The Blacklist is finally almost back for Season 6, and series creator Jon Bokenkamp is teasing the big advantage Liz will have over Red. Following the huge shift that Season 5 set up for Liz and Red's relationship, Liz is planning to use that twist to her advantage. Bokenkamp teased:
For the first time in the series, she knows something that he doesn't know. She knows that Reddington is an impostor, and he isn't aware of that. And so we now get to have this new dynamic where Liz is working the case presenting to Reddington as if she is his daughter, and in fact she knows far more than she's letting on. She's using that sort of cover as a way to figure out who he really is.
It sounds as though Liz will be using the characters' faux father/daughter dynamic to her advantage, so Season 6 is gearing up to be another fun installment of the NBC crime drama! Liz has kept Red in the dark before, of course, and she proved she was pretty good at it. Based on what Jon Bokenkamp told TV Guide, though, Liz is in a singularly unique position this time around.
Liz knows Red's secret, and he has no idea that she's in on it. Having previously proven how effective it is to use Red's feelings for Liz against him, she is set to do just such a thing again. It is presumably all paving the way for a different dynamic to form between Liz and Red on The Blacklist. Jon Bokenkamp teased what this new direction means for Liz as a character, saying:
It really gives Megan and James some really interesting scenes to play and shifts the dynamic into territory that we haven't been in before, and with her in the driver's seat. For fans who like the sort of proactive nature that she took at the end of last season, you're going to see more of that. And I think it makes for a stronger, smarter, more interesting Elizabeth Keen and for a really unique dynamic between her and Reddington.
Liz has seemingly learned all the tricks of Red's trade, and now she is armed to use them against him, which could easily make her one of Red's most dangerous foes. The Blacklist has been leading fans to this moment for a while now, and it sounds like it will have been worth the wait, assuming Liz retains control.
Before learning the jaw-dropping truth about Red, viewers witnessed a seismically changed Liz in Season 5's ninth episode. "Ruin" was arguably the rebirth of Liz as a character far removed from the woman that The Blacklist viewers met back in the pilot. And while fans have been watching Liz evolve, they have also seen Red's history get uncovered.
In other words, Liz has changed, while Red has remained the same. Viewers have learned more about the enigmatic criminal mastermind as the series has progressed, all of which has left his original personality basically untouched. Speaking of which, Jon Bokenkamp wants fans to fully realize that it still be the same ol' Red heading into Season 6. Bokenkamp shared:
That's something that I hope the audience understands is that Spader, this impostor, this person who has taken the identity of Reddington, has probably lived as Reddington longer than Reddington ever did, and was far more interesting, and far more dangerous, and far more funny, and is the guy that we want to watch.
The real Red was apparently not a guy anyone could have done a multi-season series about. Hopefully, The Blacklist will eventually give fans a chance to see the original and the imposter square off in flashbacks.
One question at the top of the list of mysteries is how on earth Imposter Red has the same face, build, etc., as the original. Are they identical twin brothers? Is it beyond-progressive plastic surgery? Or is the imposter wearing a Mission: Impossible-style mask?
Season 5 introduced the master of disguise Blacklister, which opened the door to that latter possibility. Imposter Red does not seem like a guy who would want to wear a mask 24/7. Given his love of hats, that would be a lot to have to wear on his head every day.
The good news is that it does not sound as though the Red character that The Blacklist fans have gotten familiar with will change anytime soon, since it will primarily be viewers' perspective of him that gets turned around. The truth about Red is set to be a spellbinding mystery, and Liz is clearly red-y to solve it.
The Blacklist kicks off Season 6 with a two-night premiere. The two-part Season 6 premiere will start tomorrow, Thursday, January 3 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, and will conclude the following night on Friday, January 4 at 9 p.m. ET. The Blacklist will continue airing in the latter time slot alongside other great shows in the midseason.
