The Blacklist (TV Series)

The Avenging Angel (No. 49) (2021)

James Spader: Raymond 'Red' Reddington

Quotes 

• Harold Cooper : The blacklister is dead. Her heart transplanted to William Green, but I suspect you know all of this.

  Raymond 'Red' Reddington : Sometimes even an avenging angel needs an avenging angel.

  Harold Cooper : You found the blacklister on your own and killed her. Why bring us the case at all?

  Raymond 'Red' Reddington : If you're asking if I had an angle to play, I didn't. Until you told me about Derek Huntley.

  Harold Cooper : How did that change the equation?

  Raymond 'Red' Reddington : It gave me the opportunity to make a powerful acquaintance. In my experience, you can't have too many of those in your debt.

  Harold Cooper : What's the difference between what you do and what Michael did? She fancied herself judge, jury and executioner. How are you any different?

  Raymond 'Red' Reddington : Oh, my goodness. We couldn't be more different. She judged people based on their worst day, by the most terrible sin they committed.

  Harold Cooper : Shouldn't we be judged by that?

  Raymond 'Red' Reddington : I don't think so. If that were the standard, we'd all be found wanting.

  Harold Cooper : Then by what standard should we be judged, if not by the worst day of our life?

  Raymond 'Red' Reddington : By every other day. We all have the devil in us, Harold, but the best of us have angels, too.

• Raymond 'Red' Reddington : My guess would be that you had something important taken from you. More important than anything else. So now you right wrongs and avenge others who've had something taken from them.

  Michael : If you know that's what I'm doing, why would you stop it?

  Raymond 'Red' Reddington : Order. Harmony. Balancing the scales. So good is rewarded and evil is punished. Most of us want that. I know I certainly do. And if that's what you were doing here, I wouldn't interrupt.

  Michael : [Pointing towards William Green]  You know who this man is? Do you know what Huntley did to this man?

  Raymond 'Red' Reddington : Yes, and it's abhorrent. But I also know what else he's done.

  Michael : He as much as murdered this man.

  Raymond 'Red' Reddington : Perhaps. But he also paid for a pediatric clinic that's in the business of saving children's lives. He's contributed to research that has eliminated certain deadly childhood diseases that have afflicted poor children around the world.

  Michael : That man is no saint.

  Raymond 'Red' Reddington : No, he's not. He's a sinner. But you think that's all he is. In your binary world, that's all you see, so when you do your math, the answer you come to is that he deserves to die. My math is different.