The Blacklist season 8 episode 21 spoilers: How ‘Nachalo’ stands out

At this point, you are probably well aware that The Blacklist season 8 episode 21 is far from your typical installment of the show. “Nachalo” is in a lot of ways an origin story. It’s about what led to Raymond Reddington kicking off his “30-year project,” which is largely the origin story of the entire show.

Whatever is in that mysterious bunker, it’s tied to why Reddington has been working so hard to keep secrets from Elizabeth Keen. There is something there that he has been desperate to keep hidden, but he now knows there’s almost no other choice other than to come clean.

Have you watched our latest The Blacklist theory discussion about the bunker? If not, be sure to check that out below! Once you do just that, be sure to subscribe to Matt & Jess on YouTube! There is, after all, more discussion there that we don’t want you to miss.

If you want a little more context as to what “Nachalo” looks and feels like, why not get it courtesy of the boss himself? Speaking via The Wrap, here is what creator Jon Bokenkamp had to say:

“At the end of the previous episode, Reddington took Elizabeth Keen to a secret outpost in Latvia … In this next episode, we’ll step inside that outpost and travel down the rabbit hole for what promises to be a really wild ride. This is a different episode in so many ways — because it’s out of pattern, because it’s black and white, but mostly because it’s filled with answers. The episode is titled ‘Nachalo’ — which translates from Russian to: The Beginning. And that’s where we’re going — back to the beginning — back to the truth behind why Raymond Reddington entered Elizabeth Keen’s life in the first place.”

Those photos that you’ve seen of black-and-white characters are reflective of this whole episode — we will be revisiting key points in history, and maybe seeing different sides to things that we never bore witness to before.

If you love The Blacklist, you probably know already that Wednesday’s episode is going to be must-see TV.

What do you most want to see when it comes to The Blacklist season 8 episode 21?

Be sure to share right now in the comments, especially when it comes to your theories! We will have more on this episode as we inch closer to it airing.

Photo: NBC