‘The Blacklist: Redemption’ star addresses that Scottie twist
Though The Blacklist: Redemption was surprisingly willing to tell fans early on that Scottie Hargrave is actually Tom Keen’s mother, the Blacklist spin-off threw in a new twist.
After Tom (Ryan Eggold) recently infiltrated a Russian training camp, in which operatives were given plastic surgery to look identical to their American marks, Howard Hargrave (Terry O’Quinn) shared his suspicions that Scottie (Famke Janssen) was never the same after their son disappeared — as in, she could’ve been replaced by a Russian operative in that same fashion.
So, what’s really going on here? Is Scottie his mother? Or is she an imposter? EW turned to Eggold for answers.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: So the show started off by saying Scottie is his mother, but now it looks like Scottie may have basically been body-snatched. Does Tom actually believe that? Or does he suspect that his father may actually be crazy?
RYAN EGGOLD: I think he’s caught in the middle and he doesn’t know what to believe. If he had to pick a side right now, it’s probably his father only because his father is the one giving him more information, and Scottie still apparently doesn’t even know that he’s her son, so they can’t even really have an honest conversation. That’s his dilemma is that he’s caught in the middle and he’s trying to figure out which one of these truths is the real one.
To what lengths will he go to try to verify the truth?
Pretty far. At the end of the season, it all starts coming out. It’s pushed pretty far. Their relationships are certainly beyond tested. I don’t know, both his parents are f—ing crazy, I don’t know how he’s still doing it.
How would Tom feel if she really isn’t his mother, but an imposter?
I think it would be heartbreaking, but it would also be a relief, to be honest, because then his mother is not some monstrous person with this plan to betray her country in some sort of nefarious attempt at whatever it is that they’re planning — or this double of hers is planning. It would almost be a relief that maybe there is good in her and maybe he can have a relationship with this woman. If she is that, then it would certainly clarify his feelings toward her.
Scottie is getting closer to uncovering the truth that Tom is her son. How is Tom handling that?
He’s pretty freaked out. He’s definitely very nervous about it. He doesn’t know how to proceed. It would be so much easier if he could just confront it all, but having to remain in the shadows like this is hard. It’s taking its toll.
How do you think Scottie would feel if she found out the truth?
I think she would be pretty upset, pretty betrayed. Also, again, she would probably be relieved that her son is alive, he’s here, she’s found him. It’s a double-edged sword in that way.
How torn does Tom feel between his two parents? They’re both asking so much of him and not giving him that much in return.
Yeah, he’s definitely being pushed to his limits. I think there has to be answers soon about who is telling the truth and who is lying, or he’s just going to combust.
Will it be addressed soon how Liz and Agnes are doing without Tom?
That is something that would be addressed on The Blacklist. I don’t know what plans are. I hope it is addressed. I don’t know what his plans are for how she’s doing with that. I can tell you that I did a scene with Megan the other day for Redemption, so we saw each other on this show, which is very fun because they hadn’t seen each other in so long. They’re bonded by both their relationship and their child together, so there was a lot of weight in there, and they’re reconnecting. They’re missing the person for the first time in a long time. I know that I am going back to Blacklist for at least one episode toward the end of the season. I don’t know when that is yet, but that relationship will be explored on Blacklist again later this season. It will definitely be present, it won’t just go away.
What does Redemption mean for Tom’s future? Does the first season end in a way where there’s potential for more?
Yeah, I think that’s probably the hope, that the story can continue and that there will be more episodes, but, at this point, having aired three episodes, we have no idea what the future holds. I don’t know where we’re headed. I know that the story really breaks wide open in episodes 7 and 8. It’s really going along and all of a sudden the rug is pulled out from under everybody, the world spins and everything is upside down. It’s great. It will certainly leave it in an interesting place to pick it up if we go ahead.
Check out an exclusive sneak peek from Thursday’s episode below.
The Blacklist: Redemption airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.
