Summary

• The Blacklist revealed in season 6 that Raymond Reddington is Liz's father, but the man she knows isn't the real Reddington.
• Katarina Rostova's friend, Ilya Koslov, took Reddington's place following his death and changed his appearance with surgery.
• The Blacklist finale hinted that Reddington is likely Katarina Rostova, as he referred to himself as "mom" when talking to Agnes.

The Blacklist had a lot of fun teasing the answer to the series' one lingering question, but did it ever reveal who is Raymond Reddington? Premiering in 2013, The Blacklist was an NBC thriller that opened with notorious wanted criminal Raymond "Red" Reddington (James Spader) handing himself over to the FBI. Red offered to help them track down other wanted criminals that he had compiled on his own "blacklist." Reddington's rather odd condition was that he would only work with rookie Liz Keen (Megan Boone), with his connection to her remaining mysterious.

The Blacklist ran for 10 seasons and ended on its own terms. When Liz died in season 8, it seemed that the biggest puzzle in the series might remain unanswered. The primary question for much of The Blacklist has been who exactly is Raymond Reddington, with the biggest clues suggesting that he was Liz's father. Red took the FBI and Liz on a wild goose chase before, and it was no different when it comes to the mysterious character's identity. The Blacklist positively reveled in shocking twists and reveals, and that played out the same in its final season. In the finale, Red might have finally answered that one big question.

Liz's Father Is The Real Raymond Reddington

The Blacklist season 6 seemingly revealed the truth about who is Raymond Reddington, revealing that yes, Raymond Reddington IS Liz's father — but the man Liz knows isn't Reddington. 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. When Liz was only four, she shot Reddington while he was attacking Katarina, and then a fire broke out. Though Katarina and Ilya saved Reddington from the fire, The Blacklist's Raymond Reddington died as a result of Liz's fatal shot.

WHERE TO WATCH: Stream The Blacklist on Netflix

Ilya Koslov Is Another Raymond Reddington Imposter

The Blacklist revealed Katarina's friend and sometime lover Ilya Koslov — a KGB agent — took Raymond Reddington's place following his death, changing his face with plastic surgery. The Blacklist season 6 revealed Katarina is also alive after she supposedly took her own life by walking into the sea following Reddington's death. Rostova once again casts doubt on who is Raymond Reddington, and it's revealed he isn't Ilya either. Instead, Ilya appears and is a good friend of the Reddington "impostor." Hopes are dashed for Liz once again when in The Blacklist season 8, the woman who Liz thought was her mother reveals that she's actually just a spy named Tatiana Petrova.

The True Identity Of James Spader's Reddington – Every Theory

With The Blacklist confirmed for a season 10 renewal, audiences are left to speculate the answer to who is Raymond Reddington, aka Red. Two major theories gained traction, one being that James Spader's Red is the real Raymond Reddington who faked his own death. It's not impossible that Raymond Reddington was able to get away. Gunshot wounds aren't always fatal, and it's possible that the young Liz could've missed his vital organs by a millimeter. Another theory on The Blacklist asks is Raymond Reddington Elizabeth Keen's mother?

This theory was always in circulation but didn't become popular until the end of season 8 for two reasons. The first comes from a conversation between Red and Liz when she asks him if he knew her mother, to which Red responds that he knew Katarina "very well" with a knowing smile. The second clue is the letter that Red gives to Liz before she dies in The Blacklist season 8. Red tells Liz that the note is written by Katarina and will "explain everything." Considering that Katarina Rostov's whereabouts are unknown it's entirely possible that The Blacklist's Raymond Reddington is actually Liz's mother.

So The Blacklist fans were back to square one when it comes to the truth of who is Raymond Reddington and what is his relationship with Liz. The prevailing theory was that he IS the real Reddington, who survived his apparent death and burning. He also doesn't consider himself to be the old Raymond and hence doesn't see himself as Liz's true father.

The Blacklist Revealed Who The Real Raymond Reddington Was

The Blacklist finale didn't explicitly answer the question, but it did give one major hint that plays into the fan theories surrounding his identity. For a long time, fans predicted that Red wasn't Liz's father - he was her mother. While the clues pointed to Red being her dad, and Liz might have died believing that was the truth, the truth is that Red was likely instead Katarina Rostova. This theory started in the episode where Red told Liz almost everything but kept his actual identity a secret. However, he did tell her that he wasn't her father.

This led to The Blacklist finale where Red was planning on ending things his own way. Before he set out to find his fate, he called Agnes to check on her. He was mostly concerned about how she was doing and Agnes joked that he "sounds like a mom." That was when Red responded, "I guess, I just can't help it." It wasn't a clear answer to who Raymond Reddington really was, but it was a sly reference to what most people believed. The mention of the idea of Red being like a "mom" plays into the rest of the series where the show played it smart and left so much up to the viewers. The finale makes it look like Raymond Reddington is Katarina.

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  The Blacklist

  Summary:

  The Blacklist is an action/thriller crime-drama TV series on NBC from creator Jon Bokenkamp. The show follows former intelligence officer turned master criminal Raymond Reddington (James Spader) and FBI agent Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone.) Red, one of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives, known as “The Concierge of Crime,” mysteriously surrenders to the FBI and offers to help them catch a deadly terrorist, with the condition that he only speaks to Elizabeth- who just so happens to be starting her first day on the job. The two continue to partner to tackle Red's "Blacklist," which he offers up in exchange for immunity for his past crimes.

  Release Date:

  2013-09-23

  Cast:

  Harry Lennix, Megan Boone, James Spader, Diego Klattenhoff, Ryan Eggold, Parminder Nagra

  Writers:

  Jon Bokenkamp

  Seasons:

  10

  Genres:

  Crime, Drama, Thriller, Action

  Story By:

  Jon Bokenkamp

  Network:

  NBC

  Streaming Service(s):

  Netflix

  Directors:

  Jon Bokenkamp

  Showrunner:

  Jon Bokenkamp