The Blacklist season 5: Beyond Tom, should other Redemption characters appear?
This is an interesting discussion point and lead-off for this piece, mostly because it’s easy to see both sides of the coin in the terms of what’s best for the show as a whole.
The case for bringing some Redemption characters on – Even if it’s just for an episode or two, it’d be good to have closure on some of those stories rather than just Tom Keen proclaiming that he got Howard behind bars and none of the action took place onscreen. This was a compelling story, even if it’s completely unrelated to most of what’s on this show. It feels as though it could be a good episode, if nothing else, since you could consolidate the story in a way that the casual Blacklist fan would understand and give Tom the conclusion to that story he would need.
There were a good many people who did watch and enjoy Redemption, and this would serve as a nice way to tie up those stories. They shouldn’t all be a big part of the original show (there simply isn’t room), but giving them a chance to take a bow feels appropriate.
The case for not doing it – It’s pretty simple: NBC canceled The Blacklist: Redemption, and with that there is no reason for them to try to bring back characters who were a part of a show that didn’t work out. Basically, this would be a reminder to viewers that the network moved on, and they may not want to deal with the optics of that. Tying up the story of Tom from this past season in a couple of lines of dialogue may be enough for the show to feel like it’s done its due as best it can; there certainly is a lot going on in the present with the briefcase and whatever secret Reddington may be hiding.
What do you think: Should The Blacklist: Redemption characters during up on the flagship show, even for a brief appearance? Share in the comments!
(Photo: NBC.)