‘The Blacklist’ Season 9: Fans Still Debate Raymond Reddington’s Identity

The Blacklist Season 9 returned following Liz Keen’s death, but some things never change. The debate surrounding Raymond Reddington’s identity still rages, despite some fans believing they already have the answer. A scene from The Blacklist Season 8 finale left some fans convinced they know Red’s identity. Others think the matter isn’t so open and shut.

‘The Blacklist’ Season 8 finale convinced many fans of Red’s identity

A popular fan theory amongst fans of The Blacklist is that Red is actually Liz’s mother Katarina, who underwent facial reconstructive surgery. From the beginning, it’s been clear that Liz is someone very important to Red. Many fans have believed in the Redarina theory for quite some time. For some, the season 8 finale confirmed that they were correct.

In The Blacklist Season 8 finale, “Konets,” Liz Keen meets her end. She is shot in the back by one of Townsend’s men in front of Red’s very eyes. While Liz dies, a montage of her life flashes across the screen. In one of the finale clips, Katarina is shown holding Liz as a baby. Some took this montage as confirmation of the Redarina fan theory.

Fans still debate Red’s identity halfway through ‘The Blacklist’ Season 9

The Blacklist Season 9 picked back up two years after Liz’s death. The show has still never stated Red’s identity out loud, and fans are still hotly debating the issue. Some have found things in The Blacklist Season 9 that they feel debunk the Redarina theory.

For example, one Reddit user cited a line from The Blacklist Season 9 Episode 3 as possibly discrediting Redarina. When Cooper won’t let Red see Agnes without his presence, Red states, “I’m not an abusive husband or father.” The Reddit user pointed out that the way Red said this line sounded intentional. “What he said was that he was not an abusive husband or father, implying that he had been at one time, a husband and a father.”

Another scene in The Blacklist Season 9 Episode 9, flashes between Dembe reading Isabella a story and Red doing the same with Agnes. One Reddit user wrote, “Those scenes convince me Reddington is Agnes’ biological grandfather.”

However, some moments might seem to confirm Redarina. For example in The Blacklist Season 9 Episode 6, Agnes tells Red that her mother informed her “Pinky” was Russian. Of course, so was Katarina.

Does Agnes know Red’s identity?

The Blacklist Season 9 has given further context to the circumstances surrounding Liz’s death. Red is out for revenge and convinced that someone helped Vandyke kill Liz. Eventually, he discovers that Liz must have read the letter revealing his true identity before she died. Agnes also told Red that her mother told her everything she would need to know about Red.

Still, The Blacklist Season 9 isn’t clear about exactly how much Agnes knows. At the end of “The Chairman,” Cooper tells Agnes a story about her grandfather hiding a flash drive inside Liz’s old stuffed bunny. Cooper also calls Raymond Reddington Agnes’ grandfather.

Agnes seems surprised, knowing that this is Pinky’s name. Cooper responds that it’s a “long story” and Agnes asks him to tell it, but fans never get to see exactly what he tells her. One Reddit user pointed out that this scene implies Cooper knows Red’s identity, and who he is to Agnes. If that’s the case, did he really tell Agnes the whole story?

New episodes of The Blacklist air Fridays at 8 p.m. EST on NBC.