The Katrina Rustova whom Reddington shot was not Elizabeth's mother. Staying away was a much better method to protect her. While the theory may seem far-fetched to some, "The Blacklist" has made a name for itself making such notions seem quite possible. The actual Red had been in a relationship with Liz's mother, Katarina Rostova (Laila Robins), a KGB agent sent to seduce him and begin a romance with him. That's because when he emerged a year after the fire, Raymond Reddington was in fact Ilya Koslov, disguised as Raymond Reddington by Dr. Hans Koehler, and fed all the information he could. Once a most-wanted criminal, now an FBI informant, he's able to do technically illegal things for the betterment of all mankind by bringing his unusual expertise to every case he's assigned to and, of course, to protect himself in the wake of the many, many things he's doing wrong during his time on the other side of the law. He wears clothes that can go from a bank to a cave.". Never kissed anybody except the alleged Katarina in Paris. The Blacklist: Cooper With fans only two episodes into season 10, many are eager to see how . ", "I appreciate that, Raymond," Dembe responds. Since it's impossible to know whether Red is lying or telling the truth throughout the whole run of "The Blacklist" now on Season 10, which some fans feel conflicted about it may take a long time for fans to discover the truth. This news comes as a shock to many viewers who have been devotedly watching since its premiere in 2013 and were looking forward to more thrilling stories from Raymond "Red" Reddington (James Spader) and his FBI task force. However, the one condition he had was to solely work alongside rooky Liz Keen (Megan Boone), which later made fans believe he was her estranged mother Katarina Rostova (Lotte Verbeek). He attended the United States Naval Academy and graduated top of his class . The Blacklist is delving into long sought-after answers in its final Season 8 installments and the most recent episode, Nachalo, is teasing Reds (James Spader) true identity. It was more than 20 years ago. As season nine kicked off with a two-year time jump and the task force disbanded, fans have yet to gain an insight into how each of the characters dealt with the aftermath of Lizs death. Reddington is known for his extensive knowledge of international crime and his long list of contacts, which he uses to help the FBI track down criminals and terrorists. Luli was walking around only wearing his shirt early in the first season. Spoilers forthcoming! "I forgave my child," Dom repliesmysteriously. To prevent that, they tried to destroy me.". The flashback-heavy hour saw Katarina Rostova seek to establish a new life and identity after avoiding drowning in the ocean. But it seems odd to me if this turns out to be true. Thankfully for fans, after a mid-season break, The Blacklist will return to screens next week and hopefully, it will give more clues about Reds identity. This intelligent yet dangerous mastermind goes from the FBIs #1 Most Wanted Fugitive to suddenly offer to volunteer to help catch criminals. He is an enigmatic figure who looks quite similar to his daughter, Elizabeth Keen. Pam Grier reflects on her most iconic roles, from Coffy to Jackie Brown. [ https://old.reddit.com/r/TheBlackList/comments/gogj2b/theory_with_many_spoilers/ ]. Koehler was also the one who surgically altered Reddington's face into Raymond Reddington's and Reddington wanted Koehler's ledger to erase that file after he heard Koehler was compromised. However, she was briefly mentioned in Season 2. #TheBlacklist, #TheBlacklist Me trying to keep the story straight. All the twists and turns are going to bring us full circle. The grief-stricken Liz tracks down her grandfather Dominic 'Dom' Wilkinson. THE BLACKLIST Rassvet Episode 619 Pictured: Megan Boone as Elizabeth Keen (Photo by: Will Hart/NBC), 'The Blacklist' recap: The death and birth of Raymond Reddington. Also easily possible that Red cares about Dom same way he cared about Sam. One of the greatest and most compelling characters on television today, Raymond Red Reddington from NBCs The Blacklist is a fascinating human being. "I have this Forrest Gump-ian way of touching something and it becomes a hit!" Red: It was Christmas Eve. Reddington found Zuma in 1993. Below are ten facts about Raymond Reddington, in no particular order. Red asks Liz, as she replies with both immediate and apologetic yeses. FREE delivery Fri, . This is largely down to James Spader's performance as The Blacklist's Raymond Reddingtonand he shares great chemistry with Boone up until Liz'sseason 8 death. #TheBlacklist pic.twitter.com/RM0hdOolSP. She manages to get a message to a man we've never seen before who works at the U.S. Russian Embassy: Ilya Koslov, played by Gabriel Mann. He is not Ilya Koslov. That unexpected heartbreak hit me like a freight train. Red was previously married to Naomi Hyland, but their marriage ended in divorce. Only one thing was new and that turned out to be false. Reddington stumbled across the Cabal and he tried to destroy it. But unfortunately, with The Blacklist currently on hiatus until next year, it looks like well have to keep on guessing in the dark for a bit longer. Since the U.S government and the rest of the world was unaware of Raymond Reddingtons death though, Katarina created a new one who could watch over Liz. The Blacklist season 6 seemingly revealed the truth, revealing that yes, Raymond Reddington IS Liz's father but the man Liz knows isn't Reddington. But the story that Dom tells Liz doesn't have the same awe-inducing effect. For reasons that are still not entirely clear, Reddington has dedicated the latter part of his career to protecting Elizabeth Keene. / Hasbro, Inc. Phantom 5E Guide | Rogue Subclass from Tashas Cauldron, Sons of the Forest Keep Cannibals Away Guide. According to Entertainment Weekly, Ilya took on Raymonds identity to protect Elizabeths mom, Katarina (Lotte Verbeek). As we know from the trial, Raymond Reddington had access to millions and millions of dollars in accounts that were ultimately drained shortly after his initial appearance. "We're talking about the Blacklist here, where loads of unrealistic stuff happens. Taking to Reddit, user AnalyticalTrader wrote: In Nachalo Reddington eventually reveals to Liz the truth that his identity as Raymond Reddington was in fact created by the real Katarina Rostova and Ilya Koslov. Hes also a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having starred as the voice of Ultron in 2015s Avengers: Age of Ultron. Well, it happened. He has a vast knowledge of international criminal activities and a penchant for violence. How Marvel went big with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. And the two men get them cornered, until Ilya shows up, swiftly shooting the remaining threats. Without Reddingtons care and guidance, Zuma would likely have died in the gutters all alone. Just cold and white. The Best Bard Cantrips in 5E Ranked | Bard Cantrips 5E Guide, The Blacklist: 10 Things to Know about Samar Navabi. He did that. Ilya becomes Raymond Reddington, and the sliver of Mann's face we get to see as he walks into the bank to be draining the accounts is so deliciously Spader. This is where things get a little more "inspired by a true story" than "based on a true story." When a former Blacklister is found at the scene, the Task Force begins to investigate a larger conspiracy at play Megan Boone to Exit The Blacklist After 8 Seasons. All signs point to the Redarina fan theory that has been circulating online among Blacklist fans for years. And then later, with some small facial expression he made, I thought, Wow, that was so Red-like. (Warning: This post contains spoilers for the Season 8 finale of "The Blacklist.") "The Blacklist" has at long last revealed the answer to the show's central question who is Raymond "Red". "Whatever your theory or whatever your camp is, you can probably turn the story a few degrees and make your theory make sense. Katarina fears for her daughter; she fears for what the cabal will do to Reddington's reputation; she fears for Velov coming after her parents and Ilya. , Reddington spent 20 years creating a criminal network of spies, thieves, drug traffickers, etc. #TheBlacklist twist at its finest. And maybe he is. Check out our rankings for, The Blacklist: Three Things to Know about the Katai Fellowship, The Blacklist: 10 Ilya Koslov Facts Every Fan Should Know. So how about a few quick Q's to get you rolling on what I'm confident will be a much-considered analysis in the comments: Sure, that's a great plan to hide Ilya in plain sight, but uhwhat part of that plan was for Katarina? #TheBlackList, Reddington/Ilya is back next Friday. Though Katarina and Ilya saved Reddington from the fire,The Blacklist's Raymond Reddington died as a result of Liz's fatal shot. (As TheWrap previously reported, Wednesdays finale is the last episode of The Blacklist to feature Boone as a series regular. Box, all that stuff she told Red circa an hour ago about no longer needing to know his secret because she realized, "I don't care about who you were, I care for who you are"oh yeah, that goes super out the window as soon as she gets a bonafide lead. That's why I didn't show up in Florence. Why Trust Us? For example,u/Desdemona1231 admits they can't get around the level of cruelty Red would have to display toward Liz in Season 9 when the character leaves the show, by which time she's become a trusted friend to him to make the theory work for them. So let me give you the recapped version of the Brockton College Killer recap, if I may: In 2013, there were a number of killings on Brockton College's campus, wherein young women went missing, and then their bodies showed back on campus frozen in such a way that when you pushed them over, their bodies broke apart like mannequins. The Blacklist season 9: Elizabeth Keen as Red? In Nachalo, Katerina confirmed that yes Raymond Reddington is Liz's real father. The Blacklist then revealed Katarina's friend and sometime lover Ilya Koslov a KGB agent took Raymond Reddington's place following his demise, changing his face with extensive plastic surgery. Is it a reference to being in the navy? With the death of the real Red, this mysterious lover became the current Raymond Reddington. Before becoming the criminal mastermind he is today, Raymond attended the United States Naval Academy. Who is the impostor Raymond Reddington? https://old.reddit.com/r/TheBlackList/comments/gogj2b/theory_with_many_spoilers/. If so, dont forget to let us know in the comments! Particularly notable are the tender moments from Lizs early life with her mother, which get cut together with scenes of Liz and Red from the last eight seasons. It's a really great scene between Spader and Megan Boone, who I hate to see at odds, but I always believe a little more than when they're at peace. Raymond Reddington'srather odd condition is that he will only work with rookie Liz Keen (Megan Boone), with his connection to her being mysterious. She asks one more thing of him before heading into an unknown future: "If they get to me, if they take metake care of Masha.". When Liz was only four, her mother shot Reddington while he was attacking Katarina, and then a fire broke out. And I just don't see I was your mom's childhood best friend and I did it to protect her! We're going to find out who Red really is finally! Why would Liz not want to kill Red if she read the letter?" "I guess I don't understand," Red says in stunning stillness. If Red is not Katarina, then who the hell is he? One more or less enemy doesn't really do much. As it stands and according to the Redstova theory, Katarina, with nowhere else to turn, got extensive plastic surgery to physically present as her ex, Raymond Reddington. You've got to respect a misleading hustle. 33) - kidnapped by the Corsican to surgically alter his face in preparation to carry out an assassination. With viewers eagerly awaiting episode seven, the series revealed it would focus on Donald Ressler (Diego Klattenhoff) and how he mourned the death of Liz, with a series of flashbacks. Katarina as a former Cabal operative would know a lot more. Sons of the Forest: What to do at the Grave? People who know him concern him, and rightfully so. a single identity shared by twin brothers. When Raymond discovered her secret and Katarina's plans were foiled, the lovers became embroiled in a heated argument that left one of them dead. "Like she was my own," IlyaRaymondreplies. But then he agreed to work with the FBI to catch his "blacklist" of mobsters, spies. The second clue is the letter that Red gives to Liz before she dies in The Blacklistseason 8. Dom tried to murder Katarina. It's also why she is upset with Red. as a very good reason for any of those awful things to have happened, And I don't think the writers want us to see this story as credible. Wednesday's episode, in the lead-up to the Season 8 finale of the NBC show, revealed almost the entire backstory of James Spader's character and his relationship with Liz Keene (Megan Boone) but ended right before she could get the exact answer as to who Red really is. Not kind of vague suggestions real, concrete footholds for the audience that has allowed them to feel like we're not stalling, we're not giving them lies or half-truths," he said. The FBI file says that the real Raymond Redington, disappeared Christmas Eve. As a criminal mastermind and number one on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, Red suddenly turned himself in. I feel like one of those contestants on Survivor who just has to shake their head and laugh approvingly as they congratulate the remaining sacks of bones for pulling a fast one on them on the way out of Tribal Council. The Blacklist positively revels in shocking twists and reveals, and proved popular enough to spawn a spinoff in the form of The Blacklist: Redemption. The alleged Katarina probably is the wife of Dom or another mistress of the original Raymond Reddington. That may just make Red's coworker's plight all the more relatable to audience members worldwide. A part-time hobby soon blossomed into a career when he discovered he really loved writing about movies, TV and video games; he even (arguably) had a little bit of talent for it. NBC fans also likely remember him from his iconic role as Robert California in the beloved comedy The Office from 2011-2012. After four seasons of wondering, The Blacklist season finale confirmed whatlet's be honestmost fans have suspected from the beginning about Raymond Reddington's ( James Spader) relation to. These most certainly were not answersthey weren't even questions! No matter what anyone tells him, Raymond Reddington feels like he is justified in keeping his identity a secretin asking others to keep it a secret too. Going after those answers would have eventually led to danger, which eventually resulted in her death, the viewer concluded. In February, The Blacklist made its eagerly-awaited return to NBC for its 10th and final season. "Because I think you may have made things worse. It's pronounced Paw-rick, not Pad-raig. Only Red did not have much knowledge about the Cabal. Liz wanted answers, but those answers is what kept her alive since she was born. ", And the answer is, a whole hell of a lot! The Blacklist: Will The Show Ever Reveal Who Raymond Reddington Is? Wow. , were killed due to this knowledge. said u/BitterDecoction. With the help of Dembe (Hisham Tawfiq), Red gets Liz into a bunker before setting decades of intelligence, Neville, and his men on fire in the space above them. Katarina was working with the Cabal with Fitch. This is a speculation to both sides and doesnt contradict the theory.. After turning himself in, Red was able to gain immunity and became part of the task force to conduct covert operations and investigations. Especially if they take place near that cursed Cape May. I can remember Red kissing at least 3 other women besides katarina. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Don't believe he turned himself in to protect Liz. 2023 Oscars predictions: See who will win at the 95th Academy Awards. He was on the most wanted list. Tom Keen's life is the cost of discovering the bones of the real Raymond Reddington. Its clear viewers are on the brink of an answer and with Boone exiting the show as a series regular, it would only make sense that Reds true identity would be unveiled before she departs. Member of Raymond Reddington's syndicate Owner of numerous front companies Shell Island Retreat member Skiptracer Smuggler Spy Weapons trafficker Real Raymond Reddington: United States Navy intelligence officer Out-of-Universe Information First Seen " Pilot " Episode Count 195 Season (s) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Actor (s) False Raymond Reddington: Or did we? Did we leave anything out? Red: I was so excited to get home, I didn't even bother to look. The real question is: how much do you love Dembe? Ilya Koslov. $19.99 $ 19. James Spader is Raymond "Red" Reddington, a mastermind criminal who teams up with the FBI. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Katarina stumbles from the ocean into a church, and wakes up in a women's shelter where she heals and mostly keeps to herself. Because as convincing as Dom's (Brian Dennehy) Fraymond Freddington origin story was (somewhat), and as engaging as Gabriel Mann was somehow able to make a brand new character (extremely), there has to be a reason Red isn't telling Liz who he was before he took on the identity of Raymond Reddington. In the episode, Red had promised to give her a letter from her mother which revealed who Red really was. We've heard about his affairs with many women, and seen some of them. The Blacklist 's real Raymond Reddington was in a relationship with Liz's mother Katarina Rostova, who was really a KGB agent sent to seduce and enter into a relationship with him. Country Living editors select each product featured. Because who could ever be at peace with this situation? So he was hunted by the FBI, in constant danger from the Cabal. "I went away to think about you and me, and all I could think was that I missed you," Red tells Dembe, who has his bag, plane tickets, and passport packed, seemingly ready to be excommunicated by Red. So, who is Red, really? The real Raymond Reddington was Lizs father and was killed by his daughters hand as a child when she shot him. According to Red, Katarina was also a KGB intelligence officer who was trained to seduce her father, the real Raymond Reddington. Just the money? Cookies help us deliver our Services. But after meeting up with him she couldnt go through with it and was shot dead by Townsends hitman, before getting a chance to read the letter. . Another theory is that The Blacklist'sRaymond Reddington is actually Liz Keen's mother who underwent extensive surgery. After taking pity on the young man and freeing him, Reddington helped him build a new life by enrolling him in school and helping him learn many different languages. Word. While it can be a lot to keep up with all the clues and details that make up Reds complicated character, we at Nerds & Scoundrels have compiled a thorough list of all the things you should know about this character. Raymond Reddingtons a pretty popular guyfor all the wrong reasons. She didn't know he was her grandfather then, but now that she does, she shows up at Dom's doorstep all, What's up gramps, you got the deets? "You see that Geoff, that is what a good man does. I can still s-smell the nape of her neck feel her little fingers on my cheek her whisper in my ear. It was so still. Through black-and-white scenes featuring multiple Blacklist characters we know and love reliving events in front of us, Liz is given a detailed explanation of how her then-married mother, Katarina Rostova, became a spy and struck up a relationship with her father, the real Raymond Reddington, to gather intelligence on the U.S. operative at the request of Dom, Katarinas father, and the KGB. When Liz was only four she shot Reddington while he was attacking Katarina and then a fire broke out. More info. He was listed as arrest on sight on the list, which audience members were able to see in the Pilot episode back in Season 1. I still think we haven't heard the real story about Red. Here's everyone who James Spader's Raymond Reddington could be, and whoThe Blacklist'scharacter didn't turn out to be. We were left with some big clues as to who assumed the Red persona and became the character played by James Spader, but we got no outright answer, because Townsend stormed the epicenter and shot Liz before she could get the conclusion to the story.