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 Original Raymond Reddington
James Spader's Character Stole The Raymond Reddington Name
The Blacklist season 6 seemingly revealed the truth about who is Raymond Reddington, revealing that yes, a man named Raymond Reddington is Liz's father — but this isn't the Reddington played by James Spader. 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 original Raymond Reddington died as a result of Liz's fatal shot, with James Spader's mysterious character stepping in and taking his name.
Ilya Koslov Is Another Raymond Reddington Imposter
Ilya, A.K.A Frank Bloom, Had Already Impersonated Raymond Reddington Before
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
And what was he building on throughout season 10
The Blacklist season 10 brought the series to a conclusion, and many viewers were hoping to finally get an answer to who is Raymond Reddington. In the buildup to the end of The Blacklist, two major theories about Raymond Reddington's real identity gained traction.
The first is 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 was that Raymond Reddington was Liz's mother, which is definitely the more intriguing of the two ideas. 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 Show Hinted The Wildest Theory May Have Been Correct
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" is in keeping with the tone of the rest of The Blacklist, dropping hints and teases while placing a greater responsibility on the viewer to put the jigsaw together themselves. The finale of The Blacklist hinted that Raymond Reddington is Liv's mom Katarina, but stopped short of confirming it outright.
Why The Blacklist Never Fully Revealed The Truth About Raymond Reddington
It's Possible Megan Boone's Exit Disrupted The Plans
There's no concrete reason why The Blacklist didn't reveal the identity of Raymond Reddington beyond a few hints and teases. There was never a guarantee that his identity would be revealed, of course, though many viewers did feel that it was a mystery that would be resolved by the time the series ended. The fact that The Blacklist ended with Raymond Reddington remaining an enigma may have disappointed some fans, but there is a key reason it may have been kept a secret — Megan Boone's exit.
Megan Boone left The Blacklist in season 8, when Liz was killed off. It was a mutual decision between the actor and showrunners, as Boone wanted to pursue other opportunities. While the show managed to continue without Liz, it also created several snags when it came to the identity of Raymond Reddington.
Liz and Red's stories were intertwined from the start of The Blacklist, and one thing that was always clear was that his true identity was somehow linked to Liz's past. Without Megan Boone in the finale, any big reveal that confirmed who Raymond Reddington was would likely have fallen flat.
It would have been incredibly odd to have Raymond confirm his true identity as somebody from Liz's past without Liz there, especially since her death also presented a perfect opportunity — one that had, by the end of season 10, long since passed. It still hasn't been confirmed why Raymond Reddington's identity was kept a secret, but the lack of Megan Boone for the finale of the series certainly seems like a viable cause.
Was Not Revealing Who Raymond Was A Good Or Bad Thing?
Responses To The Decision Were Mixed
The responses to Raymond Reddington's identity still being a secret at the end of The Blacklist were mixed. Some viewers seemed to feel it was a good thing, and that enshrining the character as a mysterious enigma from start to finish was in-keeping with his legacy. Others, of course, had been expecting a big reveal by the time The Blacklist season 10 rolled around, and were somewhat irked, to say the least, when the series concluded without a definite answer.
Ultimately, it's down to personal taste whether Raymond Reddington's identity being kept a secret was a good or bad idea. The Blacklist did drop several hints that seemed to tease Reddington being Liz's mother, but declining to confirm this out-right also means there's still scope for debate and theorizing. It must also be noted that, by not confirming his identity, it gives The Blacklist much more rewatch value, because viewers can now dive back into the show from start to finish and pick up on new hints and theories.
The Blacklist
Crime
Drama
Thriller
Action
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 in exchange for immunity for his past crimes.
- Cast
- Harry Lennix , Megan Boone , James Spader , Diego Klattenhoff , Ryan Eggold , Parminder Nagra
- Release Date
- September 23, 2013
- Seasons
- 10
- Network
- NBC
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix
- Directors
- Jon Bokenkamp
