Megan Boone, the female lead opposite James Spader, is departing the long-running NBC series after eight seasons, I have learned.
That allowed the writers to craft the arc for her character, Elizabeth “Liz”” Keen, this season as her final chapter.
Season 8 has completed Liz’s transformation from a wide-eyed rookie FBI agent to a criminal on the run who has embraced her dark side.
In a recent interview with TVInsider, The Blacklist creator Jon Bokenkamp teased that in “Nachalo,” “we’re going to go back to the very beginning and unpack answers to eight years worth of questions.” In the dramatic NBC promo, Spader’s Red says, “There is only you, me and the truth,” and Boone’s Liz is heard asking, “Tell me, who are you?” At the end of the most recent episode, Red revealed to Liz that he’s N-13, the elusive spy she’s been hunting for.
As part of the Liz-as-a-fugitive storyline , Boone did not appear in eight episodes this season, raising questions about her future on the show.
The Blacklist was a career-defining moment for Boone.
The character-driven procedural was an instant, massive hit, turning Boone into a TV star overnight.