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The Blacklist Season 9 Episode 6 led Raymond “Red” Reddington to a shocking discovery that made him furious with Dembe. Red and Dembe’s relationship has already been strained this season. Now that Red assumes Dembe gave Liz Keen the letter revealing his true identity, it could set Red on a path of revenge with dark consequences. This wild fan theory says someone is baiting Red so he will remove Dembe from the picture.

Hisham Tawfiq as Dembe Zuma in 'The Blacklist' Season 9. Dembe is wearing a blue t-shirt and black jacket.
Hisham Tawfiq as Dembe Zuma in ‘The Blacklist’ Season 9 | Will Hart/NBC

Red made a shocking discovery in ‘The Blacklist’ Season 9 Episode 6

In The Blacklist Season 9 Episode 6, Red has a conversation with Agnes that leads him to believe Liz knew his true identity before she died. Two years ago, Red entrusted Dembe with a letter to give to Liz only after his death. In episode 6, he has his friend Vladmir Cvetko test the letter for Liz’s fingerprints.

In the meantime, Weecha Xui questions why it matters if Liz read the letter. Red tells her that if Liz knew his true identity, it could be the reason she hesitated to kill him and ended up dead. Weecha receives a phone call from Cvetko at the end of the episode and relays to Red that the prints are a match.

Is someone baiting Red into seeking revenge on Dembe?

Fans have speculated that things concerning the letter are not as straightforward as they seem. It could be that Liz touched the envelope containing the letter, but never actually read its contents. A more twisted theory suggests someone has it out for Dembe and is trying to bait Red into killing him.

Troy Heinritz and Aaron Peterson, hosts of The Blacklist Exposed podcast, suggested that perhaps Weecha lied to Red. She could have told him that the prints were a match, when in fact they were not. This could make Red angry enough to seek revenge on Dembe, maybe even kill him. At the end of the episode, Red tells Dr. Roberta Sand, “I recently discovered that I was betrayed by my oldest and closest friend. I’m apprehensive about the depth and breadth of my anger.”

Hisham Tawfiq as Dembe Zuma, Diany Rodriguez as Weecha Xiu and James Spader as Red in 'The Blacklist' Season 9
Hisham Tawfiq as Dembe Zuma, Diany Rodriguez as Weecha Xiu and James Spader as Red in ‘The Blacklist’ Season 9 | Will Hart/NBC
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Why would Weecha want Dembe dead in ‘The Blacklist’ Season 9?

This begs the question, why would Weecha want Dembe dead? There has been some obvious tension between these two characters. Weecha has made it clear that she is not a fan of Dembe. However, it’s likely the main reason Weecha would want Dembe out of the picture is that it would make Red safer.

“It could be so Red could take out Dembe as his only remaining weakness,” Peterson said on the podcast. Red’s attachment to Dembe has certainly made Weecha’s job of protecting him more difficult. In episode 5, Dembe calls in a favor using connections he had from working with Red. This behavior puts Red at risk.

As Heinritz points out on the podcast, Weecha has remarked several times about Red’s inability to let go of Dembe. It could be that she finally decided to take matters into her own hands.