OK, first off if we were never given the list and promised by Heller that Red John is on this list, I believe the ideal Red John would have been Mashburn. However, I do believe Heller and so the only person of the seven that I believe would make the perfect Red John is Haffner.
1. I don't believe Red John is in or runs the Tyger Tyger Blake organization. I could see Bret Stiles heading this up without being Red John though.
2. Haffner doesn't have a tattoo and I don't believe he killed the girl that made a play on Cho and pretended to have a tattoo. How could he know for certain that the girl would live long enough to give a clue or that she'd give the tattoo as a clue and not something else.
3. Reede is obviously not RJ. Too heavy, not too bright, not in good condition, not charming, can't see seducing anyone.
4. Partridge is dead. Even if he was alive, he is too creepy and obvious to be RJ. He is not charming or powerful or anything like Patrick as Lorelai alluded to. Patrick hated Brett from the start. RJ would not have that type of position, forensic tech, etc.
5. McCallister seems smart and mature enough and he's not bad looking but he's all the way in Napa Cty and does not fit the profile. He's also in the Blake Assoc which I do not believe RJ belongs to. I don't think RJ would have a position like Sheriff, too many people know him, he would always be busy, etc.
6. Stiles was my ideal suspect from the beginning, but he seems too wise to be Red John. There's a difference between being smart like RJ is and wise like Stiles is. RJ is all about power and Stiles already has it, he doesn't need to kill to feel powerful and in control. He's also too old and too well-known. His Visualize people are always around and Jane's psychiatrist wd have probably recognized him. I think he could still be seductive but his age rules against him in terms of physical condition and the fact that he would have been much too old for his first kill in 1988 according to most serial killer profiles.
7. Kirkland was introduced too late in the game in my opinion and is not charming or attractive. He is also dead, which is a strike against him. But seriously, does he even have the money or resources to be RJ? I don't think so.
8. As far as the phobias go, WHY if you were RJ would you actually give the psychiatrist any true info about you at all?? Wouldn't you just make up a phobia? He's got to be an excellent liar, so I think he could handle it. If Heller did make RJ actually divulge a real phobia, I think that's pretty stupid, IMHO.
9. Bertram is not in good shape, does not have the money or charisma or real brains to be RJ. I cannot see him seducing women. He was lousy at poker and if you have a narcissistic personality you wouldn't accept help from anyone, esp Jane. He had to call for help, RJ doesn't need to call on anyone for help. He might be RJ's right hand man. RJ wd not have taken the chance of being discovered by killing Jane in the hospital. RJ wd have had a doctor or nurse kill him.
10. Haffner is the right age and is good looking, charismatic, fine athletic condition. He wears suits just like Jane. I see the similarities. Both Jane and Haffner are particular about the way they dress. They both had difficult childhoods. I cd see Lorelai saying they cd have been lifelong friends. I believe Stiles took Haffner under his wing as maybe his potential predecessor a long time ago. We know Stiles has helped other men financially who he thought had great potential. I think Haffner has all of Visualize's money and contacts at his disposal. I believe Stiles found out though a long time ago that Haffner was RJ. Both men and women have been seduced into this cult. Maybe Stiles blames himself because Haffner took all the blood rituals a little too far. Haffner has just enough creepiness combined with intelligence and charisma to pull off being Red John. He has surveillance experience and an in with the CBI.
Now all that being said, considering this is TV and not real life, that means anything goes. It just depends on how clever and imaginative the writers are. I've seen a lot of stupid choices for murderers in other books, TV shows, movies so NOTHING would surprise me, even if they made the lawyer for Visualize Red John!
