By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
After 10 years, dozens of captured criminals and more Raymond Reddington monologues than one could count, The Blacklist has come to an end at NBC.
The long-running crime drama wrapped up with a two-hour series finale on Thursday, which found Red running from the very FBI agents he’d worked alongside for the past decade. But did Red manage to evade authorities once again? (The short answer: Yes… by dying!) And what became of the Task Force when this final case was over? (The short answer: It’s done? We guess?) Read on for the details.
* First up, Hour 1 centered on the cat-and-mouse game involving Red and the Task Force — and the FBI agents spent much of the episode waffling on whether they even wanted to track down Reddington, given their complicated and twisted loyalty to him over the years. But early on in the hour, Cooper asserted that “I want us to find him because that’s who we are,” and the rest of the Task Force ultimately agreed. Even in a phone conversation with Reddington, Dembe told him, “I’m bringing you in, Raymond. I’m serious.” (“I hope you are. For your sake,” Red had replied.)
* With the help of surveillance footage, Congressman Hudson discovered that Dembe was the one to tip Red off last week that he was about to be located at his airplane. Dembe was swiftly arrested for aiding and abetting a fugitive, and in true Dembe fashion, he told Cooper that he wanted to take full responsibility for helping Reddington escape. But! While Dembe and Ressler were being transported to FBI headquarters for additional questioning about Dembe’s involvement in the whole ordeal, Red and his men intercepted the transfer by crashing their vehicles into the FBI’s SUVs.
What followed was intense: Hudson, disoriented from the crash, pulled a gun on Dembe, insisting that he no longer trusted Dembe in this pursuit of Red. Dembe tried desperately to defuse the situation, but Hudson got spooked by a nearby noise and shot Dembe in the neck, prompting him to bleed profusely. In response, Red shot Hudson in the head and killed him instantly; he shot at Ressler several times, too, but only hit his body armor.
* Hour 2 resolved that harrowing ordeal quickly: Red brought Dembe to a nearby nursing home, and a doctor was called in to operate on him. The situation was so dire, though, that Red volunteered himself for a direct blood transfusion to Dembe in order to save him, though that wasn’t advised by the nurse on call. Thankfully, Dembe survived the gunshot wound and subsequent operation — no way they’d ever kill Dembe off, right? — but by the time Cooper & Co. reached the nursing home to check on him, Red had fled. Dembe’s surgeon indicated that Red wasn’t a strong enough donor for a direct blood transfer, and he looked extremely unwell by the time the operation was over. (Not that that stopped Red from immediately traveling again after Dembe had stabilized.)
* Meanwhile, following Hudson’s unexpected death, Agent Nixon doubled down on wanting to find Red, explaining within earshot of the Task Force that he planned to kill Reddington on sight once he finally located the man. Upon hearing that alarming promise, Herbie recused himself from the whole affair, unable to commit to a pursuit of Reddington that he knew full well would result in his friend’s death.
* We eventually learned that Red had flown to Spain after Dembe’s operation — specifically to Villa Lobo in Andalusia, where a friend named Angela helped him recuperate. And though a long sleep seemed to work wonders, Red began to cough up blood into a tissue. (We never did find out the specifics of that mystery illness Red had a few seasons back, after all.) Red spent the next half-hour quite wistful: He walked to a market and bought some fruit. He called Agnes and advised her on how to handle a crush at school.
He also expressed his interest in visiting Andalusia’s famed Miura cattle ranch, and he took a long walk there the next morning; at the same time, Ressler stayed on Red’s heels and eventually tracked him down with help from some vendors at the aforementioned market. After Red had been walking for a long time at the ranch, he turned to find a bull staring at him from several yards away, snorting and salivating. Red walked toward the bull, fearless. The bull paced around for a while during their staring contest — and then, it started running straight at Reddington, who stood in place with no panic.
A while later, Ressler touched down at the ranch via helicopter… and The Blacklist made sure we knew, with zero uncertainty, that that bull had killed Red, who was lying in the grass, bloody (and, frankly, bent in ways a human body shouldn’t be!). “Harold, I’ve got him,” Ressler said over the phone. “I’ve got him.” And he picked up Red’s fedora as he awaited backup.
* As for what became of the Task Force, we’re left to assume it disbanded, though we didn’t get exact specifics on each member’s eventual future. The attorney general opted not to press charges against Dembe for helping Red escape, but he was let go from the Bureau. Cooper and Ressler saw the pursuit of Reddington through to the end, but beyond that, it’s unclear where they went in their careers. And Siya was nowhere to be found in the final act, but she’ll presumably find her job back at MI6 much more relaxing than what she just experienced.
That’s a wrap, Blacklist fans! What did you think of the series finale? Grade it in our poll below, then drop a comment with your full reviews!
Not a great ending, but I guess it couldn’t really end with Red still alive.
Show really should have ended after Liz’s death, or shortly thereafter. It was never the same after that.
Or it is all a con he is the real Reddington that the original non woke ending until woke activists outsed Jon Bokencamp
Don’t use words you don’t know the definition of. It makes you look stupid.
Robert I’m with you on the possibility that he actually is the real Raymond Reddington all along. I’ve told my wife that for the last year.
But what in God’s name does this have to do with woke or not woke? NOTHING. The more people do virtue signaling and call names and overreact (like you did here) – and that’s from both/all sides – the worse our culture war and divide gets. This is for comments about the ending of 10 years of us watching. Stick to that please.
I liked it better after Liz was gone.
Honestly…I sawno other way for this to end. Raymond was a very sick man..and would not live as a burden to himself or anyone else. HE WANTED TO DIE THE SAME WAY HE LIVED
Being struck by a bull?.. Are you sure that’s how he lived?..
Yes, he died like he lived: on his own terms, being fearless, alone, romantic and eccentric.
Her character was perhaps the stupidest in recent history.
The whole point of the show was James Spader, the rest were just props for him.
I thought the ending was very apropos. One of the best shows I’ve ever watched. James Spader was brilliant and I hope to see him in something else soon
The show had so many twists and turns the first 8 seasons, trying to figure out who Red was. I don’t think the series ever clearly explained that which makes me feel cheated. That’s why I stuck around, even through these dismal last two seasons. Was Red Liz’s mother who underwent a sex change? If so, why was it that Red had supposedly been the lover of Liz’s mother at one point? How did Red get started in all this crime anyway? I think that may have been explained at one time, but I sure as heck can’t remember. I just want to find a biography for Red that explains everything from start to finish.
Not great but I finally spoke to a member of the show that confirmed red is liz mother.
So we never did find out who Raymond really was? talk about 10 years of wasted time…
I don’t see any way he isn’t Katarina. The finale with Liz’s death just about confirmed that.
And when Agnes said you’re being such a mom Pinky Red replied I suppose I can’t help it.
I think Agnes’ Pinky comment was just a joke by the writers and a way to have fun with fans who have been discussing the Red as Katarina theory for several years now.
The main reason I don’t believe the Redarina theory is that it totally contradicts events in the episode “Requiem”. In that episode, the young Kate Kaplan and Katarina become close friends and Kate becomes the caretaker to Liz. When things start to heat up and Katarina realizes she has to disappear, she arranges for Kate to leave Liz with Sam. At some point after that, the James Spader Red appears in Kate’s life and hires her. Watch these scenes carefully. It is obvious in the scene where Red meets Kate that she has never met him before and does not know him. They clearly speak to one another as though Katarina is a different person. Spader-Red even says “We shared the affection of Katarina”. If the Spader-Red at that point is really Katarina, I don’t believe it is credible that Kate would not have recognized him or realized who he was through mannerisms, body language, etc. A gender-change operation does not change the person’s personality, voice, mannerisms, body language or general body type. Even if Spader-Red had taken hormones to modify his voice slightly, it is not credible to me that Kate would not recognize him. Also, the actress who played Katarina in Requiem and Spader do not resemble each other at all in any respect. A sex change operation does not change a person’s general look or demeanor, etc. In every other case where the show casts different versions of the same person at different stages in their life (Kate is a great example; Ilya is another), they casts actors who look very similar with similar body types. Spader and the actress who played Katrina in Requiem (Lotte Verbeek) do not at all look similar, not in any sense. Spader is 5′ 10″ and stocky and Verbeek is 5′ 6″ and slender.
The only way the theory works is if you accept a science-fiction premise that somehow Katarina’s mind took over Red’s body, and that’s not just not the show this is.
Again – to Redarina advocates, just re-watch Requiem and tell me if you still think Red is Katarina.
Actually hormone therapy and gender confirmation suergery does change the body and voice (the voice not as much but changes will occur). Hormones can cause significant weight gain and changes in hair tecture, etc. And if Red is trans, he may very well consider Katarina as another person and would consider that to be his dead name, and not him. Thus she is dead and Red is who he is now. And while not his true self, he can still have affection for who he was, especially if who he was produced a child.
Even if you gained weight, you wouldn’t grow four inches. And there is no way someone as close as Kate to Katarina wouldn’t sense that the person she meets as Red was the same person. It’s just not credible.
Elliot Page and Ellen Page’s face sure look very similar despite the transition from female to male. James Spader doesn’t look like Lotte Verbeek, who played the young version of Katarina Rostova. Since Katarina is the mother of Elizabeth Keen, Lotte’s passing resemblance to Megan Boone’s shows the show made a good choice in casting Lotte.
I agree with the comment about Ellen and Elliot Page. Same could be said for Bruce and Caitlyn Jenner. In both cases, the basic body type of the person was the same, and in neither case did the individual gain or lose several inches of height. There is no question in my mind that if the producers really intended for Katarina and Spader-Red to be the same person, they would have framed and probably cast the Requiem episode much differently. And, by the way, the Redarina theory had been floating around for several seasons before Requiem aired, and Bokenkamp had actually appeared on a podast with the theory’s creator and seemed amused by it. I seriously doubt if a writer of his caliber would base the whole mythos of the show on a fan theory
The Blacklist season 10, director Christine Gee was asked on Instagram whether Reddington’s real identity will be revealed by the end of the final season. According to Gee, the show may have already answered this mystery, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be more clues before it ends. Read Gee’s full response below:
”If you’ve been paying close attention to the things Red says, then you already know. But there will be an exchange in the final episode that will say it indirectly.”
so the only exchange would be Red and Agnes where she said he is acting like a mom and says he can’t help himself. So then Red is Katerina.
Raymond had sex with Weecha at public bath…sounds a real man to me
A good synopsis of the identity of Red. Too bad there was not a scene with an autopsy where the answers to Red’s identity and his sickness (I assume lung cancer) could have satisfied we fans.
You’re forgetting about the Blacklister who did impossibly advanced appearance changing surgeries. And that who ever Red really is, had undergone such extreme procedures to make themselves identical to the real Raymond Reddington.
Yeah it seems like there were two Raymond Redingtons. One had been around a long time and was in the USA military or something. I think he was Katerina’s lover and tried to help Katerina escape from her husband with Liz. Did the real Red die in the house fire and Katerina took over his identity? There were too many red herrings over too big a time period to keep track of all the “clues.” I really would have liked everything cleared up by the end of the series.
Then there is also the Blacklister who could manipulate DNA. Perhaps the bones in the bag were not the real Reddington afterall seeing how easily it can be manipulated. I still think he is the real Reddington. Rewatching from the beginning for the hell of it…lol
If you remember when Agnes was born Kate Kaplan looked at Red and said I can remember when you first held Elizabeth. So Kaplan and Red go way back. We were once shown a glimpse of Red’s back as he dressed and he had old burns, we know Katarina rescued Liz from a fire. Over the series they have been careful to show us doctors who can interfere with memory, to ensure Liz would not recognise Red as her mother, do amazing plastic surgery and even alter DNA. This carefully constructed the narrative that Katarina became Red to escape and as she was already a trained spy building an intelligence empire isn’t such a leap.
I weighed and weighed Katerina being Red or not, I was 100% sure when Red whispered in Alexander Kirk’s ear, but then later came the episode with early years of Dembe. The local militia killed his father and he was 11 when Red saved him and took him under protection. Dembe is now about 53 – he had a daughter from his GF in Paris as a student and he was also recently reading fairytales to his grown 13-14 yo granddaughter. So between salvation at 11, then 7-8 years in schools, then the daughter at 20 at least giving a birth in turn, roughly about 40 years together. And this is where I see the disconnect from the storyline about Red having another identity in the last 30-Ish years. Or this is just a loose end at screenwriter side, shame for them, and for a good end of story which I truly miss ….
There are a lot of inconsistencies in the show’s run, despite Jon’s insistence to the contrary, but literally nothing in the entire run makes sense unless Red is actually related to Liz Keen in some way. No “uncle” nor “friend of the family” would be so engaged with Liz for such a long time.
For me, the Kirk scene and the flashback at Keen’s death seals it for me. I simply cannot think of any reason Kirk would have let Red go for “causing Katarina to kill herself” other than revealing to him that she’s still alive and that he is her.
Think about it: Kirk would not have stopped until his death (which admittedly was soon no matter what happened in that room) if Katarina was still alive but NOT Red sitting in front of him, but he lets Red go, then goes away and you never see him again. Doesn’t even try to contact Liz (Masha).
The only other option is that Jon had some other kind of ridiculous identity of “Reddington” reveal that wouldn’t have fit well–although at times this series has tried to do the multi-layer distractions and deception regarding that plot, it has always resolved in a way that makes it plausible for Katarina to have become Reddington.
There is a 30s transman down the block from me, formerly Lesbian woman. She fixed sprinklers and etc. As a woman, she fixed mine, standing next to me she was about 2 inches taller than me. Her voice was female. NOW? He sounds like a MAN and not like a “gay man” but a MAN, and is 1 foot taller than me. REALLY impossible to see that it is even the same person. He is also significantly stockier. The entire face looks like another person. He did NOT get some kind of super special surgery either, like Red could afford.
I agree too many questions still remained unanswered.
I watched the Alexander Kirk episodes again. The final one was Season 4, episode 4. Under some kind of truth serum injected into Red, Kirk asks Red, ” are you Masha’s father ? ” Red replies ” no “. Later Kirk asks Red, ” is Masha your daughter ? ” Red replies ” yes “. I think that proves that Red is Katerina.
Please watch this episode and to see if anyone agrees here.
They’ve hinted at Reddington being Katarina Rostova for years now, but refused to provide a definitive answer.
Actually, they haven’t, only some fans have done that.
The Season 8 ending is about as close as you’ll get to a definitive answer. Unless you’ve never seen that episode I don’t see how you couldn’t at least admit that was a “hint” at Red being Katarina.
If that wasn’t a “hint” then we were never given any hint at who Red really is.
From Screenrant
The Blacklist season 10, director Christine Gee was asked on Instagram whether Reddington’s real identity will be revealed by the end of the final season. According to Gee, the show may have already answered this mystery, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be more clues before it ends. Read Gee’s full response below:
”If you’ve been paying close attention to the things Red says, then you already know. But there will be an exchange in the final episode that will say it indirectly.”
My Husband and I watched every episode of the Blacklist! Enjoyed each show, wonderful stories and due to such great Actors that brought the Characters to life each and every time. Thanks for entertaining us!!!
True. The Red/Katerina transformation is a creation of the fans, and is NOT a device of the screen writers.
Totally agree.
I am not dissatisfied with this ending. Though it would have been nice to see his Cuban girlfriend come and take him to a country that the US couldn’t get to him. He welcomed life as he did death as Dembe said. He chose his terms and I’m my opinion went out in a blaze of glory being it man vs. beast. RIP Raymond Reddington!!!!! Excellent show!!!
I think there was more confirmation in this episode — one comment when Agnes made reference to Red’s advice about boys being “Pinky you’re being such a mom.” and Red says “I guess i just can’t help it.”
Good point
I caught that too. Maybe the writers didn’t want to get into it with Liz gone, but gave a hint to anyone following this thread. They never explained the envelope Dembe gave to her at the end of season 8. Maybe she read it and couldn’t shoot her mother?
Dembe is Liz’s father. You know its true! ;)
Come on !
Are you saying Dembe couldn’t have had a daughter at age 12? ;)
Its actually a joke that went around early in the series run when Liz kept wondering who her dad was. I think even Cooper was suspected at one point.
It’s a joke, as evidenced by the wink symbol.
At least you have made me laugh today, whilst I ill-advisedly read all of this claptrap.
Me, I can’t imagine Liz reading the letter confirming that Red is her mother and not running to Red to talk, demanding further explanations. Nor I can imagine her trying to kill her mother after desperatelly looking for her for 8 seasons. I know the producers are convinced they told us the story of Red being Katarina, but it takes a lot of good will and ignoring things we were told before to accept it.
Liz thought the impostor was her mother and that Red killed her.
Dembe was only to give Liz the letter after she killed Red. She got killed instead. Therefore, she never got to read the letter.
You’re right, Dembe was told not to. But he did. We saw it in season 9. Afterwards, Liz said she couldn’t shoot Red, just like Red said would happen.
So Liz read the letter, and knew Red’s truth before she got killed.
Yes, and we are all still looking for that “truth”. The truth might put an end to the nonsense that Katerina Rostova transformed herself into the male person of Red.
Except for two things. 1) Red is an unreliable narrator. He lied over the years to everyone, including people he truly cares about. The audience simply can’t trust anything he says because he lives his version of the truth and believes that deception is the best way to protect others. 2) How many times in the show has confirmation of Red’s identity turned out to be a red herring. Too many times has throw away lines that were supposed to be a clue about who Red was turned out to be misleading.
Sure we did. There were “hints” scattered throughout seasons 8 thru 10. Red was Katrina, Liz’s Mom.
I thought so,but when i saw the episode : this “Katarina” had sex with Weecha in public bath….i’m not so sure if a gender transformed woman can do it
Pretty sure they can since it happens every day in real life. Now, it cannot result in a pregnancy, of course.
The only thing that was brought up as a plot-stopper plausibly is the difference in height and build, but again, we saw the episode where the Blacklister that week was a genius of seemingly impossible physical appearance transformations, and when the team closed in, Red swept that character away before they could get their hands on him and his (possible Reddington) records.
Would that kind of appearance, size, and height transformation be possible in real life? Probably not, but that’s not really much a jump from the other wild implausibilities that happened in the very foundation of this show.
People can have their height increased through bone stretching surgery. There was an article last month about a man who had his heigh increased by 6 inches:
I don’t that I can include a link. But if you search for
“New York Man ‘Grows’ Six Inches Through Surgery
Apotheosis was once 5’6″ but is now north of six feet tall” you’ll find an article that explains the surgery.
The movie Gattaca also had bone stretching to gain height as a plot point.
If successful, transmen DO have sex with women. Red would have had the best surgery.
The writers obviously wanted Red to Katerina but weren’t willing to outright declare it or NBC wouldnt let them.
I gave up on the show shortly after Liz died. I watched occasionally and read recaps sometimes. I got tired of waiting to see who Red was. Looks like that was a good choice since they never even really confirmed who he was. I read this recap to see who he was. Then came to the comments to see if I’d missed it somewhere along the line after I stopped watching. Nope. What a disappointment.
You must have missed it in the episode of Cape May where “Red” was having Katarina’s flashbacks from her past. The only way “he” could have flashbacks of someone’s past who was all alone in that lake house is if “he” is Katarina. I’m case what I just said doesn’t make complete sense to you here’s my point…RED IS KATARINA
Its left open to interpretation He was indeed real Reddington the whole skelton was rreuse fake Katrina was someone who Reddington hired. or he is Katrina Rostova making him a transman who faked it ballsy move by liberal Hollwood nearly made it woke.
“Woke”? What is woke about that? It’s a plot point.
Also, there have been American who’ve had sex reassignment surgery since the 1950s. The Jeffersons TV show had an episode in the 1970s where one of George’s buddies shows up having gone through a sex change.
A character having a sex change in a film or TV series has been done many times.
Yes!! I agree with this. They just dropped that whole story line.
The only thing hinting to it was ‘you sound like a mom’ from Agnes, without dispute from Red. I was wondering if there’d be a reveal halfway through ep21, because it had no feel for one.
That was the confirmation. The show had previously interweaved flashbacks between Red & Katarina in the season 8 episode Cape May that confirmed Red was Katarina.
We did find out who he was.
You may want to watch it again.
When he was talking to Agnes and she started he sounded like a mother, he said, ( something’s never change ).
I thought it ended perfect.
Ever other ending would have left a crack in the door.
No one on the task force is going to prison. Red didn’t go to prison.
He didn’t linger in pain in prison dying with cancer.
What would we have? Red laying dying in bed and an enemy kill him.
He was a winner in life and death.
Thumbs up to the cast and writes for 10 years.
That’s exactly how I feel about it. I got hooked in the first place because of Spader( love him) and the show was really interesting.
But let’s face it the last couple of years as far as the storyline goes…SUCKED ASS…..
The only reason I kept watching was to get a with out a dout DEFINITIVE answer as to Red’s identity and who he was to Liz.
Disappointed beond words to say the least.
IU agree, I’ll watch anything James Spader is in!
It was Great until the Last 10 Minutes. I understand the connection with “A Bull”
I just think a more Dramatic Ending would of been more appropriate After all these years. . .
Having a bull do it was probably the dumbest choice that could have been made.
If they didn’t want him to die alone in a field from his sickness, at least involve Ressler. Never even got a final speech from Spader nor a look ahead for the remaining characters outside of Herbie.
Frankly, they would have been better off just ending it on the final commercial break after Dembe’s speech.
He had a special connection with a bull fighter, forgot his name, and kept those bull horns, even risked capture to go get the burlap bag the horns were in. Reddington IS Katerina, I have no doubt due to a few things that got said and shown, the memories, the photo and some statements. Yes, it was not blatant prob due to producers.
Also, as said elsewhere on here, I KNOW a transman and oh yeah, height, weight, voice, HUGE changes. y
Manolete was the matador who died in 1947 at age 30 after being gored by his bull, (in the thigh). The breeders name each bull, this killing bull was named Islero, and the horned skull was the remains of Islero. Manolete was one of the best known matadors of his age, and also one of the highest earners. He was known to take risks in the arena.
Height can be changed through bone stretching of the leg bones.
Testosterone thickens the vocal chords and causes redistribution of body fat.
If this is the best writers can do, then stay on strike. How do you toy with viewers for ten years about Red’s true identity and not conclusively answer it? I mean it’s the biggest plot detail in the series and it goes unanswered.
Did you not see the Season 9 finale? That pretty much settled it for me.
Plus, you got another clue tonight when Agnes said “You’re acting like a mother, Pinky” and Red responded “I guess I can’t help it.”
Err, season 8 finale. Sorry. Liz’s death one.
If Katrina had been shown as a taller fat woman from the start they could have made the Katrina became red work… but the difference in height and size was too much for that story line to work it just came off as some dumbass story that made zero sense.
If you remember, they captured the guy as a Blacklister who was ridiculously good at making people look entirely different from what they were. And Red made sure to get to him before the task force did. Further setting up the theory that Red had some extensive plastic surgery and reconstruction.
Secondly, remember Alexander Kirk? Literally the only thing Red could have whispered to him to have him walk away from that scene was “I am Katarina.”—since he was going to kill “Reddington” for causing her to “kill herself”.
Then, you have the ending with Liz’s death and the flashback.
I’m sorry, I can’t see any way he isn’t Katarina. There are a lot of inconsistencies in this show’s run, I’ll grant you that, but if he isn’t actually Liz’s mother then nothing in the serialized storylines in the past 10 years makes any sense.
Yes, the ending for Blacklist sucked. But I derived some satisfaction that, in her own way, Agnes figured out the answer that eluded her mother for years ….
Even if that answer is, these days, too politically charged for the network to allow it to be said too clearly. #TheBlacklist
The problem with that theory is, why would anyone like Alexander Kirk believe that so readily? It makes no sense.
Because Kirk probably subconsciously suspected it, and/or Red whispered something to him that only Katarina and himself would have known.
If you can think of something else Red would have whispered that would have caused Kirk to immediately let Red go and leave him alone, I’m all ears.
But we saw early on that Red had scars from the fire on his back. Was Katarina insured in the fire?
I’ve been waiting for someone to bring this up. I’m still going to post it too. I think it was the 2nd or 3rd episode of the first season….fire burn scars on his back. Just like the real Raymond Reddington would have suffered in that fire where he was “killed”?? I don’t remember if Liz’s mom was in the fire too.
Why can’t Red be Liz’s dad? I can’t remember if she found out who her parents were or it was a ‘the writer’s wrote themselves into a plot hole and abandon the idea.’
I don’t believe that Red was Liz’s mother. Staying a woman and being the deadliest person on the world, is better as a woman. Not a man. Wigs can only do so much on a man’s head. LOL
The show should have cleared up the mystery in the last two episodes and not let us wait 10 years and still no answered the question.
Not to mention male pattern baldness…How could Katarina pull that off?
Well, considering that Spader himself shaved his head early in the series run, it wouldn’t be impossible.
Women do go bald, though not as often as men do.
True, women do go bald, but not with the same pattern as men.
As said elsewhere, I know a transman. HEIGHT and WEIGHT – huge changes. Voice, HUGH change. Enough hints happened, and remember, this was Red’s secret to keep!
Height can be changed. Google “New York Man ‘Grows’ Six Inches Through Surgery” and you’ll find an article about a man who “grew” through surgery.
My thoughts exactly
Yes. I saw it and yes the show did hint at the Katarina identity but for a show that had a history of misdirection and toying with people about Ref’s identity, you couldn’t really trust what you’re seeing. But the show doesn’t conclusively answer the question. Just another hint with the acting like a mom line. People were irritated by the Sopranos abrupt ending, but if you pay attention to the background, the director gives plenty of details about Tony’s fate. There’s nothing like this in the Blacklist. The ending was a disservice to its fans.
I actually thought the Sopranos’ ending was brilliant. But I know a lot of people hated it.
Yeah, the structure of The Sopranos final scene shows you definitively that Tony died. Somebody wrote a lengthy essay on it frame by frame a long time ago and it was great.
The bottom line is that if they wanted to go the Katarina route, the should have fully committed to it. Don’t dance around it and give hints, especially when you’ve given conflicting information throughout the series.
To be fair Father figures can act like mother figures to children in the absence of their actual mothers. I’m sure there are many great fathers out there who are raising their children alone because the mother has either passed away or doesn’t have full custody for whatever reason. In that sort of situation the Dad figure has to be both to the child to fill the void left behind.
I think the comment by Agnes is deliberately misleading in order to tease the audience. It is simply a play on an old phrase, as in, “…you are such a mother hen”. After all, she had a set of step-parents, and she called Cooper “Pops”. Not sure what she called Mrs. Cooper. But I am putting my money on the word mother as a simple alteration of “mother hen”. And, the intended phrase mother hen is more suitable to her special nick name for Reddington, “Pinky”.
No. The comment was deliberate. One of the writers explained that the finale would have a comment inserted to confirm Red’s identity.
N, I interpret the Agnes comment as simple teasing and standard verbal inter-play. If the comment was meant as a definitive clue, it should not have been buried within this innocent conversation. Does anyone think that Agnes believed that Red was actually her grandmother?
I will miss this fantastic show! Thank you James Spader and crew. I’ve enjoyed this for years! Sad it’s over. Wild ride!
Who was Red? What was in the letter to Liz? Too much left unanswered!!!!
I derived some satisfaction that, in her own way, Agnes figured out the answer that eluded her mother for years …. Yes, Red was a Mom.
Even if that answer is, these days, too politically charged for the network to allow it to be said too clearly. #TheBlacklist
Too much derivative thought pattern here. To think that there is some bizarre gender changing is just pandering to the politics of the moment. Absurd.
But the Director all but confirmed that red was indeed Elizabeth’s mother. When asked about finding out Red’s identity on Instagram, she replied
”If you’ve been paying close attention to the things Red says, then you already know. But there will be an exchange in the final episode that will say it indirectly.”
Raymond Reddington is the real Raymond Reddington the Skelton is fake it’s Katrina Rostova remains.
I disagree. Before the GOP became against the trans community and businesses that support them, the show still had high ratings, if Red was really a woman, the writers and the network could have stated it clearly. Not leave open ending.
I think the writers didn’t know how to use this plot or not, which is why it was oblivious.
Agree! What a disappointment!
For me it was very clear that Red was dying. He was cleaning up loose ends for most of the season. The only question was how. Didn’t have killed by a bull on my bingo card.
I hoped to learn more about Reddington’s past and exactly how he was related to Elizabeth!!!!
Season 8’s finale explained that Red is actually Katarina. The show had previously explained that Red had undergone reconstructive plastic surgery. The show at one misled viewers into thinking that Red was Ilya but we learned that wasn’t the case.
Hold on! TV Listing say part 2 is next week where we find out what happens to the team… I’m betting Ramon set something up for them.
That was the series finale. As bad as that ending was. No more.
Just ignore me, I was being too hopeful :(
That was a terrible ending.
Yes it was. Horrible. Inconsistent with all these years of episodes.
I thought it was a very fitting ending to a very good series. And I also saw a connection to Ernest Hemingway with Red, Always having grace under pressure, especially with a bull in Spain…
It was a great ending. Red being sent back to prison would’ve made him look weak. Red dying his in sleep wouldn’t have been a strong way for him to go out. Red shot and killed is a big no. He went out staying one step ahead of everyone as the theme for the 10 season of this iconic legendary series and character. It was simply that his luck had run out as he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He could’ve never seen the bull coming as he has every other threat.
Personally I believe Red had every intention of having the bull kill him thus his long walk to the farm. He knew he was dying and as with everything else in his life, wanted to go out on his own terms. What I didn’t care for was writers never definitely revealing Red’s true identity and left 10 years of story telling to personal opinion. Show will be missed.
I got the feeling…he knew where he was going ..and the interaction with the BULL..RED KNEW HIS DESTINY…HE KNEW THE AREA..THE FIELD..ETC..
I got the feeling…he knew where he was going ..and the interaction with the BULL..RED KNEW HIS DESTINY…HE KNEW THE AREA..THE FIELD..ETC..
I agree 👍🏻
What a disappointing ending. After ten years of great action and dialogue you have Red crumpled up in a ditch?
The Bull scene could have had more slow motion drama and gore or Red trying to subdue him with great conversation.
Yes like in Spielbergs The Shark.
Ramon ? ?
Worst ending in TV history. Writers should be ashamed for being so lazy and giving loyal viewers no answers, especially after the showrunner promised them. The way they dropped his illness and brought it back with no explanation in the finale was sophomoric and insulting. And not answering who Red really was shows total disrespect to viewers and is unforgivable.
Yes, the ending for Blacklist sucked. But I derived some satisfaction that, in her own way, Agnes figured out the answer that eluded her mother for years ….
Even if that answer is, these days, too politically charged for the network to allow it to be said too clearly. #TheBlacklist
Please stop posting the same comment over and over. It’s as boring as the ending.
Red being both a father and mother figure to Agnes doesn’t make him Katarina. If anything he loves Agnes dearly and what he did was provide her with the emotional support and stability that she needed. Plenty of Dad figures go clothes shopping or do girly stuff with their kids, that doesn’t make them women in disguise. Plenty also help with the emotional side of things too. I’m sure there are plenty who post on this very comment thread who have lived experience doing just that.
Red is Katarina because the show made it clear in the season 8 finale that Katarina became Red to survive and hide in plain sight. Go back and watch the show. Listen to the song that is played “It’s a Man’s World.”
I don’t know where you’ve been, but even Hallmark features gay and lesbian couples in their movies now. Saying that and gender-change is horribly politically-charged is something from the past. NBC would not have a problem with it. I believe it was only a fan fantasy, not really a part of the actual story.
TV writers have been on strike for a few months and it affects the quality of shows. Maybe the Blacklist writers left and they had second-rate freelancers try to complete the scripts. Maybe that’s why the series didn’t tie all those loose ends and settled for a lame ending. Because they had a deadline to meet and not enough talent ? just guessing
This show was written, filmed and edited long before the Writers’ strike.
The ending was fine and expected. I half exoected him to keel over s he climbed the wall into the field. At least we did not have to watch the mental contortions and torments of the other cardboard cut out characters as they wrestled with every step of the process post arrest.
They did not say he was dead so he may have survived. Even bull fighters do not often die in a bull fight.
He was close to death already. I thought he was just going to collapse and die on his walk. Nah, the bull ended him.
Guess you missed his completely mangled body
True, nobody said he was dead, but his contorted, bloody, lifeless body pretty much confirmed his death.
Being the devil’s advocate perhaps the Red viewers saw was not the true Red and some where in the future a more definitive ending will be explored with all questions the series has presented answered to the fullest and the series given a true goodbye to it’s faithful viewers even if Red has to die in the end.
That is not being a devil’s advocate, that is being a hopeless cock eyed optimist.
10 Years Every Episode and thats how it ends? Who was Raymond Reddington that was brought up a few seasons back we never found out truly his real name & what was his Exact Relationship with Liz, it is like they really skipped through to a Final Uneventful Season. Going Back a Few Years there were Signs Red was sick but to be killed by a Bull Outlandish. He was in an Area he Loved Writer should have killed him off Via a Heart Attack or Stroke. The Finale & Season 10 was a BUST.
Blacklist
Excellent
Great final two episodes, but was very disappointed not to get many of the answers and closure we expected after ten seasons.
Was disappointed with the ending. We kept hoping the Reddington true identity would be told. Red always got away. Went out by his own terms. To get killed by a bull. Please red would of never go out like that. We really enjoyed 10 years of the black list. Terrible ending could ended a different way.
I think it was appropriate ending to one Of the greatest shows on television. Ultimately, as the song played, he went out his way.. Thank you james spader for ten wonderful years.
Really…….. .A bull, #@@%%^^&$. You could have done better than that. Raymond Reddington deserved a better ending. So disappointed in ending. But, the best show in my lifetime.
Worthless finale. Lazy plotting and no answers to anything. And the agent wanting to kill Red….he just disappeared. Waste of 2 hours and the 10 years-other than a great cast. Heavy heavy sigh.
Writers, Producers and Directors gave a very disappointing ending to the fans that followed this series faithfully for 10 years. We all knew the character; Red was going to die. However, why not at least end it as the song is playing, “Knocking on Heaven’s Door, it shows Red laying in the field dead but then appears all in white, with white Fog all around him at a door. The door opens and it shows Liz and Katarina Rostova and Liz says, “Hello Father, We have been waiting for you”. That is the way I am going to remember the ending as.
What hallucinogenic drugs are you on? Can to courier me some?
So disappointed. Waited for years to get some answers. The show kept people hanging on all this time hoping to get the answers and then, nothing. I understand the message that his manner of death was supposed to show, but we wanted the answers. Also, I wanted Nixon to get his. That comeuppance would have been so satisfying. I wanted to see Red at a villa in Italy with all our favorite people gathered around him. If they had to have the symbolic ending, they could have done that and still given us answers.
The way he died was poetic but too many loose ends and unanswered questions. It’s like the whole series before Liz died never happened.
I would like to say I will miss The Blacklist, it is one of my favorites and I love James Spader. The ending with the bull is bull shit. I would rather have seen him walking in a field and out jumps Mr Kaplan to take her much deserved revenge. Shame on you writers.
Loved this show, sorry to see it end…and I didn’t expect Red to die that way!! But he went his own way and it was time to end it. Thanks for a good run!!
Yes, the ending for Blacklist sucked. But I derived some satisfaction that, in her own way, Agnes figured out the answer that eluded her mother for years ….
Even if that answer is, these days, too politically charged for the network to allow it to be said too clearly. #TheBlacklist
Nonsense! Politics had nothing to do with it. People who thought Red was Katarina will cite “proof” for that by pointing to such and such a scene while people who don’t will cite scenes that point to someone else. What Red said to Agnes in the final episode constitutes “proof” only to those who already believed that Red is Katarina. I think that was intentional on the show’s part – they wanted to keep the tease in.
I could live with not having something definitive either way, but I really wish they had done a time jump at the end to show how everyone ended up, and concluded with Agnes getting a letter from Red to tell her the whole story, but one that we, the audience, never gets to hear.
Do you think that if you repeat yourself enough times, everyone will agree with your assumption is a concrete fact?
Writers….you did a good job to the end.
You’re not that cool….
The writers are on strike.
Do you actually think this show was not written, filmed and edited long before the Writers’ strike?