FRVM – Licenciaturas
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Item Raymond Reddington, a romanticised criminal on the NBC series The Blacklist(2024-05-22) Algranati, Gala; Ferretti, JuanIn literature and visual arts, the characterisation of criminals has long been a controversial subject. The romanticisation of villains in fiction has woven itself into the fabric of artistic expression. The concept of “willing suspension of disbelief,” famously coined by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1817 can be said to invite the reader/viewer to temporarily immerse themselves in the work of fiction crafted by a given author. In addition, this suspension of judgement can be considered to allow for a more profound engagement with fictional narratives, enabling readers to empathise with characters who defy societal norms and, in some cases, embrace a life of crime. The present work purports to discuss some key elements that contribute to the romanticisation of the villain in a publicly acclaimed TV series —The Blacklist—, and to explore the extent to which such elements turned a notorious and wanted criminal, Raymond Reddington, into a romanticised hero. An exploration of the TV series and the mentioned character against the backdrop of audience response and other theories made it possible to conclude that there are some key elements that helped create the romanticisation of Raymond Reddington, the main character in the TV show: (a) the character’s mysterious past which is partially uncovered throughout the seasons; (b) Reddington’s physical description and clothes, manners, and language use, which seem central to his characterisation and appeal; (c) the character’s intelligence and his solid knowledge of criminal operations on a worldwide basis; (d) the impact of postmodernity helping ‘the bad guys’ take over. Raymond exhibits a sense of loyalty to certain individuals while remaining ruthless towards others. He defies conventional morality, fostering in the viewers’ feelings of identification, empathy, allegiance, and alignment, among others., and (e) a powerful finale which cannot be ignored as a clinching element. The treatment of willing suspension of disbelief is, to some extent, beyond the scope of this dissertation because there are some elements that belong to the field of psychology and which therefore call for a vast background in its experimental procedures. Therefore, neither the results nor the final conclusions will make any claim to any universal validity. It is interesting to point out, too, that the study presents some interesting areas that beg much further research.