Is Elizabeth Keen off blacklist?

Characters seemingly die all the time on The Blacklist only to later turn up alive, so is Liz Keen really dead? NBC series The Blacklist is a crime thriller with more twists and turns than a rollercoaster ride. James Spader stars as criminal mastermind and wanted fugitive Raymond Red Reddington who turns himself in to the FBI and offers to help them track down other dangerous criminals on one condition; he will only work with rookie FBI profiler Elizabeth Liz Keen (Megan Boone).

Lizs world was thrown upside down after Red waltzed his way into her life. Not only did Liz discover that her husband Tom (Ryan Eggold) was a spy hired to marry and keep tabs on her, she also learned dark secrets about her past namely that shes biologically related to Red and that her mother was a KGB agent. During the third season of The Blacklist, Liz was also forced to fake her own death not once but twice to avoid getting killed for real by some of the criminals her work and association with Red brought her way.

Related: The Blacklist Season 6 Finale Revealed [SPOILER] Is Still Alive

So, when Liz died in Reds arms duringThe Blacklist season 8 finale after being shot in the back by one of crime lord Neville Townsends (Reg Rogers) henchmen,longtime fans wondered whether her apparent death might be another yet another red herring. After all, it wouldnt be out of character for Liz to fake her own death (again) plus shes a main character in The Blacklist so really killing her off would be quite a drastic, game-changing move.

Unfortunately, it seems that Liz actually did die this time around. Shortly before the season 8 finale aired, news broke that both The Blacklist creator Jon Bokenkamp and Liz Keen actress Megan Boone was leaving the series for pastures new. According to several sources, the writing team behind The Blacklist knew that the season 8 finale would be Boones final episode and so had plenty of time to plan storylines that would conclude Lizs arc and set the stage for her exit.

Still, that hasnt stopped The Blacklist fandom from speculating that Lizs latest death could be yet another fake out, or even from creating more outlandish theories like the Lizwho was killed in the season 8 finale was actually a clone of the real Liz. Both Megan Boone and Liz Keens departure does seem pretty final, however, and with The Blacklist season 9 set to premiere in October 2021 viewers will find out for sure soon enough.

Next: The Blacklist: Will The Show Ever Reveal Who Raymond Reddington Is?