'The Blacklist' to Introduce Daughter of First Season Character in Season 10
The Blacklist is bringing in a tie to the first season as it enters into its 10th. The NBC drama reportedly plans to introduce a new character in the upcoming season, an MI6 intelligence officer named Siya Malik, who is the daughter of late Season 1 character Meera Malik, according to TV Line.
Meera, who was played by Parminder Nagra, was a major part of Red's (James Spader) special task force before her death at the hands of an assassin in the season finale. TV Line reports that Siya will arrive to the task force in Season 10 in pursuit of answers about her mother's work as well as her death. Siya has yet to be cast, according to the outlet.
The new character comes after Amir Arison and Laura Sohn both made their exits as Agent Aram Mojtabai and Agent Alina Park, respectively, in the Season 9 finale. Both characters left the door open for a possible return to the show, however, with Aram taking time away from the FBI and Alina going on medical leave after learning she was pregnant. In real life, Arison is taking the opportunity to star in The Kite Runner on Broadway.
"I have been so honored to play Aram Mojtabai for 9 years on The Blacklist," Arison said in a statement to Deadline. "It is not lost on me how lucky I am to have been able to work and evolve with a role for 9 years with this extraordinary cast, crew, writers and producers. I could not pass up the opportunity, however, to fulfill a childhood dream of being on Broadway playing 'Amir' in The Kite Runner with a stage adaptation that is both breathtaking and timely."
Another notable character The Blacklist has lost in recent seasons is Liz Keen, played by Megan Boone. Liz was killed at the end of the eighth season of the drama, and Season 9 jumped ahead three years in the wake of her death. Fans will have to wait to see how Siya fits in with the other characters in Season 10: Red, Donald Ressler (Diego Klattenhoff), Dembe Zuma (Hisham Tawfiq), and Harold Cooper (Harry Lennix).