Reddington. She can't make up her mind about anything.

At this point, (well actually in the first season) the show has become formulaic and derivative. Lots of guns, stabbings, and chase car scenes where the "good guys" always walk away-a little beaten and bruised-but still ready to carry on. One episode was straight from a Dan Brown novel, although very thinly veiled.

There are several great subplots happening on a concurrent basis, however, there are some where you are literally watching it and saying "I throw the BS flag on that-no way is that possible". But this is Hollywood after all and we all know that we have to suspend our beliefs that everything they show us is possible in real life.

There is some great acting by several other cast members including Ryan Eggold playing Agent Keen's husband, Diego Klattenhoff playing FBI Agent Donald Ressler, Amir Arison who plays the brilliant tech guy and Hisham Tawfiq playing Dembe Zuma, Reddington's right-hand man. Also a nod to Susan Blommaert who plays Mr. Kaplan.

These people work as a well-blended ensemble, who make it worth suffering through all the action movie tropes and Agent Keen's whining, indecision and extremely bad choices.

Still, I'd recommend you give it a look. It's entertaining on a long, lazy afternoon. You may not watch all seasons , but I actually enjoyed several episodes.

Who listened to this music and thought: Wow, that sounds absolutely smashing. We're good to go on this one.

This music features a lot of brass, mainly trumpets and is strident, high in pitch and loud! It's not harmonious, it makes your teeth hurt to listen to it! Extremely loud trumpets

It destroyed what was otherwise a good episode.