Why Did Megan Boone Leave The Blacklist? Her Exit Explained (2024)

Megan Boone was last seen as Elizabeth Keen in The Blacklist's season 8 finale, and since she was so prominent, many viewers wondered why she left before the final two chapters of the show. First appearing in The Blacklist's pilot, Megan Boone's Elizabeth Keen was among the series' primary characters. Often referred to as Liz, Keen was portrayed as a talented FBI profiler whose storyline went through many significant changes as she started unraveling the mysteries of her past and its connections with criminal mastermind Raymond "Red" Reddington.

As one of The Blacklist's main characters, Megan Boone's Elizabeth Keen plays a significant role in driving many primary storylines of the long-running series. Considering Elizabeth was the main character of The Blacklist throughout the first eight seasons, it is not surprising that audiences may be curious about why Megan Boone departed from the series after sticking with it for so long. Therefore, here is a breakdown of why Megan Boone left The Blacklist and how her character, Elizabeth Keen, was gradually written off from the series.

Megan Boone Left The Blacklist For Other Opportunities

Elizabeth Keen Was Written Out Of The Show With Plenty Of Warning

To pursue other opportunities, Megan Boone decided to leave The Blacklist long before the show was renewed for season 9. Her early heads-up allowed The Blacklist's creators to meticulously craft her character's final season 8 arc in such a way that it gave her a satisfying closure. The decision to write off Elizabeth Keen from The Blacklist was mutual between Megan Boone and the show's creators, and the producers, NBC and Sony Pictures TV, also had no comments regarding these changes in the show's overarching storyline. Following Megan Boone's exit from The Blacklist, James Spader, Diego Klattenhoff, and Harry Lennix were the only original cast members that remained with the series.

Megan Boone Didn't Return To The Blacklist

Despite Hopes From Some Fans, Elizabeth Wasn't Seen Again After Her Death

Towards the end of her arc in The Blacklist, Megan Boone's Elizabeth Keen turns into a fugitive. In The Blacklist season 8's ending moments, she comes face to face with Red who asks her to kill him because he is terminally ill anyway. When she hesitates to shoot him, he tries coercing her by affirming that he will give her a letter from her mother. Unfortunately, while Liz struggles to pull the trigger, one of Neville's henchmen shoots her in the back. As she falls into Red's arms and bleeds to death, her storyline in The Blacklist reaches its conclusion, marking the end of Megan Boone's tenure with the series.

Since Megan Boone's character, Elizabeth Keen, dies in The Blacklist season 8's ending moments, she couldn't return to the series for season's 9 and 10. However, considering how Megan Boone has her own production company called Weird Sister, she will continue working on new projects in the future. Meanwhile, as seen in The Blacklist's seasons 9 and 10, her character Elizabeth Keen's shocking death continued to impact the show.

Did The Blacklist Quality Dip After Megan Boone Left?

The Show Seemed To Be On A Downward Trajectory With Or Without Elizabeth Keen

It's difficult to determine whether or not The Blacklist ultimately suffered due to Megan Boone leaving the show. Viewership figures had already taken a significant dip by the time season 8, her final season as Elizabeth Keen, arrived. Season 9 had an average of just over 5.4 million viewers per episode, which was roughly the same as season 8 (via THR), so her exit didn't seem to impact the wider viewership. However, there are many fans who voiced their opinions on the matter online, and plenty of them seem to think her exit actually improved the show.

This is, of course, subjective, but Elizabeth Keen was far from a fan-favorite character in The Blacklist. While she was central to many plotlines, if any character could ultimately be said to be a key draw for viewers, it was James Spader's Raymond Reddington. However, it is important to note that there's also a significant portion of both viewers and critics who feel that the show declined during the final two seasons, especially by the time the season 10 finale arrived.

This can't necessarily be blamed on Megan Boone leaving The Blacklist, as there were several factors that resulted in some feeling the finale was subpar. If Elizabeth Keen was still in the show there is a chance that some of the longer plot arcs could have been wrapped up in a more satisfying way, such as the identity of Raymond Reddington. Unfortunately, since Boone didn't return for the final episodes of The Blacklist, whether the show would have been better if she'd been present for seasons 9 and 10 will remain speculative.

The Blacklist

Crime

Drama

Thriller

Action

The Blacklist is an action/thriller crime-drama TV series on NBC from creator Jon Bokenkamp. The show follows former intelligence officer turned master criminal Raymond Reddington (James Spader) and FBI agent Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone.) Red, one of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives, known as “The Concierge of Crime,” mysteriously surrenders to the FBI and offers to help them catch a deadly terrorist, with the condition that he only speaks to Elizabeth- who just so happens to be starting her first day on the job. The two continue to partner to tackle Red's "Blacklist," which he offers in exchange for immunity for his past crimes.

Release Date

September 23, 2013

Cast

Harry Lennix , Megan Boone , James Spader , Diego Klattenhoff , Ryan Eggold , Parminder Nagra

Seasons

10

Story By

Jon Bokenkamp

Writers

Jon Bokenkamp

Network

NBC

Streaming Service(s)

Netflix

Directors

Jon Bokenkamp

Showrunner

Jon Bokenkamp