Alright, I'm caught up.
Jennifer is terrible. I can't figure out if she's being duplicitous or is just a terrible actress, but yeesh.
Liz is an idiot, I don't know what more there is to say. For the most part, there is almost always a Blacklister to explain away anything weird on the show, and if she'd just come clean, she'd probably be able to get the answers she wanted, and even if she didn't, I don't know why it's so difficult for her to remember several key things: There was someone who is able to change someone's DNA and Red made it clear that it was possible her memories were altered, not erased. So there's no reason to believe the skeleton is what it appears to be anymore than there is to believe that Red is Red.
I'm still going to be furious if Spader is Katerina, I mean, good God what a dumb twist, but I'm getting more prepared for it by the episode. Dembe wouldn't have known Katerina if I understand the timeline correctly, and yet here we have him acting as though he does know her, which of course lines up with the Rederina thing. But they've been known to drop joking references to fan theories in the past, so I suppose anything is possible.
And oh lordie, I just can't handle the steamy romance brewing between Ressler and Liz
But in all seriousness, this is my favorite season of the show in a while, probably since S2. Spader seems like he's been on way more of it and him defending himself in court has been what I signed up for when I started watching this show. The episode with him training the rat was one of my absolute favorites: Good villain of the week, weird-ass Red. Good stuff.
So basically my theory at this point, if Red isn't Katerina is something along the lines of there being an attempt on Katerina's part to save Red from Fitch's plan by faking his death. They argue about it but she's already lain most of the groundwork. Some 3rd party individual is caught up in the crossfire (literally, being the person Liz kills, probably someone sent by Fitch to take out Red despite the agreement he and Katerina had made, and likely the person who starts the fire), still no idea who that person might be, but they're the bag of bones and Katerina uses the DNA guy to set him up to be Red, and maybe also while the real Red is out of commission because of the injuries he sustained in the fire (I know it's been a long time, but remember he's got terrible burn scars on his back) she has Koehler change his face. Then for whatever reason, and obviously where my theory comes up flat, Real-Red refuses to change his identity and continues on his crusade to out the Cabal, but he has to also make sure Lizzie is safe, so he builds the criminal empire to get the pull he needs to be that powerful of a force.
or something like that. I just still think Red is Red and all of this Imposter shenanigans is a red (ha!) herring.