Red John theory by
Callmeaxel92.
Brett Partridge, Officially dead. Why did
they not show his body when Cho looked for his arm? They didn’t want to bring
him to the set to just record that scene. There is no mystery or anything
behind it. When Partridge died, he said Tyger Tyger, because he hoped that
Lisbon was connected to the Tyger Tyger organization. Partridge was described
by Patrick as a ghoul, and he acted like a real jerk. He is too low profile to
be Red John, he doesn’t fit the description of Sophie Miller and he is not
charismatic or charming. If you still believe that Partridge is Red John, then
you have absolutely no sense for theatre or drama. Would Heller really
re-introduce someone that has been eliminated from the story in the first
episode and say: ‘’ta-da, Red John is Brett Partridge because he did a little
trick in the beginning of the season’’. No one would buy that.
Robert Kirkland. Officially dead. Kirkland
his character was underdeveloped. The only loose end that Kirkland took with
him is the search for his twin brother, Micheal. Bruno Heller confirmed that
the list of seven suspects was accurate, so he won’t give us a twin of one of
the characters who happens to be Red John (and who is, in this case,
underdeveloped). If you honestly think that Kirkland is Red John, then you are
just looking at the wrong direction. Kirkland was a Homeland Security member.
If Kirkland was Red John, then why on earth would he ask Reede Smith to work
together with him (not realizing that Smith was a Tyger Tyger member, even
after saying Tyger Tyger to him). Kirkland tried to narrow down Jane his list,
because he wanted personal vengeance. Why would Red John take the time and
effort to narrow down a list that is completely fake. Also, Red John’s MO is
killing women, not man.
Sherriff Thomas
McAllister. McAllister seems to be an intelligent man, but he doesn’t seem to have
the right resources or power to be Red John. Of course McAllister could be a
visualize member who happens to have access to the Visualize plane, which would
make him very mobile. But that is just a bridge too far for me... Completely
unlikely and not dramatic (but maybe, if everything gets explained very well,
who knows... I will come back to this). Furthermore, McAllister said: You’re
wrong, I am not Red John. I think that he was completely honest when he said
that. Red John would feel so ashamed to look Patrick Jane in the eye and say I
am not him. Remember his message? ‘’Until you find me, or I find you’’. That
means Red John has already prepared himself for the day that he might get
caught. Someone with a mindset like that doesn’t lie in someone his face when
he is exposed.
Reede Smith. Smith is currently
incarcerated and he will be transferred to a prison soon. Red John would never
break down and admit the things that he did (even Patrick Jane admitted that).
Also, he doesn’t fit the description of Sophie Miller and his character is
highly underdeveloped during the seasons. Everyone knows and feels that Smith
is not Red John. He is a bit too young as well. Lastly, how can someone who is
incarcerated walk in a church (like we see in the promo).
Brett Stiles. Brett is too old, and he
doesn’t fit the description of Sophie Miller. Secondly, he is/was chased by the
FBI (I am not sure whether or not he is dead, but he would have been dead in
about a month anyway). If he was a Tyger Tyger member, he would have had
friends to help him get the FBI of his neck. Even though Stiles is not Red
John, he is the possible key to Red John. We know that Red John has been in
Visualize, so Stiles must know who he is.
Gale Bertram. Why would Bertram
(assuming that he is Red John) plant a bomb under Patrick his house to kill his
most loyal disciples and put the spotlights on himself? Why would Bertram try
to run (as we see in episode 7) and meet up with Patrick (episode 8). Why would
Bertram always say: If you catch Red John, I want to be there. Why would
Bertram want to kill Jane while he was sleeping? Red John has a great taste for
drama and theatre. He thinks of himself as a showman and artist. Would someone
like that close such a period by just killing Jane like that.
Throughout years he just never seemed intelligent enough to catch up
with Jane, and he was a terrible poker player (until he got some advice from
Jane). Of course this could be seen as one of the many tricks that Red John
pulls off, but I think that Red John is a very proud man (not only at his
kills, but also in person). No matter where it is about, he probably hates
losing. The only options to stop losing are to avoid it or make it work your
way. Someone like Red John would not take advice from someone else. Also,
someone like Red John would never accept it if someone (like Smith) puts him on
his place by saying ‘’that’s your job’’.
What also struck me about Bertram is that he seems to be very nervous
and impulsive sometimes. Why would he run, put all the spotlights on him, go to
a bar and kill some random bartender. Red John always plans everything (as we
see in the promo of episode 8 as well).
Raymond Haffner. When Jane got the seven
suspects together in one room, Haffner was the first person to say that it was
ridiculous. This could be interpreted as someone who is very guilty of
something, but later on Haffner ‘’proofed’’ that he didn’t have the tattoo.
Which made his action one of a man who is truly upset by something, right?
Wrong... He reacted at first to be a
step ahead of Patrick. He knew Patrick would back off if he saw the tattoos
from the other guys, and he knew that his action would be interpreted as
‘’upset’’. I think this was a typical Red John move, always being one step
ahead of the competition. Isn’t that
were the entire show is about?
Why would Red John put the attention on himself by putting a bomb under
Janes house? (assuming that he is Bertram, which is very likely at the moment
if you don’t consider other details). I don’t think that Haffner, Mcallister
and Stiles are dead, because we didn’t see any bodies or evidence that confirms
their dead.
One thing that I am absolutely sure about, is the fact that Red
John is extremely well organized.
Someone with these characteristics plans every
single detail of his actions. Remember
killing Sophie Miller? Patrick said: ''He must have been waiting until he knew
I would try to track her down''. ''He planned this weeks ago, maybe even
months''. Furthermore, remember killing
Partridge and luring Lisbon in to a trap? You don't improvise those actions.
Red John was aware of the list with seven
suspects. He must have known Patricks intensions, and try to put him on the
wrong feet. The first step was killing Partridge. The second step was getting
in touch with the woman who spied on the CBI team, and making her believe that he has a tattoo on
his right arm (three dots). He could have added a fake tattoo on his shoulder
easily, with the intension of putting the tyger tyger group in the headlights.
Or maybe he hypnotized her? Who knows.
Haffner is a private investigator who is very
good at his work. Kirkland was very good at his work as well, and he managed to
find out about a secret organization (Tyger Tyger). Maybe Haffner was able to
pull of the same thing? Or maybe Haffner is somehow connected to the Tyger
Tyger group, and marks his most important disciples by giving them three
dots. Someone has to be the leader right? Red John is well organized, and
clever enough to
The third logical step for Red John would be to
put the attention on someone else. First he made people believe that he is
doing a sprint to the finish with Patrick (by killing Partridge), and now he
makes people believe that either Smith, Bertram or McAllistor is Red John
because of the tattoo (continuing his sprint to the finish). While in fact, he
is putting them in the crosshairs.
Red John is a powerful individual, someone with
a narcissistic personality. He probably has a form of megalomania, because
he is very proud at his work (remember one of the finales in which Red John
saves Patrick from copycats). Red John read out loud the poem of the Tyger, by
William Blake, to show off his power to Patrick.
This is also why Red John killed the Jane
family. Patrick made Red John look ridiculous on the television, this must have
made him very angry because he has a form of megalomania, and thinks of himself
as a showman and artist. It must have hurt his ego... Red John is a ruler, someone who gives orders and
holds all the strings in his hands.
Someone with these characteristics would hate the idea of having similarities
(or sharing something) with other individuals (the three dots). These dots
don’t proof anything, just the existence of the Tyger Tyger group.
Haffner told Lisbon that he joined Visualize as a messed
up kid. Maybe a messed up kid with megalomania, who was traumatised by
something that happend in his youth, or has another personality. Bret Stiles
made him his deciple, and learned him how to control his dark urges. Maybe
Stiles came up with the idea of giving Haffners dark personality the name John
(a very common normal name). What if they signed this other personality up for
Visualize as well? That would mean that Haffner is on the Visualize member list
as Ray Haffner and as Red John. The perfect cover.
As far as we know, Stiles doesn't have any
children. Maybe he considered Ray Haffner as his child. A good parent gives his
child the right education and life lessons, and shapes his personality. Stiles
his idea of education was finding a way for Haffner to live with himself. He
also gave Haffner money to start his own private business, something you only
do if you are really close with someone.
Going back in time, there was a scene in season
5 episode 13 in which Lisbon asked Haffner about his life. She said: ‘’So
Ray, you said that you joined Visualize as a teenager. So 1988, you would have
been 21’’? In which Haffner quickly
responses: ‘’Yeah about that...’’. After
which Lisbon asks: ‘’Did they ever sent you to work on Allisons farm? Were you
there?’’. In which Red John answer: Lisbon, we are still friends right? Why
would you ask me that? (which I thought meant something like if you go further
with this I will have to hurt you).
It is very likely that Red John met the woman who spied on the CBI in a
place like a gym. We know from the scene in which the doctor’s notes are read
out loud, that Haffner works out on a regular basis and wears a t-shirt while
doing this. This must have been the ideal place to show off his (fake) tattoo.
When Red John killed the woman who spied on the CBI, he must have planned to
not finish her off completely. Red John hates lose ends, so this would be the
only logical explanation for me.
There are so many other things which point to Haffner as well. He is an
excellent whistler, short-tempered, easily offended (when Lisbon said he was a
possible Red John candidate). Again a
form of megalomania.
Also, Red John is a very intelligent person, and a master of body
language. When Jane got the seven suspects together in one room, Haffner was
the first person to say that it was ridiculous. This could be interpreted as
someone who is very guilty of something, but later on Haffner ‘’proofed’’ that
he didn’t have the tattoo. Which made his action one of a man who is truly
upset by something, right? Wrong... He
reacted at first to be a step ahead of Patrick. He knew Patrick would back off
if he saw the tattoos from the other guys, and he knew that his action would be
interpreted as ‘’upset’’. I think this was a typical Red John move, always
being one step ahead of the competition.
Isn’t that were the entire show is about?
Even though I am not a woman, Haffner looks charming and charismatic,
something which a lot of women find attractive. I just feel and think that he
would make the most logical and intelligent Red John. In one of the
conversations with Patrick Jane, Haffner said something like: You always know
it better, don’t you? The mentalist is
about little clues, and I believe that if we add up all of these little clues
we get Ray Haffner.
So why do I not believe that the other suspects are Red John? Multiple
reasons. I believe that Heller changed the identity of Red John a couple of
times. The first Red John was introduced to us in either the first or the
second season, and must have been Partridge. Heller must have had an escape
scenario, in case the show would not get a lot of views. Imagine having a
random Red John if season three would have been the last one? No one would buy
that...
Fortunately, the opposite thing happened. The mentalist had become a big
success, and slowly, but surely, Bruno Heller must have decided around the
fourth season that it was time to round things off and start writing a complete
profile of Red John. This is exactly around the time that Ray Haffner came in
the spotlights. During the fourth season in episode two he appeared, which
would be the exact right time.
So what about the
bombing?
Think about it for a second. Why would Jane plant a bomb that could
possibly kill his suspects? There is no answer for this question, because it
would not make sense. So why would
Red John. Plant a bomb that could possibly kill the other people? To put the
attention on Bertram, who happens to be the leader of a corrupt organisation of
law enforcement. Red John would not put the attention on himself.
So who planted the bomb then?
I
think that Patrick Jane planted the bomb under his house, because he made a
deal with Brett Stiles. Stiles must have told him that either Mcallister or
Haffner is Red John, but they had to put the spotlights on someone else
(Bertram). Also, someone must have helped Jane to make it look like Haffner,
Stiles and Mcallister died during the bombing. Mcallister was standing
somewhere else in the room then Haffner and Stiles were, so it doesn’t make any
sense that they are the only three people who are dead. It would be a typical
Jane move.
Why would Bertram be on the run
and later on meet up with Patrick to talk in a church? Doesn’t make any sense.
The deal was probably that Stiles would tell Red John to come and meet Patrick
at a given location and time, to finish the game once and for all. That would
explain perfectly why Jane at the end of the episode seemed to give up and not
care about the case anymore. He put the FBI (who took charge of the case) on
the wrong feet by giving them Bertram.
Considering all the evidence, I
think that Haffner is more likely to be Red John, because he fits the
description, age, power, charisma, everything. Maybe Mcallister was shot by
Patrick, because we did hear the sound of a gun. But that is just a wild
guess...
Thanks for reading, leave
a comment below.
