Warning: This story contains major spoilers from season 5, episode 8 ofThe Blacklist.
Read at your own risk!
Tom Keen has met his maker.
Credit: Will Hart/NBC
EW turned to executive producersJon BokenkampandJohn Eisendrathto get the scoop on what’s next.
(Read ourpostmortem with Ryan Eggold here.)
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Why decide to kill Tom now?
JON BOKENKAMP:Largely because of what it’s going to do to Elizabeth Keen.
But Ryan just brought a special and different dimension to the show that we really liked.
It did feel like it’s time to shift that.
I think the big question of what his death will do to Liz is why to come back.
How is she going to handle this?
Does it rip her apart?
He was like, “You know,thatis the love story of the series.”
I think he’s right.
How will Liz deal in the aftermath?
BOKENKAMP:That’s the big question.
When we come back in episode 9 in January, it’s a very different and atypical episode.
It’s not a Blacklister of the week.
It’s a very quiet, interesting little movie.
They’re more reflective and very character-heavy story.
It represents her walkabout of deciding what to do.
That story, and her story beyond that, are filled with very big choices.
She doesn’t know that Mr. Kaplan was involved.
Unpacking those will be like a new series of firsts.
Do you think Red would’ve killed Tom if Ian Garvey didn’t?
EISENDRATH:In the beginning, Spader was like, “I’ve got to kill Tom.
Why am I not killing Tom?
He’s just a pain in Red’s ass.”
He’s the one guy youcan’tkill."
I think that was true to the bitter end.
BOKENKAMP:I think that was true to the end.
That would’ve been unforgivable.
He’s killed a lot of people.
He killed her stepfather.
But I can’t imagine him having actually pulled the trigger to keep the secret safe.
BOKENKAMP:“Put me out of my misery.”
EISENDRATH:It would totally cheapen the flash-forward.
Harry Potter was saved from Voldemort by one thing: his mother’s love.
That was the most powerful spell of all.
That was the same with Tom.
Do you think Tom’s death will push Red to be honest with Liz for once?
Or is he a little bit relieved that the secret hasfor nowdied with Tom?
They have a lot to talk about.
Ian Garvey wanted to use the suitcase to control Red.
How will Ian loom large in the second half of the season?
What are his plans?
What we think is interesting is that they are in the quest together, but for very different reasons.
Why did you have them get married only to bring such pain so soon after?
BOKENKAMP:They have been married before, and annulled, and tried to get married.
Third time’s a charm.
The third time needs to be a little more subtle.
But we felt like it was something they had earned.
It was almost perfunctory in a way.
They had been together, so why not cement that?
The Blacklistairs Fridays at 8 p.m.
