Featured Image Credit: NBC
Topics: Crime, Facebook, Film and TV, Amazon Prime
Ella Scott
Television fanatics are reminiscing about a retired crime thriller series with one of the ‘strongest and greatest’ opening sequences ever.
Back in September 2013, fans switched on NBC to see actor James Spader stepping out as the iconic Raymond ‘Red’ Redding for the first time.
In his opening minutes, the show’s protagonist casually strolled into the FBI’s headquarters in Washington D.C.
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However, upon uttering his name, he was forced to kneel on the ground as officials pointed guns at him in an intense standoff.
Viewers quickly caught on that Redding wasn’t actually a hero. Instead, they discovered he was a dangerous master criminal and had been listed as one of the FBI’s most-wanted men.
As fans continued to watch the series’ pilot episode, they learnt that Redding had travelled to the bureau to hand himself in and give information on a crime committed by a Serbian man named Ranko Zamani (Jamie Jackson).
Despite first airing over a decade ago, this jaw-dropping scene remains a fan favorite - with some going as far as to claim it as ‘one of the best ever’.
If your interest is piqued and you want to know what this show is, then let’s put you out of your misery.
The thriller is called The Blacklist and you can watch the trailer for the first season - including the wild opening scene - below:
The Blacklist initially aired on NBC from September 2013 through to May 2014 before being commissioned for a further nine seasons.
Seasons one to eight chronicle Redding swapping a life of crime to become a top FBI informant and his attempts at hunting down and capturing fugitives across the globe.
The penultimate series of The Blacklist sees the former criminal ferreting out a traitor within his organization, while the final shows Redding facing off against former Blacklisters looking for revenge.
Comprising 218 episodes and 10 seasons, The Blacklist ran for a decade and scooped up a Creative Arts Emmy Award and two Golden Globe nods during its air time.
Despite the beloved show coming to an end in July 2023, fans are still raving about it and claiming they’re currently rewatching the mammoth project.
Recently taking to Facebook to praise The Blacklist, one user typed: “Seriously, it's one of the strongest and greatest series openings ever. Anyone who’s seen this show, especially this scene, will get what I mean. It’s an epic start that pulls you into the story, the characters & especially Raymond Reddington.”
Another said: “The Blacklist is my all-time favorite show! I've rewatched every episode several times, and it still stays fresh and exciting. I'm always discovering new details that I overlooked initially. I'm really going to miss it!”
“He is everything,” gushed someone else. “A lawyer, the concierge of crime, a gangster, a mob Boss, a lover, a father and a friend. I have never watch a Movies like this in my life. 100/10.”
A fourth wrote: “Brilliant series, I’m watching it again for a third time.”
Another commented: “One of the greatest shows of all time.”
If you want to get involved then you can stream The Blacklist on Amazon Prime Video now.