Dom tells Liz that he made a promise to stay away from her a long time ago in order to keep her safe. Press J to jump to the feed. Red is defiant as Raymond Reddington because he is . The story he tells her includes many of the details we already know: Katarina giving Masha to Mr. Kaplan to protect before she disappeared; Mr. Kaplan giving Masha to Sam; before any of that, Masha shooing her father, Reddington, and Katarina removing his body from the fire, the bones from which would eventually dominate season 5. Cape May was a drugs induced hallucination. He's had a long term romantic relationship with Josephine and then the latest is Cassandra in season seven. The Blacklist is an American crime thriller television series that premiered on NBC on September 23, 2013. That is what separate men like him from men like you and me.". Why show us Katarina's journey post-fire, post-death of the (alleged) death of Real Raymond Reddington? I missing something here. However, just when it felt like things were starting to make sense, dropped another bomb on its viewers with another revelation about Reddingtons identity, shocked viewers once again with Season 7, Episode Katarina Rostova when Katarina reveals to Liz that Reddington has been lying once again. The story seemed to make sensebut all of that changed when Elizabeth confronted Red. - Raymond Reddington. Because who could ever be at peace with this situation? In the penultimate episode, after revealing that he is N-13, the elusive spy that Liz (Megan Boone) had been searching for all these years, Red brings her to the headquarters of his operation in Latvia. A conspiracy theory insinuating that Reddington is transgender man is gaining steam world wide. Box inside. So what are we to make of "Cape May," the episode that was very much a precursor to "Rassvet" and featured the current Raymond Reddington having an extended flashback that presumably only the real Raymond Reddingtonor, ahem, Katarina Rostovawould have been privy to? Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. Reddington found Zuma in 1993. 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. All the twists and turns are going to bring us full circle. That was basically it. The primary question for much of The Blacklisthas been who exactly is Raymond Reddington, and is he Liz's father? The Blacklist season 9: Elizabeth Keen as Red? ", And the answer is, a whole hell of a lot! The Blacklist: Red to be exposed as Liz Keens uncle? This intelligent yet dangerous mastermind goes from the FBIs #1 Most Wanted Fugitive to suddenly offer to volunteer to help catch criminals. 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. The penultimate episode concluded with Red pressing a button that put the entire epicenter of his intelligence up in flames, both killing Townsend and destroying his decades of collected intelligence. "Everything about me is a lie." That is how Raymond "Red" Reddington, the notorious most wanted career criminal . 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. She returned because the Townsend Directive was reactivated and thus she was in danger again. While Ilya saved Liz, he saved Katarina from the fire and ended up getting burned too. However, to get the letter, Liz had to first kill Red and ensure her safety, as a force to be reckoned with. Another fan spy1101001 fumed at the thought of never discovering Reds identity and threatened to stop watching the series. If that was the case then they would have to get around this among 50 other obstacles. See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 2. Why Trust Us? James Spader as Raymond Reddington in 'The Blacklist' Season 9 | Will Hart/NBC 'The Blacklist' Season 8 finale convinced many fans of Red's identity A popular fan theory amongst fans of The. All signs point to the Redarina fan theory that has been circulating online among Blacklist fans for years. Red asks Liz, as she replies with both immediate and apologetic yeses. 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.". By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. said u/BitterDecoction. According to Red, Katarina was also a KGB intelligence officer who was trained to seduce her father, the real Raymond Reddington. 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. 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. As shes about to go through with the plan and kill Red, Liz is shot through the chest by Townsends right-hand man Vandyke (Lukas Hassel). This intelligent yet dangerous mastermind goes from the FBIs #1 Most Wanted Fugitive to suddenly offer to volunteer to help catch criminals. 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. Dembe Zuma, Reddingtons stoic bodyguard, has prominent reasons for his loyalty. 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. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. And the two men get them cornered, until Ilya shows up, swiftly shooting the remaining threats. For reasons that are still not entirely clear, Reddington has dedicated the latter part of his career to protecting. The Blacklist has officially gotten more exciting and confusing than ever. Reddington is a criminal mastermind, making it to #4 and later to #1 on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, who suddenly turns himself in after 20+ years of evading the FBI. Reddington stumbled across the Cabal and he tried to destroy it. All to have it thrown back in our faces! But then, after they've slept together, and he finds her head-hittin' mallet and asks her to kindly leave him alone, she locks him in a freezer. We're living in a gosh-darn house of mirrors. Unfortunately, that plan never came to fruition, as he disappeared while on his way home to his family for Christmas back in 1990. Ilya Koslov. Hidden identity or not he was already being hunted and in danger from multiple directions. In the episode, Red had promised to give her a letter from her mother which revealed who Red really was. 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. He attended the United States Naval Academy and graduated top of his class . If he was Katarina, someone would have noticed that the world famous criminal was actually a woman. While Elizabeth is one of the shows main characters and has been around since Season 1, Jennifer was not properly introduced until her first appearance in Season 5. 90% was just a rehash of things we already knew. That's why I didn't show up in Florence. Only a few people in Reddingtons close circle had been aware of his true identity, including Dembe Zuma and Naomi Hyland, among others. For. Believe it or not, Jon Bokenkamp, who created and co-produces "The Blacklist," has responded to the Redarina theory (though, of course, without giving anything away). All I saw was blood. Prime Try Before You Buy. Its a story device, Doesnt contradict that its another possible answer as to why he knew, Any more enemies is bad and it wouldnt be 1 more, Katarina was hunted by the Russian agents its unlimited amount that would never stop chasing her had they known she is alive. 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. Because when it comes to this, you can do no wrong. #TheBlacklist twist at its finest. He has a vast knowledge of international criminal activities and a penchant for violence. I walked through the door. But the men muscle their way inside, and it comes down to a fight with them on one side and Katarina and Dom on the other. 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. Katarina went into hiding at this point and Liz was sent off to live with her adoptive father, Sam. Raymond Reddington Quotes. "I forgave my child," Dom repliesmysteriously. And then later, with some small facial expression he made, I thought, Wow, that was so Red-like. When Liz was only four she shot Reddington while he was attacking Katarina and then a fire broke out. Now, you don't recap The Blacklist for eight years without holding special space for Raymond Reddington a space that forgives him for most murders, torture, lying, and general criminality. But unfortunately, with. Even then, The Blacklist is pretty amazing at subverting expectations, so even the "truth" may have an air of ambiguity to it. Did Liz really not notice Red going full when she told him the story that Dom told her? Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. What a different life he mightve led. It's entirely possible Red told Dom about his hallucination, he went to Dom after Cape May after all and Dom simply retold that to Liz. He is the real Raymond Redington. Youve been warned! Katarina Rostova, a KGB agent, is sent to seduce him, and they have a relationship, leading to Elizabeth's birth. But other fans disagree with the notion. 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. It was all a lie. But if this episode taught me anything, it's that if we care about getting to the bottom of the connection between Raymond Reddington and Elizabeth Keen, then we need to hold onto every little detailevery little memoryof Katarina Rostova. Check out the top ten facts about Raymond Reddington every The Blacklist fan should know! $5 delivery Feb 17 - Mar 13 With the intention of protecting Liz and that the woman that she knew as Katarina was the real Katarina Rostova, and added, The real Katarina Rostova is still alive somewhere.. With the death of the real Red, this mysterious lover became the current Raymond Reddington.