#TBLTheory

[kiss-my-freckle]

My Anti-Imposter theory. 

I’m not gonna go huge with it right now, but this is a start. I'm going to begin with Requiem, since that's where my little snark-fest begins in my Anti-Imposter theory.

THE HOUSE

The fire, shown on the news as Kate sits in the motel room.  A huge deal for that area since it's shown on the news. Two months after the fire, and Katarina supposedly commits suicide because she believed that the love of her life died in the fire. If the real Raymond Reddington, a highly respected naval officer died in that fire, the U.S. government would know about it. Skeletal remains don't just disintegrate in house fires. Two months after the fire, a dead body in that house would've been reported by then, so Katarina didn't commit suicide because of her dead lover. If anyone decides that our Red took the time to carry out a dead body from a house engulfed in flames just to stick him in a suitcase and take over his identity, I'm going to laugh... hard.

NOTHING REQUIRED IT

I have yet to see a reason with enough merit as to why the Red we know would need to take over another man's identity just to build an empire to protect this man's daughter. It doesn't matter if the Red we know worked with the real Red or if he were a car salesman, there's not a single purpose for it. Since the real Reddington supposedly died in the fire, he was never a criminal. He’d have “disappeared” as a highly respected officer at the time of his supposed death, so at the time of his death, there was nothing to gain in taking over his identity. NOTHING BUT PUTTING LIZ MORE AT RISK.

DEM BONES, DEM BONES GONNA WALK AROUND

More recent to the disappearance of Raymond Reddington and the story our Red told Dembe about Hans.-

"Understand this was 25 years ago now. I was younger, myself. Intent on building an empire, intent on becoming the powerful criminal the world had been told I already was."

Apprently, the real Raymond Reddington died in the fire. The fire took place in 1989, and yet the real Raymond Reddington supposedly disappeared in 1990, and was framed for crimes he didn't commit upon his resurface four years later. That's aside from the fact that a body hand't been found in the house where the fire took place, so we have a set of bones able to not only pull a disappearing act, but get framed for crimes those damn bones didn't commit.

RED-SPEAK

Okay, so let me get into what Red does speak of, since that seems to be an issue. His biggest line of the pilot: "Everything about me is a lie." This statement would only hold true if he were the real Raymond Reddington, since if the real Raymond Reddington were dead, the lies about that Raymond Reddington would exist only of 1989 and before.

RED’S RESPONSES

Interesting, is Red's argument and his silence when it comes to Liz's memories and the DNA tests. Let's compare. When Liz went through her recall in Luther Braxton, she states, "What I remember is leaving my father dying on the floor of a burning house. There’s no way he could have survived that." Red's want for her to know the truth began to argue this memory of hers. "Lizzy, the memories of a four-year-old are unreliable." In Connolly's episode, Liz made this statement: "And I know why my father died that night. I shot him." Not a single argument, confirmation, or denial from Red. Onto the DNA reports. When it came to Kirk's, Red said, "Honestly, Elizabeth, it astounds me that you could be hornswoggled by something as simple to fabricate as a DNA profile." When it came to Red's DNA report, not a single argument.

Berlin: "Words, words. The greater the words, the larger the lie." This is Red in a nutshell. He lies without lying through his words. And yeah, he uses some of the greatest. (RED-SPEAK) MEMORIES

So what does Red say exactly? Red often speaks for everyone else according to their stories, their points-of-view, their memories. For Sam, it was the way he told the story. Red could've said that her mother was singing show tunes that night and it wouldn't have mattered, since that's the way Sam told the story. To Liz's memory, it would speak to the truth of what Liz herself remembers of that night, not what the actual truth is. So I take this back to Madeline Pratt's episode.-

Ahead: “When the Americans found me, they took the statue as a trophy. They let me go, but my father – I never saw him again. For me, that was the day he died.”

In Liz's memory, she shot her father- then ran back to the closet. If she shot her father and never saw him after that night, then for her, that would be the night he died. That would be the night she shot and "killed" her father.... according to her memory. She wasn't there to see him stand up, to see that he'd survived, so that's the truth in reference to her own memory.

And I'll get to this conversation again-

Liz: “The only memory I have of my real father is from the night of the fire. I remember him pulling me out of the flames saving me.” Red: “Yes.”

Dead people cannot save living ones. If Liz had shot and killed her father, then she shot and killed her father prior to the fire, since the fire didn't start until after the shooting. In fact, she was still in the closet when the fire started. So I'm supposed to believe her father died from a gunshot, came back to life long enough to save her- only to die again? DEM BONES. Okie....

Red never said that he was killed. In fact, he said quite the opposite.-

"What are they gonna do to me that hasn’t been done before? Kill me? None of it is worse than losing you."

His speak of Marrakesh.-

"I died once in Marrakesh Two and a half minutes. You wouldn’t believe what I saw on the other side."

"Dying isn’t so bad. I did it once in Marrakesh."

He doesn't speak of being killed here. He speaks of dying. Being killed and dying are two different things.

ONE DAUGHTER, STILL LIVING

Red told Zoe that he has a daughter. One, and she's living. Red doesn't know if she likes anchovies because Sam raised her and Sam is dead, so the only way for him to know that, is for him to ask her himself. Jennifer isn’t his daughter. 

RED'S KILLS

Red doesn’t kill everyone who learns the truth or is a danger of revealing that truth. Red kills anyone who poses an immediate threat to her safety. Red's statement to Liz where his killings are concerned:  "I believe I will always do whatever I feel I have to do to keep you alive." The identity of her father, something to which he claimed would put her in grave danger. This was stated in the season one finale. Sam Milhoan was the only person who was murdered because of that truth. Newton Phillips was killed because he was in with the Cabal. His betrayal not only led to the death of Luli, but led to Garrick putting a gun to Liz's head. Before Red actually killed him, Garrick made a straight out threat that he could find Liz and kill her. Diane Fowler, like Newton Phillips. The Director not only framed Liz, but almost had her killed. Not only because of Cain’s bounty website, but due to the acts of his partner, Mr. Solomon. Wujing's tech was about to out her as an agent, which would've gotten her killed by Wujing himself within seconds. Luther Braxton not only kidnapped her, but had her waterboarded, then put her through a memory recall, forcing her to relive a traumatic childhood event. Kate Kaplan put Liz in danger by faking her death. That led to Liz and Agnes getting kidnapped by Kirk, and Agnes being held on the ledge of a rooftop.

LYING WITHOUT LYING

Before last night's episode, Red could say anything he wanted about her biological father and it not be a lie, since Liz didn't know her real father's identity. Why? Because he's her biological father and he had that right. So if Red said Sam will always be her father, Sam will always be her father. Although I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if his way of answering changes at the start of next season, since now that Liz knows he's her father, he'll have a hard time lying without lying. He actually has to answer according to truth and in her knowing that truth. Most of his lying without lying at this point- will be about her mother, and that will last until Liz finds out the truth.

TWEETS   Mozhan Marnò's "I have never lied to you" is a lie. I really love the tweets about how many times it was repeated on screen. One tweet actually stating 50 times. If that the case, then it was answered the total opposite 50 times, since Red only admitted to her father having died in the fire like three times max, and had denied being her father once. Four times mentioned, not 50. What is spoken of 50 times, are the countless daddygate and daughtergate pieces of dialogue. I also love the tweet about Red not being her dad since Red said so and he doesn't lie. If Red said so, then it is what it is... because he's the biological father. Red's ten-second pause when answering Liz's question if he's her father... a pause because he is- but he isn't. Same with Kirk's torture scene. Red's not her father, but Liz is his daughter. It has nothing to do with him being a different man. If he weren't the real Reddington, she would not be his real daughter, therefore his statement of Liz being his daughter would be a lie. Let me just put this up here and translate.-

"He believes to be true and thus are true." "The truth so far as he knows." Red speaks with great certainty that her father died in the fire, so this has nothing to do with believing, but knowing for himself. You know what kind of father can speak to having died but not actually died? The biological father. If Red truly doesn’t feel he’s her father, then he’s not her father- since his feeling that, is his “believing” that. If he considers himself dead, he believes that for himself, and that belief is enough. 

INTRODUCTIONS ARE IMPORTANT

Unless you wanna get shot. You know why Red is always introducing himself to criminals when he enters a room? Because criminals pack guns. Because his name is a basic statement as to him having reason to be there. When Red walks in to see Hector Lorca, stating his name allows him a walk through the door without guns pointed at him. It's respect. I can't imagine Red wanting guns pointed at him in every room he enters when he has business everywhere. Typically, when someone knocks at my door, I ask who it is before I let them in. 

HIS TRUTH

Kate is the only person who's never told Red straight out that he needs to tell Liz the truth. Carla, Sam, and Dembe have. You know why they're telling him to tell her the truth rather than telling her themselves? Because it's his truth to tell. Just as Red said of Sam. "It wasn't his choice to make." It's Red's because it's his truth to tell. Because he's the biological father. And yeah, I wouldn't be suprised if Red goes off on Cooper for this DNA test. “That wasn't his choice to make.”

PEOPLE WHO KNOW HIM Dembe knows what Red did to Katarina. So much, that he doesn't believe Liz will ever be ready to know what Red did to her mother. If he knows that much, then he knows Red is the real Red. Kate made the statement, "I don't know you." A broad statement, since I don't know everyone that I've actually met. This doesn't speak to not having met Red. In fact, Liz said this very thing to Tom in season two, and she was married to him. Richard Abraham, Carla, and Sam all recognize him by voice rather than face. That's why when Red goes in to see Sam, he's not scared, he's confused as to who this man is coming to visit. Why Naomi looks at him as if a stranger until he speaks. Why Abraham doesn't say anything until his mouth opens. It's all about the voice. Diane Fowler knew about Red's family. If she knew about his family, then she knew exactly who she was speaking to. Nothing happened in 1990 that made our Red disappear. It was pre-planned. And since the fire happened in 1989, Red had been healing from those burns for a year before he disappeared. Dom, who treats Red like a son-in-law and knows him well enough to know how he likes his eggs. I'm pretty sure Red spent time there long before he became the criminal, since he's speaking of the man that made choices that got his daughter killed. Red's own hallucinations referring to him as Raymond even after he came down from his opium high. Sorry, but opium highs don't last that long. If they did, more people would be using opium. WHAT RED LOOKS LIKE

If Raymond Reddington were in the Naval Academy and a U.S. Counterintelligence officer, the U.S would know exactly what he looked like and there'd be pictures all over the place. Graduation pictures. Pictures with his team. My family members have quite a few.  And I suppose when Red first disappeared in 1990, his family didn't offer up a photo for them to put out a missing person? Sure... okay. Dr. Maltz, speaking to the right side of Red's face and its elasticity, the side that would've been affected by the fire since he was face down in it.

Stated in the pilot: Prints match. Tattoos. These are things reported in his file. For our Red to be a fake Red, he'd need to have these tattoos, since if he weren't the real Reddington, then they at least knew the real Reddington had tattoos. So he's got everything on file BUT his DNA. How fun. You know what that tells me? He wants to keep his real identity, but if one were to come along and get into his files, they couldn't do a DNA test to confirm he's Liz's father. And why wouldn't he want that? Her safety, of course. But let's go back to Carla, who asked Red how he "pulled off" working with Liz. This is a woman who'd have no idea they had his DNA in evidence for 30 years. So yes, she wondered how he could do it without getting caught, since "pulling it off" speaks to a level of difficulty. Not someone who's a mere love interest, that's for sure. And if Red didn't want anyone to know of their relationship, that he's her father, then the last thing he'd do is take on the identity of her damn father to begin with, since that alone would put her at risk. Carla didn't admit to being married to Red, but she also didn't admit to being married to the real Reddington either. In fact, she spoke of Carla in third person, as if she's not the real Carla Reddington. I wonder... why Red would refer to his ex-wife as an estranged sister rather than an old, distant friend.

I could literally go on with this shit for days, but I'm not gonna bother. I knew since the pilot, it was confirmed for me in 1x8, and I needn't any proof since then. 

[kiss-my-freckle]

Red’s face & head

I believe that, in order for Red to go home, he has to complete a mission. A mission I believe he’s partly been forced into doing, and one in which I think he’s being controlled by a person or agency. I don’t know how, but it’s through the left (or right) side of his face. I was thinking about a post I did regarding Red’s head. He mentioned it in his Christmas Eve story in Pratt’s episode. At the ballet performance, he kicks back the right side of his head in a way I find odd. His whispering to Kirk in an empty parking lot. Even when he’s in the middle of the woods with Kate, not able to speak of his connection to Liz. Having to add to his admission that: “Yes. Elizabeth is my daughter” but also “Is that what you want me to say?” I saw a recent post from tessa pointing things out from scene, and I thought to add to that. So, here’s what I have. I have images tessa posted on hers that I feel like adding my own images to. 

The right side of Red’s face. 

Notice the very dark circle around his right eye. Notice the sadness in his eyes.

Notice the man behind him, holding a gun. Is it the same man on the ship?

Notice the right side of his face again. And the eye is red, as if something was done to it. 

Dr. Maltz, talking about the elasticity on the right side of his face. 

Notice something white by his face.

Whispering on the right side of his face. 

Same with Manny. Right side of his face is scarred.

Show of the left side profile. 

Shadowed on the right. 

[kiss-my-freckle]

Kirk-Constantin

Part 1 of 3.

I don't believe Red is an imposter and I certainly don't believe he's Katarina. I have many reasons for both. I believe the lies lie in the Kirk & Constantin identities. This is my Kirk-Constantin Identity List. I'll include points about "The American" while I'm at it.

2x20-

I don't believe it a coincidence that Tom enters a bathroom to ask a Russian questions about Katarina Rostova while using Constantin as an alias and tying that alias to Berlin.

Tom: Did the same thing last month. It’s probably why you don’t recognize me. Constantin. Berlin, man, he’s tough. I had to get away for a while, go to Germany, figure a few things out.

3x21-

Alexander Kirk is the only name we hear in season three until the finale. This Alexander Kirk identity is used by everyone involved. Tom claims not to know him. Red introduces him to the task force as Alexander Kirk.

Red: Alexander Kirk is the alias of an oligarch who made a fortune after the fall of the Soviet Union buying mining operations for pennies on the dollar. In 2002, he went into hiding after falling out of favor with the Kremlin. He owes his survival to some of the world’s most powerful politicians whose careers he secretly bankrolls. But Alexander Kirk is the man responsible for Elizabeth’s death. He hired Susan Hargrave to abduct her, which is why we need to work with Hargrave to find him.

Kirk: Do you know what I’m thinking, Raymond? That house by the water, holding a gun in your mouth… I should have pulled the trigger. So, you have my money and my senator. You don’t have me.

3x23-

To Kate, Red refers to him as Alexander Kirk, and her response is that of fear because she believes as Red does. They're in grave danger.

Kaplan: I won’t tell you where they are. Red: You don’t understand, Kate. I know where they are, and so does Alexander Kirk. Kaplan: Kirk? Red: He was tracking Tom. He knows they’re in Cuba. He’s flying there as we speak. Kaplan: No. Red: I need an address. I know you had her best interests at heart, that you were trying to protect her, but now, because of you, Agnes is in grave danger. Kaplan: Not just Agnes.

Alexander Kirk's words to Liz-

Kirk: Hello, Masha. I’ve been imagining this moment for the last 25 years. Liz: Who are you? Kirk: Alexander Kirk. That wasn’t always so. Once, a long time ago… my name was Constantin Rostov. Masha, I’m your father.

When we get to season 4, that identity switches back and forth between the two, though Constantin is rarely mentioned, it's Kirk they refer to most. These are the only scenes they refer to him as Constantin-

4x1-

Kirk: Hello, Raymond. Red: Elizabeth, are you okay? Kirk: Of course she is. Unlike you, I would never hurt my own daughter. Red: Elizabeth? Elizabeth. Liz: I’m on your left. Red: Constantin. What do you want? Name it. You bring her out unharmed, you’ll have it.

Then Red introduces him to the task force as Constantin. We don't get to see Tom's or Kate's reaction to this identity.

Red: We have two targets– Elizabeth Keen and Agnes Keen– traveling separate paths to an unknown location. Constantin Rostov, also know as Alexander Kirk, fled with Elizabeth in a private seaplane that departed from Playa Larga…

4x3-

Katarina writes in her journal using "Constantin."

Katarina's Journal: "Seeing Masha with Constantin makes me think of my own father. I wonder what he would say now about the choices I’ve made. Look at me– in love with the man I was sent to seduce and betray. An American. Raymond wants me to run, take Masha and disappear with him, but how could I do that to her? She’s my entire life. She’s everything."

Red: Well done, Constantin. Kirk: I was about to say the same to you, Raymond. So close and yet so far. Still as tenacious as ever.

Katarina's Journal: "Today, the doctor confirmed our worst fears. Constantin is going to need blood transfusions to raise his blood count. He’s known his whole life this day might come, but still it’s– it’s terrifying. The only blessing is that this accursed disease that has afflicted his family for generations is passed from father to son and that Masha is safe. Masha."

4x6-

Red: This is madness, Constantin. Because you cannot have that child, you’re gonna take her forever from her mother? It’s madness. Constantin, this needs to end now.

4x8-

Red: Constantin. Kirk: She’s not my daughter. Red: No, she’s not. Kirk: And yet, she’s here.

Kirk: I don’t really know how we got here, Raymond. I remember being an honest businessman in a happy marriage until you came along. Red: Constantin, I can save your life.

4x17-

Not a single mention of Constantin in 17. Every reference is Alexander Kirk, and he's only mentioned twice.

Kate: Are you hurt? Katarina: I’m fine. Alexander will be home soon. He can’t see this.

Katarina: What you saw, it’s more than Alexander or anyone knows about me, except the people I work for.

The American. Because Kirk is also a blonde, I understand why Kate would ask if Masha was kidnapped by The American. But I do find it interesting for Katarina to refer to him as Alexander, yet Masha as Masha. That makes no sense. Katarina accidentally slips and speaks Raymond's name during the abduction scene. Kate asked her if she gave his name to the police. Katarina's response was all I needed, it speaks to exactly what Red's been saying all along.-

Kate: Did you give the police his name? Katarina: Never. It’d put Masha in danger– even more danger.

Liz: The only memory I have of my real father is from the night of the fire. I remember him pulling me out of the flames saving me. Red: Yes. And knowing his identity would put you in grave danger.

Katarina mentions Red's name again.-

Kate: You need to come back for your daughter. It’s been over a week. Katarina: I can’t. The KGB uncovered my affair with Raymond, which means US Intelligence knows as well. Both sides are tracking me down. I have to leave the country.

Kate mentions Red to Sam.-

Kate: She told me that you are the only person who knew both her and Raymond, the only one they both trusted.

[kiss-my-freckle]

So yeah... the tap in Cooper’s office. Funny how “the farm” doesn’t contact Odette while Red talks about an immunity deal for Le Bron in the War Room. They wait until Cooper calls Panabaker for it. And while listening to Cooper’s phone call to Panabaker, they get the details for Le Bron’s transport. 

[kiss-my-freckle]

The drowned out voices. The bits of dialogue they actually distorted in scene. I’m not sure what to make of her eyes in the second, other than she didn’t feel what she felt in the first. I believe Cooper’s words are a repeat of what was said to Katarina on the night of the fire just as Liz shot whoever it was she shot that night. There’s a bit of music playing as Red comes into the church. It’s not the organist, it actually sounds like the very end of the song that was playing during the fire recall in Braxton’s episode. The Russian song. The very words distorted, which I believe was at the moment Red went into her bedroom to save her from the fire. 

[kiss-my-freckle]

Fire Recall Timeline

I wanted to do a quick timeline of the fire recall, and it ended up being longer than I thought it would. I didn’t do anything before the fire, just from the moment she was pulled from the closet. I’m basically throwing a scene by scene timeline in here, and adding in the past and present as I believe the present is speaking of the past. The surroundings of her fire recall, the people who enter it, and the way I believe these surroundings have played into the fire itself. 

I’ve viewed this recall more times than I care to admit. My opinion, is that it’s all consistent to be one single event occurring on one night rather than several-minus that tangent memory of the Christmas tree lot. I haven’t felt firm about my opinions on that tangent memory, so I’m pretty much waiting it out for that bit to be revealed on-screen. 

I can say that there’s an adult hopping around in a rabbit suit, appearing to play hide-and-seek between the Christmas trees. After the tangent memory, I can see that rabbit costume outside the closet door when she returns to hide. 

A “keep reading" so people who get tired of my daddygate posts don't have to view it. I resized my images to make this shorter. If you’d like the images in their original size, let me know and I’ll make sure you get them. 

Includes a quick new theory about the three men at the end of the recall. 

Before I go into my scene-by-scene timeline, I wanted to mention something Liz said to young Masha:

”Lizzy? Can you hear me?”

and Red said to Liz during her recall:

"Can you see it? Can you hear me, Lizzy? Where is the Fulcrum, Lizzy? Where is it, Lizzy? Can you see it?" 

I believe these things were said to her during the night of the fire. The “Can you hear me?” as if someone is speaking to her through the closet door.

[Additional note: Young Masha = Liz's subconscious]

Fire Timeline:

1. Young Masha is pulled from the closet first. I believe by a man. Then Liz is pulled from the closet. I'm not sure if by man or woman, but I believe she's led by a woman down the hallway.

2. Samar enters current day location and goes down the staircase on the left. I believe both Liz (in her recall) and this woman took the left staircase to reach the downstairs portion of the house. Ressler enters their loaction at the same time as Samar and goes down the staircase on the right. I believe the man that Liz shot (Kirk) took the right staircase to reach the downstairs portion of the house. As both Samar and Ressler entered, Red is shown holding the back of Liz's shoulders, as if carrying her or possibly guiding her. I believe he was helping her out of the flames at this point.

3. Liz then places her hand on top of Red's.

4. Something happens in this next scene. There's some kind of confusion going on. I took this quick scene out and will view it closer when I finish this post. If I see anything in it worth noting, I'll add it in here later.

5. After that scene, more than one person is shown surrounding her, and she's on the floor because you can see boots walking around her... and there are more than one pair.

6. She's then standing up from the floor, hand holding her head. It's my belief that either someone knocked her down...whether accidental or purposeful, or part of the burning house fell and hit her head.

7. She takes a moment to look behind her, and all she sees is flames. I believe she's looking for someone specific.

8. It then shows a woman and child. I believe they're leading Liz out of the fire.

9. Then a young Masha standing with her rabbit by the doorway and Liz being led out of the fire. It's my belief that this scene is the writers way of showing you that while young Masha was left in the fire, Liz was being led out of it because she's leaving her recall in present day. So young Masha wasn't leaving at that point the night of the fire. Only Liz is, in present day. I hope that makes sense to those who read it. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

It's my belief that young Masha was being led from the flames by this woman and child, but stopped at the doorway and refused to go further. Refused because of that person she was trying to catch sight of through the flames behind her. Possibly waiting, not willing to leave without them. Because Liz is still being led out in current day and Masha stayed behind, Liz doesn't see what young Masha sees. So until I get back to Liz, everything in these next few scenes... were not seen by Liz. They are seen by Masha the night of the fire, as she refused to leave the doorway.

10. You see her doll. Then what appears to look like Christmas bulbs, but I can't be sure. You see some kind of pine tree. I'm actually starting to believe this pine tree is rather small and not their actual Christmas tree. Then the two childhood drawings. I'll leave my opinion on those out just to keep this short. Then Masha again at the doorway. I actually believe she's standing at her bedroom door... watching her stuff burn. And it's odd because she's at the doorway with her rabbit, then you see who I believe is Masha walking through the flames, carrying the rabbit with one hand. Her hand can't be seen, and I believe this is because whoever was leading her out of the fire... draped her in an adult coat, so her hand is hidden in the sleeve.

I'm going to post these positions side-by-side so you can see exactly how it appears in the recall.

11. Then it shows Liz and Red in present day. Red has his forehead next to hers. I believe he's carrying her out of the fire, and he's keeping himself that close to her face to calm and protect her. His hand is still behind her shoulders, face very close... as if he's carrying her out of the flames.

12. Now to the mighty weird part of the recall. The switch back to Liz. I will do these scenes side by side. Masha is still in her room... being carried out. Liz is on the ground floor of the house. We are now switching back to Liz. She is leaving her memory recall. Because young Masha is still upstairs in her room, what Liz is seeing now... is what Masha would've seen before refusing to leave. So Liz is basically seeing something young Masha saw prior to her being saved. An earlier moment in the fire. Again, ask if you find my explanation hard to understand and I'll try to explain a different way.

13. Liz sees the man on the floor amid the flames. This is what she sees when she screams, "Daddy, No!" No one is leaving at this point. No one is burning her at this point. She's simply seeing this man on the floor amid the flames.

14. Red is shown shushing Liz, although Liz appears to be calm in present day. This tells me he knows where she is in the fire. He's calming her. I have to wonder if she spoke out loud, "Daddy, No" in present day and we just didn't hear her.

That confusion I saw earlier. Where she's holding her head and people are surrounding her. I may have to watch these scenes side-by-side because as I've said, this is an earlier moment in the fire for young Masha. She witnessed this, but Liz is leaving her recall. So basically, I believe this scene is picking up where it left off earlier before young Masha refused to leave. So I would place this scene with scene number 4.

Once I get the rest of these scenes worked through and actually view them, I'll explain that confusion scene according to my opinion/theory in a separate post.

15. Someone is holding Liz by the hand, walking her out of the fire. She lets go of Red's hand in present day. In flashback, the man snaps his hand from hers. Immediately following, you see these three men leave. The middle man is the man I believe let go of her hand. I believe this man to be Kirk, and I believe that was the moment her wrist was scarred because as soon as he lets go... she's watching them leave, then staring at her burn.

This snap back to Liz’s hand on Red’s is just like the confusion scene I spoke of. This is a reverse cut back to scene number 3. So basically... shove this scene up there with number 3. 

I'm now questioning the other two men. At first... it appeared to me that they were helping him. If that were the case, I believe they'd have helped force young Masha from the house. I'm actually starting to believe they're forcing him to leave, and they were there to help Red and young Masha. I believe that's why he scarred her. He knew they'd go back to get her, that she'd survive the fire. I believe the tall one could be Grey, and the other... either Manny or Little Nikos. 

16. Final scenes, current day recall and the last two people in that house the night of the fire. I will show these scenes side-by-side as they're shown in recall. 

My belief is that Liz and Red in current day recall is young Masha and Red... the night of the fire... the only two left at the house. This would speak to Red having been the one who saved young Masha the night of the fire and the very person who was face down amid the flames.

As seen in order: Present day Red, Red face down amid the flames. Young Masha standing at the doorway with her rabbit, present day Liz. I believe they're literally showing you through scene cuts.

Basically, once young Masha and Liz got separated during the fire, Liz saw nothing of what young Masha saw, they were in two separate moments of the fire. Liz, at an earlier time, Masha, as she was being saved. Because of that, Liz did not see who saved her from the flames. That's why she doesn't know who her father is. She was taken out of her recall while young Masha was watching her bedroom go up in flames.

Two views of the fire. Young Masha and current day Liz. Both separated and showing different moments in the fire, and the scenes cut back and forth between the two. Thus, confusing the viewer.

I’ll get to those two clips of recall later... this took up a bit of time already. 

[kiss-my-freckle]

Aram

My full theory in progress. Editing to add as I find more. 

As I’ve written in reply to one of my Anon’s, I like to post details and theories, sit back and look at them to get a clearer view of things. The team play is too early, but I do feel it’s coming. That will more likely be our next big bad, since I can’t see Red killing Aram, nor Aram being the next big bad. I believe we’ll be seeing the blue players on the map from Devry.

Aram is now my top suspect in these attacks against Red, and he will remain my top suspect. Ressler is officially off my list. Sorry, Boyscout. Dembe is now off my list as well. It’s all about what cuts close to the bone. As I’ve said, these attacks are personal. An outside source, yet not. Red is looking in the wrong family for his traitor. 

It’s Aram. 

“Although, truth be told, we do sort of have a special relationship.”

Baldur was a misdirect. It was opportunity for him. Natalie Luca was a misdirect extorted by Stone. 

Going through my basics from a previous post. 

1. Gain access to Red’s accounts.

My theory: This is an outside source. A hacker who broke into the bank. If it were an inside job, clearly suspicion would fall on them rather quickly. Red only has 12 people assigned to his accounts.

Aram and Elise were my suspects. Aram is quite a hacker, and as we know, Red gave him access to account numbers and routing information in season one during the Meera mole hunt. By force at gunpoint, but a man like Aram will remember such information. He probably has those numbers stored in his memory. Aram fits the bill for this basic. 

Aram given access to account numbers and routing information-

Red: You’re going to do something for me. Account numbers, routing information. You’re going to steal $5 million from that account and place it into one of mine. I expect the transaction to be untraceable. Aram: What? I can’t. Red: Aram this is a Colt .45 1911. I can strip and reassemble this weapon – in well under two minutes. Aram: Mr. Reddington, please. Red: Once I have it reassembled, I’m gonna reload the mag, and if at that time, your task remains incomplete, I’m gonna empty that mag into your head. Aram: That’s really messed up. Red: Don’t look so stricken. The first shot will kill you. Aram: Wait. �� Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! … I did it. It’s done. Look. It’s untraceable, like you asked. Red: How? Explain. Aram: I used a ripple exchange to have the Fiat currency converted to e–cash and then into Bitcoin. I ran the whole transaction through a randomized cryptographic extension at the protocol level, then through a two–tiered secure laundry service I know I can trust. No one’s gonna catch you. I promise.

2. Hire Stone.

My theory: This is an outside source, since I believe and it quite obvious by dialogue that the one who broke into the bank is the one who paid Stone. It was a wire transfer, not cash.

Interesting, is Red’s turning to Aram for help in finding out who paid Stone. Oh, that veil will be pulled aside. Aram was out on assignment. 

Aram and Elise were my suspects. Considering the first basic, Aram fits this as well. Add on the additional theory points I made about Stone. Whoever hired her did so while protecting Liz. 

Collateral Damage. Red had a worry for Liz while being attacked by Isabella Stone. She was considered collateral damage, and Red was actually concerned for her safety. Stone never once attempting to attack Liz, but there’s a moment after saving Justin, you can see Liz and Stone actually share a look at each other.

My theory: Stone was hired with one stipulation: she was not to touch Liz. Possible Stone was led to believe that Liz was one of Red’s victims rather than vulnerabilities. Either way, I believe whoever hired Stone protected Liz in that process.

Stone knows who hired her. That’s how she knows Red works for the task force. Why she said, “Unless I’m mistaken, Reddington is on your most-wanted list.” Why when Ressler told her, “It seems like we both want the same things” she responded with “I can assure you, we do not.” Also why she told Ressler, “Oh, I can help you. But I’m never gonna do that.”

3. Be able to link Stratos, Smoll, Justin, and Red’s courier.

My theory: This could’ve been done by anyone who has ever worked for Reddington and/or tracked him for any purpose, whether to arrest or kill. This could’ve also been done by the hacker who broke into the bank. With access to his accounts, previous wire tranfers could’ve been listed. I believe this to be another outside source.

My suspects were Tom, Ressler, Aram, and Elise. Aram fits this basic because of his hacking skills and possible he gained access to files that may be in another database. 

4. Hire The Apothecary.

My theory: This was done by someone who spent time on the dark web, since that’s how his clients contact him.

My suspects are Elise, Aram. Aram fits this basic after what I saw in The Djinn as well as in Arioch Cain. 

Aram surfing the dark net-

Aram: Right. At the early days of the web, a virtual fantasy world  was created online to connect people of all ages from around the world. The technology was quickly obsolete, but the site was never taken down. Today, it is a hidden oasis for freaks and weirdos. No digital signatures. Tor-encrypted on the dark web. It offers anonymity for new clients to contact The Djinn. Once you locate her avatar, The Djinn invites you into a private room, where you give her your name and bank account. That’s it. You sign off. The Djinn verifies your financial resources. If she likes what she sees, she contacts you directly to set a meeting.

5. Get to his flat to poison his scotch.

My theory: Though Leonard Caul, Liz, Dembe, and Red are the only ones to have been there, I believe anyone could have discovered his flat if they had the time to search through records. In the winter finale, Red wrote it down for Baz, but given information throughout this show, every single alias of Red’s was given to the task force upon his surrender in the pilot, and that flat is leased using one of his aliases. Bill Kershaw. An alias even Tom knows.

My suspects are Liz, possibly Tom, Leonard Caul. Considering Dembe’s trust in Aram, after he sent Aram to Dom’s house to contact Red, I could see this happening. 

Additional theory points.

1. I don’t feel it a coincidence that Red gets poisoned with venom from a red-headed krait, and it wasn’t long ago, Liz referred to Red as a snake in Cooper’s office. A means to get Kirk to “reach out.”

Liz: “I’ll do my job, but I am done cozying up to that snake.”

My theory: Odette never spoke of the snake reference to Kirk. With Odette dead and The Thrushes arrested, Elise, Cooper, and Liz are the only ones to know of it. 

My suspects are Cooper, Liz, Elise. Given my recent theory, I believe I can add Aram to this, since I believe he continues to have ears in Cooper’s office. I’ll just copy and paste that bit of theory here. 

Instance one.

4x1- Panabaker: Are you a traitor or– or just a moron?

4x9- Aram: So I’m either a traitor or a moron.

[He’s "the” traitor Red is looking for]

Instance two.

4x6- Liz: I’ll do my job, but I am done cozying up to that snake.

4x15- Aram: The lab did find one distinct element in the molecular structure of the drops taken from Robert Dahle’s apartment. A peptide unique to the venom of Bungarus flaviceps, also known as the red-headed krait. Incredibly rare.

Instance three.

4x13- Red: “The woman you’ll be looking for is quite literally a character assassin. Her objective is to utterly obliterate her target by any means necessary. Scandal, public humiliation, extortion, theft, murder. She’s ruthless and will go to any length to vanquish her victim with no regard for collateral damage.”

4x9- Cooper: “You don’t want to dwell on the past, then dwell on this– the loss of her badge was a stain on Elizabeth’s name and reputation, which you are ultimately responsible for. Your presence in her life has turned it into what it is today. You’ve brought her nothing but pain, grief, and regret, which you seem utterly oblivious to, and surprisingly powerless to rectify.”

3. The task force should know already that Red took a seat with Laurel. This, by the order of events starting with The Lindquist Concern. Samar handed the data file flash drive to Cooper. This contained the list of inventors/inventions. Cooper handed it straight to Laurel. Laurel is the one who handed Red the file on Sonia Bloom, who the task force then helped track down for him by bringing in The Coroner.

My theory: Anyone who takes issue with Laurel/The Cabal now takes issue with Red. If on the right side of the law, would consider his alignment with her as a fresh act of betrayal against the U.S.

My suspects are The task force, Leonard Caul. Aram fits this basic, all things considered. He’s the one who saved Liz by performing CPR when she collapsed in the box. The one who Red took to that open grave and gave that speech to. The fundamental elements in our lives. 

5. The purposeful set-up of Dembe if it isn’t Dembe who actually poisoned Red.

My theory: Done either to further alienate Red, to attack Dembe all the same, or both.

Looking at Aram and his love for magic. He actually spoke of it while standing next to Dembe, trying to high-five him. Again, Dembe having sent Aram to Dom’s to speak to Red, I could see this. And let’s not forget, Ressler doesn’t like magicians. Or bikes. 

6. Method of their attempt to kill being poison. The Deer Hunter. 

Red: This brute they call The Deer Hunter isn’t a buck at all, but instead a delicate doe. Liz: A woman? I disagree with you. Red: Okay. But your killer attacks from a distance, indicating the predator’s smaller, perhaps unable to overpower their prey. Men tend to kill in close proximity – strangulation, blunt instrument, a knife. By contrast, women tend to favor weapons that can be used from further away – poison, a gun, a crossbow. Liz: Richard Kuklinski was 6’5″, 300 pounds, and one of his favorite weapons of choice was cyanide. Red: Yes, but male serial killers are predominantly, overwhelmingly sexually sadistic. In this case, there is not the slightest indication of a sexual motive.

Aram is your distance killer. He’s the one who fears both Red and Dembe. Ressler does not. 

7. Add in his stopping Ressler from disarming a bomb just to apologize to Samar for calling her a bitch. His relationships with women, spoken about with Panabaker after Elise’s hack attack. Also add in the religious aspect of the winter finale and his fruit basket. The feast of first fruits. His hacking into Ressler’s laptop to change his report to get Samar her job back. His shared love for Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet. Macbeth.

To sum this up for now... I spoke of this being someone able to move around without suspicion. This would be Aram, since he’s the most trusted. He’s the one everyone turns to. Liz and the fulcrum. Red tracing Caul’s phone call. Liz having Aram track down Carla. Helping Red to search for Zoe. Cooper sleeping in his office. Red turning to Aram in order to find out who paid Stone. Despite his inability to keep a secret, they still trust Aram. “Let’s keep this between you and me.” He’s innocence. Be wary of the shy, silent type. Especially if he overhears you being blamed for everything, and the people he cares about are involved. Like Liz faking her death to get away from him. Even more, be careful of the master hacker. And as Red has been doing, but teaching every member of that task force his own tricks. 

“Oh, that is so cool. Sleight of hand. I love magic.”

As I’ve said, I’ll edit to add as I find more. 

[kiss-my-freckle]

My basic theory: Carla Reddington is Red's sister Part I: Comparisons to Liz

"That’s why we’re sitting here today. Because of Keen. I know you care for her as much as you care for your wife."

A bit of dialogue from Berlin that I feel was rather purposeful. Daughtergate is current canon. This isn't a romantic love story, it's a familial one. That in mind, this dialogue changes the comparison. What you have to do is reverse it- “Red cares for Carla as much as he cares for his daughter.”

Rather difficult, since Red loves all women. He's had an affair with at least two married women: Katarina and Vlad's wife, Fadila. His past relationships include Madeline Pratt and Josephine Molire. Red also spoke of going through marital therapy:

"I’m actually a great proponent of marital therapy. Worked for me. Then again, I had sort of a thing for the therapist. Lovely voice."

He went through marital therapy, yet spoke of the therapist's lovely voice. That's not someone who's focus is on his marriage. In considering who Red would care for as much as he cares for his own daughter, the only relationship I'd consider, is a familial one. So again, I refer to the scene between Red and Frank, where he said, “... after all these years, your wife has become more like an estranged sister to me.“ 

Notice Frank’s response because that looks like his WTF face. Which is exactly what I’d say. A man referring to a woman he bedded as being his own sister.... is gross. I don’t care how much you love someone, or how close you feel... that’s not a healthy reference to make. 

[kiss-my-freckle]

Agnes

Life or death.

I’m considering the implications in dialogue. Interesting to say the least, since I can’t imagine how it would play out if either happened. But here goes. 

Red gave Liz that warning before the wedding-

“You were wrong about him once. What makes you so sure you’re not wrong this time? Do you really want your child to pay the price for that mistake for the rest of his or her life?”

This warning leads to the possibility of Agnes dealing with special needs for the rest of her life, from Lady Ambrosia episode. 

Tom gave this line of dialogue to Vasily while getting Kirk’s SVR file-

“I’m a dad. Alexander Kirk took my little girl. And I’ll do anything to get her back. So, if you pick up your hand and that is your intel on Kirk, then on the life of my daughter, you have my word that my intel on you will be destroyed.”

This is “on the life.”

Interesting to note, is the man’s name. Vasily. It should sound familiar. We had a Vasilia in Lady Ambrosia. I don’t believe that’s a coincidence. It’s the same as Rostov and Rostova, male and female form. 

So this is where I currently stand on the matter of Agnes’s well being and Kirk having taken her stem cells, which could very well also explain what Red and Vasilia were talking about in Lady Ambrosia, with Nikolai. Maybe a similar play to Tom’s story with Agnes-

Vasilia: “I never blamed him for what happened. He blamed himself.”

So we have one speaking of Agnes paying for that mistake for the rest of her life, and Tom staking her life on the SVR file. Not a coincidence. Now, here come the implications of the dialogue and how what happens could depend on who the biological father is. 

Tom. If he’s not the biological father, he is not her father. Not even her stepfather, considering he and Liz never got married. With Tom not being the biological father or the stepfather, I believe Agnes will end up with special needs. If Tom is the biological father or considered the stepfather, I believe they could very well kill off Agnes. 

It’s all dependent on whether or not she’s Tom’s daughter or Ressler’s, since Tom is the one who placed the life of “his” daughter on Kirk’s file. That said, if Agnes isn’t “his” daughter, then he better hope he has all boys when he settles down to have children. Not sure if that will follow through... just keeping that in mind, since I think Kirk is his biological father. 

Yes, I’m taking it all down to the dialogue. I believe this is where Tom’s regret will come. The regret spoken of on the jet when Red said it requires age or wisdom. It will be the regret that leads him to the spinoff, in search of his own answers. His regret will be similar to Red’s with Liz. His having put Agnes in danger.

Consider me crazy, I’m just playing along with an entire season worth of dialogue, scenes, and my own interpretation. 

Now I’m off to consider the possibiilty of this being the “grave danger” and “regret” Red is facing with Liz, perhaps maybe why he no longer considers himself her father. Though I believe that’s mostly for Sam, and the promise he made, I still have to consider it.

[kiss-my-freckle]

I might actually have a new theory coming. About Liz and ballerina girl. 

[kiss-my-freckle]

It’s safe to say, Ressler might be sitting on a little secret of his own, and we’ll be digging that up in the back half of this season.

Prediction: Ressler’s little secret is Red’s “little secret.” That Freelancer DNA report Liz threw in the trash. I think he had it all this time, but never bothered to open it because he wanted to give Liz the benefit of the doubt. I think it's buried in his desk drawer like Aram's Berdy intel was. I think that's also why the extraction doctor asked Ilya to open up the Belgrade memory like a drawer.

Skovic: There is a memory I want you to open for me - uh, like a drawer.

There's another "drawer." Ressler’s, revealing Ilya’s Reddington ruse. I think that was their reason for Ressler's scene with Luke in Hannah's episode, asking who the mother is. It parallels Tom reading the DNA report on real Red's bones at Union Station. I think that Freelancer DNA report will play opposite Tom in 5x1. And I've finally come up with a scenario that would cause him to dig up this report and actually look at it. 

Cooper: You have Reddington? Ressler: Yeah. Been through hell, but he’s okay. Better than Rostova. Aram: Katarina? Ressler: No. Dominic.

I think it’ll come up in conversation with Aram because he’s the one who caught onto the gender mistake. Once he realizes he referred to Dom using the female form, Ressler will consider that letter from Lena at the post office.

Ressler: I don’t understand. The letter was sent to a woman.

From Lena’s letter to that Freelancer DNA report. 

Red: She doesn’t have a name. She’s a ghost. Think of a name, any name, and that could be it.

Jake: Well, the box is registered to a Tracey Ivers, but that’s the guy who picked it up.

lol

[kiss-my-freckle]

Fire argument, bits out of order.

Section one:

Father: Okay, stay here sweetheart. No matter what happens, you need to stay here and not come out until I come get you. Understand?

Mother: Where is she? Father: You shouldn’t be here. You can’t… (garbled) Mother: I’m not leaving without Masha. Father: Her name is Elizabeth. Mother (calling): Masha! Father: She’s not going back with you. Mother: You can’t take her… (garbled) Mother: How could you steal her from me? Father:  I di- You wouldn’t let me see her. Mother (calling): Masha! Father: Get out... (garbled) ...Now! Mother: Get your hands off me. Mother: Did you think you could get away with it? That I wouldn’t find you? Mother: Where is she?! Father: Okay. You’re not here for her. Mother: Listen, you’re in trouble. Father: Because of you. Mother: Yes. Father: You told them. Mother: Yes, I did. I told them.

Section two (after tangent memory):

Father: Stay here. Don’t go anywhere.

Mother: It was my job. Father: It was your job? To spy on me? Mother: Yes. No, I didn’t want to. I-I tried to protect you. Father: Is that what you call it? Mother: ...(garbled) they threatened Masha. Father: That’s what I just… (garbled)

Mother: Because I love you.

Section three (after her "father" arrives):

Mother: They’ll kill you if you don’t give it back. Father: They’ll kill me if I do. Father: She’s not here. Mother: Did you really think I’d let this happen? That I wouldn’t come for her? Father: Hey! Mother: That I wouldn’t find you? Father: Get away from there. It’s not here. Man: (garbled) …is the only thing keeping me alive. Father: Who the hell are they?! Mother: Split up. Start with the basement; the attic.

Section four (after Red joins Liz and Dr. Orchard):

Mother: Take it apart comb every… (garbled) Father: It’s not here. (garbled) Father: (garbled) …not here. Father: You’re not taking her. Mother: Are you crazy?

Masha: Stop. Father: …Double… (garbled) Mother: Get away. Father: Right now! (the shooting happens)

Similarities in dialogue-

-Sections three and four have similar dialogue pertaining to Liz and the fulcrum.

"It’s not here.”--“It’s not here.”--“not here.”

I believe this section of dialogue belongs in the beginning, since the father said, “Okay. You’re not here for her.” Katarina is there for Masha, so he’s speaking to someone else... and if he’s speaking to someone else, he’s speaking of the fulcrum.

“Split up. Start with the basement; the attic. Take it apart comb every…” I believe this section belongs in the beginning as well. 

-Sections three and one have similar context pertaining to Liz. 

“Did you think you could get away with it? That I wouldn’t find you?”

“Did you really think I’d let this happen? That I wouldn’t come for her?”

This leads me to believe this dialogue belongs at the beginning.