♪♪ >>> THE WAIT IS OVER.
OUR FAVORITE CONCIERGE OF CRIME IS BACK ON THE HIT NBC SERIES
"THE BLACKLIST." WE'RE TALKING ABOUT JAMES SPADER
WHO PLAYS RAY MONDAY RED REDDINGTON.
>> AND RED IS SEARCHING FOR HIS ONCE-TRUSTED ASSOCIATE, WHO
APPEARED TO BE THE SOURCE OF THE ULTIMATE BETRAYAL IN THE SHOW'S
FINALE. >> ALL THIS IS BRINGING RED'S
PAST TO THE SURFACE. TAKE A LOOK.
>> THE ENEMY IS DARK FORCES PENT UP WITHIN HIMSELF.
BUT NOT FOR ME. MY DARK FORCES HAD A NAME.
THE PERSON I ENTRUSTED WITH THE MOST HEINOUS OFFENSES OF MY
LIFE. EVERY TRESPASS I COMMITTED, ES
EXPENSIONED, AS IF IT NEVER HAPPENED.
>> JAMES, GOOD MORNING. IN OUR LAST HIATUS.
>> I WAS DOING THE SAME THING I'M DOING NOW.
>> IT SEEMED TO BE A DEBRALEY RED'S MOST TRUSTED ASSOCIATE.
WHERE DO WE FIND RED WHEN WE PICK UP FOR THE PREMIERE?
>> SEARCHING FOR HIM. YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT
REDDINGTON'S RELATIONSHIP WITH DEMBE IS SO -- THEY'RE SO
ENTWINED. HE'S HIS BETTER HALF TO A GREAT
DEGREE, YOU KNOW? AND ALL FINGERS POINT TOWARDS
THAT AS BEING THE GUILTY DIRECTION, YOU KNOW?
BUT I THINK REDDINGTON WANTS TO FIND HIM JUST BECAUSE HE CAN'T
FATHOM HOW THAT COULD BE. AND THEREFORE, IF THAT IS THE
CASE, THEN HE NEEDS TO KNOW HOW. HOW THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE.
>> HE'S BEEN UNDER SIEGE NOW. >> YEAH.
FOR QUITE SOME TIME. >> FROM ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT
DIRECTIONS. >> CAN YOU TELL US -- YOU CAN'T
GIVE THINGS AWAY. WE HEAR WE GO DOWN A RABBIT HOLE
INTO RED'S PAST. WHAT DO WE FIND OUT?
>> YOU KNOW, THIS EPISODE THAT'S
UP COMING -- THE SECOND HALF OF IT, HAS PROBABLY DELVES INTO THE
PAST MORE THAN ANY OTHER EPISODE THAT WE'VE SHOT ON THE SHOW.
SO, EVEN THOUGH IT RELATES TO OTHER EPISODES THAT HAVE BEEN
DONE IN TERMS OF -- FOR INSTANCE, THERE WAS AN EPISODE
THAT FELT LIKE A ONE-OFF LAST YEAR WITH REDDINGTON ON THE
BEACH. AT THE SORT OF CATHARTIC MOMENT
IN HIS -- IN HIS STORYLINE. AND THIS IS THE SAME IN THAT
IT'S A VERY -- IT'S A VERY CATHARTIC TIME IN TERMS OF
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN REDDINGTON'S LIFE.
AND EVERYONE AROUND HIM IN THIS SPHERE OF INFLUENCE.
BUT IN THIS EPISODE, YOU -- YOU ALL OF A SUDDEN START TO SEE AND
IT STARTS TO MAKE SENSE, SOME OF THE THINGS YOU'VE WONDERED ABOUT
THE PAST AND ABOUT THESE CHARACTER AND HOW THEY RELATE TO
ONE ANOTHER. AND I THINK IT'S SUCCESSFUL IN
THAT WAY. DO YOU AGREE, AL?
YOU'VE SEEN IT. >> I'VE SEEN IT.
AND IT ANSWERS A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS.
BUT IN WAYS THAT YOU DID NOT EXPECT.
>> RIGHT. >> I WOULD SAY, WHICH IS VERY
SATISFYING. >> IT'S HARD.
IT'S A BALANCE ON THIS SHOW. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T JUST STRING
AN AUDIENCE ALONG FOR EVERY AND EVERY AND EVER, AND EXPECT THEM
TO BE COMPELLED. YOU MUST GIVE THEM THINGS.
WHAT YOU HOPE IS AS YOU GIVE THEM THINGS THAT THEY BECOME
HUNGRIER FOR SOMETHING ELSE AND HUNGRIER FOR MORE.
AND I THINK WE'VE BEEN FAIRLY SUCCESSFUL AT THAT.
AND I THINK THAT YOU -- YOU ALSO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PUT STORIES
ON THE SHELF FOR A LITTLE BIT. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T JUST KEEP
PURSUING THE SAME STORY. OTHERWISE, YOU'RE GOING TO GET
TO THE END OF THAT STORY RAPIDLY.
AND THEREFORE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE ABILITY ON A SHOW TO PUT
SOMETHING ON A SHELF AND LET IT SIT THERE AND GO OUT AND HAVE
SOME FUN. >> WHICH YOU'VE DONE WITH THIS.
I WILL TELL PEOPLE. IT IS ONE OF THE MOST SATISFYING
TWO HOURS YOU WILL SPEND, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE A
"BLACKLIST" FAN.
THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD BE MORE SATISFYING IS IF YOU HAD A
TV WEATHER MAN AS A GUEST HOST. OR A GUEST STAR.
I'M JUST SAYING. >> BOY, DID I OPEN A CAN OF
WORMS, DIDN'T I? >> YES, YOU DID.
JAMES SPADER, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
"THE