The season 7 finale opened with the main characters, in their real homes, explaining that as they were filming, production was shut down due to coronavirus. Instead the final episode became a mix of live-action and animation.

In the midst of this, on April 15, 2020 actor Brian Dennehy, 81, died. He was a pivotal character in season 7 named Dom, Liz's grandfather who holds the keys to many secrets viewers have been waiting for, and guessing about, since the show began. In the storyline he is in a coma hidden away in one of Red's (James Spader) secret hideouts. Cut to the doctor saying Dom is coming out of his coma ... leaving the writers difficult decisions when they get to season 8. Alongside what we believe is our "real life" - it all ends with a cliffhanger. FADE OUT

Cut to viewers checking out possible solutions on Google.

As you know coronavirus has shut down many industries including TV and film productions. If we are to look at our reality as animated characters in a simulation - much like the season finale of The Backlist - everything is changing in a way that shows us that projected timelines may not turn out as formally predicted due you to the surrealism of reality. Time is an illusion. Film is an illusion. Our reality is an illusion. CUT

Cue the final scene a compilation of real time and animation. THE END