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'The Blacklist' Season 8 Episode 5: Who is Anne? Here's why she may be Red's answer to a peaceful, happy ending

Is there finally happiness at the end of the dark tunnel that has become Red's life? Fans think so

Right at the end of the latest Episode 5 of 'The Blacklist' Season 8, a lovely little development happens on Red's arc. The man, who has been busy teaming up with Harold Cooper to hunt down a largely missing Elizabeth Keen this week on the episode titled 'The Fribourg Confidence' , orchestrates a largely unfinished and unsuccessful mission to capture his estranged maybe-daughter.

His only respite? A beautiful, sweet, comforting woman he meets in the final few moments of the episode and manages to charm. Called Anne, is this a trap all over again?

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The official synopsis of the episode describes what went down as "The task force investigates an organization of bank robbers with a special expertise in stealing from other criminals; an old blacklist case resurfaces."

In short, Liz sends her hellos in only notes left at crime scenes after they're wiped clean, but somehow the thumb drive Redx and cooper keep looking for ends up in the latter's cup by the end of the episode. But all of that happens as Liz is also looking to release a Post Office blacklister who goes by the name the Freelancer, and she gets a little too obvious at times, even though she doesn't quite fail as hard.

But we cannot focus on that because something else has managed to spark Red's mind and her name is Anne. After all the hustle and bustle and frustrating commotion of tonight's episode, goes to the signature park bench where he and Liz would chat about work and other things. Red's plans were to bird watch but they got interrupted by a serene-looking, calm, beautiful woman seated on one of the benches, with who Red sparks a conversation and finds himself plenty enchanted.

He holds his hand out and they shake over their mutual interest in birdwatching, but viewers couldn't help but notice that this could be the possible initiation of something positive on Red's arc before he burns out. 

That, however, also brings to mind the possibility of this woman being another trap — an ally of Liz trying to distract Red while the new number one blacklister does all the dirty deeds. But would Red be swayed that easily? The charmer through and through that he is, Red would never throw away an opportunity for a good flirt and those scenes are a treat to behold for every fan.

However, it is Liz who calls the bad guys' shots now and she is probably the one who has learned to know Red the best over the years. If she really wants to weed her former mentor out, she definitely has the intel and manpower both to do so. Would be an interesting build-up if Red's arc goes down that road.

Fans however are more concerned with whether this is a final shot at romance for Red or not. Taking it to Twitter, they wrote: "So @AmirArison (who plays Aram on the show) 
shared @schecpiece instatory earlier that implied we will see more of Anne (her "first appearance"). Is there more bird watching in the park in Red's future? That was the happiest he's looked in a while."

So we do have a confirmation that Anne's stint wasn't a single-scene one. There's more of her, that's for sure. But the one question that has been haunting fans is "who’s Anne?? I need her name run through ALL the databases," as one said. Others noted, "Who is Anne? Red doesn't sit on a bench and speak to a random person."

Some even quipped how "Everybody: What's on the thumb drive? Me: Is Anne going to be Raymond's girlfriend?" But the verdict is in and looks like the fandom is in her favor, as a viewer tweeted: "Anne meeting Raymond Anne is sooo cuuuute And she also looks super-smart & kinda badass This better lead to some amazing SL."

'The Blacklist' airs on Fridays at 8 pm on NBC.