Elizabeth (Lizzy) Keen: Wooden Waif?

[mad_typist]

Seriously, y'all... her short hair is so cute.

 

So far I'm not dazzled by Megan Boone in the role. It takes a special kind of person to hold their own against the intensity and magnestism of James Spader, and she falls short for me.

 

 

.

[molshoop]

There must be something toxic in the wig material.  Megan looks more animated in that photo than she ever has on the show.

[DrLar]

I'm just hoping some accident will happen and she gets a hair cut in the show...  on an episode where a blacklister was changing appearances of some of the "victims" he could have nabbed Lizzie and cut her hair, but they didn't go there.

[nutty1]

My TV screen may be broken shortly, because my husband gets so aggravated with her substandard acting.

[kaygeeret]

I watch this show for James Spader. His character is a loon and he often has funny lines and spends his time having a ball chewing up the scenery and spitting it out. A treat to watch him.

Sadly Megan, while pretty and I'm sure a lovely person, is a truly lousy actress. I think I have identified 1 and 1/2 actual facial expressions during the entire season.

She is not helped by terrible writing and almost zero logical plotting and continuity.

All of which can make for some very hilarious moments it is true - helped by copious amouts of Spader - whose lines actually seem to be better than the rest of the cast.

It is bizarre that they put her in a wig so her hair could be worn in the exact opposite way a federal agent would wear her hair. Long hair is dangerous.

YES to the comment that the picture in short hair show more emotion and energy than anything she has done so far in the show.

[Brattinella]

I watch this show strictly for James Spader.  He is wonderful!  Contrast his acting skill with those of his co-star, she of the

wooden face and no voice inflection.  She may push me off the edge, Spader or no Spader.  Yeesh.

[caseylane]

Yes, the actress leaves me underwhelmed. I don't really notice the wig so that doesn't bother me but her monotonous acting choice really irks me. Maybe Tom will finally kill her in a fit of rage. I know being forced to live with that wet blanket for years has got to be mashing on his last nerve.

[blbubba]

I liked it when her hair looked like this

 

[IndependentMind]

Here is a great article and it even suggested the shiw kills her off.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/03/31/the-blacklist-is-dead-without-the-psychotic-red.html

[luvreddington]

At times the massive wig is very distracting.

[fauxphysician]

I don't recall ever seeing her in anything before this Show, so it's hard to judge whether or not she has talent/range. Didn't think that her botox-like facial expressions could be any more off-putting , but she scored in last night's episode. Now that Liz knows about Tom, I guess we're going to be treated to a series of mini frowns and eye rolls to convey her anger/fear/concern....whateva...

I'll always be curious as to what happened to the Liz  we were introduced to in the Pilot; whether it was a conscious choice on the part of TPTB to replace that feisty, kickass , promising and interesting character with the wooden waif she became.

Hmmmmm. Perhaps the wigs contain botox!  That would explain so much!

[DanaMB]

In the beginning it drove me nuts how she always seemed to be smiling a little in all her reactions. It confused me.  I think she's still bad, but I'll keep watching for James Spader. 

[Tony Hill]

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/03/31/the-blacklist-is-dead-without-the-psychotic-red.html

Ha, great article. Says it all. "... wigged elephant in the room." Perfect.

From the first episode onwards I wondered about who and why decided over the whole appearance of Megan Boone. I don't watch much TV so I haven't seen her in anything before. But boy, the longer the series lasts the worse she looks. The hair, the heavy makeup, and the worst part this expressionless face (Botox, my a*s). One really want to take her aside and recommend her having a serious conversation with the person who is responsible for her appearance on this show.

From my post on TWoP: Both actors [who play Keen and Ressler] have two or three face expressions and they deliver their lines with almost no emphasis. And that's it. It's a wonderful contrast to the vivid performance of James Spader. Right now I find that contrast hilarious but I am also sure it will be pretty annoying at some point.

So I agree with everything written in the afore-mentioned article. James Spader is doing a brilliant job, the writers have build up and present his personality in an excellent way. But all the other characters ... one can help wondering if this contrast is presented on purpose.

So I second the idea of getting rid of some of the characters, incl. Mr. and Mrs. Keen, the former I found creepy right from the start.

[Giselle]

I watch this show for James Spader. His character is a loon and he often has funny lines and spends his time having a ball chewing up the scenery and spitting it out. A treat to watch him.

Sadly Megan, while pretty and I'm sure a lovely person, is a truly lousy actress. I think I have identified 1 and 1/2 actual facial expressions during the entire season.

She is not helped by terrible writing and almost zero logical plotting and continuity.

All of which can make for some very hilarious moments it is true - helped by copious amouts of Spader - whose lines actually seem to be better than the rest of the cast.

It is bizarre that they put her in a wig so her hair could be worn in the exact opposite way a federal agent would wear her hair. Long hair is dangerous.

YES to the comment that the picture in short hair show more emotion and energy than anything she has done so far in the show.

That's one more expression than Charlie on Revolution. Her only talent and expression is raising an eyebrow.

[IndependentMind]

I'm wondering though, is this a trend on television? Get a pretty face to be the female lead but can't act at all? I had to stop watching "Revolution" because I could not stand the actress who plays Charlie. She is a horrible actress. 

[JES004]

Television has been doing that with male actors for years, so why not do the same with the women.  Although this actress is better than the lead female on Sleepy Hollow.  On that show, the actress that plays her sister is by far the better actor, and that somehow makes her seem even worse.

Edited April 17, 2014 by JES004

[mad_typist]

Although this actress is better than the lead female on Sleepy Hollow.

 

I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this point. Nichole Beharie has at least 4 facial expressions, which means she already has 100% more range than Megan Boone. To be fair to Boone, I'm not sure how much is her fault, and how much is the fault of the writing/directing.

[Giselle]

I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this point. Nichole Beharie has at least 4 facial expressions, which means she already has 100% more range than Megan Boone. To be fair to Boone, I'm not sure how much is her fault, and how much is the fault of the writing/directing.

The fault would lie with whoever approved the casting. 

[cynthia187]

Television has been doing that with male actors for years, so why not do the same with the women.  Although this actress is better than the lead female on Sleepy Hollow.  On that show, the actress that plays her sister is by far the better actor, and that somehow makes her seem even worse.

I will have to agree with you about the SH actress.  I couldn't get past the second episode. Megan is okay.  She has good days and bad days. 

[VeritasHurts]

I can deal with the wig.  But her HANDS freak me out.  Her nails are creepy.  They used a hand stand-in on last night's episode.

 

I know I have a problem. ;-)

[janeta]

Love Nicole; can't stand Megan.  I'm down to watching BL when nothing else is on, and then only for Spader.  (--who was great, last night.)  Parminder should have been cast as the lead.

[Words]

Speaking of "wigtastic," It sure looks to me like the actress has grown out her own hair now and is no longer wearing a wig.  Even if she were wearing a lace-front wig with a monofilament top, the thickness of her hair at the part-line is much reduced now.  Looks so much better!  Doesn't make her act better, unfortunately.  Heh.

Edited May 11, 2014 by Words

[Julia]

Television has been doing that with male actors for years, so why not do the same with the women.

 

The problem is, she's not just an action figure or a pretty enigmatic object of desire for someone more interesting. She's the character the central figure (and only interesting character) of the show is obsessed with, and he makes speeches about how compelling and interesting and mentally agile she is, which no.

 

Her part is written really badly, but if the actress can't inject a little life into it with all the screen time she's been given to do it, maybe it's just not her part. Dembe mostly gets to loom, and I have more of a sense of him as an actual human from watching him eat ice cream stoned and check out Lizzie's paint colors than I do with Lizzie after watching an entire season of her being the focus of every episode. I don't know what Meera's inner life is like, but I absolutely buy her as a hardass agent, and she didn't go into a depressive spiral and whine at her co-workers when she was pretty sure Red was going to kill her.

 

Maybe it's too much to ask from anyone but an exceptional actor, but I don't know why we should have to settle for someone who isn't an exceptional actor if she's going to be onscreen all the damn time.

[Brattinella]

Wow, Julia, you hit the nail on the head there!  She is STILL a wooden character, why is Red so infatuated/devoted to her?  I truly cannot see it.  Amen to the stoned Dembe eating ice cream scene, funny as hell.  I even saw Megan on Craig Ferguson the other night, and I was hoping against hope she would show some personality, but, nope.  The best she could do was smile (Maybe her face has thawed a bit since shooting is over).

[Skyline]

I think Megan went to the same acting school as Kristen Stewart. They both seem so bored on screen

Nicole B. is wonderful on Sleepy Hollow. The chemistry between her and Mison is delightful. .

[Julia]

Unfortunately, Lizzie isn't Abbie. She's Katrina.

[Happytobehere]

Thank goodness I am not the only one who thinks this actress is horrendous. She makes me think less of Red because she appears to be the type of person he would otherwise dispose of without a moments thought. Who fasted this part and thought she was a good fit. Who from the network or the production company watched the pilot and didn't insist on an immediate recast?

[RealityGal]

So question - how is she driving a Mercedes on the FBI budget being married to a 4th grade teacher?  All the other FBI agents seem to drive standard American cars.  I mean, I get that she got a promotion from the mobile psych unit, but come on now.

Yes, the actress leaves me underwhelmed. I don't really notice the wig so that doesn't bother me but her monotonous acting choice really irks me. Maybe Tom will finally kill her in a fit of rage. I know being forced to live with that wet blanket for years has got to be mashing on his last nerve.

Thats the thing.  I get that maybe she has to "hide" her emotions with a flat affect all the time or whatever, but she is always being such a whiny, insufferable bitch to Red. She is always acting like she is calling all the shots at work and clearly she is the most junior person there, so I have no idea why they all defer to her.  Oh wait, its because of Red, and his information, Red who she is a total bitch to.  I wish like hell she would get into one of her disapproving snits, and he would drop her and she would fall flat on her ass and no one would kiss up to her.  I wish these shows would stop writing women as such insufferable nags.

Edited September 17, 2014 by RealityGal

[2KllMckngBrd]

At beginning of tonight's show I tweeted that The Blacklist was a hit now so why couldn't NBC spring for some good wigs. Dammit to hell if she didn't get the "character got a divorce/annulment freedom haircut" by the end. She looked so much better.

Please don't tell me they had her sporting those god awful wigs all last season just for this reveal. That's just cruel! She spent whole yr looking like she had a dead raccoon strapped to her head. The producers did know that hair is actually supposed to move.

[NorCalNut]

Megan's looking great! I loved her hair in season 2/ep 1!  It's so cute and now people can stop whining about it.  She also did a great job acting.  I don't think she's wooden at all.  I'm also so glad they showed her dog, even if it's not the same one (sad that they couldn't get that part right.) I always wondered what became of it.  Now I find myself worrying about the gross head in the box that Ressler is somehow hiding.  Where is the head?  The mysterious dog shows up but now the head is just gone and hasn't been dealt with.  Ugh....it's these weird little things that get to me.

[kaygeeret]

I really couldn't believe the hair they had her sporting in this episode - screamed wig and the single worst wig I have ever seen, and believe me I've seen a few!

So they gave he the worst wig in the history of tv hair-real or fake- to set up her "rebirth" . YUCK

And then reinforced it with that really stupid annulment scene - and the equally stupid new hairdo scene. Sigh!

Such a stupid, stereotyped way to present a woman "growing and becoming strong". God how I hate the condesentation.

May the show runners and writers rot in hell for this dreck. And the casting director as well. Who in their right mind thought she had the chops to go up to Spader

[DrLar]

Yeah the squirrel tail that was hanging until the very end was annoying, at least she got rid of it..

Didn't see much after, let's see how it goes next episode.

[DrLar]

Wow those legs on the dream scene.. wow...

[nyxy]

I'll always be curious as to what happened to the Liz  we were introduced to in the Pilot; whether it was a conscious choice on the part of TPTB to replace that feisty, kickass , promising and interesting character with the wooden waif she became.

 

ha, wooden waif is brilliant, and I would have agreed entirely just 3 episodes ago. I hate to admit it, but the actor is growing on me now. (I'm halfway through the first season on Netflix.)

 

I still am shocked at the stupid way the character is written, however. The seachange from the pilot is still appalling- what a great point, again. I hate it that she's the female lead and is still HORRIBLE at her job. One blunder after another. The worst was the dumbshit way she handcuffed Tom..she's the direct reason he escaped. Also, her insistence on dealing with Tom herself rather than bringing in team... has terrible consequences to which she gives not one thought: eg the number of people who get killed when Reddington is breaking him out  (with the help of "The Serbians." They might all be baddies, but come on, writers. They made her a newbie to explain this kind of dumb mistake, but what stuns me also is that she doesn't even get the obligatory chewing out when she screws up. Another example: how the kingmaker is able to hold her at gunpoint so easily.

 

It's a female lead but one who is WHOLLY dependent on male intervention and protection just to get through a day. aaaaaaargh

 

I'm wondering though, is this a trend on television? Get a pretty face to be the female lead but can't act at all? I had to stop watching "Revolution" because I could not stand the actress who plays Charlie. She is a horrible actress. 

ITA again. And sadly it does seem to be a trend. What a comedown from Mrs Peel and even Scully.

Edited October 13, 2014 by nyxy

[Danielg342]

I agree with quite a few of the things said here, and I'll add this:

I do not understand Lizzie's motivations. I understood them- barely- in Season 1, since Lizzie and Red seemed to actually work together and work well together, but I just don't get Season 2. She said it herself in one episode- Red turns her life upside down and gives her no answers- and Red manipulates her and her team to do whatever he wants, yet Lizzie just allows it to continue, without any discernible benefit. So from that end, I don't understand why she doesn't just quit the FBI altogether and tell Red to bugger off. I would have, but I guess Lizzie is a sucker for punishment.

[Trois]

...

It's a female lead but one who is WHOLLY dependent on male intervention and protection just to get through a day. aaaaaaargh

...

If you look at the big picture that's what this show is about. It is the story of an unsecure, slightly disoriented woman who needs her daddy to show her how the world works and how to be successful in your job. 

Megan Boone started well in the pilot. She changed her face expression quite a few times. 

But from there she deteriorated enormously. As I've heard she's in the running for the lead in "Pinnochio - The wooden puppet".

[Brattinella]

I think Lizzie has improved a TINY BIT, but not enough for me to stop rooting for her immediate demise and replacement.

[betsyboo]

I'd like to post a casting call for who SHOULD have been slotted for Elizabeth Keen. I know it will only make us sadder, but perhaps someone will come up with some delightful fanfic.

 

My choices for Lizzie, in no particular order:

 

Mary Lynn Rajskub (I know, she was busy w 24)

Autumn Reeser (I have a soft spot for the OC)

Sarah Jane Morrison (^ ditto Brothers and Sisters)
Leslie Bibb, with brown hair

America Ferrerra

[Brattinella]

Hell, yeah on those choices!  Add this one: Scottie Thompson.

[NorCalNut]

Love Megan as Lizzie.  She's doing fine.  So glad that most people support her.  I don't care for Ron Perlman, but, he'll do fine I'm sure.

[Danielg342]

Other choices for Lizzie? My picks:

-Katherine Heigl (I know she's got State of Affairs now and she's got a diva reputation, but I think she can act- she can go from confident to vulnerable in seconds and it's that dynamic Lizzie needs. Heigl is also young enough to be Spader's daughter (Heigl is 38, Spader is 61)).

-Amy Davidson (if we're thinking of Lizzie being more of a “go-getter” and eager to learn, which I think would work)

-Jeanette McCurdy (yeah I know...but, she had a pretty good turn on Law & Order: SVU and I think she deserves a shot at something meatier than Disney)

-Lola Glaudini (on the old side (43) but she could be sold as young enough to be Spader's daughter...plus she got the shaft from Criminal Minds and I think she deserves much better)

-Summer Bishil (Jazira from Towelhead, she plays “vulnerable” very well)

-Amber Tamblyn (she could add some snark to the role, meaning we could have a Lizzie that actually goes toe to toe with Red from time to time)

[Cobalt Stargazer]

-Lola Glaudini (on the old side (43) but she could be sold as young enough to be Spader's daughter...plus she got the shaft from Criminal Minds and I think she deserves much better)

 

Dude, I would have to start watching this show despite Spader if that happened. I'd enjoy seeing Lola on my TV again, and I could put up with him picking the scenery out of his teeth if she was around.

[jelaine]

 

Spader is 61

Spader is not 61.  He was born February 7, 1960 making him 54.

Edited December 30, 2014 by stacey
Tone

[Happytobehere]

-Lola Glaudini (on the old side (43) but she could be sold as young enough to be Spader's daughter...plus she got the shaft from Criminal Minds and I think she deserves much better)

Question: How did LG get the shaft from Criminal Minds? Didn't she choose to leave the show much like Mandy/Gideon?

[Danielg342]

Spader is not 61. He was born February 7, 1960 making him 54.

Oops, my bad. I must have crossed up the “60s” there... :p. Anyhow, I still think Spader at least looks like he could pass off as the dad to a character played by Katherine Heigl or Lola Glaudini.

Dude, I would have to start watching this show despite Spader if that happened. I'd enjoy seeing Lola on my TV again, and I could put up with him picking the scenery out of his teeth if she was around.

I miss Glaudini too. I think she'd work great- she'd have a great snarkfest with Spader.

Question: How did LG get the shaft from Criminal Minds? Didn't she choose to leave the show much like Mandy/Gideon?

The official party line was that Edward Allen Bernero- who took over the show after Season 1- wanted to “spice things up” by bringing in a new agent, and it just so happened that Glaudini wanted to leave. In addition to that, Glaudini's character didn't get much to do until her exit arc (then again, in S1 it could be argued that none of the characters really had much to do in terms of distinct character arcs). So it's possible she chose that path, but I wonder if that is true.

[ToxicUnicorn]

Other choices for Lizzie?

If they wanted to start out with an uptight brunette, how about Rose Byrne?  She could've eased into the over the top-ness of a potential Spader-spawn.

 

I'm firmly in the "casting director could've done better" camp  No, I take that back.  What I really feel is: casting director should never be allowed to work again on English language based projects.  Maybe Swedish.  (Based on what little I once saw of Ingmar Bergman.)

[Julia]

I wonder how much of a choice casting director was given. She was given a featured role in a failed Law and Order spinoff before this, which (from what little I've been able to find online) she was equally unimpressive in. Given her fairly obvious deficits onscreen and the number of competent actresses waiting tables, I'm going to guess someone at the network level has taken an interest in her career.

[formerlyfreedom]

This is your spot to talk about Elizabeth Keen!

[ToxicUnicorn]

I'm equal opportunity; fire that person, then!  

 

True, though, I should probably be less quick to assign blame.

[mirrorrim]

Came here to see if she had gotten better. I've only seen 5 episodes. I was hoping in episode 2 she would be recast like they sometimes do after the pilot is picked up. By episode 4, I was getting so annoyed that it was hard to enjoy the story (you're about to be made into stew, and you have nearly ZERO EMOTIONAL RESPONSE?!--and this was before she was injected by paralyzer juice. After that, she finally didnt have to act!). Finally, after episode 5 I googled "blacklist bad actress".

 

I found some gossip websites that claim she has a billionaire grandfather and that's how she got cast. Also, Spader apparently hates working with her because she sucks so much. I'm also really disappointed to read that she has not been killed off and that the show loses it's focus. I guess I should stop watching. Damn! Spader does such a good job so this is all so disappointing :(