You're very frank, Clarice.

[brooms]

Thank you. / For what? / For being honest with me. In my life, I don't encounter that frequently.

i've just marathoned all 10 aired episodes of the blacklist because tell me there's a relationship with the vaguest whiff of lecter/clarice to be seen and i'll be there, i'll give it a go. no vagueness with the blacklist, it's straight up a silence of the lambs au/sotl + 24 + alias mashup in a procedural package with the dullest cinematography.

i've browsed around a bit and the consensus seems to be that james spader is mvp, with the fast pacing getting honorable mention. so i suppose liking the blacklist hinges on liking his portrayal of reddington, which explains why even after 10 episodes it had no appeal to me other than the aforementioned whiff of lecter/clarice (which might be enough to get me there, but not enough to make me stay).

i'm immune to spader. he's always given me an off-putting sleazeball vibe and that vibe combined with middle-age? it's not charming. i watch things he's in despite his presence, not because of it. i wonder if i'd be more into the show if kiefer sutherland (whom i do find charming even when drunkenly tackling christmas trees) had taken the role as originally intended. maybe, but i don't think even the kief could make me care about these "mysteries".

Comments

[petronia]

I... thought the point of James Spader is that he's a sleazeball?

(In movies, I have no judgment of Spader IRL)

[brooms]

could be? english isn't my first language and i, personally, don't associate the word sleazeball with charm or likability. when i use it, it's an euphemism for repulsive. lots of people seem to actually like spader/root for his characters, tho, so my impression was that most see him as a rascal? or a debauched personality you can't help but love? smth like that.