The Blacklist with James Spader

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by The Panda, Sep 19, 2013.

  1. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    This summary is far worse than the show. Spader makes the whole series work; two internet morons talking about Spader is not the same thing. If I stood here and acted out Star Wars for 9 minutes, you'd say, "what a dumb movie! Who would want to see that?" :rolleyes:

    One of the biggest dramatic problems they had to solve was: "Raymond Reddington is one of the biggest criminals in the world. How can we avoid having the FBI just throw the guy in jail, which kind of ends the show?" And the answer is to make him a source for information in return for some kind of limited clemency. So good or bad, the FBI has to be in the show as a means of propelling the story forwards.

    If it was just the female FBI agent and Reddington globetrotting around the world, it'd be a lot harder to take -- plus it'd be very expensive to shoot. If they just hang around FBI headquarters and occasionally have shoot outs with bad guys, then it's more like a conventional show and easier to produce.
     
    groundharp likes this.
  2. Deesky

    Deesky Forum Resident

    The trouble is the FBI agents are so bland and ineffectual, especially the director, that they may as well not be there. If they fleshed out those characters - gave them more heft, complexity, then they might work better. It just feels like the agents are going off on their own all the time and if they happen to remember to ask for 'permission', the director just makes a thinking face for a bit and says, yeah go ahead (and be careful).

    This ecosystem deficiency seems especially annoying as I've just discovered a terrific Brit show called Spooks (or MI5), which has complex characters with densely dramatic plotting. Better still, it's unpredictable, as members of the main cast do get killed or banished from time to time. I feel totally engrossed each and every hour long episode (and that's without commercials). Chalk and cheese.
     
  3. tonyc

    tonyc Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    The best one they had they decided to kill her off.
     
  4. tomhayes

    tomhayes Senior Member

    Location:
    San Diego, Ca
    Vidiot, I think the video summary was spot on EXCEPT for scenes involving Reddington. The show is that dumb, and filled with "twists" that just seem to be there so the show won't be "boring."

    It's like Gangs of New York when Bill "The Butcher" wasn't on the screen. It's like Homer Simpson's description of Poochie when auditioning for the role " One, Poochie needs to be louder, angrier, and have access to a time machine. Two, whenever Poochie's not on screen, all the other characters should be asking "Where's Poochie"? "

    I gotta say when Red's not on the screen I ask myself "Where's Red?"

    P.S. My Tivo holds 300 hours of HD, there's room on there for The Blacklist unless Tivo disables the fast-forward function.
     
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  5. jpelg

    jpelg Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Elm City
    Season 1 did have the repetitive theme of all the good scenes & lines being for Red, while everyone else was either annoying, incompetent beyond belief, or both.

    Still, Spader himself alone did manage to bring me back to watching after I thought I was out.

    Hopefully season 2 will spread the smarts around bit.
     
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  6. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA
    Yes, this is 100% Spader's show. Most of the other characters are cardboard cutouts of character props to keep things moving. Lizzie is OK to look at, but hardly a great actress (and the scenes where she's supposed to emote are bad).
     
    Vidiot likes this.
  7. hbbfam

    hbbfam Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chandler,AZ
    Exactly. Its like watching an old episode of Kojak -all Telly - although that show didn't have the Lizzie to look at.
     
  8. progrocker71

    progrocker71 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Spader is a fine actor, but this show isn't worthy of his talent. This series is just ridiculous, I could't tell whether they were trying to be serious or if it's some kind of big joke being played on the general public, I vote the latter. I hope Spader is getting well paid for this cheese.
     
    misterdecibel likes this.
  9. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    I think he was very miffed at not getting an Emmy nomination. I think he deserved one -- the way he can switch from humor and sarcasm to being deadly and threatening, while also being concerned and caring towards Lizzy... all that is a very tricky balance.

    When you get down to it, it's basically a non-psychotic version of Hannibal Lector and Clarice Starling from Silence of the Lambs, only more about a world-class con artist and thief rather than a cannibalistic killer. The criminal is suave, sophisticated, erudite, very well-educated, and prone to snappy one-liners; the cop is sincere, dedicated, appalled by the criminal on several levels yet willing to cooperate to get what she needs.
     
  10. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    And here's the trailer for Season 2, which starts Monday, September 22:

     
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  11. shokhead

    shokhead Head shok and you still don't what it is. HA!

    Location:
    SoCal, Long Beach
    And we need more of Lizzie to look at. That will up it go up, the ratings.
     
  12. tonyc

    tonyc Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    I don't think Lizzie is that hot at all.
     
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  13. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA

    OK, I'm in. Good trailer. Not that I wasn't coming back anyway :)

    I wonder if Universal will be reissuing the Lord Baltimore albums to tie into their appearance in the show.
     
  14. tommy-thewho

    tommy-thewho Senior Member

    Location:
    detroit, mi
    I'll be watching.

    Red is a fascinating character.
     
  15. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    james spader is a fascinating actor
     
  16. tonyc

    tonyc Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    Spader is currently tackling his toughest role: seemingly interested in being interviewed by Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan.
     
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  17. tommy-thewho

    tommy-thewho Senior Member

    Location:
    detroit, mi
    Decent first start of the new season....
     
  18. The Panda

    The Panda Forum Mutant Thread Starter

    Location:
    Marple, PA, USA
    I looks like they listened to some complaints.
    More Spader? Check Satisfy Lizzie lusters? Check, she appears in her undies early on and wears heels to the office (?!)
    Give side characters some depth? Check (FBI young guy in bathroom and the old guy returning to duty)

    Is Spader's role as Exec Producer new this year?
     
  19. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    Past credits never listed James Spader as another executive producer, so I'd say yeah, this is new. It used to be 4 guys named John (including series creator Jon Bokenkamp) plus producer Anthony Sparks. It's pretty typical to give lead actors in a long-running a co-executive producer credit, usually as a way of giving them more money, but sometimes ceding some control to them.

    The first time I can remember this happening was with Carroll O'Conner in Archie Bunker's Place, and on that show he was co-creator, co-executive producer, head writer, and star. This kind of thing sometimes happens when stars run afoul of the showrunners and a power play is made; for example, this happened on Roseanne between the star and producer Chuck Lorre, and she bounced him out after the first season. It happened in recent years on NCIS, when star Mark Harmon clashed with producer/creator Don Bellesario, and he made it clear they had to choose between one or the other. The network blinked, got rid of Bellesario, and Harmon essentially controls the show now. But there are also other shows where instead, the actor gets canned (like in 2 and a Half Men) and the producer stays in charge.

    Spader is the show on The Blacklist, so to me it's impossible for him to ever leave and have the show continue.
     
  20. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    Alright, so I gave "The Blacklist" a try the other night and while I agree that James Spader is VERY good in this show and that there is a lot of interesting action, the "promos" make the explosions and energy seem so much better, than they actually appear in the show! So, kudos to the people that put the promos together for NBC, as they make a valid case to, at least give "Must See Mondays" a try!
     
  21. The Wanderer

    The Wanderer Seeker of Truth

    Location:
    NYC
    Spader makes it work and entertaining
     
  22. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA
    Hopefully, they have Spader locked into a nice long contract, because if this show continues to be a hit, he's going to get extremely expensive at renegotiation time...
     
  23. Splungeworthy

    Splungeworthy Forum Rezidentura

    Peter Stormare chewing the scenery is ok by me. Mary Louise Parker, not so much. Where's Alan Alda?
    I know the central story driver is Red and Lizzy's true relationship-they really teased that big-time in the last scene from last season's finale. I actually feel they need to establish that definitively (Red's her father) because I think it would open up a whole new avenue of dramatic possibilities, what with all of the people who would want to get to Red through Lizzy. Berlin (Stormare) is already using his ex-wife (in pieces, apparently) to torture him.
     
  24. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    I think it's too easy to make Reddington her father. But we know there's a connection, since he has severe burn scars on his back, and Lizzy has a small burn scar on her hand. We also know that Berlin is after Lizzy and not Red, just from the promos, so that inevitable conclusion is on its way.
     
  25. Deesky

    Deesky Forum Resident

    I'm pulling the plug on this show. I'm increasingly finding it a chore to watch, with Red's infinite knowledge of every super crook in every part of the world, the superficial characters, the rapid fire scenes leading to the final conclusion while dangling snippets of an overarching plotline to be resolved in the finale, etc. It just feels like CSI: James Spader. I'm done.
     
    sgb likes this.

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