The mysterious stranger who showed up at the end of The Blacklist’s last season will return with “answers” in Season 7. From the moment he showed up on the scene, the man that Red talked to has provoked a lot of questions. Played by veteran actor Brett Cullen and billed as “the stranger,” definitive answers are currently scarce.
That may be about to change as Season 7 gets underway. The mysterious man with whom Red spoke and ended up having a fateful exchange is coming back. That is right! The Blacklist has not seen the last of Brett Cullen’s mystery man. Series creator Jon Bokenkamp told TVLine:
[The stranger] will come back — and come back with some answers.
Who else is ready for some answers and major moments? Same! The Blacklist loves a good tease, but the man of mystery (who is not Red), will be back to clear up at least a few things. If he reveals facts about himself, it seems likely that could lead to the clarification of certain things surrounding Red’s true identity.
As for how many answers are in store for patient viewers, the prospects seem hopeful. The Blacklist’s creator, Jon Bokenkamp, is teasing some significant story reveals are on their way. Along the lines of a previous Season 7 hint he has given before, Bokenkamp said:
More than any season before, we’re starting to fill in those blanks. Big pieces of the story snap into place in ways that we’ve really not been able to do until now.
I can handle some big pieces! That said, the brief Blacklist scenes between Red and The Stranger did provide some vital clues for what could be coming in Season 7. For instance, Red and the man go way back, as in back to their childhood days. Are they related? Maybe.
The Stranger is also familiar with the story of Ilya Koslov and his supposed relation to Red’s true identity. A myth? A known lie? The truth with a twist of deceit? Whatever the answer, The Stranger gave the impression he knew about it.
Regardless, the thing that brought Red and The Stranger together to have that chat on the bench was Katarina Rostova’s location. The latter knew it when Red did not. Thanks to The Stranger’s information, Red did end up reuniting with Katarina. He also ended up getting drugged and kidnapped. All is not well that does not end well?
Now that Red is Katarina’s prisoner, it opens up a whole other can of questions for The Blacklist. Did the mystery man know that Red was going to be taken by Katarina? Are he and Katarina in on it? Why did The Stranger know Katarina’s whereabouts and not Red? Like I said, there are a lot of questions.
Another significant one is whether the mysterious man in question is the real Ilya, as some fans have speculated. Or is he Red’s brother and Red is actually Ilya? Or is The Stranger the real Ilya Koslov, and Red is his brother aka an unidentified Koslov? It is a lot to keep track of, and The Blacklist will hopefully start shedding some light on it.
Find out how The Stranger comes into play when The Blacklist returns among this fall’s premieres. Season 7 premieres Friday, October 4 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. If you need a refresher, you watch Brett Cullen’s character make his Blacklist debut last season. It is currently streaming on Netflix, along with lots of new content.
