TV Crime Log: Blacklist, Homeland
It’s getting wet and dismal outside – it is in this neck of the woods, anyway – and you may consider that staying in to goggle at the flickering box is highly-preferable to taking the dog out for a walk.
In which case you may want to consider these crimey-thrillery shows starting this weekend.
You may have seen those posters of James Spader everywhere. Oh, James, what happened to all that lovely hair? I’ve chosen a photo of him wearing a hat because it’s just too upsetting to see it gone! Spader—I’m fine now, no, really—is starring in The Blacklist, tonight on Sky Living.
He plays Raymond ‘Red’ Reddington – how did anyone think that name was a good idea; I mean someone in the writers room must have put spoke out, surely? – who is one of the FBI’s most-wanted fugitives. Anyway, Red (shudder) gives himself up at the FBI headquarters. He just happens to have a list of the US’s most-dangerous criminals and terrorists. He calls it The Redli… no, wait, he calls it The Blacklist.
But Red (ugh) says he’ll speak only to a rookie FBI profiler called Elizabeth Keen. Together, I’m guessing, they’ll bring down everybody on that list one hour-long episode at a time. Red will probably be mostly untrustworthy – except when he isn’t – and will have an agenda of his own that will slowly be revealed along the way.
It looks a lot of fun, and Spader is always worth watching - with or without hair. That is to say, his own hair. Whether you choose to watch The Blacklist with or without your own hair is entirely your choice. Or perhaps it isn’t.
Okay, so, I’m confusing myself now. Anyway, The Blacklist has done well in the States so I’m guessing it’s going to stick around. It’s on Sky Living tonight at 9pm. Check it out if you have any brain cells left from watching Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
And then on Sunday is the return of Homeland. How do we feel about that, hmm?
What was that you did there, was that an ambivalent shrug? I kind of agree. The first series was tremendous, I thought, but the second - not so much. It kind of got itself all wrapped up in dramatic knots.
So, at the end of the last series, someone blew the shit out of Langley and Nick Brody hotfooted it to Canada, leaving behind his CIA girlfriend Carrie and his hot wife.
But we can hope that Homeland gets itself back on an even keel, perhaps utilizing the same optimism with which we stare at our spam and think: ‘Maybe that robot really does love my blog!’
Homeland series three begins on Channel 4 on Sunday at 9pm.
