The Stewmaker (No. 161) 

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.

Director:

Vincent Misiano (as Vince Misiano)

Writers:

Jon Bokenkamp (created by), Patrick Massett

Stars:

James Spader, Megan Boone, Diego Klattenhoff

Cast

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

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

tape over mouth | polaroid photograph | polaroid camera | calling someone a monster | punched in the face | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Official Sites:

Sky [United Kingdom]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

14 October 2013 (USA)

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Davis Entertainment, Universal Television, Sony Pictures Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

41 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo DTS (HD MA) (blu-ray)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD

Did You Know?

Trivia

Santiago Meza Lopez, who has been dubbed the 'Stew maker' ( "El Pozolero" in Spanish), confessed to disposing of at least 300 bodies over a decade by dumping them in graves and pouring acid on them to let them dissolve underground. This episode's title character is similar to the real person.

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Goofs

Red's newspaper has a dummy front page (with a blank back side) wrapped around what appears to be a real newspaper. The blank side is clearly visible at 3:32.

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Quotes

Elizabeth Keen: You're a monster.
Raymond 'Red' Reddington: Yes.
Elizabeth Keen: How can you live with yourself?
Raymond 'Red' Reddington: By saving your life.

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Connections

Referenced in The Blacklist: Abraham Stern (No. 100) (2018)

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Soundtracks

Made of Stone
(uncredited)
performed by - Matt Corby
played during cabin interior

User Reviews

If you weren't creeped-out by "The Stewmaker" you're numb to drama..,

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.