In the midseason finale of The Blacklist, Tom Keen (Ryan Eggold) died protecting his wife Liz (Megan Boone) from thugs who were trying to get his suitcase full of bones. Liz went into a coma due to the injuries she sustained during the fight, and she came out of it 10 months later to find out that her husband was dead.

So when we pick things up in the Jan. 3 return of The Blacklist, Liz is going to be going through an incredibly difficult period of mourning essentially by herself. While Tom's death is new to her, everyone else has been dealing with it for almost a year, so they'll be at very different places in their grieving. But as these exclusive photos show, Tom's mother Scottie Hargrave (Famke Janssen) — returning to the franchise after starring in the Blacklist spin-off The Blacklist: Redemption — is offering a muscular shoulder for her daughter-in-law to cry on.

"We're so excited to have Scottie Hargrave back!" creator John Bokenkamp tells TV Guide. "Not only do we love Famke, but remember — this is Tom's mother — so she and Liz are both mourning the death of Tom Keen. I promise, the encounter between these two women is going to impact The Blacklist in a big and unexpected way."

Megan Boone and Famke Janssen, The Blacklist Photo: NBC, Scott Gries/NBC

Megan Boone and Famke Janssen, The Blacklist Photo: NBC, Scott Gries/NBC

Megan Boone and Famke Janssen, The Blacklist Photo: NBC, Scott Gries/NBC

The Blacklist returns Wednesday, Jan. 3 on NBC at 8/7c.

(Disclosure: TV Guide is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.)