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Are you ready for what might be the most shocking twist in The Blacklist‘s history? Megan Boone, who leads the show opposite James Spader, is exiting the NBC series after eight seasons. Her final appearance as a series regular will be in the upcoming Season 8 finale, per Deadline.
The good news for Blacklist fans is that Boone’s decision to exit was made early on, well before The Blacklist‘s Season 9 renewal in January. That means for faithful viewers of the series, you’ll get to see a complete, closing arc for her character, Elizabeth “Liz” Keen, versus a speedy exit out the door. And the decision was reportedly mutual, so no bad blood was left behind on the show (just the regular amount of blood Spader’s character regularly leaves in his wake).
As Boone leaves the show, Spader, Diego Klattenhoff, and Harry Lennix are now the only original cast members starring on The Blacklist. Joseph Licciardi has also starred in a recurring role on the series since Season 1. Other major cast members who have left the series include Ryan Eggold, Parminder Nagra, and Mozhan Marnò.
Season 8 has seen Liz’s transformation from a wide-eyed rookie FBI agent to a criminal on the run, embracing her dark side along mentor Raymond “Red” Reddington (Spader). In Episode 4, Liz was revealed to be No. 1 on the Blacklist. After watching Red kill her mother, Katarina, Liz began gunning directly for Red.
Their tumultuous relationship will reach a conclusion in the final two episodes of Season 8, titled “Nachalo” and “Konets,” Russian for “Beginning” and “End.” As a part of her fugitive storyline, Boone did not appear in eight episodes this season. She returned on April 23 as Liz came out from hiding, and is set to appear in both final episodes.
Though she did not reveal an exact reason for her departure, Boone left the series for the aforementioned chunk of this season due to “personal reasons.” Along with The Blacklist, the actress has starred in TV shows like The Underground Railroad, Robot Chicken, and Law and Order: L.A.
With or without Boone, the show must go on, though, as The Blacklist has been renewed for a ninth season. Boone’s final episodes will premiere on NBC on June 16 and June 23 at 10 p.m. ET.
