The Blacklist's Liz and Ressler are keeping a secret, and it is a big one. Liz knows that her mother, Katarina Rostova, is alive and faked her death, so she could fly below the radar for a while. It was one of the many twists and turns to occur when The Blacklist signed off last year. Cut to the midseason premiere, and Liz and Ressler have some big secrets they are keeping.
Liz revealed to Ressler that her mother is alive to clear his guilty conscience over contributing to Katarina’s non-existent demise. Speaking of Katarina, The Blacklist’s creator revealed why she was missing from the midseason premiere, although her shadow loomed large. Addressing Liz sharing her Katarina secret with Ressler, Jon Bokenkamp told TVLine:
There’s always the question of who knows what, but we’re playing fair with the audience that this is Liz and Ressler’s secret[.] She wanted to put his guilt to rest because she cares about him. So, does anyone else know? Let’s just say, not yet.
So far, Katarina’s survival is a secret known to her, Liz, and now Ressler. Will it stay that way? Jon Bokenkamp seems to hint that while they are the only three who know on The Blacklist, that may change soon. Let’s face it, a “huge family fight” would not be on the horizon if Red is not going to eventually find out.
I am wondering if any of this secret-keeping between Ressler and Liz will eventually lead them down a potential path to romance. Heading into Season 7, The Blacklist’s writers were apparently split on whether to pursue a romantic relationship between the long-time colleagues and platonic friends. Despite some romantic tension, nothing has come of it so far.
The Blacklist has steadily hinted at the possibility, so it would not come out of nowhere. Plus, secrets have a way of bonding those who keep them. That said, Liz is not apparently privy to all of Ressler’s. Could a secret that Ressler alone is keeping lead to them taking two steps back? Jon Bokenkamp teased Ressler’s complicated relationship with secrecy, saying:
One of the biggest secrets is being kept by Agent Ressler[.] We tend to think of Ressler as a very by-the-book agent — a real Boy Scout whose career is built upon integrity. But I think the audience is going to be really surprised when they peel back the curtain and take a peek into his past.
This is not the first time that Ressler’s deep, dark secret has been teased. The Blacklist previously hinted that it would come to light when the show resumed in 2020. This may be one twisty truth that is going to get revealed sooner than later.
I have to say that The Blacklist’s creator has piqued my curiosity yet again with Ressler’s secret. During the midseason finale, he took his revenge on the man who manipulated his mind. It was a hint that there may be more to Ressler’s clean-cut persona than has initially appeared. That said, photos from Season 7’s return did not yield many clues in the Ressler department.
One development that Ressler might want to be aware of is that Liz is going to be conducting a “secret investigation” during Season 7. If there is one thing that The Blacklist’s history has taught viewers, it is that Liz has a tendency to want to pry other people’s secrets loose. Will she set her sights on Ressler’s? So many questions!
What is Ressler’s secret, and will he be able to keep his and Liz’s? New episodes of The Blacklist air Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC as one of the midseason’s many new offerings. To check out the unraveling of past secrets, you can watch previous seasons of The Blacklist on Netflix alongside content arriving in 2020.
