🔴 Season 5 Unanswered Questions
Please see version of this list updated for Season 6 at: https://wp.me/pDKwi-9Hl
Season 5 Unanswered ?s: ⇊ Page Down ⇊
Season 4 Unanswered ?s: (with comments)
Season 3 Unanswered ?s: (original version)
Season 2 Unanswered ?s: (original version)
Season 1 (I did not start watching until Season 2)
Last Updated: 5/25/2018, 4:00am CT (Chicago Time) [ Corrected ]
Please leave new questions in a comment. I’ll incorporate new questions into the list. Troy Heinritz of BlacklistExposed agreed to give this list to the writers/producers.
Shortened Version of Questions
Red = “our” Red; RR = the real Raymond Reddington. (Assuming RR was Jennifer/Lilly’s father, but that either Red or RR may be Liz’s father.)
⭕ What is Red’s relationship to Dom? Is Dom still active as a spy? Was Red a double agent?
⭕ Who is Liz’s father? Red or RR? Use of an old shirt from evidence for DNA raises questions.
⭕ Whose death was Katarina referring to in Cape May when she said, “It’s not that he died. … ” RR?
Why did Katarina call Red “Raymond” in that episode? It was Red’s dream.
⭕ Why didn’t they go public with the bones? What is the “whole truth” Garvey wanted? He already
knew Red was an imposter.
⭕ Why did Red have RR’s body/bones to bury?
⭕ Why did Mr Kaplan say to Red, “You’ll find your wife” if Naomi was RR’s wife, not Red’s, and Kaplan
knew it?
⭕ Why was there a “K” on the tree at Tansi Farms if the bones were RR’s? Why did Kaplan say “Sorry,
Katarina”?
⭕ What was Red’s relationship to RR? Colleagues? Rivals? Relatives?
⭕ What was Red’s relationship to Katarina? Who did Katarina love, if anyone?
⭕ What did Red whisper to Kirk that so disarmed him? That he wasn’t RR?
⭕ A huge question is how Liz’s memories have been manipulated. Has Liz forgotten she shot her
father? Did she actually shoot her father?
⭕ Has Red been in Liz’s life just to keep his secret from being revealed? She seems to think so.
⭕ Is there an existential threat remaining out there from which Red needs to protect Liz?
⭕ Does Red love Liz? Or rather, how does Red love Liz?
⭕ Can Liz’s “theatrics” fool Red for long? He reads people well. If he doesn’t, will Dembe?
⭕ Who was Seaduke? Did Dom (Oleander) know him?
⭕ How much of what Red told Lilly/Jennifer is true? How much did he know versus surmise?
⭕ Seeing as Garvey killed Tom (and Nik and Pete and Lena) and Liz killed both Garvey and RR, how can
Liz and Lilly/Jennifer possibly work together?
⭕ What did Ian Garvey mean when he told Lilly/Jennifer “Everything you believed for the last 30 years
has been a lie. You’ve spent a lifetime hiding for no reason.”?
⭕ Did Red have a ‘third’ family? That is, not Naomi/Carla ✛ Lilly/Jennifer or Katarina ✛ Liz/Masha.
(Lots of sub-questions below … )
⭕ Was the tale Red told to Madeline just a tale he told to Madeline?
⭕ What happened the night of the fire? (Lots of sub-questions below … )
⭕ What was the meaning of the date on the Swan Lake program?
⭕ What happened with the Cabal? Will they be back?
⭕ Who stole Tom (Christopher Hargrave) from the beach when he was little? Why?
⭕ Is Katarina still alive? What did Red ‘do to Katarina’ [Mr Kaplan, Pt 2] that Dembe thinks Liz would
never understand?
⭕ Who killed Naomi Hyland/Carla Reddington?
⭕ Why does Red never speak up for himself? Why did Red stop telling stories?
⭕ Liz’s scar behaves weirdly. … Red’s scarred back made a single appearance and has not been seen or
heard from since. Whut up?
⭕ Lastly, if Red is not Raymond Reddington, who the hell is he? And why did he take on
RR’s identity?
Full Version of Questions (with context, sub-questions)
⭕ What is Red’s relationship to Dom? Personal or professional? Both? The only person who can talk down to Red is Dom. And Dom was there when Red burned RR’s bones [5:22 Sutton Ross]. Is Dom still active as a spy? Was Red a Russian spy? A double agent?
⭕ Is Red or RR Liz’s father? Liz thinks RR, and not Red, is her father, but is that true? Red’s DNA is all over the place, so why did Cooper go to a 25yo shirt from a torture scene and took a single, unscientific snippet? [4:22 Mr Kaplan, Pt 2] If you took a current blood sample from Liz and “our” Red today, what would it reveal?
⭕ Whose death was Katarina referring to in Cape May? In Cape May, Katarina says “It’s not that he died. It’s not even the way he died. It’s in the things I said to him… just before he died” [3:19] Who died? What did she say to him? Does this relate to RR? To the argument? To Liz shooting her father? Also, was the necklace real?
⭕ Why did Mr Kaplan say to Red, “You’ll find your wife”? In [2:2 Monarch Douglas Bank], refers to Naomi Hyland (Carla Reddington) as Red’s wife. Wouldn’t she have known Naomi wasn’t Red’s wife, but RR’s? Red showed Naomi a lot of affection. Had he known her?
⭕ What was Red’s relationship to RR?
⭕ What was Red’s relationship to Katarina? He knew her so well he could complete Alexander Kirk’s sentences about her and said “We both miss her” [Alexander Kirk, Pt 2]. Cape May [3:19] was all about Red’s memories about Katarina. [Why would she say “Don’t be ridiculous, Raymond” if Red is not RR?] Was Red another of Katarina’s ‘assignments’? [4:3 Miles McGrath] Were they colleagues? Relatives?
⭕ Who did Katarina love, if anyone? Red told Liz that her father was probably the only man her mother “really loved.” He looked pained when he said this. Was he talking about himself; about RR? Katarina wrote in her diary “Look at me– in love with the man I was sent to seduce and betray. An American” [4:3 Miles McGrath], but when Kathryn (Mr Kaplan) asked her, she said she didn’t know, that the only person she was sure she loved was Masha [4:17 Requiem].
⭕ What did Red whisper to Kirk that immediately disarmed him? [3:23 Alexander Kirk, Pt 2] That he wasn’t RR, (though he didn’t deny being Liz’s father)?
⭕ A huge question is how Liz’s memories have been manipulated. Has Liz forgotten she shot her father? Did she shoot her father? [2:22 Tom Connolly] Were these the memories erased two years ago (now three years) per Dr Bogdan Krilov [4:19]? This would have been some time post-Braxton.
⭕ Why didn’t they go public with the bones? Who will find out? To get the “whole truth” [5:16 Capricorn Killer] from Red? (Which is what we all want!) Because Garvey would lose his leverage over Red? Who knows now? Who will Liz and Lilly/Jennifer tell? Sutton Ross knew the truth – and the two shots that hit him did not appear to be fatal [5:22].
⭕ Why did Red have RR’s body/bones to bury? (He could have taken advantage of Liz accidentally killing RR to stage the abandoned car. He could even have been trying to protect her)
⭕ Why was there a “K” on the tree at Tansi Farms? Why did Mr Kaplan say “Sorry, Katarina” [4:22 Mr Kaplan Pt 2]? @nathparis75 says that in Russian the word for “red” begins with a “K” (Kpachbin).
⭕ Has Red been in Liz’s life just to keep his secret from being revealed? (He might have thought she’d use FBI resources to research her parents.) Yet he repeatedly puts her life before his own [e.g. 1:10 Anslo Garrick, Pt 2; 5:22 Sutton Ross].
⭕ “Hit me. Hug me.” [5:22 Sutton Ross] Is this just Ressler’s view (and a #MeToo nod)? Does Red still need to protect Liz, other than to protect her from fallout from his various criminal escapades? Is there still an existential threat out there from which Red needs to protect Liz?
⭕ Does Red love Liz? Have to think so, even if he’s been acting to her, he can’t have been “acting” to us (the audience) – too many unrequired moments of concern and affection. How does he love her? Is Lizzington back on?
⭕ Can Liz’s “theatrics” [5:22 Sutton Ross] fool Red for long? Red reads people well. The final hugging scene in 5:22 may just be Liz’s view that she fooled him; it’s her memory relayed to Tom. Red may have seen through her already. If he doesn’t, will Dembe?
⭕ Who was Seaduke? RR was tortured by “Seaduke.” [4:22 Mr Kaplan, Pt 2] Fans at Blacklist Exposed have found that “Seaduke” is a Trojan virus described by NJCCIC as “highly configurable and hid[ing] behind layers of encryption and obfuscation, facilitating the stealing and exfiltration of sensitive data from the compromised device” http://bit.ly/2rZkn4x. Could the Russians have inserted a RR-look-alike (ie Red)?
⭕ How much of what Red told Lilly/Jennifer is true? [5:20 Nicholas Moore] He seemed detached, spoke in the passive voice (“You were protected”).
⭕ Seeing as Garvey killed Tom [5:8] (and Nik and Pete and Lena) and Liz killed both Garvey [5:19] and RR [2:22], how can Liz and Lilly/Jennifer possibly work together? Liz blames Red for these deaths, but he didn’t actually kill them. And he explicitly told Kaplan he wouldn’t kill her (a second time, anyway) [4:22 Mr Kaplan, Pt 2] and he didn’t shoot Tom after the stabbing even though he wanted to [5:8 Ian Garvey]. Does Lilly have to reckon with Garvey having been a bad guy? Will Liz tell Lilly she shot their father (if she remembers)? Sister troubles brewing.
⭕ What did Ian Garvey mean when he told Jennifer/Lilly “Everything you believed for the last 30 years has been a lie”? [5:19 Ian Garvey, Pt 2] He added: You’ve spent a lifetime hiding for no reason.” [5:19 Ian Garvey Pt 2]
⭕ Did Red have a ‘third’ family? That is, not Naomi/Carla ✛ Jennifer/Lilly or Katarina ✛ Liz/Masha. In [2:9 Luther Braxton], Red talks about having had a fairly normal life (“play dates,” etc), but he “lost all that.” Diane Fowler said she knew what happened to Red’s family [1:13 Cyprus Agency]. I thought she said “Red” sarcastically, as if in quotation marks. He also blew up a house where he “raised my family” [1:7 Frederick Barnes] What family was Red talking about? Who was the bubble girl in the home films? [2:5 The Front] Was there one girl or two? Who was the woman he spliced out?
⭕ Was the tale Red told to Madeline Pratt [1:14] just a tale he told to Madeline Pratt?
⭕ What happened the night of the fire? Who sewed the Fulcrum in the bunny? Who put Liz in the closet? Who rescued Liz from the fire? Who “lay dying on the floor”? “Liz: ‘You were there.’ Red: ‘Yes.’” Who were the men leaving the building? [2:10 Braxton Pt 2] Red said “I chose the child,” [3:19 Cape May] but it was Katarina who delivered Liz to Kaplan. How would Katarina and Red (or RR) have both known Sam? Who knew each other of these people: Sam, Katarina, Red, RR? This all needs to be cleared up.
⭕ What was the meaning of the date on the Swan Lake program (3/22/1987)? [1:16 Mako Tanida] Liz has referred to feeling “watched over” at her ballet performances [5:16 Capricorn Killer]. But the date itself figured prominently in the shot [in 1:16].
⭕ What happened with the Cabal? Red joined it at the end of [3:10 The Director Pt 2], but are we supposed to be cool with a shadow government running the world (even though maybe one does, eg the WEF that hosts Davos)? Are they still a threat to Liz, say, if her true identity is known?
⭕ Who stole Tom (Christopher Hargrave) from the beach when he was little? [3:22 Alexander Kirk] Why? (Sorry if this was covered under The Blacklist: Redemption)
⭕ Is Katarina still alive? Anton Velov said she left a photo of Liz in a hotel room in Prague [3:16 The Caretaker]. What did Red ‘do to Katarina’ [Mr Kaplan, Pt 2] that Dembe thinks Liz will never understand? Red obtained the “Glosnost” file for “Rostova” (Katarina, not Kirk) and then said “It just keeps getting worse” [3:14 Lady Ambrosia]. What did he learn?
⭕ Who killed Naomi? [5:20 Nicholas Moore] Is Red going after them? Might help get Jennifer/Lilly off his case.
⭕ Why does Red never speak up for himself? Why did Red stop telling stories?
⭕ Liz’s scar behaves weirdly: It seemed to appear magically (2:10 Braxton 2); didn’t hurt much (4:17 Requiem); its shape appeared on “go” boxes (1:1 Pilot And 1:6 Gina Zanetakos) and an envelope left by Tom (1:20 Kingmaker); resembles the Baltic Sea or the Japanese character for fire; and comes and goes. Red’s scarred back made a single appearance and has not been seen or heard from since [1:22 Berlin Pt 2]. Whut up?
⭕ Lastly, if Red is not Raymond Reddington, who the hell is he? And why did he take on RR’s identity?
🔆 This❗️⋙ Thanks to commenters here and fans on Twitter and The Blacklist Exposed!
“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.” – F Scott Fitzgerald
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As for the idea that [1:12] The Alchemist or [5:14] Mr Raleigh Sinclair III provide predicates for the Mother Theory, I find this unconvincing. The Alchemist staged crime scenes; his victims were dead (as were those in [2:20] Quon Zhang). And Raleigh Sinclair’s impersonators require hours of prep, which would have to be performed daily, not to mention the fact that Red only meets him in person in late in Season 5.
I may be wrong, but I didn’t think this theory was likely enough to include in the questions. There is a general nod to the idea Red could be a “relative.”
🅾️ Season 5 Notes
☑️ = Answered ( “➔” how answered, pre-finale)
☑️ = Answered ( “➔” how answered, post-finale)
☑️❓= Answered, though some questions remain
🔺 = Unanswered
🔻 = Unanswered but may not be very important
━━━━━━━
Working Notes …
☑️ The Swan Lake program: What was the significance of the date (3/22/1987)? Who was the little dancer Red remembers? ➔ Both Katarina and Liz liked to dance. Perhaps the date on the program was insignificant. Megan Boone was born 4/29/1983.
🔻Does the story of Swan Lake reflect the story of Red and Katarina?
☑️ Why doesn’t Red seem to care about Jennifer? Is he her father or just Naomi’s daughter? Technically, service academy students aren’t supposed to have families (timeline issues). ➔ Red is Jennifer’s (aka Lilly Roth’s) biological father with Naomi Hyland). The timeline appears to be off. Aha! Turns out Jennifer/Lilly is not Red’s daughter, after all.
🔻Who was “Seaduke”?
☑️ Is Dom an American citizen? Originally Russian? How did Katarina become a KGB spy? Was Dom himself KGB? When Katarina refers to ‘falling in love with an American’ it seems like she’s referring to a foreigner. ➔ Both Dom and Katarina were Russian. Dom has said he in now a naturalized American citizen, having taken a new name. His code name when he was in the KGB was Oleander. He may still be active.
🔺Was Katarina in love with Red? She writes in her diary she was but evades answering when Kate asks her. ➔ It’s not clear now if Red or RR relate to Katarina’s references to “The American” (the man in the car) or “The blonde man.” If Katarina was a “Mata Hari,” she had multiple assignments. (Think of Elizabeth Jennings in the series “The Americans.”)
🔺 How did Red and Katarina both know Sam?
☑️❓Is Red really, really, really Liz’s father? What about “Red never lies to Liz?” (Per Daniel Knauf. (Do writers lie to fans?) Also, Red repeatedly insists he has never lied to Liz. ➔ It seems he lied to her to keep her safe. The S5 Finale revealed that Red is not RR, so Liz assumes that means Red is not her father, but the DNA sample used to determine Liz’s paternity was taken from a 25 year old torture scene
🔺In Cape May, Katarina says “It’s not that he died. It’s not even the way he died. It’s in the things I said to him… just before he died.” Who died? What did she say to him? Also, was the necklace real?
🔻What happened between Red and Alexander Rostov at Cape May (or elsewhere)?: “That house by the water, holding a gun in your mouth… I should have pulled the trigger.”
🔺Why did Cooper use 30-year-old DNA? You’d think they’d have taken blood from him and stored samples from when he was in custody. Are the results from the DNA test Liz ordered still on file?
🔺Red told Liz that her father was probably the only man her mother “really loved.” He looked pained when he said this. Was he talking about himself; About RR?
🔺What was Diane Fowler talking about (“I know the truth, Red, about that night – about what happened to your family. Do you want to know the truth”)? Is it connected to the story Red told Madeline Pratt?) ⇊
⭕ In 5:20 Red made it sound like he planned (or let) Naomi and Jennifer go into WITSEC as the only way they’d be protected. How does that jive with Fowler seeming to know what happened to Red’s family when Red doesn’t ➔ It’s not clear that Red was involved in this decision.
🔺Was the story Red told to Madeline just a trick on Madeline?
🔺What happened in the house where Red raised his family that was so bad he wanted to blow it up? Naomi/Jennifer are okay. Liz is okay.
☑️ Did Red have yet a third family? ➔ Not that we know of. There are three families. RR+Naomi+Jennifer (Lilly); either RR or Red +Katarina+Liz; if Liz is not Red’s daughter, Red has a different family, with a daughter (“bubble girl”), referenced in multiple cases, most notably Diane Fowler’s reference and being the reason Red blew up the house.
🔺Red agreed with Liz when she said she remembers her father saving her from the fire. If so, how did Katarina get her and take her to Kate? Who was ‘dying on the floor of a burning house’? Red ‘was there.’ Why?
🔺Who sewed the Fulcrum in the bunny?
🔻Will Liz ever see Red’s burn scars?
🔺Why did Liz remember shooting her father? Did she shoot someone else? Was a memory implanted? Red told Liz about Katarina that “The man she loved [was] killed by the child she adored.”
☑️ What was Red accused of doing (by the Cabal? the US govt?) that was a set-up? Selling secrets? Why was he set up? ➔ The Cabal went after him for trying to destroy them. Russia and the US sicc’d the KGB and CIA on him to destroy him (5:20)
🔺The Cabal has slipped into the background. Are they still coming for Liz? Shouldn’t there be greater public uproar over the revelation of the Cabal? Will the Cabal be destroyed by the end of the series or are we not supposed to care about that?
☑️ At the Summer Palace, Liz finds what seems to be the very drawing that in her dreams she sees burning in the fire. How is that possible? ➔ Probably it was just burning in her flashback, reflecting her dream of a perfect family.
🔻Things never explained: How Pepper got the key. How Red had access to a Presidential limo. What Red whispered to Kirk that kept him from killing him. The last is most important.
☑️ Did Red kill Nik (the doctor, Liz’s ex-fiance)? ➔ No. Nik reappeared in Season 5.
🔺 Red obtained the “Glosnost” file for “Rostova” (Katarina, not Kirk) and then said “It just keeps getting worse.” What did he learn?
☑️❓ What is the story behind Red’s “weird little apartment”? Was it Katarina’s? (Russian books, Zhukov photo) ➔ The Russian books and photo of General Zhukov and it’s being frozen in time imply it was Katarina’s.
🔺Was Velov right and Katarina didn’t drown and showed up later in a hotel later?
🔺Did Red have plastic surgery? Maltz says to Red: “You look great, the elascitiy is amazing.” ⇊
☑️ Is Red or RR Liz’s father? ➔ Still an open question, mainly because the writers had the DNA taken by an unscientific method from an old shirt from a torture scene rather than from a current sample with a reliable chain of custody.
🔻In two different episodes, Red mentions he “died in Marrakech.” Is this significant?
🔺Did Liz really have her memory tampered with only “two years ago”? Also, what memories did Red originally try to have expunged?
☑️ Whose bones are in the duffel bag and why are they so mangled? The “K ” on the tree suggests it was Katarina. What did Red do to Katarina that Dembe thinks Liz will “never understand”? (I had a nightmare that Red was a cannibal ~ lol) ➔ The bones belonged to Raymond Reddington, the real one. Red is an imposter. The K on the tree and Dembe’s statement are unexplained
🔻 Where is “home” to Red? – Nebraska? Michigan! per Suzi Moreland’s timeline
🔻 Who killed Naomi? (Is Red going to go after them?)
☑️ Why would Red think Ian Garvey would have given Naomi the suitcase? Because she’d want to know Red is impersonating RR.
🔺 What was the “whole truth” Ian Garvey was looking for? We all want to know.
🔻 Why did Red stop telling stories?
🔻 Who kidnapped Christopher Hargrave (aka Jacob Phelps/Tom Keen? (Excuse me if this was answered in The Blacklist: Redemption)
🔻 Does the fact that the World Wide Web went live on 12/25/1990 play in? http://bit.ly/2wYLrql. It is layered on the Internet (originally Arpanet or Darpanet designed by the DoD) but was published by a Swiss company, CERN. Does this explain Red’s wariness about communications technology?
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I have a question. In season 2 episode 22 Tom Conelly, in the end, when they place the Lizz chip as one of the most wanted, he says he is 31 years old. This is in 2015, then Lizz was born in 1984. If she was 4 years old when the fire broke out, it takes us to 1988. Reddington disappears in 1990. What’s going on here?
Sorry for my English, I’m from Spain
I am wondering if Kaplan really knew what she was digging up. The body wasn’t buried with much care, a few steps from a marked tree in a shallow grave that could be dug up with a trench shovel. Maybe it was done very haphazardly, Red had Kaplan bury a wrapped body that she thought was Katarina when it in fact was RR. So Kaplan was exposing a big secret, but even bigger than she could’ve possibly thought. But what would the point of Red lying to Kaplan be, if, in my theory, they met after Red inserted himself into RR’s place? And why does Dembe, the only person- who we’ve been led to believe- that knows the story in full, call him Raymond? Sorry if these have been asked. They keep me up at night.
ANOTHER POINT(s)!!!
When *exactly* did Red take over for RR?
When did RR die?
How did Sam know him, Red or RR? Was he in on the secret? Or did he think the secret was that Liz shot whoever the heck was in that fire?
[far fetched]
Could Red be throwing Liz through a loop? He’s had a fake RR before, why not again now?
Is Red a lookalike for RR? These criminals disappear so often, it probably doesn’t matter what they look like… that’s less an unanswered question, more just a random thought.
What’s the point of being an imposter? This person (Red, who I’d like to be named Bob Kazamakis) is clearly very intelligent, cunning, and capable of creating large criminal networks from next-to-nothing. Just be yourself, Bob.
Garvey told Red « you don’t know who I am ».
Well, this criminal/US marshal is dead now and we don’t know anything more about him…
We are told that the bones somehow matched in CODIS to RR but in 311 we were told that there was no DNA from Raymond Reddington before he disappeared…
« The truth… the truth is that I am not » « BOUM » !!!
What was Red gonna say ???
How is it that Red could not find Jennifer ? I can’t believe this.
« Why did Red have RR’s bones? »
Why did he keep them for 30 years ? Why destroying them now ?
Red always comes back to Dom (Oleander ?) when in deep trouble…
Dom knows about the bones, yet he didn’t say anything to Liz about (F)Red… why ?
My response in red.
Garvey told Red « you don’t know who I am ».
Well, this criminal/US marshal is dead now and we don’t know anything more about him… – He was a US Marshall who got Jennifer and Naomi into Witness Protection. He knows that bones are RR’s and that Red is an imposter. He was fond of Jennifer and knew her father was RR. He may have flagged the bones because RR was a missing person and perhaps a threat to her.
We are told that the bones somehow matched in CODIS to RR but in 311 we were told that there was no DNA from Raymond Reddington before he disappeared… – Then In [4:22 Kaplan Pt 2], Cooper got the DNA from the shirt in evidence from when Seaduke tortured RR.
« The truth… the truth is that I am not » « BOUM » !!!
What was Red gonna say ??? – “Raymond Reddington” (my guess)
How is it that Red could not find Jennifer ? I can’t believe this. – If she was not his real daughter, he might not have cared that much. He only found Naomi because Berlin was using her as bargaining chip.
« Why did Red have RR’s bones? »
Why did he keep them for 30 years ? Why destroying them now ? – My guess is that a body was buried, not bones. Say, for instance, that Masha shot him. Maybe Red/Katarina/Kaplan had to get rid of the body. Just one possibility.
Red always comes back to Dom (Oleander ?) when in deep trouble…
Dom knows about the bones, yet he didn’t say anything to Liz about (F)Red… why ? – Because he’s still in Russian intel and she’s an FBI agent? He resented Red for having taken Masha away to keep her safe: Dom: “… She’s gone because of choices you made for both of them. First Katarina and then Masha. As far as I’m concerned, you killed my entire family!” [3:20 Artax Network]
“Red always comes back to Dom (Oleander ?) when in deep trouble…
Dom knows about the bones, yet he didn’t say anything to Liz about (F)Red… why ? – Because he’s still in Russian intel and she’s an FBI agent? He resented Red for having taken Masha away to keep her safe: Dom: “… She’s gone because of choices you made for both of them. First Katarina and then Masha. As far as I’m concerned, you killed my entire family!” [3:20 Artax Network]”
I like that answer. It is congruent with the theory that our Red (Spader) was another Russian operative, perhaps mentored or handled by Dom, and perhaps in love with Katarina.
I had forgotten that quote.
What were the choices our Red made for Katarina and for Masha? for Masha it was to give her to Kate to safeguard and eventually place with Sam who raised her as Elizabeth.
But what choice did he make for Katarina that Dom is referring to?
Hello, I was ready to be back with a new list of unanswered questions for S5. But the fact is that the season finale reveal changes a lot of things. Questions that were pertinent are not anymore and at the same time, new ones are emerging…
Anyway here are some questions (there will be more…)
– Is F(Red) on a mission ? Is assuming real Red’s Identity an assignment ? Who is behind this then ?
– who is Liz to Red, why has he always cared so much ?
– Was (F)Red ever involved with Katarina ?
– when and where was (F)Red burned ?
– Could (F)Red be a russian spy and Dom his handling agent ?
– how much does Dembe know about Red’s identity ?
– Why did (F)Red kept those bones ?
– why didn’t Garvey go public about the bones ?
– from the beginning there have been some issues about (F)Red – & Red’s – blood type and DNA…
Wish my english was better :-(
More to come if you think my questions are interesting…
Nath
My responses in red.
Hello, I was ready to be back with a new list of unanswered questions for S5. But the fact is that the season finale reveal changes a lot of things. Questions that were pertinent are not anymore and at the same time, new ones are emerging…
Anyway here are some questions (there will be more…)
– Is F(Red) on a mission ? Is assuming real Red’s Identity an assignment ? Who is behind this then ? – Possibly. Maybe he may have been some kind of double agent.
– who is Liz to Red, why has he always cared so much ? Central question of the show …
– Was (F)Red ever involved with Katarina ? – Another biggie.
– when and where was (F)Red burned ? – Most likely in the Christmas fire Liz remembers in [2:10 Luther Braxton Pt 2]
– Could (F)Red be a russian spy and Dom his handling agent ? – Maybe a double agent? He has told many anecdotes about his childhood that ring true for his having grown up in the US.
– how much does Dembe know about Red’s identity ? – He seemed know what was in the envelope that Red burned in [3:16 The Caretaker]; and he has often told Red he should tell Liz, that his secret was bound to come out sometime.
– Why did (F)Red kept those bones ? – They might have buried the body; then it decomposed.
– why didn’t Garvey go public about the bones ? – He said he wanted the “whole truth,” likely about Red being an imposter and why (just like we do); plus, he would have lost any leverage over Red and been killed by him.
– from the beginning there have been some issues about (F)Red – & Red’s – blood type and DNA… – Totally agree. Cooper got a sample from an old shirt from evidence, from a torture scene, no less. “Our” Red is leaving DNA everywhere. Remember when Liz said she had run a test on his scotch glass from the restaurant in Montreal but had thrown it away? Everything he touches has his DNA on it, not to mention all the blood he leaves. I think this is a huge mystery still.
Wish my english was better :-( – Your English is a lot better than my German! :)
“Why was there a “K” on the tree if the bones Mr Kaplan dug up were RR’s”
In russian, the word for “red” begins with a “K” (Kpachbin).
Could be the explanation…
My response in red.
“Why was there a “K” on the tree if the bones Mr Kaplan dug up were RR’s”
In russian, the word for “red” begins with a “K” (Kpachbin). – Awesome! That is interesting!
Could be the explanation…
Liz remembered shooting and killing his father (confirmed by Red). Has she forgotten now ? Will she tell Jennifer ???
I don’t think Jen would be happy with Liz killing RR and Garvey…
My response in red.
Liz remembered shooting and killing his father (confirmed by Red). Has she forgotten now ? Will she tell Jennifer ??? – I noticed that, too. She was so angry in [5:22 Sutton Ross] that it seemed she is holding Red responsible for her father RR’s death. It occurred to me she must have forgotten that. Maybe re-wiping away that memory was why her memory was manipulated again.
I don’t think Jen would be happy with Liz killing RR and Garvey… – Plus, Liz needs to get past Garvey viciously stabbing/killing Tom. Sister troubles brewing.
Ok, so Liz remembers shooting and killing “her father” but she also remembers that her “father” is the one who saved her from the fire? It’s very contradictory…definitely proves that her memory was altered.
My answer to the question: “What happened in the house where Red raised his family that was so bad he wanted to blow it up? Naomi/Jennifer are okay. Liz is okay.”
Our Red (whom I believe is really Dom’s son and Katarina’s brother) had his own family before he assumed the identity of the dead Raymond Reddington. He came home one Christmas eve to find them all murdered. That is the memory he tries to forget. And it is the reason he later bought and destroyed that house. I believe that our Red relives the happy memory of his real daughter dancing ballet each year. That is how he wants to remember her, not as he found her in that house on that night.
Some time after this he rescued Masha and Katarina from the fire at their home. He received burns while doing so. The real Reddington had been shot and killed by Masha as he fought with Katarina that night as the fire broke out. We now know that the bones in the valise are those of the real Ray Reddington.
Who buried those bones under the tree at Tansi Farms and why? I think Katarina probably wanted them buried there. Perhaps she had feelings for Masha’s father, even though he was a “bad man”. Our Red may have wanted them destroyed but may have deferred to his sister on this point. That is my speculation about that.
My responses in red.
My answer to the question: “What happened in the house where Red raised his family that was so bad he wanted to blow it up? Naomi/Jennifer are okay. Liz is okay.”
Our Red (whom I believe is really Dom’s son and Katarina’s brother) had his own family before he assumed the identity of the dead Raymond Reddington. He came home one Christmas eve to find them all murdered. That is the memory he tries to forget. And it is the reason he later bought and destroyed that house. I believe that our Red relives the happy memory of his real daughter dancing ballet each year. That is how he wants to remember her, not as he found her in that house on that night. – Makes total sense to me. A big question is whether the story Red told to Madeline Pratt was just part of the prank he was playing [1:14]. That was very convincing acting. James Spader can act that well, but most people can’t (Remember How Liz tells Red, “You’re a terrible actor” in [3:4 The Djinn]?). It did seem to me that when Diane Fowler taunted Red in [1:13 The Cyprus Agency] about knowing what happened to his family, it had to be about the same tragic event. Seems we still don’t know.
Some time after this he rescued Masha and Katarina from the fire at their home. He received burns while doing so. The real Reddington had been shot and killed by Masha as he fought with Katarina that night as the fire broke out. We now know that the bones in the valise are those of the real Ray Reddington. – Makes sense.
Who buried those bones under the tree at Tansi Farms and why? I think Katarina probably wanted them buried there. Perhaps she had feelings for Masha’s father, even though he was a “bad man”. Our Red may have wanted them destroyed but may have deferred to his sister on this point. That is my speculation about that. – Red told Liz her ‘father may have been the only man your mother really loved’ [3:14 Lady Ambrosia] It would also explain why Kaplan said “Sorry, Katarina” when she started to dig up the bones [4:22 Kaplan Pt 2]
I like the uncle theory, too, but Dom and Katarina were Russian and Liz was born in Moscow and named Masha. In the recovered memory scene in [3:10 Braxton Pt 2], in the closet scene, there is an argument over whether Liz is “Masha” or “Elizabeth.” Suzi Moreland at The BlacklistExposed Facebook page that I copied over here has made a convincing case that Red’s childhood recollections are so detailed and culturally accurate that he must have been American. In fact, she determined he grew up in Michigan! Still, the whole family could have been deep cover in the US for decades, like the family in the tv series “The Americans.” I just think the uncle theory would be less fun than if Red was another of Katarina’s assignments. Red said he knew what it was like to be drawn to unhealthy relationships. “Uncle love” just doesn’t seem to explain the intensity of his feelings for Liz.
Red told Liz her ‘father may have been the only man your mother really loved’ [3:14 Lady Ambrosia] It would also explain why Kaplan said “Sorry, Katarina” when she started to dig up the bones [4:22 Kaplan Pt 2]
I like the uncle theory, too, but Dom and Katarina were Russian and Liz was born in Moscow and named Masha. In the recovered memory scene in [3:10 Braxton Pt 2], in the closet scene, there is an argument over whether Liz is “Masha” or “Elizabeth.” Suzi Moreland at The BlacklistExposed Facebook page that I copied over here has made a convincing case that Red’s childhood recollections are so detailed and culturally accurate that he must have been American. In fact, she determined he grew up in Michigan! Still, the whole family could have been deep cover in the US for decades, like the family in the tv series “The Americans.” I just think the uncle theory would be less fun than if Red was another of Katarina’s assignments. Red said he knew what it was like to be drawn to unhealthy relationships. “Uncle love” just doesn’t seem to explain the intensity of his feelings for Liz.
[I don’t see where to change font color here so will bracket my response. Yes, the uncle theory isn’t the only one that works. Perhaps our Red (the Spader character) was another Russian operative and also loved Katarina. Is she is really dead and gone? (there was no body ever recovered, but if she is alive and in hiding, does our Red knows this. He asked Kirk to remind him of what she was like, and I assumed he was genuine in that moment. But who knows?) Perhaps our Red went rouge after Katarina’s death/disappearance when he assumed the real Red’s identity, or was that an assignment? It doesn’t make sense to me that it would be an assignment. What would be the point of assuming his identity? I suppose it could have been to gain access to classified documents one time. But having plastic surgery and learning to mimic the real Red is an extreme measure for a one time theft of classified docs. The Soviets used other means effectively to gain access to our classified materials. And anyway, most of their spy work was focused on misinformation and demoralization of target nations.
So if our Red was a deep cover Russian operative (like The Americans or Salt) then I like the theory that he went rouge after Katarina’s death or disappearance. Perhaps he had pledged to her to always watch over Masha, or perhaps Masha became the surrogate of his love for Katarina.
(When our Red explained to Jennifer why her father abandoned her he said that both the CIA and the KGB as well as the Cabal were after him and therefore his family would have been targets if they were close to him. If he went rouge then the KGB would have been after him.
Was he mixing in truth with fiction in order to make the fiction more believable? Good liars know they are more convincing if they do this. Their emotional expressions are more genuine if they have some basis in reality. I know that idea is kind of weak, with lots of ifs involved. I still don’t know his real relationship to Jennifer, if any. Kind of shooting in the dark on that one.)
The “Uncle love” theory could work; it depends on how close he was to his sister. Here is a modified uncle theory. Were they both operatives? That could easily work. Dom was an operative, Katarina was an operative, so if he was the son/brother it’s not a stretch to think he could have been one as well. Some siblings are very close and devoted to each other, not in an incest kind of way, just a familial way. I have 3 sisters but am only close to one of them and would do anything for her. So for me, the “uncle love” theory isn’t so much of a stretch.
Regarding the recovered memory of the Masha or Elizabeth argument, I wonder if that was something the real Red and Katarina argued about. That makes great sense to me. Naturally each would want to raise the child according to their own upbringing. Real Red would want her raised in America as Elizabeth, and Katarina would want her named Masha.
Real Red probably discovered and opposed the Cabal and needed the blackmail file known later as the Fulcrum as his life insurance. Katarina, according to the recovered memory, wanted control over it for reasons not yet explained. And they argued over that the night real Red died.
I wonder how the fire started. Was it from their fighting? Were there Christmas candles, and were they knocked over catching curtains on fire or something like that?
When did our Red arrive at the house? He has burns on his back which is consistent with him being there during the fire. I am assuming he arrived a little late to the scene. Had he been there when the fighting started I think he would have tried to intervene on Katarina’s behalf. I think he arrived at the house as the fire had gotten out of control and around the time Masha shot real Red. I think our Red got burned saving Masha and Katarina.
When did he become aware of the Fulcrum? Was it that night, before, or after?
When did he decide to become Raymond Reddington? Of course it was sometime after his death, but when and why?
What drove Katarina to either commit suicide or fake it and disappear from everyone she ever knew?
If she is still alive, does our Red really know about that? “Everything about me is a lie” he told Lizzie in the pilot episode. Perhaps she betrayed the KGB when she fell in love with real Red (the only man she really loved) and needed to fake her death to save herself and her daughter. And our Red has been protecting her and Masha all this time.
Or perhaps she was so heartbroken over real Red’s death that she really did kill herself. If she had betrayed the KGB after falling in love with real Red, then she would have lost nearly everything when he died. She could not go back, and the man she loved was gone. It’s easy to rationalize a broken heart and feelings of extreme isolation and despair.
There are so many ways this can all be spun. But how many of these possibilities are in the show’s Bible is impossible to guess. That is part of what makes this show so interesting. James Spader is an excellent actor and this is a great role for him.
I earlier raised the speculation that Katarina may have tricked everyone into believing she had killed herself and gone into hiding in order to save Masha. There was no body found so it is a possibility.
The evidence for her suicide is strong, but circumstantial. The KGB was after her because they found out about her affair with Reddington (she told Kate from a pay phone as Kate kept Masha in a motel room), She had therefore a strong reason to fake her own death, and to stay hidden from everyone. (Or she might have killed herself to stop the search for her which might have led to Masha’s discovery, as is strongly implied.)
In Cape May, our Red speaks to hallucination Katarina on the beach and she says to him; “You had no choice. It was me or Masha.” Red said “I’m sorry”. Kat: “Raymond you did save me, through her. It was the only way. You chose well.”
That conversation appears to support the idea that Katarina is dead, and that our Red made a Hobson’s choice which apparently had something to do with motivating her to commit suicide. Actually her death isn’t mentioned or established by that statement, but appears to be implied by it. Still, it is possible to spin the meaning of that conversation such Red wasn’t saving one from death instead of the other; there could have been a different fate at risk. I have seen writers do such things before with slightly ambiguous language.
Also, Dom said something about how Red had made choices, for Katarina and later for Masha, which robbed him of his family. Again, his statement didn’t imply their deaths, but we make that assumption and infer that is what he meant.
But I wonder whether there is a big surprise waiting for us at the end of the series involving Katarina. I suppose we will have to wait and see. This theory is probably wrong, but the possibility is there.
Thanks for your great points. I really am excited about getting these answers. I hope we get something like the “Requiem” episode to restage the night of the fire. You might want to check out Suzi Moreland’s Timeline under Intel & Analysis. It makes a strong case that Red must have grown up in the US, though he, more than anyone, can master enormous amounts of detail.
Dom has surely become as much a mystery as Red. I’m glad because Kevin Donnehy plays the character with such a remarkable combination of gruffness and softness. The scene when Red repaired the piano key for him was so moving.
(I have to change the text color within html with text; it’s cumbersome)
Thanks for your insights ♡ ི•̮͡• ᤢ ྀ ♡
Hello, I was ready to be back with a new list of unanswered questions for S5. But the fact is that the season finale reveal changes a lot of things. Questions that were pertinent are not anymore and at the same time, new ones are emerging…
Anyway here are some questions (there will be more…)
– Is F(Red) on a mission ? Is assuming real Red’s Identity an assignment ? Who is behind this then ?
– who is Liz to Red, why has he always cared so much ?
– Was (F)Red ever involved with Katarina ?
– when and where was (F)Red burned ?
– Could (F)Red be a russian spy and Dom his handling agent ?
– how much does Dembe know about Red’s identity ?
– Why did (F)Red kept those bones ?
– why didn’t Garvey go public about the bones ?
– from the beginning there have been some issues about (F)Red – & Red’s – blood type and DNA…
Wish my english was better :-(
More to come if you think my questions are interesting…
Nath
[ See my answers to your 5/21/2018 comment. Sorry this got caught in moderation ]