How many television shows do you know that feature a guilt-free antihero as the protagonist? Well, I certainly can't think of many, and I think this is the inaugural case of why NBC's The Blacklist was the number one show this fall. The idea behind it is that an ingenious criminal mind, for some apparent reason, begins helping the FBI capture the world's most wanted criminals, some of whom they didn't even know existed. Even though I'm already a fan of the show, I think The Blacklist borrows a lot of its premise from USA's White Collar. I think Andy Greenwald describes the show best when he says, “It's a police procedural with a criminal as the lead investigator.” Using Greenwald's description, who can we imagine NBC's target audience was? Yes, it's a crime show, and that to me is a tell-tale sign that their audience is primarily 18-49 year olds. However, I think the combination of leading roles of Megan Boone as Elizabeth Keen and James Spader as Raymond "Red" Reddington together capture more male and female viewers together than they would in solo roles. It was a great decision to appeal to this audience, not only because they have the widest age range, but because they are the ones who watch prime time television. And for the purposes of this essay, The Blacklist airs on Monday nights in which the show premieres, right after The Voice. Since we know that The Voice is in the top ten most watched shows, the later timeslot can be considered prime real estate for other shows. This is how I and many others have started watching the show, because Carson Daily closed with "...stay tuned for The Blacklist It was a perfect way to establish... a paper center... because I think we need to discuss their portrayal or of." Raymond "Red" Reddington and Elizabeth Keene juxtaposed with the writers' vision for the characters. Let's start with James Spader. In the role of Raymond Reddington, in the very first episode we see him make a deal with the FBI to eliminate a "blacklist" of criminals only if in exchange he can work alongside the new agent Elizabeth Keen. Reddington is nothing if not a man of refined sophistication, one who appreciates a bit of aged scotch, timeless poetry and beautiful women. Similar to James' more recent roles, it's a fascinating and strange blend of charm, intellect, audacity and self-possession. Red could have been played by another actor, that hypothetical actor could not have brought the same degree of “smug satisfaction” as Spader. It would be a shock if the Spader didn't get another Emmy for his work here.