WARNING: This article contains spoilers for The Blacklist season 6 that may influence your enjoyment in discovering the plotlines. Read at your own risk.
The real identity of Raymond Reddington (played by James Spader) was recently outed as the former Russian spy named Ilya Koslov in The Blacklist season 6 episode 18 and 19. Despite this big reveal, viewers were not so easily convinced of the story of his true background.
Now, fans of The Blacklist are coming up with theories about the real Reddington based on Red's behavior. By the end of The Blacklist season 6 episode 19, which aired as a part of a two-parter last Friday, April 26, Red hinted that there was more to this than what was let on.
Cinema Blend described Red's reaction to Liz (played by Megan Boone) knowing about his backstory as an outrage. She learned the events surrounding how the Red she knows now assumed someone's identity, as told by her grandfather Dom (played by Brian Dennehy), whom Red confronted immediately.
What Red said to Dom in The Blacklist season 6 episode 19 indicated that the latter could not have been truly upfront with Liz. So, Red wanted to find out the exact things the old man told his granddaughter.
So, according to Dom, the real Reddington was dead - as Liz knew all along - and Koslov had to pretend to be him to gain access to his millions of money to help Liz's mom. However, Red/Koslov's behavior towards Dom seemed to indicate that the real Reddington may still be alive.
In The Blacklist season 6 finale, which will air on Friday, May 17, Red will come face to face with a man linked to his past, as per the episode synopsis. There are speculations that this man could be the real Reddington.
However, Red/Koslov has been holding to some human bones contained in a duffel bag as revealed in the past season. In The Blacklist season 5, Liz broke down to Tom (played by Ryan James Eggold) and told him that she knows those bones belonged to the man whose identity Red/Koslov stole from.
That season-ender may be a red herring for many viewers. After all, things are not always what they seem in The Blacklist.
The Blacklist season 6 finale will air as a two-parter on May 17. The first episode will involve Anna McMahon and her tension with the Task Force.
