Ex-government agent Raymond "Red" Reddington has been one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives for decades, thanks to his skillful brokering of shady deals for top criminals around the world.

Red has mysteriously surrendered to the FBI with an offer to the agency. He will help them catch a previously-thought dead terrorist under the condition that he speaks only to a certain FBI profiler named Elizabeth Keen. As a twisting series of events unfolds in the race to stop a terrorist, they wonder what Red's true intentions are and exactly why he has chosen Elizabeth to deal with.

It is revealed that Red has actually compiled has a long list over the years that is known as a "blacklist" of politicians, spies, mobsters, and terrorists. And Red is willing to help catch them all, as long as he continues to work with Elizabeth as his partner.