Here's everything we know about The Blacklist season 8. Created by Jon Bokenkamp, the series follows an infamous criminal who helps the FBI track down international baddies. The Blacklist season 7 aired from October 2019 to May 2020 and saw Raymond "Red" Reddington (James Spader) assist the FBI after being kidnapped by former KGB agent Katarina Rostova (Laila Robbins). Later on, Red's FBI collaborator Liz Keen (Megan Boone) learns that her nanny is actually the aforementioned Katarina, which becomes the primary conflict throughout The Blacklist season 7.

Due to COVID-19, production was halted for the NBC series, but character animation was used to complete The Blacklist season 7 finale on NBC. The Blacklist season 7 finale includes a reference to the late Brian Dennehy, whose character, Dominic Wilkinson, recovers from being shot by his daughter, Katarina. Meanwhile, Red and Liz track down Russian blacklisters (the Kazanjian brothers), and learn about their professional loyalties in the process. Unfortunately for Red, he's suffering from some type of health problem, but has decided to hand over his empire to Liz.

Related: Why Blacklist Season 7's Cartoon Ending Didn't Work

NBC officially green The Blacklist season 8 in February 2020, approximately midway through season 7. Assuming that the production format remains the same, fans can expect 22 new episodes for The Blacklist season 8. Showrunner John Eisendrath recently described the series as a graphic novel, but it's unclear whether animation will be part of future episodes.

The Blacklist Season 8 Release Date Info

Laila Robins in The Blacklist Season 7 on NBC

The Blacklist's release schedule has been predictable thus far, as new episodes align with the traditional network season. So - before the COVID-19 pandemic - it was safe to assume that The Blacklist season 8 would theoretically premiere during the last week of September 2020. But since production has been delayed, it's difficult to pinpoint when filming will commence, or how NBC will handle scheduling moving forward. But we can predict that The Blacklist season 8 will indeed return in either late 2020 or early 2021.

The Blacklist Season 8 Story Details

James Spader in The Blacklist Season 7 on NBC

The Blacklist season 7 ends with a game of cat-and-mouse as Red tries to figure out if Liz will remain loyal to him or pledge allegiance to her mother. After collapsing, Red genuinely believes that his primary FBI contact is indeed on his side, especially when Wayne Otte shows up for a rendezvous to provide info on Katarina. But it turns out that Liz's mother orchestrated a misdirection plan, knowing that she could keep Red happy while fending off any conflict that derives from Otte's leads. The Blacklist season 7 ends with Liz revealing that she's no longer afraid to embrace the darker aspects of her life, stating "I consider it my destiny."

Based on the song that closes out The Blacklist season 7, "Paint It Black" by The Rolling Stones, life will seemingly become even more difficult for Red in The Blacklist season 8. Due to his declining health, Red will have to re-think his legacy plan and reassess his underworld empire. As of now, the future depends on Liz, and what she decides to do with her power in The Blacklist season 8.

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