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The dust has barely settled on the reveal of Red’s identity at the end of The Blacklist Season 5, but Season 6 is off to a fast-paced start. Liz turned in Red, who still has no idea that Liz knows his true identity and he now faces life in prison because of his decades on the run. It’s a tangled web with tons of layers, but the theories for The Blacklist Season 6 are piling up. At the end of the second part of the Season 6 premiere, Red asked Liz to find out who in his inner circle sold him out, not knowing that it was she who finally turned him in with all the information she’d gathered on him. Like I said, it's a big mess at this point, but if this is how the season begins, I can't imagine how it’s all going to play out.
There are a lot of unanswered questions right now that I figure will be answered by the end of the season. Who has time to wait for those answers, though, when there are already fan theories floating around the internet to tide you over? Liz found out that the bones in the duffel bag belonged to the real Reddington, but that doesn't necessarily mean that Red isn’t somehow who he says he is. And if this means she’s not Red’s daughter, do they still have some kind of connection?
The theories about The Blacklist Season 6 do their best to answer all of the most pressing questions. The most important one, though — did Red get to eat the pretzel before the cops took him down at the pretzel cart?
1
Reddington Had A Twin
The big reveal at the end of Season 5 finally explained that the bones in the bag were Redmond Reddington's, but one Redditor, slpallo1031, wrote that the Red that viewers know now could be the real Reddington’s twin. It's not totally out there, and it could still tie Red to Liz in a familial way. It would also be a little surprising, since at this point viewers are meant to believe Red just stole some guy's identity 30 years ago.
2
Red Changed His Identity For An Important Reason
The assumption is that Red just stole some innocent man’s identity after possibly murdering him, but big-bon56 wrote on Reddit that it’s possible Red was a spy who used Dr. Koehler’s help changing his identity to keep his family safe. In this theory, that would mean Liz is still related to Red in some way, linking them together.
3
Dr. Koehler Played A Role In Red’s Identity Switch
Redditor patriotraitor wrote a theory about Red and Dr. Koehler that might have even more meat to it. They wrote that "Red is the real Raymond Reddington, but the night of the fire he was so badly burned beyond recognition and went into hiding, only to have Dr. Koehler give him plastic surgery to look like his original self… He reconstructed Raymond back to looking like Reddington, as the burns scars would show on Raymond's back, that he most likely was burnt to a crisp during the house fire."
It definitely has some intricate layers to it, but it makes sense and could still allow Red to not be a total bad guy.
4
The "Redarina" Theory
This one verges on soap opera territory, but I feel like it needs to be addressed, if only because of how popular it's gotten. The theory that Red is actually Katarina, Liz’s mother, has been a fan theory for some time now. There are a lot of arguments both for and against it, but if it is true, it could come to fruition during Season 6 after the bombshell at the end of Season 5. The theory states that Katarina changed her identity to become Reddington and watch over her daughter and that she’s lived as him for the past 30 years. I don't know if I’m buying it, but I feel like it will either come true or finally be totally debunked by the end of the season.
5
Liz Also Has A Different Identity
Forgetting about Red for just a second, there is a possibility that Liz isn't who she thinks she is. Yes, this just got more confusing. The Blacklist posted a fan theory on their official Twitter account that said the bones in the duffel bag actually belong to "the real Masha" and that "Red stole Masha’s identity for his own daughter."
6
Red Has Always Been A Secret Agent
Another Blacklist Season 6 fan theory on Twitter is that Red worked for a secret government agency years ago and had to build his life as a criminal to take down others from within. The theory says that when he rescued Liz as a child, he had the chance to take over the real Reddington’s life and start over.
7
Red Was A Russian Spy
If he wasn't a secret U.S. government agent, then maybe Red was a Russian spy. This is another theory that a lot of fans have piggybacked onto. Redditor jarbig1 wrote that Red could have been a Russian spy years ago, which is what would have gotten him tangled in the lives of everyone and brought him to where he is today. Fellow Redditor RecklesslyPessmystic pointed out that Reddington’s name is Red, after all, and that "The Soviets were sometimes called 'the Reds.'"
8
Katarina Will Return By The End Of The Season
Although Katarina hasn't yet been introduced to the show in present day, some fans theorized that she’ll make her appearance by the end of Season 6. In doing so, she’ll bring to the characters all of the answers they’ve been looking for and hopefully some closure in the process. If that does happen, I see a lot more new questions than answers, but maybe that’s just me.
9
Red Is Still Liz’s Father, But Not The Real Red
As one fan wrote on Reddit, it could be revealed this season that Red is Liz’s father, but still not the real Reddington. They wrote that the "impostor" Red took the real Reddington’s identity before Liz was born and was already living as Red when he met Katarina and fathered Liz. As far as Blacklist theories go, it’s honestly one of the least messy I’ve come across.
10
He’s Actually Liz’s Uncle On Her Mother’s Side
Because The Blacklist can sometimes be extra dramatic, there’s another Season 6 theory that Red is Liz’s maternal uncle. This would mean he still has a connection to both Liz and Katarina, but in a different way.
11
Jennifer Is The Real Impostor
Jennifer helped Liz make the decision to turn in Red when Liz wasn't sure yet what she wanted to do with the information of his identity. As one fan theorized on Twitter, Jennifer could be the impostor and not Red, giving her a lot to lose if he isn't locked up or given the death penalty soon. I’m not sure who Jennifer really is, then, but it would definitely give the writers more to work with for the end of Season 6 and into Season 7.
It might be too early to start coming up with theories for The Blacklist Season 6, especially since it only just started. There’s still a lot to get through before more about Red and the potential real Reddington is revealed, but The Blacklist is one of those shows that always leaves you wanting more and asking more questions at the end of each episode. If all we have are theories to get through the time between new episodes, then so be it.
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