The spin-off of the NBC series "The Blacklist" will kick-off Thursday. "The Blacklist: Redemption" stars Famke Janssen as Susan Scott "Scottie" Hargrave and Ryan Eggold as Tom Keen, a character from the original series.
According to Observer, Tom was supposed to be killed off. Executive Producer John Eisendrath admitted this at a gathering at the Television Critics Association. He said that they considered it frequently, but they never did it because Eggold was undeniable in his presence. So instead of writing him out, they just wrote more and more, until he became a character that they "could build a show around."
Eisendrath said that it is important for them that Tom's character is vulnerable and accesses his emotions and is responsible for the things that matter in life. While "The Blacklist" is mainly a cop show, "Redemption" is going to be a spy show. Eisendrath said that the spin-off is an espionage thriller and that makes a "completely different animal." He also added that the stories are also different and the places are different as well.
When asked how Liz would react to Tom going to "Redemption," program creator Jon Bokenkamp said tha Tom sees this as a mission. He has a lot of question about where he comes from, and if anybody would understand about questions like that, it would be Elizabeth Keen, Bokenkamp told Entertainment Weekly.
The two series will interconnect in a unique way. "The Blacklist's" 15th episode feeds right into "Redemption", and we could probably see Tom walk out of one show into the next. "The Blacklist: Redemption" is on for eight episodes and after that, "The Blacklist" would come back.
The official synopsis for "The Blacklist: Redemption" says that it "follows the world's most elusive criminals as they seek redemption for their past transgressions by forming Halcyon Aegis, a private military intelligence team that solves problems governments don't dare touch."
