Parents' Guide to

The Blacklist: Redemption

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

More cat-and-mouse action in sometimes violent spin-off.

TV NBC Drama 2017
The Blacklist: Redemption Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 1 parent review

El C.
El C. Adult
March 4, 2017
age 16+

Cancel this predictable computer-written drivel

If you have dementia, or some serious brain damage which prevents you from understanding anything more complex than Dr. Sueuss' Cat-In-The-Hat. This show is for you. Why should we care about the characters? No clue! What's their point? No clue! Great! Now let's copy Oceans-11 and do a montage of how cool we are to accomplish what you as the viewer don't even care about! This show has NO connection with the Blacklist other than the characters who were window-dressing at best. The one character we care about - "Christopher" we have no clue why he's even there or why we should care about his Virago-like mother.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

A spin-off of The Blacklist, THE BLACKLIST: REDEMPTION follows Tom Keen (Ryan Eggold) as he joins forces with Susan "Scottie" Hargrave (Famke Janssen), now chief of a covert mercenary organization known as Gray Matters. Along with operatives such as Matias Solomon (Edi Gathegi) and Nez Rowan (Tawny Cypress), and with the help of computer hacker Dumon (Adrian Martinez), Tom and Scottie go after criminal elements that the CIA and other government agencies won't touch. Throughout it all, he's doing what he can to learn more about his own past, especially now that he knows who his biological parents are.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

This formulaic but well-thought-out series offers all the plot twists and turns the Blacklist franchise is known for. It picks up some of the threads of its parent series but manages to create an overall story that's uniquely separate. The insertion of Tom Keen's personal journey also adds a soapy but not unwelcome angle to the show.

No doubt that fans of the original will enjoy the energetic, over-the-top maneuverings of the cast as they look for hostages, chase criminal operatives, and interact with each other. The use of high-tech gadgetry, such as robotic transponders and ocular cameras, add to the fun. Folks who like cat-and-mouse games will find enough of them in The Blacklist: Redemption to tune in.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what makes a good spin-off. Should it have a lot of the same characters as the original show? Similar themes? Or should it be very different from the original? Do you think The Blacklist: Redemption is a good spin-off?

  • What's fun about watching mysteries play out? Do you like to try to solve them on your own?

TV Details

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