The Blacklist is preparing to return for Season 7! Expect lots of action, adventure, secrets, and subterfuge! The crime drama has had viewers on the edge of their seats ever since signing off with one of its signature jaw-dropping cliffhangers. Just when Liz thought her life was coming back together, there are even more mysteries for her to solve.
Her mom is back and with a vengeance that could lead Red and Katarina into becoming mortal enemies. He is being held captive by Katarina and teasers for Season 7 show Liz, Dembe, and the Task Force working together to save him. If anyone can, it is them! There is more than one mystery heading into The Blacklist’s next season, though.
These are the ones that directly affect Liz, and she therefore needs to solve!
1. Why Is Katarina Holding Red Hostage?
This is the question that Liz will undoubtedly on her mind when The Blacklist Season 7 gets underway. Liz already knows that her mother is alive, so that will not come as a major shock to her. What her mother has been doing with her freedom will.
Liz is going to be on the receiving end of the surprising news that Katarina is responsible for her father figure’s kidnapping. The larger looming question is why she has taken Red at all? Footage from Season 7 has already revealed that Katarina is in search of some knowledge from Red.
It is not to find out where Liz is. A quick Google search or private investigator could quickly uncover that info. Whatever it is, I really hope that The Blacklist does not let Red go free before viewers find out what Katarina wants. Liz will definitely have questions and so will fans! She deserves a few concrete answers!
2. What Did Red Whisper To Constantine Rostov?
Okay, so this is a bit of a throwback mystery. However, everything that has happened in the past on The Blacklist matters, so this certainly plays into things. There is a reason this one is so prominent now. It echoes with a lot of similarities to the Red/Katarina kidnapping.
Long before Katarina took Red, her estranged husband, Constantine Rostov, did. He also drugged Red and tortured him, wanting Red to confess whether he was Liz’s father. Red did admit that Liz was his daughter.
Before the whole ordeal ended, Constantine went over to kill Red. That is when Red whispered something The Blacklist did not share with the audience. Whatever it was, Constantine did not go through with killing Red. He left and has not been seen again. What did Red tell him, and why did it change Constantine’s mind? I am ready for Liz to find out.
*3. How Did Liz Really Come To Live With Sam? *
The Blacklist has periodically provided answers about Liz’s childhood. Solutions on the show do not always mean what you think they do, though. Heading into Season 7, one question remains somewhat open to interpretation: how Liz ended up being raised by her adopted father, Sam.
Red killed a dying Sam way back in Season 1. The latter knew that Red was not the real Raymond Reddington. In Season 2, Red told Liz that the story Sam would tell involved an old friend leaving Liz with Sam.
Red said the friend told Sam “he was leaving town” and that he was in danger. He asked Sam to take care of Liz because her father had died. In a flashback episode, this is seemingly contradicted when The Blacklist reveals that Kate Kaplan was the one who dropped off Liz. Two versions, but which one is the truth? Or are they the same story with Red switching things up a bit?
4. Why Is Red's Version Of Katarina So Different From Reality?
Red’s intimate knowledge of Katarina is pretty legendary. On The Blacklist, there have mainly been around three versions of Katarina. The one that viewers have seen in flashbacks, the version Red has told Liz, and the narrative Liz has come to know through the world.
As of Season 7, The Blacklist is changing everything. According to series creator Jon Bokenkamp, Katarina is the “most formidable big bad” the show has ever had! Liz and viewers are in for a rude awakening about Katarina Rostova. She does not seem to be who Red has claimed, which tends to trend towards the misunderstood anti-heroine arc.
Trusting Red is apparently not the best move. However, he has been the most reliable narrator to date, with the exception of his being an imposter. Could Red really be this wrong about Katarina Rostova? If so, why has his version turned out to be so different from reality? Liz will need to figure that out.
5. Who Is The Stranger?
Did you think I was going to say she needs to find out who Red really is? She does but solving this mystery may help. Heading into Season 7 it would seem the more pressing question does not surround Red’s identity. It centers on who the so-called “Stranger” really is.
He was introduced in last season’s finale and quickly sparked speculation. If she can figure out The Stranger's identity, she'll have solved a massive piece of the puzzle that is Red’s true identity. Some fans believe he is the real Ilya Koslov. If he is Ilya, then who does that make Red?
Having speculated about that, it would seem the two are connected. Red could still be Ilya. Nevertheless, solving the nameless man’s identity may solve Red’s. The mystery man will be back this season and with answers. Is he willing to shine a light on the secrets Red insists stay buried? Liz will hopefully get into it.
6. Is Liz's Mother Evil?
The Blacklist has a spectacular skill for making the audience look one way when they should be looking towards another. For multiple seasons, it has provided a softened narrative lens to view Katarina. That all went out of the window when viewers saw her drug and kidnap Red. On the surface, it seems cut and dry.
Katarina kidnapping Red makes her a big bad. Or does it? Red has kept his share of secrets, and viewers do not know half of them. Many fans still have faith in him. Katarina clearly has her reasons for kidnapping him. Does her motive make her good or bad?
This sort of goes back to the #4 mystery on this list. There is no clear cut answer as to who the real Katarina is. In its seventh season, The Blacklist is finally ready to pull the curtain back and give viewers a peek. Liz will need to investigate to learn the truth once and for all.
Will Liz discovering her mom’s true self be the equivalent of Luke Skywalker finding out his dad is Darth Vader in Star Wars? Or will it be more along the lines of Jon Snow learning who his biological father is on Game of Thrones? An entire season of The Blacklist awaits fans with the answer!
There are a lot of mysteries left for Liz to delve into. The promise of potentially having fewer secrets has opened the door to a lot of moments that are hopefully around the corner. Aram will get caught up on all of the crazy twists in the Season 7 premiere, per an exclusive clip. Soon it will be time to see all the action get started!
Tune in to see what mysteries Liz solves when The Blacklist returns this fall. Season 7 premieres Friday, October 4, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. You can catch up on what Liz has previously uncovered via the previous seasons streaming on Netflix, along with lots of new content.
