Kathryn Nemec is a character in NBC's The Blacklist.
Background
Kathryn Nemec has worked for Raymond Reddington for 20-30 years, having officially been missing as of 1991. Known only by her alias "Mr. Kaplan", her first name was revealed to be Kate in "Monarch Douglas Bank". She is often seen helping Red dispose of bodies and clean up crime scenes. Nemec is very proficient with firearms and seen carrying a Smith and Wesson 686 Plus.
Season 1
"Anslo Garrick Conclusion"
Red gave Elizabeth Keen contact details for Nemec while they were in the ambulance.
After Liz had killed one of the men spying on her and Tom Keen, she called Nemec rather than the FBI. Liz was surprised when a woman arrived, but Nemec quickly took charge and arranged for the cleaning of the site and the disposal of the body.
Nemec then organized the raid on a possible location for Red, which is led by Dembe Zuma.
"The Cyprus Agency"
She is called by Red to clean up the crime scene after he killed Diane Fowler. He apologized for the mess, but she said that she had been cleaning up after him for a long time.
"Ivan"
Nemec meets up with Red and Dembe to show them her discovery of the deceased bodies of Lucy Brooks and the Cowboy, further proving his suspicions of Tom Keen. Red states that Nemec is a "bloodhound" when it comes to locating corpses. Red tells her to cover it up the same way it was buried and he will decide the next course of action.
Season 2
"Monarch Douglas Bank"
In this episode we learn Nemec's first name when she arrives to clean up one of Red's murders. She is disturbed with him and says so which causes him to lash out at her, calling her "Kate", telling her to do her job. He apologizes moments later knowing that she is only concerned with his recent spree of deaths she has had to clean up after.
"Dr. James Covington"
Liz asks for Nemec's help in examining corpses to avoid the difficulty of obtaining legal warrants.
Nemec states that she was sleeping with a coroner's sister in the past.
"The Decembrist"
Red tells Liz that Nemec is helping to clean up.
"Vanessa Cruz"
Reddington sends Nemec to negotiate an employment contract with Vanessa Cruz on his behalf. This demonstrates that Nemec can act as a more mundane liaison for Red, in addition to her other specialties.
"Leonard Caul"
After Reddington is shot, Dembe instructs Elizabeth to make a call on his phone, which Nemec answers. She instructs Elizabeth and Dembe to drive to an abandoned warehouse while she texts several doctors, nurses, and EMTs, all of whom drop what they are doing at their day jobs, and set up an operating room at the warehouse. During Raymond's surgery, she kills 2 assassins disguised as FBI Agents, stating that agents normally carry Glocks or Sigs, showing she has an excellent proficiency with firearms. Later on, she is seen guarding a recovering Raymond stating that she will not leave him and do anything to keep him alive, only after great protest does she finally leave.
Season 3
Season 4
Unanswered Questions
- How many other people call Raymond Reddington "Dearie"?
- How long have Raymond Reddington and Kathryn Nemec known each other?
- A: In "Requiem", it was revealed 20 years.
- What is the skill set needed to be a corpse locating "bloodhound"
- A: Forensics.
- the mind of a trained killer.
- Why "Mr." and not "Mrs."?
- A: It is a reference to a Cary Grant movie, "North by Northwest", in which the character's name is George Kaplan.
- A: It could be an alias. Anyone expecting a Mr. Kaplan, as Liz did, would probably overlook a woman in her mid fifties.
- A: It is a respect title, like calling a commanding officer sir, regardless of gender.
- A: It could be Reddington using his naval background. In the Navy, both men and women officers are called "Sir". Same way he called her his "better half".
- A: The character was originally meant to be a male, but an executive producer told them to hire Susan Blommaert.
- A: It could also be related with the fact that Kate is lesbian, as revealed in a conversation with Red in which she remembers she was sleeping with some coroner's sister. ("Dr. James Covington")
- A: From the shooting scene at Niko's bail bonds shop, the shooter said "I guess that makes you Mr. Kaplan" before shooting both Annie Kaplan and Kate. ("Requiem")
- Is she Liz Keen's mother? Age could be right. Reddington gives the mother's name as "Katarina Rostova". First name works, last name is an alias. Kate's skills would seem to be a potential fit for a KGB agent.
- A: Liz's mother has been revealed to be Katarina Rostova, a former KGB agent.
- A: Implausible, in a previous episode Nemec mentions sleeping with another man's wife.
- A: Red says Liz's mother died of "shame and weakness". Is it at possible the "death" she suffered was a transformation into Nemec? I'm not convinced myself, given what we've seen so far, if she was Liz's mother there'd have been some display of emotion. The only emotion she has displayed is toward Red.
- A: Not likely, in the photograph Liz found in Red's flat she appeared taller.
- A. Not likely as Reddington says Lizzie looks like her mother. There's no resemblance between Lizzie and Kate.
- A: In "Requiem", she was a nanny hired by Katarina Rostova to care for Liz while she is away.
- Did Red intend to kill Nemec and miss? Or was the intent to graze her all along? Even the man in the woods could have been set up by Red to make sure she was taken care of afterwards.
- A: No, Red's intent was to kill Nemec for her betrayal in faking Liz's death. The man in the woods who rescued her could've been working for Rostov and she later recruited to begin her revenge on Red for shooting her.
- A: She has a steel plate on her head after an old shooting. It may have diverted Reds bullet.
- Is she behind the recent attacks on Red's business empire?
- A: Yes, she wants to bring Reddington's empire down.
Gallery
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.jpg "Kate Kaplan (S3).jpg (28 KB)")
.jpg "The Blacklist - 4x02 - Red & Kate (2).jpg (127 KB)")
