Megan Boone was last saw portraying Elizabeth Keen in the season 8 finale of The Blacklist, prompting numerous viewers to question her departure prior to the last two episodes of the series. Boone’s Elizabeth Keen first appeared in the premiere of The Blacklist and was one of the series’ central protagonists.
Keen, also known as Liz, was depicted as a skilled FBI profiler whose narrative underwent numerous pivotal transformations as she began to uncover the enigmas of her history and its links to the criminal genius Raymond “Red” Reddington.
Elizabeth, a pivotal character in The Blacklist, significantly influences the central narratives of the enduring series. Given that Elizabeth was the central character of The Blacklist for the first eight seasons, it is unsurprising that viewers might be intrigued by Boone’s departure from the series after such a prolonged commitment.
The choice for Boone to depart from The Blacklist and for the character Elizabeth Keen to be eliminated from the series was more straightforward than viewers may perceive.
Megan Boone Left From the Blacklist to Pursue Other Possibilities
Megan Boone opted to depart from The Blacklist to explore alternative options well in advance of the show’s renewal for season 9. Her early notification enabled the makers of The Blacklist to methodically develop her character’s final season 8 storyline, providing her with a gratifying resolution.
The decision to remove Elizabeth Keen from The Blacklist was a mutual agreement between Boone and the show’s authors, as well as the producers, NBC and Sony Pictures TV, who refrained from commenting on these alterations to the show’s overarching narrative.
After Megan Boone’s departure from The Blacklist, James Spader, Diego Klattenhoff, and Harry Lennix were the sole remaining original cast members of the series.
Megan Boone Did Not Return to The Blacklist
In the latter part of her storyline in The Blacklist, Megan Boone’s character, Elizabeth Keen, becomes a fugitive. In the concluding scenes of The Blacklist season 8, she confronts Red, who requests that she terminate his life due to his terminal illness.
When she falters in her decision to shoot him, he attempts to coerce her by promising to provide a letter from her mother.
Regrettably, as Liz hesitates to act, one of Neville’s accomplices shoots her in the back. As she collapses into Red’s embrace and succumbs to her injuries, her narrative arc in The Blacklist culminates, signifying the closure of Boone’s involvement with the series.
Simultaneously, as evidenced in seasons 9 and 10 of The Blacklist, Elizabeth’s unexpected demise persisted in influencing the series.
Following Elizabeth’s death in the concluding moments of The Blacklist season 8, Boone was unable to reprise his role in seasons 9 and 10. Given that Boone possesses her own production company, Weird Sisters, she will persist in developing new films moving forward.
Simultaneously, as evidenced in seasons 9 and 10 of The Blacklist, Elizabeth’s unexpected demise persisted in influencing the series.
Did the Level of the Blacklist Decrease After Megan Boone’s Departure?
It is challenging to know whether The Blacklist eventually experienced detriment owing to Megan Boone’s departure from the series. By the time season 8, her final season as Elizabeth Keen, premiered, viewership levels had already experienced a substantial decline.
Season 9 averaged slightly over 5.4 million viewers per episode, comparable to season 8 (according to THR), indicating that her departure did not significantly affect overall viewing. Many fans expressed their views online, with numerous individuals believing that her departure enhanced the show.
If Elizabeth remained in the series, there was a possibility that some extended narrative threads, including the revelation of Raymond Reddington’s identity, may have been concluded more satisfactorily.
This is undoubtedly subjective; yet, Elizabeth was not a favored character in The Blacklist. Although she was pivotal to numerous narratives, if any character could be deemed the primary attraction for audiences, it was James Spader’s Raymond Reddington.
It is noteworthy that a considerable segment of both viewers and critics believe the show deteriorated throughout the latter two seasons, particularly toward the conclusion of season 10.
The departure of Boone from The Blacklist cannot just be attributed to the perception of the conclusion as substandard, as other reasons contributed to this sentiment. If Elizabeth remained in the series, some extended plot threads, including the revelation of Raymond Reddington’s identity, would have been concluded more satisfactorily.
Regrettably, Boone’s absence from the latter episodes of The Blacklist renders any assessment of the show’s potential improvement with her involvement in seasons 9 and 10 purely conjectural.
Megan Boone’s Work After Her Leave from The Blacklist
As anticipated following her eight-season tenure on The Blacklist, Megan Boone has not secured a job of comparable significance since departing from the series. In fact, Boone’s on-screen work has remained relatively quiet since her time on The Blacklist ended.
In the year Boone departed from the show, she featured in the period drama miniseries The Underground Railroad, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins, appearing in one episode as Miss Lucy.
Boone featured in the second episode of the inaugural season as Jenny, a lady whose infant is abducted by a surrogate mother.
Boone subsequently reappeared on television in 2023 with her role in the crime anthology series Accused. The series presents distinct narratives and ensembles in every episode, each centering on a legal case from the viewpoint of the defendant.
Boone featured in the second episode of the inaugural season of the show as Jenny, a lady whose infant is abducted by a surrogate mother.
Outside of her acting work, The Blacklist’s Boone has become an outspoken advocate of climate change awareness. She became a spokesperson for Climate and Environmental legislation in 2017 and is still dedicated to the cause today.
Interested in Megan Boone’s trajectory following her departure from The Blacklist? Examine her professional trajectory, lobbying efforts, and the repercussions of her exit from the program. Visit our website for an in-depth examination of her narrative and the evolution of The Blacklist in the absence of Elizabeth Keen!