[SPOILER ALERT] Last night's new episode of THE BLACKLIST featured the death of Tom Keen (played by Ryan Eggold), a main character on the series since the pilot episode in 2013. Throughout these first 8 episodes of the show's 5th season, Tom had been investigating the mysterious suitcase of bones that Raymond "Red" Reddington (James Spader) has been desperate to find and keep hidden from Liz (Megan Boone.) His efforts landed him and his beloved Liz under attack with both in serious danger. In a highly emotional scene, they are taken to the hospital for their life threatening injuries. The episode ends with Liz emerging from a 10 month coma, with Reddington breaking the news that Tom has died.
"The Blacklist" airs Wednesdays at 8pm on NBC, and will return with new episodes on January 3. The series' milestone 100th episode "Abraham Stern" with guest star Nathan Lane as the titular blacklister, will also air in January.
Reactions below from Ryan Eggold and the executive producers. Please include a spoiler warning for readers at the top of any pieces.
Of all the words I've written on the show, two of the hardest were when Red told Liz: 'Tom's dead.' Nooooo! We'll miss the intensity, range and just plain bad ass-ness Ryan brought to the part. Won't come as any surprise - but he went down swinging!- John Eisendrath, executive producer, "The Blacklist"
I have such tremendous respect for Ryan and everything he brought to The Blacklist. The character of Tom Keen was a blast to write, and that's only because we knew Ryan could pull off whatever we threw at him. That said, we always knew Tom's exploits would one day get him killed -
THE BLACKLIST won't be the same without him. Looking ahead, Tom's death upends the show in a way we're very excited about, and our next episode is unlike anything we've done before. But it won't be the same around here without Mr. Keen. As for Mr. Eggold, I think he's gonna be just fine - he's gonna have a long and rewarding career. Jon Bokenkamp, creator and executive producer, "The Blacklist"
I feel incredibly lucky to have played a role with such a uniquely dynamic evolution. I'm grateful for the time spent working with Megan, James and the entire cast. I'm thankful to the incredibly hard-working crew for consistently making the show better. Sony and
NBC have both been deeply supportive, conscientious and adept in managing the show. Mostly I'm indebted to Jon Bokenkamp, John Eisendrath and the writers for continuing to elevate the show creatively and always impassioning me to further explore the true nature of this character. I will miss this TV family immensely and diligently look forward to the opportunity to embody new characters and tell new stories. - Ryan Eggold
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