It’s so hard to write about The Blacklist because I only watched the first few episodes, and this seems like a show has more of a payoff if you’re actually watching the entire thing. The Office is a show you can just watch out of context and it’s fine. Not so much this one.

In (on?) the Blacklist Spader plays Raymond Reddington, a former naval intelligence dude turned criminal mastermind who has his fingers in a ton of pots. He becomes an FBI informant in order to cross all these jerks off his blacklist. Look, I get it. I don’t like a lot of people either.

I have a particular fondness for the name Raymond. In my novel that I should probably try to get pubbed someday, the main guy is named Raymond. It’s after the character in True Detective Season 2, but so what? A ray is a ray.

I haven’t pinpointed the exact moment James Spader started sporting the bald look, but this role was the first time I ever noticed it. A lot of people ask me if I think James Spader lost a bit of his mojo when his hair went away. To that I say, Fools! Nothing can make James Spader bad looking. Have you seen what he looks like now? Still would!!!

There was one particular moment I found quite charming; where Raymond and Liz (?), a criminal profiler, are at a nice dinner (presumably on the government’s dime—our tax dollars in action) and he excuses himself and 23-skidoos out the kitchen. All the FBI dudes are in a tizzy, thinking he’s ducked out, until they open the surveillance van and he’s just sitting there like, sup bros. It’s pretty funny!

Not on Tubi though. Sorry! Also it ran for 11 seasons I think. Chances are slim I’ll go back to it.