Who is Tom Keen?

Thomas Vincent Keen, (born Christopher Hargrave) is an elementary school teacher who turns out to be a covert operative. Tom was a social outcast and petty thief and doesn't know who his parents are. He was recruited at the age of 14 by The Major due to the combination of sociopathy and extreme talent, to be groomed for covert operations. Reddington acquired him from The Major in order keep an eye on Elizabeth Keen. Tom got romantically involved with Liz which led Red to fire him. To protect himself and Liz, Tom went to Berlin and the Major reassigned Tom's contract to Berlin when offered double Red's original price. Tom married Liz and they were trying to adopt a child together. Their marriage is annulled when Liz finds out who and what Tom really is. Liz shoots him and stages his death, but keeps him prisoner on a boat for several months in order to extract as much information as possible. After his escape, he goes back to work for The Major again. As a covert operation as a neo-Nazi drug and arms dealer in Germany goes south, The Major, sees Tom as a liability and tries to shoot Tom but the Germans intercept them; Tom bargains for their lives and they both manage to escape, but The Major is still set to have Tom killed. Desperate, Tom hides at Liz's place and pleads her to give him his passports. She gives them to him and Tom departs on his boat to Japan to begin his new life. He comes back to help save Liz who is on the run after murdering the Attorney General. Tom goes after Karakurt, the only person that can exonerate Liz. Tom finds Karakurt and hold him hostage until he clears Liz name. After Liz is released, Tom and Liz plan on getting married again but that didn't go as planned. Red tells Tom who his parents are and at first he doesn't want to have anything to do with them but after a while he decides to work for Scottie Hargrave in order to find out who his parents are. Tom discovers his father, Howard, is alive and being held in a mental hospital. He also learns that Susan had faked Howard's death and had an ulterior motive for Halycon. After he is done working for his parents company he returns home to Liz and later it's revealed that Tom found the suitcase Kaplan left in the storage locker and looks inside it. He discovers the skeletal remains of an undisclosed person. Tom then takes it with him under Kaplan's orders to deliver the suitcase. He sets up an elaborate investigation to find out who the bones belong too. After a while he finally finds out who the skeletal remains belong to and the connection it has with Liz. Now realizing the truth, he calls Liz to come home and plans to tell her the truth. However, Ian Garvey interferes with his group and attacks the two. Having taken back the bag containing the skeletal remains, he leaves and has a few of his men get rid of Tom and Liz to send a message to Red. Despite Tom's best efforts to fight them off, he is stabbed as Liz loses consciousness. Tom's final words are that Liz will be the one to make it and he dies in the hospital.

"Secrets put people in harm's way."

— Tom Keen. #7 on The Blacklist —

"Whatever you think you know about Tom Keen, forget it. The bookish elementary school teacher was a masterful illusion.
The man is an extremely talented covert operative. I’m not surprised he convinced you that his persona was real. Once he takes on a new identity, he convinces himself."

Tom Keen | Jacob Phelps | Christopher Hargrave



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"I told you that I was in love with her, because that is exactly what I'm supposed to be. That is my job."

"Do me a favor. Look me in the eye when you do it."