Spoilers The Blacklist - Season 7 Discussion Thread

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When we last saw Raymond Reddington, he was in a bit of a pickle - drugged and kidnapped by the woman he once loved (and perhaps still does): the mysterious Katerina Rostova.

After years of teasing this mystery, it looks like we may finally learning some real answers this season. Despite the sometimes erratic writing for Elizabeth's character, I'm still hooked on finding out where this is all going. And if this really is the final season, I hope that the conclusion will be satisfactory.

Premier night is just six days away! Let the discussions (and occasional griping) begin!

 

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This clip is hilarious, especially in the manner in which Aram repeats what Liz has just told him:

https://www.cinemablend.com/televis...s-liz-explaining-all-the-crazy-twists-to-aram

 

[CorporalClegg]

That clip perfectly demonstrates why I stopped watching the show. I find it remarkable Arison was able to get through that with a straight face.

 

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I read an article recently where he said that he had read the scripts for the first two episodes, and that they contained more twists and turns than an entire season.

Which could be a good thing, or it could be a complete train-wreck.

 

[bigdaddy]

I read an article recently where he said that he had read the scripts for the first two episodes, and that they contained more twists and turns than an entire season.

Which could be a good thing, or it could be a complete train-wreck.

After several seasons of is he is isn't he her daddy I think it's time to do some twisty shit and wrap up the series. James Spader deserves to be set free and be on a better show.

 

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Twisty shit. I like that!



I've been trying to come up with a theory that would allow for Red to still actually be the real Raymond Reddington, and at the same time, explain the contents of the duffle bag in a way that made sense, but so far I haven't quite been able to do it. But even though there's nothing out there that really supports the idea, I can't shake the notion that he IS Reddington... And by extension, Lizzie's father.

I mean, if he really was someone else, why would Katarina call him 'Raymond' when there would be no need to do so, considering that there was no one else around at that the time. Why not just greet him by whatever his real identity is?

 

[CorporalClegg]

Which perfectly exemplifies what I was alluding to before. They tried way too hard to stack mystery box on top of mystery box, only to end up with an over-stuffed junk closet.

Sometimes the simplest most obvious idea is best.

 

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And that's what I've begun to wonder, If the original, seemingly simplest thing - that Red really is her father - is in fact, the truth and everything else has been mists and shadows. And I also thought all along that Katarina was likely still alive and at large.

 

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Just a reminder to everyone that the show starts in three hours, at 8:00 P.M., EST.

I plan to watch it live and drop a few comments. Hope I'm not the only one.

 

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Due to my schedule, I didn't get around to watching this until last night.

There were indeed a number of twists and turns, but in the end, Red was right back where he was at the beginning of the episode; in the clutches of the nasty Katarina. Who keeps saying that Red is going to tell her everything she wants to know, yet she hasn't asked a single damn question yet!



I sincerely hope that his captivity doesn't drag out through half the season, with each one ending with 'Red's Escape Attempt of the Week'' only to get caught again 30 seconds before the end credits roll.

So, did anyone else watch?

 

[Spot's Meow]

I watched, and didn't have strong feelings either way about the quality of the episode. It's pretty much what I have come to expect from the show. Ridiculous plot twists that somehow leave us with more questions than answers.

What did strike me as odd was the team's reaction to the news that Reddington may not be Reddington. They seemed upset that Liz had kept the information from them, but barely interested/concerned in the fact that Reddington may be an entirely different person. You would have thought there would be more fanfare around that announcement.

On another note, I've thought the show always had a strange way of balancing Liz's professional and personal lives. I get it, she needs to find a nanny, but it seemed odd that in the middle of this high pressure operation to get Reddington back, she's showing her boss how she's spending her work time browsing for babysitters. Not the time to be doing that.

All of that said, I do still like the show. It's crazy but entertaining. I'm interested in seeing how they deal with Katarina. I do wish we had word on when the final season will be, because it would be nice to know that the craziness will actually be wrapped up neatly at some point. I'm starting to have real trouble keeping track of all that's gone on.

 

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For me, the one aspect of the story that stuck out the most to me was the fact that Cooper wasn't really buying into the 'Reddington isn't Reddington' BS that Liz was relating to them. I would think that Cooper, more than anyone, would be able to know if Red wasn't the person that he served with (Navy?) From what the Stranger (Brett Cullen) said in the S6 finale, we know that Dom's story isn't accurate; "Why would he tell her that?" he said to Red.

One thing we know with absolute certainty: Whoever was wearing the blood-stained shirt that Cooper pulled from evidence lock-up is Liz's real father. I'm still fairly convinced that person is Red.

Who's bones were in the bag is anyone's guess, at this point.

 

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While it was nice to see Aram's development as a field agent (which I did really enjoy) I was still hoping for a bit more of a substantial connection to what is going on between Red and Katarina or more clues about his identity. For me, the big question still remains: If Red is NOT truly Raymond Reddington, then why such an intense interest in Liz and such a complete disconnect with Jennifer, both daughters of Triple R (the Real Raymond Reddington).

Unless of course, Red was the man in the bloodstained shirt from Evidence Lockup...

 

[Aragorn]

They're really dumbing down Elizabeth to make this whole Katarina-the-neighbor plot happen. At first I could buy that Liz knows the truth and is just playing her, but she'd never leave her daughter alone with Katarina. Wasn't she supposed to be a top FBI profiler when the show started?

 

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Wasn't she supposed to be a top FBI profiler when the show started?

That was a long time ago.



After seeing this episode, I'm fully convinced that Red is not Ilya, but still quite possibly, Triple-R. I'd have to watch it over again and play closer attention to his bits of dialogue (or rewind them a few times), but it sure as hell seemed to me that he was trying to say that he was Triple-R - while allowing Cooper to work under the false assumption that he's Ilya.

That, coupled with the final Katarina scene is what convinces me that Ilya is most definitely a different person entirely, most likely 'The Stranger' (Brett Cullen).

 

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And again, that comment from last season:

"I am what I am. Popeye the sailor-man."

Just can't get that one out of my head, and the fact it points to him truly being Reddington.

 

[Aragorn]

I'm thinking the showrunners made a lot of stuff up over the years that seemed cool at the time, but in the process have made a giant mess of the mythology. Since the entire world already knows of him as Reddington, who does he have to pretend to that he's not Reddington and what purpose would that serve? Season 7 is also too late in the game to have him be neither Red nor Ilya and bring in someone entirely new.

 

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Thing of it is, the onscreen evidence that we, the audience has seen points to him not being Ilya. After telling The Stranger the tale that Dom told to Liz, the Stranger asks Red, 'Why would he tell her that?' implying it was not wholly the truth.

The fact that Katarina is looking for Ilya also indicates that he is in fact, not Red but, well, Ilya Koslov. If Red truly was Ilya, well then Katarina already had him in her clutches once and wouldn't be looking for Ilya.

So there's still more to it that just Dom's tale, which truthfully I think is about 88% bullshit, at this point. Which is why I'm leaning towards Red being who he always was, and the imposter storyline has been contrived for some reason still unknown to us.

Remember, at no point has Red actually admitted to once being Ilya. He's made allusions to being a different person at some point in the past, but hell, aren't we all?

While the show is getting borderline crazy, it's still holding my interest.

 

[Photoman15]

More so, what's the difference (to Cooper or the rest of the task force, or main justice) if Red isn't the real Red. The FBI was after him for things he did since taking over as Red and the Task Force is being provided the information they get from his Blacklist.

But, like I pointed out on the guy who reviews on Youtube, way back, "I am what I am, Popeye the Sailor Man" was the key. Red IS Red. He knew about the Kuwait stuff but wouldn't tell Cooper how. Ilya wouldn't know the details that RRRR (Real Raymond "Red" Reddington) knew.

 

[urbandefault]

I don't care how crazy the plot gets, as long as Spader is amused enough to keep doing it.