Blacklister214 on Tumblr had a theory that I thought was interesting: 
The DNA report came back with the name Raymond Reddington on it, but that it is a fake, meaning our Red is the real Red.   The thought being that Red used someone else's DNA (and possibly fingerprints) to fake his death on paper and to cover his tracks moving forward.  It would expose Red's FBI file as being tampered with and deeper levels of corruption within the government.  Or if Garvey believed the results were legit then he would think he could expose Red as a fraud in the criminal community.  If the fingerprints were also attached to the person in the suitcase, it would also keep Red from being identified in the murder of Diane Fowler.  It could serve to cause disruption within the Task Force and make Liz question if the man in front of her was the real Raymond Reddington.  Blacklister214 also wondered if it could be tied into the night of the fire. 

I think this could be really interesting if true.  The question of why he would keep the bones could be like what Lara suggested earlier: if things were really bad and he had to run for it, he could use the body to make it look like he was actually dead and use the box with the island materials as his way out.   However, it would have to be explained how this DNA with name Raymond Reddington was sitting around in FBI files without the FBI knowing about it.  They had an imposter in season 3 and said he didn't have DNA on file.  Also, how it would have been acquired when CODIS didn't exist until after Red had disappeared.  And then there is the box with the shirt in evidence, Liz, Red himself and the DNA test done at a private lab that could easily prove it all is a fake. I don't know how it necessarily would have tied into the fire unless the person is actually someone very important.  It would still show the corruption, but I can't figure out how it would have accomplished what Kaplan wanted--to get Liz to walk away from Red.   The only way I can see that being explained is by what Jon Bokenkamp said in an interview over the summer, that Kaplan not knowing Liz would find out Red is her father would change things in regards to the suitcase.  I've been assuming it meant that it would either put Liz in danger because people would learn Red was her father or that it was because it made Tom decide to investigate it on his own rather than giving it to her, but if this scenario were true, that could also be an explanation. 

I think this scenario could also tie in with my belief that Red faked KR's death.  He could have done something similar (set up a fake KR file within the system to make it look like her DNA was on file and this body would prove she was dead).  It would accomplish the same goal.  If someone went looking too much for KR, Red could simply have the body exhumed, call in an anonymous hint and it would be identified as Katarina Rostova, putting people's suspicions to bed.  I could see this situation (in Kaplan's mind at least) resulting in Liz walking away no matter what because it ultimately goes back to Red keeping Liz from her mother, either through faking her death and keeping her hidden (or imprisoned) or by believing that he actually killed her. 

Last edited by Brittany (11/20/2017 10:25 am)

The DNA in the database would be faked.  They took the DNA (and maybe prints) from the dead person, put it into CODIS and labeled it as Raymond Reddington, according to Blacklister214.  But something like that could be done for pretty much anyone, which I think would be an interesting turn for KR to make her be alive. 

Welcome Schmegma!  I've read a similar theory elsewhere (or possibly heard it on a podcast).  

Tuxie: I have to laugh because this is in line with my half-silly theory that this is a persona used by multiple people much like the Captain Jack Sparrow. The 'captain' was a series of men who assumed the name so that the reputation would precede him. Or much like Edgar Legatt.

It's a curious idea, isn't it?!

 

My latest thought on the bones is that they don't link directly to a person - like the "real" Reddington, but give some sort of link to someone else in CODIS - like Liz. So Tom did not immediately know "who" the bones were, but that they were a match perhaps to Liz - It looked to me like Tom was piecing two and two together to understand "everything", like he used the family linkage info and applied whatever else he knew about Red to then know "everything".  

OK one final thought on this - for today!

If the bones are part of a fake, made up Reddington identity, why did Kaplan apologize to Katarina before digging them up?

Maybe because in exposing "Red" (potentially) as non-exiistent Red identity,  is putting KR (who may still be alive) in further jeopardy, or people she loved in jeopardy, maybe Dom in jeopardy.

Buried bones in suitcase parallel to buried box in Dom's garage, that I've made before - might be the possible connection.  (ie clue)

But its all conjecture.  

Last edited by lara1 (11/21/2017 11:53 am)

lara1 - I'm a regular reader of Tessa's blog, but this is the first instance of her ever considering any imposter theory. Your idea of the body being another fulcrum of sorts is a good one. It may have been another "last resort" plan he had in place. Remember what he taught Kate, "Always have contingencies."

Lara- in reference to the theory by Blacklister214....it gets problematic for me (in terms of it being a body identified in CODIS as RR) because of the two references to KR in regards to the suitcase and because it wouldn't make sense to keep the bones unless it was as part of an escape plan (plant a body that would show up as RR if run through CODIS).  But I think that theory could better be applied to the body being a fake dead KR. Say he had that person's DNA quietly entered into the federal database under the name Katarina Rostova, but no one was looking for her at the time it was entered an it wouldn't raise any flags unless the DNA from the body was run through the system.   If someone got too close to finding the living KR, Red could have the remains exhumed and ID'd as KR, thus taking the heat off.  It would only get problematic if compared to Liz, which at the time he probably would have set this up, it likely never crossed his mind that Liz would be in the FBI or ever exposed as Masha Rostova. 

I still go back to Kaplan referring to it as 'our secret'.  I take that to mean she was complicit in it and that would mean the situation didn't occur until mid-90s at the earliest.  I do agree that I don't think Raymond killed the person in the suitcase.  It could have been an unclaimed body that Kaplan found through her morgue connections that they used for their purposes.

 

Tatiana wrote:

Tuxie400 wrote:

Tatiana - After reading what you wrote, I see that the Captain Jack Sparrow idea also goes along with what Liz was originally told about Katarina by OREA Agent Masik:

"She's a myth. Tall tales at night over vodka shots. Probably an amalgamation of a half-dozen unknown female Soviet operatives - the Pinko Mata Hari."

What if there were not only several Katarina Rostovas but several agents playing the part of Raymond Reddington too? I'm even starting to wonder if Sam didn't play the role of Raymond Reddington part of the time. 

It also reminds me of the conspiracy theory that there were two Lee Harvey Oswalds. 

 

Exactly! It's a theory I've had and posted to this and the previous site well before Edgar Legatt. For some reason it always makes me laugh. Because it would be so obvious... the 'amalgamation' of the fiercest criminal. It would explain a lot about this person 'Red'

I like this too!  Will the real Raymond Reddington please stand up?  LOL.  "Fred" might stand up.
But seriously I like this idea  

Lara #159- That is something that has stood out to me as well, about Kaplan not digging up the body when she had already exhumed 86 others in order to get Red into huge legal trouble and out of Liz's life.  I don't know if she saw the remains in the suitcase as dangerous to Red in any other way except his relationship with Liz.  Surely she would have known that Liz would run it through CODIS (like Tom did), which ultimately would have triggered Garvey no matter what. Whether Kaplan was aware of Garvey's existent or interest in the suitcase is uncertain.  I don't know that she would have put Liz in danger like that.  She only seemed determine to get Liz to walk away, but she probably wouldn't have cared at that point if Red got hurt or killed by it either. 

Within this train of thought,  I've wondered if Kaplan was being kept in the dark about it.  Perhaps Red told her that this was the real KR, that he had to kill her to protect Liz, and justified it enough to convince Kaplan to keep her working with him because her priority was Elizabeth's well-being.  Keeping Kaplan from knowing about Dom is something else that sticks out in my mind.  Whether she believed KR was dead or knew she was in hiding, Red couldn't risk her knowing about Dom, either because he didn't want them comparing notes and whoever was in the dark learning the truth or because he was afraid that Kaplan may insist that Liz should be with Dom or would tell Dom how to find Liz.  I'm hoping this is explored more this season. 

Last edited by Brittany (11/21/2017 4:10 pm)