Episode cast overview, first billed only: | |||
James Spader | ... | Raymond 'Red' Reddington | |
Megan Boone | ... | Elizabeth Keen | |
Diego Klattenhoff | ... | Donald Ressler | |
Ryan Eggold | ... | Tom Keen | |
Parminder Nagra | ... | Meera Malik | |
Harry Lennix | ... | Harold Cooper | |
Clifton Collins Jr. | ... | Hector Lorca | |
Hisham Tawfiq | ... | Dembe Zuma | |
Deborah S. Craig | ... | Luli Zeng | |
Maryann Plunkett | ... | Ellenore Kornish | |
Sharon Washington | ... | Prosecutor | |
Tom Noonan | ... | The Stewmaker | |
Louis Arcella | ... | Luis Peña | |
Mariann Aalda | ... | Risa Peña | |
Paul Urcioli | ... | Lawyer |
When a witness in the murder trial of a ruthless cartel boss disappears, Red (James Spader) leads Liz (Megan Boone) and Ressler (Diego Klattenhoff) on a search for the Blacklist's No. 161, a gruesome hit man known as the Stewmaker.
What's not to love about this episode? Essentially, a serial killer, played by the impeccable character actor bad-guy Tom Noonan, who disappears people in the hundreds. Elizabeth Keen's psychological sparring to buy herself more time and Reddington's casual execution of vengeance, combined with an above average cinematography, put to an evocative soundtrack. This ep stands up to a 2nd and 3rd viewing and set the stage for a great spy/espionage thriller, with more twists and turns than a crazy straw. This and many other eps is one of the foundational episodes that make this series a stone-cold addiction. Lots of great acting from Spader and Boone.