‘The Blacklist’ EP Teases Guest Star Stacy Keach & James Spader ‘Are a Delight’ Together

In the first of back-to-back The Blacklist episodes on March 29, Stacy Keach guest stars as real-life financier and con man Robert Vesco, who fled the U.S. in the 1970s to avoid legal trouble and supposedly passed away in a Cuban hospital in 2007.

“The reports of his death are somewhat disputed,” executive producer Jon Bokenkamp explains. “We thought it would be fun to create an alternate history that comes to life in this episode.”

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That history involves a past connection to criminal mastermind/FBI consultant Red Reddington (James Spader), who’s out of prison and on the hunt for a lost legendary treasure. Promises Bokenkamp, “Spader and Keach together are a delight!”

Stacy Keach as Robert Vesco and James Spader as Red Reddington (Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

The first of the two episodes, “Robert Vesco,” will also see the return of the delightful Coy Stewart as Vontae Jones, Red’s former cellmate — and he may stick around for a bit.

“I think that Vontae is one of those people who, as Red moves through life collecting strange and unique friends along the way… that I think will be hard to say goodbye to,” Bokenkamp says. “So Red may need to find a place within the organization [for Vontae].”

Coy Stewart as Vontae Jones (Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

As for fan favorite couple Aram (Amir Arison) and Samar (Mozhan Marnò), the showrunner says the two will continue to be tested in their relationship.

Amir Arison as Aram Mojtabai, Mozhan Marnò as Samar Navabi (Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

“We’re going to learn a lot about not only Samar and Aram but what they can weather — what their relationship can weather, what she can physically and emotionally weather, and they’re going to be confronted with some trying times,” he details.

The Blacklist, Friday, March 29, 8/7c, NBC