'The Blacklist' Season 8 Episode 6: How did Glen Carter die? West Nile Virus was Clark Middleton's cause of death too
NBC's hit crime drama 'The Blacklist' took time out of its ongoing eighth and final season to pay tribute to long time actor Clarke Middleton, who starred as the beloved pain in the a**, Glen Carter on the show. Middleton died in October 2020, from the West Nile Virus – a cause of death the show borrows to bring his character's arc to a grand finale.
How did Glen Carter die?
In Episode 6, when Raymond 'Red' Reddington and Dembe visit Glen's house, his frenzied mother informs the guests, whom she calls Steven and Bill, that Glen had "transitioned". To Red's repeated "What the hells?" she explained that Glen died from the West Nile Virus about two weeks back in the show's current timeline and his dying wishes were to have Huey Lewis play at his funeral.
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For those unaware, Glen was a tracker appointed by Red, who became the regional manager at the DMV. His memorial service too was planned at the same venue. Sure, Red struggles with convincing Lewis in the beginning, but we all know just how persistent the man can be. It is however when the layers of Red's feelings about Glen's death come out that the show plays its finest trump card. And Spader's is always a masterstroke.
Glen's cause of death was also what the actor who played the role, Middleton, suffered from before his death on October 4, 2020. Following news of Middleton's death, speculation surrounding his character arose, but looks like 'The Blacklist' is taking the only honorable way out.
What is the West Nile Virus?
According to medicineplus.org, "West Nile virus (WNV) is an infectious disease that first appeared in the United States in 1999. Infected mosquitoes spread the virus that causes it. People who get WNV usually have no symptoms or mild symptoms. The symptoms include a fever, headache, body aches, skin rash, and swollen lymph glands."
Although the symptoms are known to go away on their own, if the virus enters the brain, the results are "inflammation of the brain, called encephalitis or inflammation of the tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, called meningitis", all of which are life threatening.