THE BLACKLIST: A Quick Thought

Many writing Guru's agree that tv show creators need to build their franchise around the most interesting character. In some shows when another character other than the intended "breaks out" the focus of the show is shifted to that personality so the program maintains and increases their heat. This is not the problem with the new NBC show, THE BLACKLIST. Raymond Reddington brilliantly realized by James Spader, is the most fascinating character on the show. He's so consistent and clearly has an agenda, even if we aren't exactly sure what it is. I loved in the pilot when the female FBI agent said she didn't know if she could trust him. He replied, "Of course you can't, I'm a criminal." He's so self-aware and doesn't violate his criminality code but also operates by a set of internal rules that allow him to protect as well as mentor the young female profiler. The other characters are in service to Reddington and that works because he has such dimension as well as mystery going for him. I'm so glad the show doesn't cop out and make him a softie underneath it all. In just about every episode, Reddington reminds you he's not a "good" guy by killing someone. Of course the act is justified in the context of the story. But at the same time we understand that he's not just a cold-blooded dude but one who's not afraid to do what's necessary to reach his goals. In terms of appeal, Reddington brings to mind the character of HAWK from SPENSER: FOR HIRE.  Spenser was a literate do-gooder but he was tough and didn't like to follow the conventional rules of law-enforcement.  Hawk and Spenser were basically well bred thugs.  The difference was Spenser, although he didn't like the way law enforcement always operated, he respected it principles.  Hawk only bowed to his own rules.  Because Spenser was his friend, and they had a history, Hawk would sometimes go along but other times he and Spenser were at odds but a sense of respect allowed these men to work out their differences when they arose.  This was not a buddy show and Haw became so popular that he threatened to "break" out on his own and in fact did in the short-lived A MAN CALLED HAWK.  But that show didn't work primarily because the writing couldn't sustain the character in all his realistic iconoclastic glory.  Maybe in today's tv world, the Hawk from the Spenser novels and from the Spenser tv show could make it on his own.  In the best tv shows there are secondary characters who are interesting too. In HARRY'S LAW, not only was Kathy Bates fascinating but so were the smug, slimy, delicious Tommy Jefferson, as well as the uptight, principled female D.A. David E. Kelley does ensemble well. As far as I'm concerned, I don't have to like every character but I must be captured by one of them (Hopefully that's the lead) to the point where that individual surprises and amazes me. Oh, and the story should be compelling too.