The Blacklist is delving into long sought-after answers in its final Season 8 installments and the most recent episode, “Nachalo,” is teasing Red’s (James Spader) true identity.
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. There, he helps tell the story of her past and provides clarity regarding their connection.
Among the episode’s biggest takeaways are that Liz’s mother Katarina Rostova is still alive, and the woman she believed was her mother is actually a spy named Tatiana Petrova (Laila Robins). Where Liz’s mother actually is remains unclear, but Tatiana initially assumed Katarina’s identity to help the woman escape and protect Liz.
The real Raymond Reddington was Liz’s father and was killed by his daughter’s hand as a child when she shot him. Katarina went into hiding at this point and Liz was sent off to live with her adoptive father, Sam. Since the U.S government and the rest of the world was unaware of Raymond Reddington’s death though, Katarina created a new one who could watch over Liz.
Whoever Red is, he didn’t originally look the way he does now as a scene of surgery teases a transformation for the individual assuming the identity. While Liz is mostly preoccupied with locating her mother, answers don’t come before she’s shot and pulled from her fantastical walk down memory lane.
The culprit of the interruption is Neville Townsend (Reg Rogers), who shows up in Latvia with his own motivations. 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.
Could Red actually be Katarina or is it someone else we have yet to uncover? It’s 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 Red’s true identity would be unveiled before she departs. The reveal could also set up where the show will go in Season 9. Tune in to the Season 8 finale, “Konets,” when it airs June 23 to hopefully find out.
Liz is Red’s daughter, but the Red we know is not her father.
Liz’s is Red’s daughter but not the Red we’ve all come to know, or so it seems. In Season 5, Episode 22 of The Blacklist, the truth was apparently revealed. Yes, Liz and Raymond are father and daughter, but the man she thought to be Red wasn’t her father at all. 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.
Liz, when she was 4 years old, is said to have shot her father while he was attacking her mother. A fire had erupted during the shooting, and Red ended up dying from his wounds later. The duffle bag of bones that is discovered is not another blacklister but instead her biological father. But if the real Red was in the bag, then who was the man with whom Liz had this roller-coaster relationship? Article continues below advertisement
In the same season, The Blacklist then disclosed that Katarina’s friend and lover Ilya Koslov (Brett Cullen), also a KBG agent, took Red’s place following his demise and changed his face with extensive plastic surgery. However, in Season 7, viewers learned that Red isn’t Ilya when he appears in the form of actor Brett Cullen, who’s a good friend of the supposed Red phony.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Red has been revealed as Lizs father. Has this been the plan from the beginning?
That makes me smile. Look, it is one of the theories that Ive obviously heard. There is a big camp that [believes the] Raymond Reddington imposter theory, that Red is not who he says he is. I mean, I cant deny that that all still adds up and is one of the theories that makes sense. Its out there, its cool, Id love to have you walk me through the whole thing. But this imposter theory is one thats alive among our fan base. This season, we have really motored ahead. Each season, weve given real concrete pieces of this puzzle, and this season is no exception. Some episodes were heavy in that mythology than others. The Mr. Kaplan episode was certainly an episode that had a lot of big moves in it. This last episode has some big moves. Again, theyre all pieces of this puzzle that is slowly coming together to paint one large picture. But its a blast seeing it come together, and its also a lot of fun to read comments and threads and tweets and see the theories, because theres a lot of them, and theyre really a blast to read.
Theres been a theory that the person we see as Red is not actually her father, but Lizs mother. Is this still a possibility considering the twist that you have in store for us?
Tom has the suitcase. Can you talk about whether hell struggle with the decision to give Liz the suitcase?
Is Mr. Kaplan actually dead? And can you talk about the reason why she went over the bridge?
Once and for all — is Raymond Reddington Liz’s father?
“Nachalo” traveled back in time to when the real Katerina fell in love with her mark. Liz was “conceived from a lie,” and born into the chaotic world of two spies secretly working against one another. In “Nachalo,” Katerina confirmed that yes — Raymond Reddington is Liz’s real father. Only, it’s not the Raymond Reddington she’s known for the previous eight years.
That “Red” allegedly died the night Liz shot him. It’s the same night of the fire that caused the scar on Liz’s palm and Red’s back if you defer to season 1), and the night the coveted Fulcrum first became a real issue. Katerina revealed she tried to save Raymond but failed. And, because she betrayed the KGB, America, and others, people were after her and would stop at nothing to hunt her down — including go after Liz.
Since no one knew of Raymond’s death, Dom and Ilya took the opportunity to make a new plan: get Liz somewhere safe (with Sam, who raised her) and make Katerina disappear. They created a new Raymond Reddington to watch over Liz and keep her safe from the Townsend directive and anyone after the Fulcrum.
While the technicality of Raymond Reddington as Liz’s birth father was some answer, it wasn’t the answer. Both “Nachalo” and “Konets” hinted at long-suspected fan theories that Katerina became Reddington without direct confirmation. Even worse, after eight years of searching for answers to these questions, Liz died without them. We won’t get into why some of these revelations contradict what’s previously been said, but we hope season 9 fixes some of the “holes” many continue pointing out.
FAQ
How does Lizzie find out Reddington is her father?
What episode does Lizzie find out Reddington is her father?
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