Now this is interesting. It seems, after his fall from grace, Sam has returned to duty not only as a member, but as the head of Fourth Echelon. But, unsurprisingly, a leadership role doesn't suit the worlds best ageing badass. Though his skills as an operative are beyond question, the series has clearly established him as a firmly independent, solitary hunter. This was especially made clear in the companion novels, for those who didn't read them. So now, with Blacklist, not only is Sam coupled with a partner, but also placed in a position of responsibility that has created a greater degree of overt internecine squabbling than we are familiar with. In the words of Ubisoft Toronto game Director Patrick Redding:

"He's not a natural manager. He doesn't come ready-made to inspire individuals to act. He's kind of a grumpy, anti-social dude in a lot of ways. The other part of that is he's teamed up with a bunch of people who think they know better. The idea was always to start out with a mix of characters who weren't naturally friendly to each other. You're going to see some frayed personalities. I mean, that's good conflict, right?"

It will be interesting to see how all this strife plays out. Despite being more of a, dare I say it, follower in many respects, Sam has still shown himself to be extremely forthright, with a very take charge personality. It's been made clear that he doesn't lack leadership potential per se, more that it is a role he feels reluctant to step into. Knowing, from vast experience, he is far better suited to enacting, rather than declaring, directions.