For those of us watching The Blacklist from our couches, it’s only been four months since Elizabeth Keen was gunned down in the street, just as she was finally closing in on legitimate answers about Red’s identity.
But for the characters on the NBC crime drama, it’s been two whole years since Liz perished, as revealed during Thursday’s Season 9 premiere. The FBI task force is no more, and Red’s whereabouts are unknown… for a few minutes, at least. Read on for the details of The Blacklist‘s reset — not only via a time jump, but now without leading lady Megan Boone and series creator Jon Bokenkamp.
* First, some quick updates on where everyone’s at after two years. Dembe is a special agent with the FBI [?!], and he’s been working undercover for the past six months to infiltrate a dangerous crime syndicate; for now, all we [and Dembe] know about the group is that they’re after valuable microchips, and all of the men have a notable “S” tattoo on their hands. Early in the premiere, Dembe and his FBI partner have a meet-up with members of the syndicate that goes awry, resulting in the death of Dembe’s partner, the fiery explosion of a truck containing the stolen microchips, and third-degree burns across Dembe’s body. He ends up in the hospital, and he’s not doing amazing.
Cooper is no longer with the FBI, but he’s Agnes’ guardian. A bearded and longer-haired Ressler now spends his time fixing up old cars. Aram is also gone from the bureau and has co-founded a cybersecurity start-up called Flagify, which badly needs an angel investor. And a recently married Alina no longer does field work for the FBI, but trains agents for the field. Reddington, meanwhile, is hiding out in Havana — and despite his terminal mystery illness, he’s somehow survived the past two years, largely thanks to two female shamans who protect Red’s mind and body wherever he goes.
* The culprit turns out to be just one criminal, really: He’s called The Skinner, a moniker that’s been passed down to criminals fulfilling this role for centuries. Red happens to know the previous Skinner, but he’s reluctant to help Cooper with the task of finding the current one. In the past two years, Red says, he’s learned what to hold onto and what to let go of; if he comes back to help Cooper, “I fear all that work will be for nothing,” he remarks. “Down the line, things would get very dark.”
Red does briefly return to the States to assist, but only to identify The Skinner. When it comes time to track him down and apprehend him, Red bows out, telling Cooper that he recently achieved inner harmony at a monastery, but that peace is as fragile as an origami swan; if he stays here, it will be crushed. Aram and Alina, meanwhile, are easily persuaded to help Cooper in his pursuit of The Skinner [much to the chagrin of Aram’s business partner and Alina’s husband], and Ressler is tougher to convince, but his love for Liz ultimately drives him to help.
* When Red decides to recuse himself from the chase of The Skinner, Cooper wonders if he’s doing so for the sake of his inner peace, or because he’s hurt that Cooper won’t let him have contact with Agnes. Red pretends the boundaries between him and Agnes don’t upset him, but one of his shamans later tells Cooper, “Keeping the girl from him is cruel. Is that what you want? To be cruel?” [Cooper ponders that question seriously.]
But even after losing access to Red’s tracking expertise and intel when he decides to return to Cuba, the rest of the group — Cooper, Alina, Aram, Ressler and even Dembe — are still interested in forging ahead with the Skinner hunt, despite their considerably scarce resources. It’s a new version of the task force, a bare-bones one, but they all look pleased to be working together again… even if Aram’s new company and Alina’s marriage are definitely going to suffer because of it.
At the end of the premiere, before Red’s plane leaves for Havana, Ressler pays him a visit. Which is kind of a big deal! Ressler blames Red entirely for Liz’s death, and he previously said he’d never want to be in a room with Red again. But Ressler feels strongly that Red must return his attention to The Blacklist, if only so Liz won’t have died in vain. “The Blacklist was her calling. If we loved her, it has to be ours,” Ressler tells Red. “That’s why I came back. As much as I hate you, I loved her more.”
Ressler exits the plane then, leaving Red with a file on the current Skinner, a man named Graham Anderson. One of the shamans tells Red, “I like him. He has a good soul.” Red replies, “I believe he does. I’m less certain about mine.”
With that, I hand it over to you. What did you think of The Blacklist‘s return? Grade it in our poll below, then elaborate on your choice in the comments!
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Don’t miss Celebrity Myxer’s recap of The Blacklist Season 9 Episode 9 “Boukman Baptiste.” A spate of coordinated attacks on Red’s lieutenants puts Dembe in imminent danger, prompting him to relive the events that led him to join the FBI two years earlier. Here’s what you missed!
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Watch The Blacklist Season 9 Episode 9 “Boukman Baptiste”
Previously on The Blacklist Season 9 Episode 8, the CEO of a sports management agency was doping athletes to be more competitive. If they refused his bidding, he had their doping doctor ensure they accidentally overdosed. The team ultimately caught him in the act trying to clean up loose ends.
Meanwhile, Reddington wouldn’t let his inquiry into Dembe’s betrayal go. Merce gave him an ultimatum to let it go, else she was leaving. Red had to let her go…
Warning… Spoilers below!
On The Blacklist Season 9 Episode 9, we flashed back to when Elizabeth was killed and Ressler got there too late. Reddington held her and Dembe ordered them to leave. Ressler tried following but he crashed!
Where Is This Man?
Dembe got Red to safety. He sat the letter on the table while they both fell asleep. In the morning, Reddington was gone… so was the letter…
In the present day, Reddington met with Marvin Gerard and told him about several hits were carried out on his organization. He was too distracted to know immediately. It seems he slept in the same bed as his bodyguard, Weecha, did they sleep together in Merce’s absence?
Reddington asks Cooper for a favor on The Blacklist Season 9 Episode 9
Red visited Cooper about three hits from top people in his organization manning the ports for smuggling agendas. He leveraged the fact that would stop helping the Feds with the Blacklist if Cooper didn’t help him. His only condition, he would no longer work with Dembe.
The team was briefed about the hits and learned that Reddington blamed Dembe for Elizabeth’s death. Had he focused on his job, he would have noticed Van Dyke was tracking them and took him out before he killed Elizabeth.
Dembe updated the team about his port managers and who was likely the next target. He also told them about a possible threat who would come after the port managers.
Meanwhile, the next port was being attacked by armed goons. They got to the port manager, Reginald Lawler, bound him, and interrogated him. It was Boukman Baptiste demanding Dembe’s whereabouts!
A Child For A Child
Flashback two years ago, with Red gone, Dembe was next in line to lead the criminal empire. However, Boukman Baptiste wanted to take over the organization so Dembe had to take him out.
He ambushed his car, shooting it with a barrage of bullets but didn’t kill Baptiste. He killed his driver and son. Baptiste got out of the car unseen, Dembe and his men approached and noticed they killed his son. The intel was bad. Baptiste slipped out by causing a fire which exploded the vehicle!
Fast forward, Agents Dembe and Ressler reconned the port and saw Baptiste interrogating Lawler at gunpoint. Dembe thought he killed Baptiste two years ago but he was alive. Then, one of Baptiste’s men knocked him out!
Went he woke, Baptiste was giving his monologue to take his life and his child’s life as karma. Ressler interrupted and shot a few goons causing enough distraction for Dembe to get free and fight back. Baptiste got away.
Flashback two years ago, Dembe spoke with his daughter, Isabella, about flipping from the dark side to become an FBI agent. She grilled him about being on the side of the police and how injustices with Black people would label him a traitor.
Flash forward, Dembe and Ressler raced to save Isabella but Baptiste had gotten to her first!
Nick Of Time
When they got to her place, Baptiste left a phone to call him. When Dembe phoned, he told the man he would help him take down Reddington in exchange for his daughter.
Dembe on The Blacklist Season 9 Episode 9
Dembe went to headquarters and found Red chatting with Cooper and confronted him. Reddington claimed he didn’t wish harm to him or his family… just to never see him again.
Dembe left and visited Marvin, holding him at gunpoint forcing the intel about Red’s offshore banks and next port locations. He called Red about his demands and he instructed Marvin to give Dembe what he demanded.
Gbenga Akinnagbe portrays Boukman Baptiste on The Blacklist Season 9 Episode 9
Dembe arrived at Baptiste’s location alone. Dembe gave the man the intel he demanded. Baptiste monologues him again. He went to verify the names. Isabella demanded to know if it was true, did Dembe murder Baptiste’s son. Once verified, Dembe wanted Baptiste to let Isabella go but he pointed a gun at her head.
Meanwhile, Reddington had a strike force intercept. The parking lot went black, Baptiste grabbed Isabella as a shield. Truck lights brightened on them. Suddenly, Baptiste caught a knife to the throat!
It was Weecha and a hit team. She killed the man and got his phone for analysis. Reddington wanted to speak with Dembe. He showed him more details of Elizabeth’s death and it disproved Van Dyke followed Dembe that deadly night. He apologized to Dembe and formed a truce.
Later that night, Red visited Anges and read a story to him. Dembe consoled Isabella and she wanted him out of the life but he couldn’t. So she made a decision to disappear. Before she left, he got a chance to read a bedtime story to his granddaugther.
What did you think of The Blacklist Season 9 Episode 9 Let’s talk about The Blacklist in the comments below! Catch up with our recaps!
Air Date: January 20, 2022
When Does The Blacklist Come Back On?
The Blacklist will go on a 5-week break and return after the Olympics. The Blacklist Season 9 Episode 10 returns on February 25, 2022, on NBC on Fridays rather than Thursdays.
The Blacklist Cast
- James Spader as Raymond “Red” Reddington
- Megan Boone as Elizabeth Keen
- Harry Lennix as Harold Cooper
- Laura Sohn as Agent Alina Park
- Diego Klattenhoff as Donald Ressler
- Amir Arison as Aram Mojtabai
- Hisham Tawfiq as Dembe Zuma
- Karina Arroyave as Merce Xiu
- Diany Rodriguez as Weecha Xiu
Guest Cast
- Gbenga Akinnagbe as Boukman Baptiste
- Sami Bray as Agnes
- Fisher Stevens as Marvin Gerard
Catch a new episode each week on NBC, check out listings dates below. Stay right here, stay mixed in because The Blacklist Season 9 Episode 10, the show moves to a new night! Drop your email to get insights into your inbox…
Updated News
Please note: after the 2022 Olympics, The Blacklist will move from Thursdays to Fridays starting February 25, 2022.
The Blacklist Season 9 Episode Guide
| Season | Episode | Title | Air Date |
| 9 | 10 | “TBA” | February 25, 2022 |
| 9 | 9 | “Boukman Baptiste” | January 20, 2022 |
| 9 | 8 | “Dr. Razmik Meier” | January 13, 2022 |
| 9 | 7 | “Between Sleep and Awake” | January 6, 2022 |
| 9 | 6 | “Dr. Roberta Sand, Ph.D.” | December 9, 2021 |
| 9 | 5 | “Benjamin T. Okara” | November 18, 2021 |
| 9 | 4 | “The Avenging Angel” | November 11, 2021 |
| 9 | 3 | “The SPK” | November 4, 2021 |
| 9 | 2 | “The Skinner: Conclusion” | October 28, 2021 |
| 9 | 1 | “The Skinner” The Blacklist Season 9 Premiere | October 21, 2021 |
Photo credit: NBC