‘The Blacklist: Redemption’: Ryan Eggold on how spin-off first came together

We first started talking about ideas for a “Blacklist” spin-off earlier this year, so it’s been a thrill to see the development and eventual pickup of “The Blacklist: Redemption.” However, what’s been a little bit of a surprise is learning that this idea was something that existed in the minds of the showrunners ever since the very first season.

In speaking about the new series (premiering at midseason) in a new interview with TVLine, the show’s star in Ryan Eggold revealed when he first started hearing chatter about it:

“You know, this Tom Keen spinoff thing was a whisper I heard a long time ago. I want to say end of Season 1 or beginning of Season 2 — I mean, a long time ago. And then it never really happened, so I just thought it was a rumor or a desire without anything behind it. And then about halfway through Season 3, it started to get very real. They started to say, ‘Let’s get a script, and let’s get serious about it.’ And suddenly, there were ideas happening and casting decisions. And then I got the script, and I’ve really been pleasantly surprised at every turn.”

Eggold also noted that there will be some political notes on the show, which we know is also going to co-star Famke Janssen as Susan “Scottie” Hargrave, Tom’s mother and also a criminal mastermind the likes of which only Reddington can defeat … and there’s no guarantee he will every time. We’re intrigued to hear more about this show over time, especially in the case of how Tom will eventually make the jump over. At present, we’ve just learned that his wife Liz is still alive, and is currently captured by her own supposed parent in Alexander Kirk.