The Blacklist s04e00 Episode Script
Behind The Blacklist
God, that door is slow.
I was hoping for a somewhat more dramatic entrance.
HARRY LENNIX: Adrenaline-fueled excitement, nail-biting suspense, and a cocktail of the world's most colorful villains.
You're insane.
I wouldn't know.
LENNIX: After three incredible seasons, fans around the world continue to fall in love with Red Reddington and FBI agent Elizabeth Keen, on the worldwide phenomenon, The Blacklist.
Hi, I'm Harry Lennix.
I play team leader, Harold Cooper, on The Blacklist.
For the next half hour, I'll be your host for an inside look at one of the world's biggest TV hits.
Tonight, we sit down for an exclusive conversation with actors on The Blacklist.
Then we turn the tables on the executive producers, locking them in a room with a super fan for a no-holds-barred Q and A.
Red said, "Your father's dead.
" Tom says, "Your father is alive.
" - Who's lying? - Have you been talking to Spader? And we go inside to unlock secrets of what lies ahead for the most amazing season yet.
If that's not enough, we'll enjoy a special sneak peek of the all-new season, so exclusive, even I haven't seen it yet.
So, sit back, relax, and prepare to go behind The Blacklist with me, your host, Harry Lennix.
LENNIX: What do you get when the world's most wanted criminal surrenders to the FBI to pursue and capture 200 of the world's most elusive villains? Sprinkle in some amazing action, edge-of-your-seat suspense, and a healthy dose of the most enigmatic criminals ever to grace the small screen, and you've got the makings of an international hit.
Something we call The Blacklist.
How many of these cases has Reddington given to you? He keeps us busy.
Last season was, without question, the most exciting yet, with shocking twists that set fans around the world on their heels, including the apparent death of Liz, one of the show's central characters.
You were wrong to make her believe you could keep her safe.
Fortunately, Liz is back.
And just as fans around the world breathe a collective sigh of relief, Liz was kidnapped in last season's thrilling finale.
Who are you? My name is Alexander Kirk.
Folks, as an actor on this show, I can tell you with absolute certainty.
You can never know what will happen next.
I'm your father.
Okay, for three years, fans around the world have had questions.
So, we sent super fan Troy Heinritz for a face-to-face interview to get the answers from Blacklist executive producers John Eisendrath and Jon Bokenkamp.
John and Jon, thanks so much for having the opportunity to let us come out and talk to you guys 'cause Season 3 was probably the best season of The Blacklist so far.
So, let's talk about the theory camps.
We have the #daddygate crowd.
They are adamant that Red is definitely Liz's father.
I remember, in Season 1, Liz says to Red Are you my father? And he takes a moment, and he says No.
I was like, "Oh, my God, it's over! "This core mystery is just shot.
" And nobody believed it.
It's amazing to be part of an enterprise that people care enough about to wonder whether what we're presenting is real or just artifice and we're gonna later tell you the truth.
Red said, "Your father's dead.
" Tom says, "Your father is alive.
" Who's lying? (EISENDRATH CHUCKLES) We have #lizzington.
The shippers.
Do you guys ever cater to the shippers? We are aware of them, but it doesn't determine what we're gonna do.
In the second episode, in "Marvin Gerard," they're in a shipping container, talking about being a ship captain, on a ship.
If you're a shipper, you're like, "They're talking to me, the fan.
" It's incredibly fun and rewarding to know that people question every detail, including the shipping container which, sadly, I'm fairly certain, - was just a shipping container.
- (CHUCKLES) I think you would have made a terrific captain.
(LAUGHS) So, walk with me on this one.
The other third camp is that Red is an imposter.
He's not really the Raymond "Red" Reddington that was a naval intelligence officer that went off the grid.
The clues are, of course, in Season 1, he goes and sees the plastic surgeon in Miami.
Let me look at you.
You look great.
I mean, the elasticity is amazing.
Then in Season 2, we get to the end of the road, and Naomi is sitting there, and if this is the woman that he was supposedly married to, says, "You look a little bit different.
" You look so different.
Not as different as you.
When we get into Season 3, Red is in his own mind and he is reliving this Katarina Rostova concept.
Is, in fact, Raymond Reddington, Katarina Rostova the same person? I love that people take the time to think about these things.
I can't deny your idea that Red is an imposter.
Yes, that is a theory that you lay out a good math for.
It's super fun to guess at, and the truth is, even if we said yes to every one of your questions, people would be like, "They're lying.
It's not true.
" The best answers we can give, better than hearing us say it now, are the ones that we give on the show.
Raymond Reddington is not who you think he is.
Just how true to life is this amazing show? Well, we asked legendary FBI agent, Brad Garrett, to put our show to the test in The Blacklist, Fact or Fiction? The Blacklist is real from the standpoint that you could have an informant like Reddington.
Reddington's only allegiance is to the highest bidder.
GARRETT: They don't tend to fly around in jets and drive expensive cars.
You think we're going to put you up at the Sheridan? REDDINGTON: (LAUGHING) The Sheridan is not my scene.
Reddington is ideal.
He is a guy from the world they are going after.
It's good to see so many friends and even more enemies.
And he has hooks and connections into them and also has identified them.
REDDINGTON: I'm talking about the criminals who matter, the ones you can't find because you don't even know they exist.
I get amused when they send me these scripts where these agents are kicking in doors in some foreign country.
And I said, "At least put somebody in there that would give you authority to kick in a door.
" On behalf of the Bureau, we appreciate your help.
OFFICER: Let me be very clear.
It is you who are here to help me.
GARRETT: That part is all well and good.
From a reality standpoint, they allow Reddington to do things they would never have authority or get authority to do.
- But, boy, is it fun to watch! - (YELLING) And if you're in law enforcement, it's very cathartic, 'cause it's like, "Boy, I'd really like to do it that way.
" - You've killed three people.
- I'm not perfect.
(GUN FIRING) Welcome back to Behind The Blacklist.
From her first appearance on the premiere of The Blacklist, FBI agent Elizabeth Keen has undergone an extraordinary transformation from fresh-faced, newly-minted agent to world-weary fugitive who has seen the best and worst of the mysterious man who has insinuated himself into the most private aspects of her life.
You have ruined my life, but there are answers I need, and I can't get them without you.
And I can't get them without you.
So, I guess we're stuck with each other.
(LAUGHS) Now, here's Agent Keen herself.
Megan Boone.
- Great to see you.
- Great to see you.
I wanted to ask you about the evolution of your character over the last three years.
- Sure.
- What's happened to Liz Keen? Well, Liz Keen started out as this naive, young woman who thought she had a normal life.
But once Reddington came into her life, he revealed a lot of darkness.
What if I were to tell you that all the things you've come to believe about yourself are a lie? Those kinds of things are life-altering, and she has just matured and grown.
I'm not your Lizzy.
To control.
To be told what to do.
Tom Keen was sent into your life for a certain purpose.
Yeah.
But it seems to have been converted to an actual love relationship.
Tom Keen had all these lies about himself when they first met.
The relationship that Tom and Liz have now is stronger because there's honesty there.
They are, for each other, the first family that either of them has ever known.
We both need to start over, right? You and me, the real me.
In some ways, Liz's journey has been kind of opposite of Tom.
She was this really lovely human being who was suddenly thrust into violence and conspiracy, and she sort of had to get tougher, in a way.
And I think Tom's had to get softer.
He's good at killing guys and pretending to be someone else, but he has no training on how to be a good husband or a good father, and he is really trying his absolute hardest to become the father that he should be.
You have a healthy, beautiful baby girl.
Hi.
Liz has always had these intangible things that she's fighting for.
And now, with this child, it becomes a much grittier and fierce fight for her.
She wants to have a normal life, but the world won't allow that to happen.
And now she has to make a choice about something tangible.
MR.
KAPLAN: Agnes will never be safe in Raymond's world.
The question is, how far are you willing to go to protect her? Last season, just as Agent Keen was settling into her new life, the writers of The Blacklist did the unthinkable.
What's happening? Why isn't it working? LENNIX: Or at least that's what they made us think.
Around the world, social media exploded.
We sat down with London-based journalist, Stephen Armstrong, to learn more about fan reaction to this ground-shaking moment.
Liz dying on The Blacklist was one of those moments which almost had a lag.
I was waiting, I was watching Twitter to see what happened, and there was this pause while everyone waited for her to come back.
And then she didn't.
I think it broke the Internet.
And so, when you come back on the next episode and it's the funeral.
They buried her.
I mean, they literally buried her.
We haven't lost Elizabeth.
We know exactly where she is.
What you found afterwards was that people divided into two groups.
There were those who thought that she was alive and those who absolutely knew she wasn't.
'Cause they always say, "You're not dead until you're in a body bag.
" And she was in a body bag.
So, that changed the rules again.
Now, you can't believe anyone, even when they are in a bag.
I can't do this alone.
She'll need protection.
Only if you're in her life.
I won't let you make the same mistake with her that you made with Liz.
Liz Keen came to the crazy decision that the only way for her child to be safe was to get away from Raymond Reddington, and the only way she felt that she could successfully do that was to fake her own death.
I saw her die.
I sat over her body and watched her die.
You saw what we needed you to see.
I hope the fans appreciated that we took time to have her and Tom try other things.
A job, moving.
But every time they tried, something Raymond Reddington did prevented that from happening.
There was really no alternative.
Had it really come to that? MR.
KAPLAN: She loved her daughter that much.
Yes, Raymond.
It had come to that.
She's one of the most intriguing and popular characters on The Blacklist.
Red's accomplice, trusted confidante and oldest friend.
Mr.
Kaplan.
Fans love trying to figure her out.
Last season, Mr.
Kaplan perpetrated the ultimate betrayal of Red by faking Liz's death.
And, as we all know, no one, and I mean, no one crosses Red and lives.
What am I gonna do with you, Kate? SUSAN BLOMMAERT: I think that Mr.
Kaplan knows well that there are consequences for what she does, although I think she thinks she does it for the right reason.
I think she's a bit of a mystery.
She is a woman of many talents and cleaning was one of them.
How long do I have? You have 30 minutes to document it and clean it.
We have had the most fun writing the characters who are in Reddington's entourage, and Mr.
Kaplan is singular among them because she is, in many ways, his closest confidante.
It's wonderful to play a woman who is competent.
My kind of girl.
It's just not an opportunity that you get often, 'cause she's so beautifully written.
I'm fortunate to have her in my life.
Welcome back to Behind The Blacklist.
Now, my dear friend, actress Susan Blommaert shares her top three Mr.
Kaplan moments.
I really have always liked the very first moments.
Coming down that street, she's got a purpose, she's gonna do what she does.
You're Mr.
Kaplan? BLOMMAERT: I remember walking through that door, I never even looked at Liz, I just went, "Baram.
Baram.
I'm gonna come in, I'm gonna do this and, okay, I'm done.
" I have two directives.
To protect you and find my employer.
I intend to do both.
That was the first time I got to shoot somebody on-screen.
(GUN FIRING) That was a really, really big gun.
MR.
KAPLAN: Whoever these gentlemen are, they're not FBI.
She's serious and she's gonna blow you away.
You're gone.
I liked the good-bye to Red after he had been shot.
There's nothing you can do here.
It's interesting, when you see it, when I go over to say that good-bye, we were not looking at each other.
It's one of those moments where you think, if you did look at the person, you might not even be capable of feeling what you're feeling at that moment.
I'm not leaving you, Raymond.
I'll be fine.
We've come to know Red Reddington as many things.
Man of refined taste, self-proclaimed opportunist, and a ruthless adversary.
Gentlemen, put down your hammers.
It's time for a recess.
Simon says, "Put your hands on your heads.
" (GUN COCKING) - You're crazy, old man.
- You have no idea.
EISENDRATH: Part of the show is super dark and it is offset by the fact that Red is a character filled with such joy for life and has such an enthusiastic embrace for life.
It appears this party's just getting started.
BOKENKAMP: The people Red respects the most tend to be the people who feel free to push back and be honest with him.
Glen is one of those people who is happy just to lay into Red.
If you get it done fast, I will introduce you to two young ladies you will never forget.
You lied to me! They're homeless.
EISENDRATH: Mr.
Kaplan, Dembe, and oddly enough, Aram has sort of become one of those people.
What do you want, Aram? We could use your help.
Red respects people who are earnest and sincere and Aram's love and affection for Elizabeth Keen I won't let you take her.
is something that has meant a great deal to Reddington.
Why did you ask me to meet you at an empty grave? I'd be staring at another body right now if not for you, Aram.
You saved Elizabeth.
I'm forever in your debt.
For somebody who has experienced death and dying to the degree that he has, in this case, I think he was completely ill-equipped to deal with this death.
You have Red, who we've never seen have any moment of weakness, kind of be defeated.
I got you.
ARMSTRONG: The first episode after Liz's death was completely out of the what-you'd-expect from, uh, Blacklist.
And very much out of what you'd expect from Red, Red not being in control.
There was a woman and her child.
Both were doomed.
Either save one, or lose both.
I chose the child.
JAMES SPADER: At the beginning of the episode, he is very unsure about how to put one foot in front of another.
He is lost without really even being aware of it.
Now, we're seeing this heartbroken Red, not only because he lost Elizabeth, but also because he has been betrayed by the person who is probably closest to him.
And how does Red handle this now? I know you were trying to protect her, but now because of you, Elizabeth is in grave danger.
I've been imagining this moment for the last 25 years.
LENNIX: Coming up, the moment you've been waiting for.
The exclusive sneak peek of the season premiere of The Blacklist.
But first, one might say that much of the success of The Blacklist is hinged on one burning question.
Who is Liz's father? Is it Red Reddington? Is it Alexander Kirk? Watch now as we go Red versus Kirk.
You have me, and I'm not gonna let anything happen to you.
LIZ: I know you think you care about me.
But every time you do something that makes me think you really do, you do something else that reminds me that you simply aren't capable of it.
When I was a little girl, my dad would hold me in his arms and hum that song.
You knew about the song.
Are you my father? No.
DOM: And Masha was my granddaughter.
Did you ever even tell her about me? I couldn't.
You know how complicated it was.
Hello, Masha.
- Who are you? - I'm your father.
I wish the answer were as simple as the question seems.
Welcome back to Behind The Blacklist.
So, how do you top the best season of The Blacklist ever? Watch and learn.
Season 4 picks up right where Season 3 left off.
Liz is in some unknown space with Alexander Kirk.
Tom is MIA, the baby is gone.
Reddington and Kaplan show up in this place in Cuba where Tom and Liz were going to live.
All the pieces of the puzzle have sort of been thrown up into the air and they come crashing down right at the beginning of Season 4.
One of the things that we are having fun with, in Season 4, is being very specific about what people's reactions will be to her having faked her death.
"Our whole team, how are they gonna grapple with this?" How are they gonna feel about going back and saving Liz after what she's done to betray them? Liz.
She's alive.
Alexander Kirk is claiming to be her father and he shows her a whole new world that Reddington was unwilling to show her.
And what we see is, a huge veil being lifted for her.
Who are you? Alexander Kirk.
That wasn't always so.
Once, a long time ago, my name was Constantin Rostov.
In Season 4, we're starting to really unfold the mythology of the show and actually reveal a lot of the answers about the history of these characters, and what their true connection really is.
There's certainly a great effort on the show to make the present relationship between these different characters on the show compelling in and of itself, what's happening right this minute, and that's a compelling part of the beginning of Season 4.
MR.
KAPLAN: That poor girl.
So afraid.
Always looking over her shoulder, in the dark about who she was and why it mattered.
But it wasn't just about Elizabeth anymore.
Her child was already paying the price for her association with you.
Red is faced with the betrayal of Kaplan.
One of the basic tenets of their relationship was trust.
I think there's a little trust problem now.
He's got a difficult decision to make.
Season 4 has urgency, everybody is in full motion and in great peril.
A lot of energy, a lot of questions get answered.
You're getting that adrenaline rush.
We're jumping right back into the fire.
It's gonna be amazing.
And now, without further ado, the first look at the amazing new season of The Blacklist.
It's my first time seeing it, and I cannot wait.
REDDINGTON: I'm a violent man.
I hurt people.
I kill people.
I've taken on a life that requires it.
Elizabeth's gone.
Alexander Kirk took her away from us.
I want her back.
MR.
KAPLAN: Yes, I betrayed you, but, Raymond, you have to change.
When you get her back, you have to let her go.
(MUSIC PLAYING) REDDINGTON: Gather your team.
Our next Blacklister knows where to find Elizabeth.
A five-way split.
We're looking for a name.
It's time for you to leave.
(GUN FIRING) Well, isn't this your lucky day? Reddington is a spiteful, evil man.
What have you done with Tom? TOM: All that matters is that you have a little girl and her mother, I'm coming for them.
And not just me, an army.
- You hear me? An army is coming for you.
- (GUN COCKING) Elizabeth, are you okay? Of course she is.
Unlike you, I would never hurt my own daughter.
Elizabeth, I will come for you.
I'm not leaving here without you.
Wow.
Season 4 of The Blacklist definitely starts off with a bang.
The good news is, we're just getting started.
Because, as incredible as last season was, I have it on very good authority, Season 4 will be even more amazing.
Okay, you either need to watch this one live or stay off social media because, I promise, you do not want any spoilers of this Blacklist Season 4 premiere.
I'm so glad we could share the last 30 minutes going in-depth on this amazing show.
For Behind The Blacklist, I'm Harry Lennix.
I was hoping for a somewhat more dramatic entrance.
HARRY LENNIX: Adrenaline-fueled excitement, nail-biting suspense, and a cocktail of the world's most colorful villains.
You're insane.
I wouldn't know.
LENNIX: After three incredible seasons, fans around the world continue to fall in love with Red Reddington and FBI agent Elizabeth Keen, on the worldwide phenomenon, The Blacklist.
Hi, I'm Harry Lennix.
I play team leader, Harold Cooper, on The Blacklist.
For the next half hour, I'll be your host for an inside look at one of the world's biggest TV hits.
Tonight, we sit down for an exclusive conversation with actors on The Blacklist.
Then we turn the tables on the executive producers, locking them in a room with a super fan for a no-holds-barred Q and A.
Red said, "Your father's dead.
" Tom says, "Your father is alive.
" - Who's lying? - Have you been talking to Spader? And we go inside to unlock secrets of what lies ahead for the most amazing season yet.
If that's not enough, we'll enjoy a special sneak peek of the all-new season, so exclusive, even I haven't seen it yet.
So, sit back, relax, and prepare to go behind The Blacklist with me, your host, Harry Lennix.
LENNIX: What do you get when the world's most wanted criminal surrenders to the FBI to pursue and capture 200 of the world's most elusive villains? Sprinkle in some amazing action, edge-of-your-seat suspense, and a healthy dose of the most enigmatic criminals ever to grace the small screen, and you've got the makings of an international hit.
Something we call The Blacklist.
How many of these cases has Reddington given to you? He keeps us busy.
Last season was, without question, the most exciting yet, with shocking twists that set fans around the world on their heels, including the apparent death of Liz, one of the show's central characters.
You were wrong to make her believe you could keep her safe.
Fortunately, Liz is back.
And just as fans around the world breathe a collective sigh of relief, Liz was kidnapped in last season's thrilling finale.
Who are you? My name is Alexander Kirk.
Folks, as an actor on this show, I can tell you with absolute certainty.
You can never know what will happen next.
I'm your father.
Okay, for three years, fans around the world have had questions.
So, we sent super fan Troy Heinritz for a face-to-face interview to get the answers from Blacklist executive producers John Eisendrath and Jon Bokenkamp.
John and Jon, thanks so much for having the opportunity to let us come out and talk to you guys 'cause Season 3 was probably the best season of The Blacklist so far.
So, let's talk about the theory camps.
We have the #daddygate crowd.
They are adamant that Red is definitely Liz's father.
I remember, in Season 1, Liz says to Red Are you my father? And he takes a moment, and he says No.
I was like, "Oh, my God, it's over! "This core mystery is just shot.
" And nobody believed it.
It's amazing to be part of an enterprise that people care enough about to wonder whether what we're presenting is real or just artifice and we're gonna later tell you the truth.
Red said, "Your father's dead.
" Tom says, "Your father is alive.
" Who's lying? (EISENDRATH CHUCKLES) We have #lizzington.
The shippers.
Do you guys ever cater to the shippers? We are aware of them, but it doesn't determine what we're gonna do.
In the second episode, in "Marvin Gerard," they're in a shipping container, talking about being a ship captain, on a ship.
If you're a shipper, you're like, "They're talking to me, the fan.
" It's incredibly fun and rewarding to know that people question every detail, including the shipping container which, sadly, I'm fairly certain, - was just a shipping container.
- (CHUCKLES) I think you would have made a terrific captain.
(LAUGHS) So, walk with me on this one.
The other third camp is that Red is an imposter.
He's not really the Raymond "Red" Reddington that was a naval intelligence officer that went off the grid.
The clues are, of course, in Season 1, he goes and sees the plastic surgeon in Miami.
Let me look at you.
You look great.
I mean, the elasticity is amazing.
Then in Season 2, we get to the end of the road, and Naomi is sitting there, and if this is the woman that he was supposedly married to, says, "You look a little bit different.
" You look so different.
Not as different as you.
When we get into Season 3, Red is in his own mind and he is reliving this Katarina Rostova concept.
Is, in fact, Raymond Reddington, Katarina Rostova the same person? I love that people take the time to think about these things.
I can't deny your idea that Red is an imposter.
Yes, that is a theory that you lay out a good math for.
It's super fun to guess at, and the truth is, even if we said yes to every one of your questions, people would be like, "They're lying.
It's not true.
" The best answers we can give, better than hearing us say it now, are the ones that we give on the show.
Raymond Reddington is not who you think he is.
Just how true to life is this amazing show? Well, we asked legendary FBI agent, Brad Garrett, to put our show to the test in The Blacklist, Fact or Fiction? The Blacklist is real from the standpoint that you could have an informant like Reddington.
Reddington's only allegiance is to the highest bidder.
GARRETT: They don't tend to fly around in jets and drive expensive cars.
You think we're going to put you up at the Sheridan? REDDINGTON: (LAUGHING) The Sheridan is not my scene.
Reddington is ideal.
He is a guy from the world they are going after.
It's good to see so many friends and even more enemies.
And he has hooks and connections into them and also has identified them.
REDDINGTON: I'm talking about the criminals who matter, the ones you can't find because you don't even know they exist.
I get amused when they send me these scripts where these agents are kicking in doors in some foreign country.
And I said, "At least put somebody in there that would give you authority to kick in a door.
" On behalf of the Bureau, we appreciate your help.
OFFICER: Let me be very clear.
It is you who are here to help me.
GARRETT: That part is all well and good.
From a reality standpoint, they allow Reddington to do things they would never have authority or get authority to do.
- But, boy, is it fun to watch! - (YELLING) And if you're in law enforcement, it's very cathartic, 'cause it's like, "Boy, I'd really like to do it that way.
" - You've killed three people.
- I'm not perfect.
(GUN FIRING) Welcome back to Behind The Blacklist.
From her first appearance on the premiere of The Blacklist, FBI agent Elizabeth Keen has undergone an extraordinary transformation from fresh-faced, newly-minted agent to world-weary fugitive who has seen the best and worst of the mysterious man who has insinuated himself into the most private aspects of her life.
You have ruined my life, but there are answers I need, and I can't get them without you.
And I can't get them without you.
So, I guess we're stuck with each other.
(LAUGHS) Now, here's Agent Keen herself.
Megan Boone.
- Great to see you.
- Great to see you.
I wanted to ask you about the evolution of your character over the last three years.
- Sure.
- What's happened to Liz Keen? Well, Liz Keen started out as this naive, young woman who thought she had a normal life.
But once Reddington came into her life, he revealed a lot of darkness.
What if I were to tell you that all the things you've come to believe about yourself are a lie? Those kinds of things are life-altering, and she has just matured and grown.
I'm not your Lizzy.
To control.
To be told what to do.
Tom Keen was sent into your life for a certain purpose.
Yeah.
But it seems to have been converted to an actual love relationship.
Tom Keen had all these lies about himself when they first met.
The relationship that Tom and Liz have now is stronger because there's honesty there.
They are, for each other, the first family that either of them has ever known.
We both need to start over, right? You and me, the real me.
In some ways, Liz's journey has been kind of opposite of Tom.
She was this really lovely human being who was suddenly thrust into violence and conspiracy, and she sort of had to get tougher, in a way.
And I think Tom's had to get softer.
He's good at killing guys and pretending to be someone else, but he has no training on how to be a good husband or a good father, and he is really trying his absolute hardest to become the father that he should be.
You have a healthy, beautiful baby girl.
Hi.
Liz has always had these intangible things that she's fighting for.
And now, with this child, it becomes a much grittier and fierce fight for her.
She wants to have a normal life, but the world won't allow that to happen.
And now she has to make a choice about something tangible.
MR.
KAPLAN: Agnes will never be safe in Raymond's world.
The question is, how far are you willing to go to protect her? Last season, just as Agent Keen was settling into her new life, the writers of The Blacklist did the unthinkable.
What's happening? Why isn't it working? LENNIX: Or at least that's what they made us think.
Around the world, social media exploded.
We sat down with London-based journalist, Stephen Armstrong, to learn more about fan reaction to this ground-shaking moment.
Liz dying on The Blacklist was one of those moments which almost had a lag.
I was waiting, I was watching Twitter to see what happened, and there was this pause while everyone waited for her to come back.
And then she didn't.
I think it broke the Internet.
And so, when you come back on the next episode and it's the funeral.
They buried her.
I mean, they literally buried her.
We haven't lost Elizabeth.
We know exactly where she is.
What you found afterwards was that people divided into two groups.
There were those who thought that she was alive and those who absolutely knew she wasn't.
'Cause they always say, "You're not dead until you're in a body bag.
" And she was in a body bag.
So, that changed the rules again.
Now, you can't believe anyone, even when they are in a bag.
I can't do this alone.
She'll need protection.
Only if you're in her life.
I won't let you make the same mistake with her that you made with Liz.
Liz Keen came to the crazy decision that the only way for her child to be safe was to get away from Raymond Reddington, and the only way she felt that she could successfully do that was to fake her own death.
I saw her die.
I sat over her body and watched her die.
You saw what we needed you to see.
I hope the fans appreciated that we took time to have her and Tom try other things.
A job, moving.
But every time they tried, something Raymond Reddington did prevented that from happening.
There was really no alternative.
Had it really come to that? MR.
KAPLAN: She loved her daughter that much.
Yes, Raymond.
It had come to that.
She's one of the most intriguing and popular characters on The Blacklist.
Red's accomplice, trusted confidante and oldest friend.
Mr.
Kaplan.
Fans love trying to figure her out.
Last season, Mr.
Kaplan perpetrated the ultimate betrayal of Red by faking Liz's death.
And, as we all know, no one, and I mean, no one crosses Red and lives.
What am I gonna do with you, Kate? SUSAN BLOMMAERT: I think that Mr.
Kaplan knows well that there are consequences for what she does, although I think she thinks she does it for the right reason.
I think she's a bit of a mystery.
She is a woman of many talents and cleaning was one of them.
How long do I have? You have 30 minutes to document it and clean it.
We have had the most fun writing the characters who are in Reddington's entourage, and Mr.
Kaplan is singular among them because she is, in many ways, his closest confidante.
It's wonderful to play a woman who is competent.
My kind of girl.
It's just not an opportunity that you get often, 'cause she's so beautifully written.
I'm fortunate to have her in my life.
Welcome back to Behind The Blacklist.
Now, my dear friend, actress Susan Blommaert shares her top three Mr.
Kaplan moments.
I really have always liked the very first moments.
Coming down that street, she's got a purpose, she's gonna do what she does.
You're Mr.
Kaplan? BLOMMAERT: I remember walking through that door, I never even looked at Liz, I just went, "Baram.
Baram.
I'm gonna come in, I'm gonna do this and, okay, I'm done.
" I have two directives.
To protect you and find my employer.
I intend to do both.
That was the first time I got to shoot somebody on-screen.
(GUN FIRING) That was a really, really big gun.
MR.
KAPLAN: Whoever these gentlemen are, they're not FBI.
She's serious and she's gonna blow you away.
You're gone.
I liked the good-bye to Red after he had been shot.
There's nothing you can do here.
It's interesting, when you see it, when I go over to say that good-bye, we were not looking at each other.
It's one of those moments where you think, if you did look at the person, you might not even be capable of feeling what you're feeling at that moment.
I'm not leaving you, Raymond.
I'll be fine.
We've come to know Red Reddington as many things.
Man of refined taste, self-proclaimed opportunist, and a ruthless adversary.
Gentlemen, put down your hammers.
It's time for a recess.
Simon says, "Put your hands on your heads.
" (GUN COCKING) - You're crazy, old man.
- You have no idea.
EISENDRATH: Part of the show is super dark and it is offset by the fact that Red is a character filled with such joy for life and has such an enthusiastic embrace for life.
It appears this party's just getting started.
BOKENKAMP: The people Red respects the most tend to be the people who feel free to push back and be honest with him.
Glen is one of those people who is happy just to lay into Red.
If you get it done fast, I will introduce you to two young ladies you will never forget.
You lied to me! They're homeless.
EISENDRATH: Mr.
Kaplan, Dembe, and oddly enough, Aram has sort of become one of those people.
What do you want, Aram? We could use your help.
Red respects people who are earnest and sincere and Aram's love and affection for Elizabeth Keen I won't let you take her.
is something that has meant a great deal to Reddington.
Why did you ask me to meet you at an empty grave? I'd be staring at another body right now if not for you, Aram.
You saved Elizabeth.
I'm forever in your debt.
For somebody who has experienced death and dying to the degree that he has, in this case, I think he was completely ill-equipped to deal with this death.
You have Red, who we've never seen have any moment of weakness, kind of be defeated.
I got you.
ARMSTRONG: The first episode after Liz's death was completely out of the what-you'd-expect from, uh, Blacklist.
And very much out of what you'd expect from Red, Red not being in control.
There was a woman and her child.
Both were doomed.
Either save one, or lose both.
I chose the child.
JAMES SPADER: At the beginning of the episode, he is very unsure about how to put one foot in front of another.
He is lost without really even being aware of it.
Now, we're seeing this heartbroken Red, not only because he lost Elizabeth, but also because he has been betrayed by the person who is probably closest to him.
And how does Red handle this now? I know you were trying to protect her, but now because of you, Elizabeth is in grave danger.
I've been imagining this moment for the last 25 years.
LENNIX: Coming up, the moment you've been waiting for.
The exclusive sneak peek of the season premiere of The Blacklist.
But first, one might say that much of the success of The Blacklist is hinged on one burning question.
Who is Liz's father? Is it Red Reddington? Is it Alexander Kirk? Watch now as we go Red versus Kirk.
You have me, and I'm not gonna let anything happen to you.
LIZ: I know you think you care about me.
But every time you do something that makes me think you really do, you do something else that reminds me that you simply aren't capable of it.
When I was a little girl, my dad would hold me in his arms and hum that song.
You knew about the song.
Are you my father? No.
DOM: And Masha was my granddaughter.
Did you ever even tell her about me? I couldn't.
You know how complicated it was.
Hello, Masha.
- Who are you? - I'm your father.
I wish the answer were as simple as the question seems.
Welcome back to Behind The Blacklist.
So, how do you top the best season of The Blacklist ever? Watch and learn.
Season 4 picks up right where Season 3 left off.
Liz is in some unknown space with Alexander Kirk.
Tom is MIA, the baby is gone.
Reddington and Kaplan show up in this place in Cuba where Tom and Liz were going to live.
All the pieces of the puzzle have sort of been thrown up into the air and they come crashing down right at the beginning of Season 4.
One of the things that we are having fun with, in Season 4, is being very specific about what people's reactions will be to her having faked her death.
"Our whole team, how are they gonna grapple with this?" How are they gonna feel about going back and saving Liz after what she's done to betray them? Liz.
She's alive.
Alexander Kirk is claiming to be her father and he shows her a whole new world that Reddington was unwilling to show her.
And what we see is, a huge veil being lifted for her.
Who are you? Alexander Kirk.
That wasn't always so.
Once, a long time ago, my name was Constantin Rostov.
In Season 4, we're starting to really unfold the mythology of the show and actually reveal a lot of the answers about the history of these characters, and what their true connection really is.
There's certainly a great effort on the show to make the present relationship between these different characters on the show compelling in and of itself, what's happening right this minute, and that's a compelling part of the beginning of Season 4.
MR.
KAPLAN: That poor girl.
So afraid.
Always looking over her shoulder, in the dark about who she was and why it mattered.
But it wasn't just about Elizabeth anymore.
Her child was already paying the price for her association with you.
Red is faced with the betrayal of Kaplan.
One of the basic tenets of their relationship was trust.
I think there's a little trust problem now.
He's got a difficult decision to make.
Season 4 has urgency, everybody is in full motion and in great peril.
A lot of energy, a lot of questions get answered.
You're getting that adrenaline rush.
We're jumping right back into the fire.
It's gonna be amazing.
And now, without further ado, the first look at the amazing new season of The Blacklist.
It's my first time seeing it, and I cannot wait.
REDDINGTON: I'm a violent man.
I hurt people.
I kill people.
I've taken on a life that requires it.
Elizabeth's gone.
Alexander Kirk took her away from us.
I want her back.
MR.
KAPLAN: Yes, I betrayed you, but, Raymond, you have to change.
When you get her back, you have to let her go.
(MUSIC PLAYING) REDDINGTON: Gather your team.
Our next Blacklister knows where to find Elizabeth.
A five-way split.
We're looking for a name.
It's time for you to leave.
(GUN FIRING) Well, isn't this your lucky day? Reddington is a spiteful, evil man.
What have you done with Tom? TOM: All that matters is that you have a little girl and her mother, I'm coming for them.
And not just me, an army.
- You hear me? An army is coming for you.
- (GUN COCKING) Elizabeth, are you okay? Of course she is.
Unlike you, I would never hurt my own daughter.
Elizabeth, I will come for you.
I'm not leaving here without you.
Wow.
Season 4 of The Blacklist definitely starts off with a bang.
The good news is, we're just getting started.
Because, as incredible as last season was, I have it on very good authority, Season 4 will be even more amazing.
Okay, you either need to watch this one live or stay off social media because, I promise, you do not want any spoilers of this Blacklist Season 4 premiere.
I'm so glad we could share the last 30 minutes going in-depth on this amazing show.
For Behind The Blacklist, I'm Harry Lennix.