BY DC CUEVA
Three years ago during the final of
The Challenge XXX, we featured two of the finalists who made it to the end together and who two years later would become together out on the elimination floor of War of the Worlds 2. For
Tori Deal, we featured
her getting to talk to some of the biggest names in hip-hop just after she clinched a spot in the $1 million final as a rookie. And for
Jordan Wiseley, we featured what he got to do during that few seasons' break after his first Challenge title on Exes 2.
After the first of what would be three of those championship rings, Jordan got to dip his toes into the world of acting, and with the addition of shows produced by one of entertainment's most powerful executives Tyler Perry already paying dividends for BET & its BET Plus streaming service, we featured
Jordan's time playing a rookie policeman on the OWN series
If Loving You is Wrong. More than a week ago, Jordan returned to his acting ways, if only for a bit, on another hour-long drama series - this time on free-to-air broadcast network television.
The show we're talking about is one that embraces crime instead of being part of the entire drama as it was on ILYIW. And it also has something in common with a TV industry trend, where networks have used some of its most-watched shows as a launchpad to new rookie series. And due of them airing in the prized spots of following
Teen Mom, Jersey Shore and other series, we all have the likes of
Catfish, Are You The One, Floribama Shore, Siesta Key, Ex On The Beach and
How Far is Tattoo Far on the MTV schedule.
That strategy of using tentpole programming as have new rookie series air afterwards has been embraced lately at NBC, which has long used the platform of
The Voice to help launch new shows at the start of the week. It airing after the Tuesday results show on the ladder has helped catapult
This is Us into a pop culture phenomenon, while there's another show on the Peacock that it can thank for premiering its first season after the Monday performances.
The crime thriller series
The Blacklist debuted in fall 2013 as NBC began its ratings turnaround, and it follows the character played by James Spader, Ray "Red" Reddington, as the former Navy officer turned a criminal who then surrenders to the feds after being out of sight from the hands of the FBI. In turn, he gives them a list of wanted fugitives lurking around across the planet that he got to compile while they were hunting him, and who does his best to work for them as a way to not worry about going up against the judge.
As expected for a series that airs in the spot after up-and-coming musicians take their turns to impress Adam, Blake and the judges in the famed rotating red chairs, The Blacklist benefited from The Voice to have aired for what will now be eight seasons on NBC, and like its aforementioned shows it has also aired in the coveted post-Super Bowl spot. And on Friday night, its Season 7 finale embraced a hybrid of live action and comic book-style animation, a behind-the-scenes compromise among producers Universal and Sony after late-season production was shut down due to COVID-19.
The episode that aired the week before saw main character Dembe Zuma, played by Hisham Tawfiq, have to make a choice of whether or not to stay loyal to Red after kidnappers decide to ask for secrets about him, all while he offers to hand over his empire to special agent Liz Keen, played by Megan Boone. And Jordan had a cameo in one of the scenes there, as he was asked by authorities if he happened to have been at a crime scene. In referencing to his deformed hand and the camera pointing down at it he replied,
"You're asking the wrong guy. When it comes to fingerprints—I'm no expert."
After the season's penultimate episode a week ago last Friday night, Jordan gave thanks on Twitter and if he ever decides to step away from The Challenge, the acting gigs are already there for him for the taking. It adds to what's been an eventful week for the new MTV power couple.
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