When it comes to heelish villains on The Blacklist, few make fans grit their teeth more than Ian Garvey. But who is this guy? Where did he come from? What would he look like with hair? We can’t help you with the third question, but Nerds and Scoundrels is on the case with our 7 Ian Garvey Facts Every Blacklist Fan Should Know.
This post contains spoilers! You’ve been warned.
The Blacklist Ian Garvey 7 Facts to Know
While he begins as a mystery, Mr. Garvey’s story unravels in Season 5.
7. Garvey is Played by English Actor Jonny Coyne
The role of Garvey fell to English character actor Jonathan “Jonny” Coyne. Coyne is probably best known for his role as the warden in the series Alcatraz. He has also had prominent roles in Preacher and Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, and he has been featured on film and TV since 1990 in both the United States and the UK.
6. Garvey was a Corrupt High-Ranking Marshal
Ian Garvey was a senior ranking official in the United States Marshal service. He also had ties to the witness protection program. Garvey was a powerful force with the Marshals, with an elite team at his disposal.
5. Garvey used his Position to Benefit the Nash Syndicate
The Marshal’s office wasn’t Garvey’s only gig, though. Garvey was corrupt as hell. As the leader of the Nash Syndicate, a sprawling drug enterprise that was able to dominate due to the police protection Garvey brought to the table.
4. He Killed Tom
Before we even knew Garvey’s name, we knew of him. That is because Garvey was the blacklister known as Damascus; the man who killed Tom and injured Elizabeth Keen. When all is said and done, killing Tom is likely what Garvey will always be known for. It wasn’t personal; Garvey had no real interest in Tom but desperately wanted the bones that both Liz and Reddington had been hunting. Tom had the bones, and he ended up dying because of them.
3. Garvey Killed Fellow Officer Norman Singleton to Silence Him
Poor Norm. The detective with the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia just wanted to solve Tom’s murder. Instead, he got sucked into the world of The Blacklist where he ultimately was the one to identify Garvey as Tom’s killer, the mysterious Damascus. Unfortunately for Detective Norman Singleton, Garvey was on to him and stabbed him to death before he could bring the corrupt marshal to justice.
2. Jennifer Reddington is NOT his real Daughter
After Liz learned who Garvey was and what he was capable of, she realized she needed to find a weakness to take him down. That’s when he noticed the unusual amount of attention he paid to a certain waitress. The waitress goes by the name Lilly May Roth, and she appears to be Garvey’s surrogate daughter.
But not so fast! She is, in fact, Jennifer Reddington. Jennifer is Keen’s half-sister. They share a father, but Jennifer’s mother is Naomi Hyland. (Keen’s mom is Katarina Rostova) It turns out that Garvey met Jennifer while in witness protection and developed a bond with her. It was this bond that led him to hate Reddington enough to go to the lengths that he did, including killing Tom. In the end, his motivation was to prove to Jennifer exactly who Reddington really is.
1. Ian Garvey was killed by Liz (And Dembe)
In the end, Ian Garvey was no match for Liz Keen. Garvey attempts to meet up with Red under the guise of making a trade for the bones, but Garvey intended all along to kill him instead. Obviously, things ended differently when Keen and Dembe both shoot Garvey at the meeting.
But Garvey isn’t quite dead yet! As he is dying, he whispers something to Keen at the hospital. This entire episode cost Liz her husband, but it finally got her some hard answers about who her real father is.
Nerds and Scoundrels
And that concludes our 7 Ian Garvey Facts Every Blacklist Fan Should Know list. Learn anything new today? We hope so! Let us know what you think in the comment section below. And don’t forget to check out the rest of our Blacklist content here at Nerds and Scoundrels.
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