Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Blacklist: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie Review

"Oh hell, Dembe. Get the hacksaw. We're gonna have to take him out of here in pieces."

The Blacklist is the latest in a long line of formula-driven series to air on NBC, each one indulging in more plot twists and gotcha cliffhangers than the last. But here's the real twist: it gets really good. Not decent-good. Not eh, it's worth DVR'ing-good. Not there isn't anything else on-good. Legitimately good. Addicting. Fun. Surprising. Willing to do whatever it takes to keep you guessing. The kind of show you mildly enjoy for a few episodes, reeled in each week by a single hook -- in this case, once-and-future scene chewer James Spader -- only to realize you're craving more and more, week in and week out; getting excited for each new episode, each new revelation, each new twist and each devilishly delicious bit of villainy the showrunners deliver. The Blacklist may be a formula-driven series, but it does what the best of its ilk do: bravely taking the paths least traveled, turning left when all signs point right, turning right when all signs point left, and switching up that oh so precious formula until everyone watching comes to understand all options are on the table, everything is possible and anything can happen.

It's not a perfect series by any means. Everyone who's not Raymond Reddington, or some of the more memorable criminals-of-the-week, suffers in the shadows of first-class character actors, each of whom are clearly having a blast being as bad as they can be. (Alan Alda as a shady villain in a tenuous business relationship with Spader's Reddington? Yes please.) The FBI's brightest boy scouts and most devoted girl scouts are a bit too straight-laced early on, and the main cast's job seems to boil down to reacting to the assassins, serial killers and masterminds pushing the heroes into action. Give The Blacklist time to work, though, and you'll find that criticism begins to fade rather quickly. Death, betrayal and sinister agendas are the series' lifeblood, and it's the time spent focusing on the criminal element that helps set this network procedural apart from the many, many others littering the airwaves. If Season Two continues to break down walls, sacrifice characters and retain its sharp element of surprise, The Blacklist has nowhere to go but up. Even with a somewhat rocky start, Season One proves itself more than capable. Here's hoping audiences continue tuning in and keeping this little gem alive.

"You know the problem with drawing lines in the sand? With a breath of air, they disappear."

• Pilot: Ex-government agent and one of the FBI‘s Most Wanted fugitives, Raymond "Red" Reddington (Spader) mysteriously turns himself in to the FBI and offers to give up everyone he has ever worked with, including a long-thought-dead terrorist, but under one condition: he‘ll only talk to newly-minted female FBI profiler, Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone), a woman with whom he seemingly has no connection. For Liz, it‘s going to be one hell of a first day on the job. What follows is a twisting series of events as the race to stop a terrorist begins.
• The Freelancer (No. 145): Red predicts an impending catastrophe, rooted by the work of an assassin called "The Freelancer." Together, he and Liz go undercover to prevent the death of killer's next target, Floriana Campo (guest star Isabella Rossellini). Elsewhere, FBI Special Agent Donald Ressler (Diego Klattenhoff) and newly re-hired CIA agent, Meera Malik (Parminder Nagra), who‘s been added to Red‘s private security detail, keep an eye on them from a distance.
• Wujing (No. 84): The FBI is on the hunt for high-ranking Chinese spy Wujing (guest star Chin Han), whom Red claims has hired him to help decode a classified CIA transmission. Liz, posing as an FBI cryptographer, goes with Red to decode the message while protecting US government secrets. Meanwhile, she proactively investigates her fiancé, Tom (Ryan Eggold), after suspicions are raised.
• The Stewmaker (No. 161): While continuing her investigation into the truth about Tom, Liz testifies against drug lord Hector Lorca (guest star Clifton Collins Jr). When Red’s interest is piqued, he informs the team that the witness may have been taken by "The Stewmaker," a man responsible for hundreds of missing people, all presumed dead. Meanwhile, in an unlikely twist of events, Red and Ressler must work together for the first time.
• The Courier (No. 85): Red finds out that The Courier (guest star Robert Knepper), a middle man that no one crosses, is delivering a package worth millions of dollars to an Iranian spy. The Courier, though, is a ghost, and no one, including Red, knows what he looks like. While racing to stop the mysterious criminal transaction, Liz inadvertently finds herself thrust into a dangerous kidnapping plot.
• Gina Zanetakos (No. 152): After Tom confronts Liz about the box, he claims he’s innocent and insists that they turn it into the FBI so his name can be cleared. Elsewhere, Red informs Liz and the FBI that the next name on the Blacklist is beautiful and deadly corporate terrorist, Gina Zanetakos (Margarita Levieva).
• Frederick Barnes (No. 47): After a chemical attack on a subway, Liz and the FBI search for the man responsible. Liz reluctantly calls on Red for his help after she finds her search for the next person on the blacklist, brilliant scientist Frederick Barnes (guest star Robert Sean Leonard), heading to a dead end.
• General Ludd (No. 109): Liz uncovers an elaborate plot to destroy the country‘s financial system when a new name on the Blacklist is revealed by Red. Meanwhile, Tom supports Liz when a family member (William Sadler) falls ill.
• Anslo Garrick (No. 16): Donald attempts to protect Red from a possible assassination attempt but is misled. The newest member on the blacklist, Anslo Garrick (guest star Ritchie Coster), infiltrates the FBI black site and tries to capture Red. In the chaos, Liz gets caught in an elevator and tries to figure out what is going on.
• Anslo Garrick Conclusion: Liz infiltrates the blacksite and disarms the signal jammers to call in backup but runs into trouble along the way. The fate of Ressler hangs in the balance as Red tries to bargain with Garrick. Tom becomes increasingly worried about Liz’s situation and the fate of Red is unknown.
• The Good Samaritan (No. 106): The entire FBI team is under investigation as internal affairs tries to find a mole. Elsewhere, Red is missing and conducts his own investigation into who betrayed him. Meanwhile, a serial killer from Liz’s past, "The Good Samaritan," strikes again. Liz is allowed to join the hunt for the killer as Cooper knows Red will likely reach out to help knowing how much this unsolved case means to Liz.
• The Alchemist (No. 101): Red informs the team that "The Alchemist" (guest star Ryan O‘Nan), a man who relies upon science to transform a person‘s DNA, has been contracted to protect a well-known mob informant and his wife. As the team goes undercover to catch him, Liz finds herself on the hunt for an unlikely couple. Meanwhile, Liz and Tom find themselves at another bump in their relationship and Ressler debates whether or not he should give his ex-girlfriend his blessing.
• The Cyprus Agency (No. 64): After a recent spate of abductions of babies from their mothers, Red informs Liz that the "Cyprus Agency" is the illegal adoption organization responsible. Coincidentally, Liz and Tom contemplate adoption of their own, which fuels Liz to track down the organizations CEO, Owen Mallory (guest star Campbell Scott).
• Madeline Pratt (No. 73): Liz helps Tom come to terms about their impending adoption while Red reveals that a woman from his past, Madeline Pratt (guest star Jennifer Ehle), is the next target on the Blacklist. Elsewhere, at an elaborate party at the Syrian Embassy, Red convinces Liz to pull off a covert heist.
• The Judge (No. 57): When a prominent Prosecutor is found after being missing for 12 years, Red believes that this is the work of "The Judge." Only a myth, The Judge runs an underground criminal appeals process in which those who have wrongly imprisoned and punished others are judged and punished themselves. Meanwhile, Red investigates a woman who tempts Tom while in Orlando at a teacher‘s conference.
• Mako Tanida (No. 83): The next target on the Blacklist is one of Red‘s past associates, crime lord Mako Tanida (guest star Hoon Lee). After Tanida escapes from prison, he sets out for revenge. Elsewhere, Tom (confronts Jolene (guest star Rachel Brosnahan) after interfering with his mission.
• Ivan (No. 88): When a new cyber defense asset gets stolen all roads lead to a Russian cyber terrorist known only as "Ivan" (guest star Mark Ivanir). With Red‘s assistance, Liz discovers a huge cover-up. Meanwhile, new evidence surrounding the disappearance of Jolene helps unravel some of the mystery behind Tom.
• Milton Bobbit (No. 135): Red and the team are on the hunt for "The Undertaker," a life insurance claim adjuster who convinces ordinary people to become contract killers. Meanwhile, Liz works with Red to uncover Tom's secrets.
• The Pavlovich Brothers (No. 119–122): The Pavlovich brothers specialize in abductions of high value targets and, according to Red, they're planning their next hit. While the team tries to protect the next target, Red has a job of his own for the Pavlovich Brothers. Elsewhere, Liz impatiently tries to uncover the truth about Tom.
• The Kingmaker (No. 42): After a Politician in Prague is framed for a murder, Red suspects it‘s the work of The Kingmaker (guest star Linus Roache), a strategist behind the rise of some of the world‘s most powerful politicians. While Red helps Liz and the FBI catch him, Liz uncovers a secret that Red‘s been keeping from her.
• Berlin (No. 8): Liz refuses to work with Red after discovering the truth about the death of her father. Seeking to make amends and force Liz to see him, Red brings the FBI a case they can‘t ignore. Meanwhile, Liz reveals what she knows about Tom‘s secret life to the FBI.
• Berlin Conclusion": With the crashing of the mysterious prisoner transport plane, the city is on lock down as the authorities are on the hunt for all the escapees. Meanwhile, with Red in custody, Liz uses her power to get him out since he is their best chance at finding all the suspects.

The Blacklist: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Blacklist features one of the more eye-catching high definition television presentations of the year, with a 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encode that's striking and proficient. Colors are natural and beautifully saturated, skintones are lifelike, primaries are strong, black levels are satisfying (albeit a bit muted on occasion), and contrast is consistent from episode to episode. Detail is the stuff of high-scoring praise as well. Edges are crisp and refined (without anything in the way of ringing or aliasing), textures are wonderfully resolved, close-ups are revealing and delineation is excellent. Moreover, the image is as clean and precise as the finest TV releases on the market. Macroblocking, banding and other eyesores are MIA, and there aren't any major issues to report. The Blacklist has never looked better.

The Blacklist: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Sony's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is also most impressive. Dialogue is clear, intelligible, believably grounded in the soundscape and always meticulously prioritized; never under-supported, never overwhelmed. Low-end output adds plenty of power too, punching up gunfire, lending substantial kick to explosions and throwing the LFE channel's weight behind everything from the pulsing action score to the chases, fistfights and assassinations that fill out the episodes. The rear speakers are just as effective, deploying dead-eye directional effects, slick pans and all the qualities of an immersive soundfield without stumbling or faltering. Quieter scenes are slightly less involving (ambience is excellent, even though some scenes come off as a touch too front-heavy), but that's the exception rather than the rule. The Blacklist sounds great, meaning Sony's AV presentation doesn't disappoint in the least.

The Blacklist: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentaries: Three commentary tracks are available, each featuring executive producers Jon Bokenkamp, Joe Carnahan and John Eisendrath. The trio cover the series' pilot, "Anslo Garrick: Part 1" and "Berlin: Conclusion," and do so quite thoroughly. More scope and scale, more participants and commentaries would have been appreciated, of course, but fans will enjoy each one.
• Beyond The Blacklist (Discs 1-5, HD, 123 minutes): Buried within the "Episode Selections" menu, but absent from the "Special Features" menu for some reason, the series' "Beyond The Blacklist" featurettes offer quick-hit glimpses behind the scenes, typically clocking in at or around five minutes. Watching all twenty-two videos nets a great deal of information about the series' production, thanks to countless interview segments, but it is a wee bit tiresome to access the featurettes one... by one... by one.
• Inception: Making the Pilot (Disc 1, HD, 8 minutes): The pilot episode earns the most supplemental attention. A commentary, a "Beyond The Blacklist featurette and "Inception," another overview of the series' introductory outing. Surprisingly, there isn't much in the way of significant overlap, despite the fact that it clings so closely to the building blocks of the pilot.
• The Insider: Behind Season 1 (Disc 2, HD, 14 minutes): This season-spanning mini-doc was less satisfying, although it does provide a big-picture view of the show, its writers' goals, its characters and their place in the world, and the twisting, turning manhunt formula that drives the series.
• Rogues Gallery: The Blacklisters (Disc 3, HD, 12 minutes): Discussion then turns to the first season's masterminds, assassins, antagonists and bloodthirsty killers, which are as varied as they are numerous.
• Character Dossiers (Discs 1-5, HD, 41 minutes): These character and performance dissection featurettes include "Raymond Reddington," Elizabeth Keen," "Donald Ressler," "Tom Keen," "Harold Cooper," "Meera Malik" and "Aram Mojitabai."

The Blacklist: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Blacklist isn't the next must-see HBO drama or the second coming of the network procedural. It's heavy on formula and brimming with plot twists, just like every disposable show on television. But... but... it isn't disposable television. Quite the opposite. Led by a series-defining performance by a scene-stealing James Spader, it's an addicting, smartly written villain-of-the-week thriller that defies convention, knows how to build tension and develop suspense, has a knack for drawing out a good mystery, and has plenty of surprises up its sleeve. Sony's 5-disc Blu-ray release delivers too, with a terrific video presentation, strong DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track and a decent selection of extras.