The Blacklist: Red gives a con man a makeover in exclusive clip

The Blacklist type TV Show network NBC genre Crime

Thriller

Red (James Spader) has escaped his latest brush with death, but he’s about to face his biggest challenge yet — and no, it’s not a game of Heads Up.

In The Blacklist‘s two-hour event this week, Red must work with the Task Force to hunt down Robert Vesco (guest star Stacy Keach), a notorious con man and criminal. But judging by the exclusive clip above, Red will do so by pulling off a con of his own. He’s working with Vesco to carry out a heist and insists on moving it up, even though Vesco worries they need much more preparation. Red, though, has it all figured out. “I don’t think you truly appreciate my dedication to this project, so let me tell you exactly how this is going to play out,” he tells a befuddled Vesco, before launching into his plan, which involves a man or woman for every step of the way.

After all, Red’s excited about the job. “This is, in a way, a celebration, a return to form for Reddington, who is once again free and looking to have some fun,” executive producer Jon Bokenkamp tells EW. “The episode is built around a real-life criminal by the name of Robert Vesco, who allegedly died in Havana, Cuba, in 2007, but the reports of his death are somewhat questionable. He is the kind of international criminal we felt like would be a great inspiration for Reddington, somebody who might have taught him a thing or two in his younger days. Stacy Keach and Spader as these two great criminals going out and doing this incredible heist is a lot of fun.”

Just watch them at the end of the clip above, as Red works on giving Vesco a makeover, of all things. Both are practically giddy, and Bokenkamp points out the actors had just as much fun on set getting to embark on an Ocean‘s Eleven-like plot. “They had a great time,” he says. Red wouldn’t have it any other way.

Watch the clip above.

Image zoom Virginia Sherwood/NBC

The Blacklist‘s next episodes air Friday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

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