NBC’s crime series “The Blacklist” centers on infamous criminal mastermind Raymond “Red” Reddington, who agrees to partner with the FBI to capture high-level criminals in exchange for immunity from prosecution. When the FBI began considering his proposal, Reddington made it clear that he would only work with Elizabeth Keen, a rookie profiler who worked at the Bureau. Reddington’s strange request not only startled the FBI, but also Elizabeth AKA Liz, who began to investigate his relationship with her. Liz’s investigation continued until her unfortunate death in the eighth season finale. Since the mystery still remains unsolved, here are our thoughts on it! FRONT SPOILERS.

Who is Raymond Reddington for Elizabeth Keen?

Since Raymond Reddington’s encounter with Elizabeth Keen, “the janitor of crime” had moved heaven and earth to protect Liz from threats and challenges of varying degrees. Reddington’s resolve to protect her surprised Liz to find out about his relationship through a DNA test. However, the possibility of realizing that she is related to such a ruthless criminal prevented her from reading the test result. Still, Liz encountered the ambiguity behind Reddington’s identity many times throughout her association with the criminal.

In season 4, Liz’s superior, Harold Cooper, performed a DNA test to match Reddington’s DNA sample from 30 years ago with Liz’s to reveal to him that the former is her father. However, Liz later learned that her father was not the criminal Reddington she worked with, but an American officer also named Raymond Reddington who worked in Moscow. She has come to realize that the Reddington she encountered is nothing but an impostor who is using her father’s identity. From her grandfather Dominic, she learned that she had killed her father Reddington the day his house was burned down to prevent him from hurting her mother.

Even though Dominic informed Liz that the impostor is her mother Katarina’s childhood friend Ilya Koslov, “Red” later revealed to her that this was untrue. Days before Liz died, Red invited her to his base of operations in Latvia to reveal that the criminal in front of her is a creation of Katarina to protect and save her. Red offered her a letter from her mother revealing Red’s identity if she kills him. However, Liz read this letter hours before her death, only to inform Red that she cannot kill him. Liz was killed by VanDyke before she could reveal if she knew Red’s identity to him.

Although Red’s identity and relationship to Elizabeth have yet to be revealed, it is possible that he is Liz’s mother, Katarina. In the penultimate episode of Season 8, Liz learned that her mother created Red, complete with visuals of surgery. Katarina could have done a series of plastic surgeries to transform into Red. Such a transformation could have helped her escape from the KGB and the Cabal to secretly protect her daughter from a distance.

When Liz asked if Red was the photographer of a photo of herself and her mother, Red limited himself to replying that he was there, further indicating the possibility that he was none other than the mother. from Liz. More than anything, Red’s letter can be seen as the basis for the possibility that he is Katarina. When Liz asked why she couldn’t open the letter before killing him, Red replied that she wouldn’t kill him if she read it before she did. Since the only person she would have never hurt was her mother, chances are Red will be revealed as Katarina.

Other than Koslov and Stepanov, there was no one in Katarina’s life to protect her daughter for a long period of more than thirty years by risking her own life, especially no one that Liz didn’t know not to pull the trigger. The emotions that overcome Liz when she points her gun at Red show that the master criminal is none other than her mother. As Red told Liz, there is no one who knows Katarina better than Red because it is impossible to know anyone better than the same person. Given these possibilities, we believe that Raymond Reddington is Liz’s mother, Katarina.

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