Two main issues must be addressed as The Blacklist Season 10 — and the series — concludes.
The first is what the future will be for the Task Force, and the second is what happens to Raymond Reddington. The former is contingent on the latter because that is how it has always been. There would be no Task Force without Red.
These two issues have been the central theme of The Blacklist Season 10, as Raymond and the Task Force fielded threats from different corners to stay afloat.
It all began with Wujing’s return on The Blacklist Season 10 Episode 1 with the sole mission of seeing Reddington fall and the Task Force with him.
After a game of wits, Raymond emerged on top, but that would not last long because someone else set their sights on the Task Force instead of Reddington.
Arthur Hudson launched his campaign against them, and he’s been making huge strides that would not bode well for the Task Force.
Elsewhere, Raymond prepared for the future.
We have seen him do things he has never done before, including giving out stuff for free and offering up some of his most lucrative enterprises.
The Morgana Logistics Corporation (The Blacklist Season 10 Episode 17) saw him give up his shipping business, while Room 417 (The Blacklist Season 10 Episode 19) saw him give up his intelligence network.
He had prioritized spending time with the people he cared about in his life.
All these things would signal that he was preparing for the end and knew what it would look like.
There are many possible scenarios of how he will go out. After analyzing many of those scenarios, we were convinced that Raymond Reddington’s death might be inevitable.
There is not much left for the show to tackle now apart from these two pressing issues, and spoilers for The Blacklist Season 10 Episode 20 tease just that.
Arthur Hudson managed to get a very damning recording for the Task Force and Harold Cooper. In the recording, Harold admitted to having participated in treasonous plans while working with Reddington.
It had been what Arthur was after, and armed with it, he could convince anyone to look into the task force.
And he succeeds.
He is allowed entrance into the Post Office, and with the FBI agent he allied himself with on The Blacklist Season 10 Episode 17, they search for evidence of the wrongdoings of the Task Force.
That means no one works on any case and is allowed to leave the Post Office. As Hudson and his people did through the Post Office’s systems, Ressler, Dembe, and everyone else who works there sit down and wait with bated breath.
It is worth remembering that Raymond used the Hexroot program on The Blacklist Season 10, Episode 9 to delete or redact any evidence of his involvement with the Task Force.
While that might not have been good for him as it rendered his agreement with Main Justice inexistent, maybe he foresaw the future and helped them without their knowledge.
Arthur might not find anything incriminating.
In fact, all he might find are all the recent wins the Task Force has racked up in the weeks past.
As that happens in the Post Office, Cooper is called upon to answer some questions.
Even if the Task Force is not overseen heavily by the government like most other task forces are, they are still under the guidance of the Attorney General. If anything goes wrong, they are answerable to them.
And the Attorney General needs answers.
When Cooper is called upon to answer questions, he usually feels very confident because the trappings of good work are visible.
Yet, a lot has gone wrong in the last few months it doesn’t inspire confidence.
Things don’t go so well this time, as he gets caught on the defensive.
At this juncture, anyone with half a brain would do the obvious thing and shut down this task force. To an outsider, the CI has gone rogue, and they cannot bring him back to the table.
It wouldn’t be surprising if the Attorney General wants the Task Force shut down before they do any more damage to the FBI’s reputation.
The task for Harold would be convincing the Attorney General that they are still important and deserve a chance to continue the work. Also, they should not be prosecuted. Cooper will have a lot cut out for him.
One of the things Raymond has prioritized in these last few months is spending time with friends.
It was why he broke Robert Vesco out of prison on The Backlist Season 10 Episode 4. Unfortunately, he was reminded of why that was important because Vesco would not be alive much longer.
Whatever happens with Raymond, he can’t be in the lives of people he cares about in the foreseeable future. Any time he spends with them is precious, and he maximizes that.
Raymond spends the day with Agnes as Harold gets grilled by the Attorney General. They go out for ice cream, each relishing the sweetness of their favorite flavor and the moment.
Finding a loyal person in the business Raymond has been involved in is not easy, and he has been betrayed by more people than one.
Yet one person has never wavered in their support for him. Even in the thickest of Marvin Gerard‘s campaign to end Raymond, they remain steadfast in their support.
Sure, they might complain more than most, and it gets on Raymond’s nerves, but he knows he can count on them.
That person is Heddie Hawkins. She is someone Raymond considers a dear friend, so she visits her.
Is he saying goodbye? “Arthur Hudson” will chart the course of the series finale, so it will be vital.
Catch the episode live on NBC this Thursday at 8 p.m. and our review right after on TV Fanatic.
Meanwhile, chime in with your thoughts in the comments section.
Denis Kimathi is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. He has watched more dramas and comedies than he cares to remember. Catch him on social media obsessing over [excellent] past, current, and upcoming shows or going off about the politics of representation on TV. Follow him on Twitter.