Is Season 8 of blacklist the final season?

While multiple shows have been banished to the TV graveyard over the past few months, the same cannot be said for The Blacklist.

The NBC crime-thriller is now in its ninth season in the US, with a UK release incoming, so there's plenty more danger ahead for superfans of the drama.

So when exactly can we see it and what exactly is going on? Here's everything you need to know.

The Blacklist season 9 release date: When will episodes air?

megan boone as elizabeth keen in the blacklist

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Currently, there's a fair bit of drama going on off-screen over at The Blacklist, with US fans annoyed that there's been a schedule shake-up.

Launching as planned on October 21, fans were disgruntled just five episodes in when it was shifted in the TV line-up by NBC.

The show then started up again on December 9 after a two-week hiatus for just a week, then went on its holiday break before coming back on January 6.

As of January 2022, there is currently no announced release date for the UK, though typically it has dropped early in the year. It's not known if the US schedule change will affect this at all. The finale episode is set to air on January 20.

We will let you know as soon as anything is cemented.

Patience is a virtue...

The Blacklist season 9 cast: Who's in it?

alina park from the blacklist

James Spader remains the leading man of The Blacklist, playing criminal mastermind-turned-supergrass analyst, Raymond 'Red' Reddington.

As for the other major players, there's Donald Ressler (Diego Klattenhoff), Harold Cooper (Harry Lennix), Dembe Zuma (Hisham Tawfiq), Alina Park (Laura Sohn) and Aram Mojtabai (Amir Arison).

But there will be no more Katarina Rostova (Laila Robins) after Red finished her off.

"Not only did Liz beg Red not to kill her mother, she insisted he not kill her," creator Jon Bokenkamp told The Wrap. "Liz was very clear. She drew a line in the sand, and Red stepped right over it.

"With that said, in defence of Reddington, he felt he had no choice but to kill Katarina. The moment that Dom 'told her everything', Red knew what he had to do. Can Liz forgive him? I don't know. This is a seismic shift in our story. It's going to redefine everything."

the blacklist

In major news, Megan Boone has left the series. Her character, Liz, was shot by one of Neville Townsend's henchman during a showdown with Red in the season eight finale. It was confirmed that the scene would be her last, with Megan bidding farewell to fans on Instagram.

"This experience, for me, has been an entire life inside of my own life," she wrote. "These eight years playing Liz Keen have helped me better define the world and myself, as she set out to do the same.

"As her story ends I am grateful, most of all for the people I shared this time with: my fellow cast members present and past, our incredible crew who carried every single day for all involved, and those of you we entertained."

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According to Deadline, that decision was "made early on" and was "mutual". Since the announcement, a number of publications have reported that Boone exited to work on other projects. Nothing as of yet has been announced, but we can't wait to see what she gets up to next!

And another big name has also taken his leave. The Blacklist's creator, Jon Bokenkamp, has moved on to pastures new.

"I wanted to write you directly to let you know that I've made the difficult decision to leave The Blacklist," he said on social media. "I love this show with all of my heart and it's been an incredible journey, but after eight years I feel it's time for me to step out of my comfort zone, try something new, and explore a few of the other characters and stories that have been crawling around in my head."

Bokenkamp went on to say that while he has "mixed emotions" about stepping away, he "genuinely believe(s) the series remains full of life, creatively strong, and that bright days lie ahead".

But John Eisendrath, who was c0-showrunner with Bokenkamp, remains attached to the show.

jon bokenkamp of the television show the blacklist redemption speaks onstage during the nbcuniversal portion of the 2017 winter television critics association press tour at the langham hotel on january 18, 2017 in pasadena, california

Frederick M BrownGetty Images

While there's been a few exits, several new faces are also joining the fold!

Diany Rodriguez, best known for Law & Order: Organized Crime, has joined the series, playing a recurring character named Weecha Xiu.

Weecha has "a tough physical presence and a hardened demeanor, and more than capable of defending herself against anyone who might threaten her or her associates."

So by the sounds of it, she'll fit right in with the shady goings on and drama of The Blacklist!

Corey Allen, best known for playing Charlie Jackson in Starz's Power, made his first appearance on the show in episode five.

He stars as Benjamin T Okara, who becomes involved with Red as part of an investigation into a military technology case.

the blacklist, megan boone, liz keen, season 8

Sony Pictures / SkyNBC Universal

The Blacklist season 9 plot: What will happen?

With the death of Liz, there's due to be some massive changes, seeing as she had some massive relationships within the dynamics of the show - both with Red and with Ressler.

Season nine shoots forward two years into the future, catching up on the lives of the FBI Task Force as they have all tried to move on from losing one of their own.

At the start of the season, its revealed the team has disbanded, with Red disappearing in the wake of Lizs death. Though obviously it doesn't take long for him to get back into the fold.

Dembe, who is now an FBI agent, proved to be the catalyst after he's injured and his partner is killed. Recruiting the task force to help, they get back to work to find Red. But obviously, even with Red back, their relationships are more fractured than ever, and two years without Liz has proven a massive knock to everyone.

Episode seven shows Ressler's reaction to the loss of Liz in a special episode focusing on his reaction. Turns out, after finding her body, he immediately went after Red with a vengeance, and ended up in a drunken car accident, back on prescription medication, and turning in his gun and badge as he spiralled.

Thankfully, he finds solace in a hotel manager and her son, and two years later, he seems a bit more ready to take on the world without Liz.

Elsewhere in the series, there's also the issue of Red's health, which has led to speculation that he might be killed off. If season nine is to be the series' final outing, which many believe to be the case, that could be the perfect way to bow out.

We've had a confirmation of the season's timeline in a slightly unusual context. You may remember James Spader's reasoning for shaving his head for the Blacklist's pilot...

"Actors are burdened with everything else that theyve done before that, any role that theyre playing, and I thought it would be nice to take off my hat as an entirely different person," Spader said during the Television Critics Tour in Beverly Hills (via EW).

"I thought it would be a great moment when he surrenders himself and takes his hat off and the juxtaposition of the shot with him in the long hair [that you see in his mug shot]," Spader continued.

the blacklist

"The way his life has been for the last 20 years, he's moving from place to place. I thought that he should have a haircut that he could do himself, if he cares to, or he could go to some barbershop in Cambodia and cut his hair in 10 minutes. His clothes are like that too. He wears clothes that can go from a bank to a cave."

During a more recent interview on Late Night With Seth Meyers, Spader was quizzed by the host about the fact he's gone even shorter in season nine.

"I noticed from the clip you had a shaved head," Meyers said. "Is that a bald cap or did you actually"

"No, no, no," Spader replied. "It's a shaved head. It isn't that much further than this," he said, gesturing to his own cropped cut.

"This year starts two years later, and he was, you know, sort of lost for a couple of years and came down with terrible mange, and so, terrible hot spots and they had to get rid of it yuck and start over."

The Blacklist season 9 trailer: When can I watch it?

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While there's no official trailer for the season as a whole, NBC made sure fans don't go without with a series of episode teasers every week.

Check out the latest teaser above, and check back in for all the latest news on what The Blacklist has in store next.

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