The show eccentric criminal Raymond Reddington as he works with the FBI to take down some outlandish villains. With this format, there are certain things that will undoubtedly be unbelievable. But even fantastical shows can create rules within the universe that explain some of the more bizarre elements.
Though The Blacklist originally started as a semi-realistic show, it has become more bizarre the longer the show has run. In an attempt to draw out the major mystery of the show, "Who is Raymond Reddington?" the show has sometimes created and abandoned plot points. This leads to a number of inconsistencies throughout the show and general confusion about the motivation of the characters. Here are 10 things that make no sense about The Blacklist.
The Black Site
The task force operates out of a black site called the "Post Office." This is supposed to be a secure and highly secret facility. However, in season 1, dangerous criminal Anslo Garrick was able to determine the location of the facility. He invaded and took over the black site killing Luli, a member of Reddington's security team, and severely injuring Ressler.
Reddington concluded that there was a mole in the FBI and refused to return until the mole was found. During the time in which Reddington was searching for the mole and after the moles were found and eradicated, the task force continued to use the Post Office. Considering the damage that was done during this invasion and the compromised location, it seems logical that the task force would relocate. The fact that they still use this site is nonsensical.
Who Cares For Agnes?
Agnes is treated like a plot device rather than an actual character. She is primarily used to advance Liz's storyline, creating many plot twists. This leads to inconsistencies in Liz's character development as one minute Agnes is her whole world and the next minute she is basically nonexistent.
In the most recent season of the show, Elizabeth's search for a nanny for Agnes became a major plot point. To become close to Liz, Katarina scared off her chosen caregiver and took the role herself. When Liz discovered who Katarina was, she was mortified and quickly removed Agnus from Katarina's care. Then Agnes seemingly disappeared again, save for one ballet appearance. That begs the question, who is caring for Agnes now?
Trying To Control Reddington
Reddington's immunity deal with the FBI includes many provisions which Reddington ignores. The task force always brings up these provisions, trying (unsuccessfully) to dissuade Reddington from interfering with their investigations or murdering individuals.
Still, Reddington does whatever he wants. At this point, it is ludicrous that the task force even tries to control what Reddington does. It is clear to both Reddington and fans that the FBI will never persecute or punish him for violating the of their deal.
The Scars
Only one thing is known for sure about Liz's past -- she was in a fire when she was younger. In the first season, Liz regularly referred to the scar that was left by the fire. This highly visible scar was on her hand. It was also revealed that Reddington's back was scarred, leading fans to believe that he was at the fire as well.
It seems that both of these scars have disappeared. The scar is clearly missing from Liz's hand in recent seasons. There were many times that it would be likely for Liz to have seen Reddington's scars, such as when he was itted to prison or when he was in the hospital. The disappearance of these scars adds more inconsistency to an already messy story arc.
Liz Isn't Recognized
When Liz and Reddington were on the run together, their faces were plastered everywhere. Though this caused them to be careful while on the move, they completely resumed their lives afterward.
As a part of Liz's work, she sometimes goes into dangerous situations with Reddington, pretending to be a criminal accomplice of his. Remarkably, none of his associates recognize her as the FBI agent with whom he was on the run. It seems likely that high profile criminals such as the ones associated with Reddington would do a bit of research before meeting with him. If they had, they surely would have recognized Liz.
No Backup
The types of criminals the task force are hunting are highly dangerous and extremely powerful. When the task force gets a lead, they rush to investigate, often deploying a pair of agents. This almost never ends well as they are unprepared for the battle that ensues.
Still, no matter how many near-fatal situations they get themselves into, they never seem to learn. It seems obvious that they should wait for backup before rushing into these threatening crime scenes.
DNA Inconsistencies
When Reddington first surrenders, the FBI is in disbelief. They even question whether or not this is the actual Raymond Reddington. Apparently, there is no way to be sure as the FBI doesn't have photographs or DNA of the notorious criminal. This seemed unlikely in the first place as Reddington was supposedly a Navi officer. Still, fans accepted this as lore.
Cooper later manages to get his hands on an old bloody shirt of Reddington's in an attempt to compare his DNA to Liz's DNA. His DNA comes into play again when a DNA test proves "the bones" were those of the "real Raymond Reddington." Raymond's disappearing and reappearing DNA is ridiculous.
Liz's Quest For Truth
The writers clearly want to keep fans engaged in the central mystery of the show. To do this, they send Liz on quests to find answers about Reddington's past. The problem is that the show doesn't want to reveal these answers as they seem to be saving them as the final reveal for the show.
This has led to entire seasons where Liz is relentless in her pursuit to find new information, willing to put others in dangerous situations to find answers only to quickly abandon her quest and once again "Reddington's side." She will decide his identity is unimportant before later embarking on another half-baked mission to find the truth. This flip-flopping is frustrating for fans and is a huge inconsistency in the show.
Liz Trusts Katarina
Liz has no memories of Katarina, only having heard stories about how dangerous an individual she is. While Katarina is caring for Agnes, Katarina murders a man in front of the child.
This is how Liz finally realizes who Katarina is. She confronts Katarina, who threatens her. Somehow, Liz comes away from this situation trusting Katarina.
Reddington's Timeline
While the show intentionally tries to keep Reddington's past a mystery, the entire storyline has become a jumbled mess. Fans can not separate fact from fiction and are unable to provide even one truth about his past.
The entire timeline of his life is chaos and fans have completely lost interest. Whenever the truth is revealed, there will have to be so much exposition to make up for the show's unreliable narrator problem.