Hi there,
I have noticed that people are still suspecting many people who are not on Patrick Jane's list or who are confirmed dead.
I would like to clear a few things up and then afterwards discuss my theory and the reasons for it.
First off, regarding people who are not on the list:
Bruno Heller himself has said multiple times that Red John is one of the people on Jane's list. He refers to Red John as a 'he' and has also told people that Patrick Jane is not Red John. Red John cannot be Van Pelt, Lisbon, Jane, or anybody else who is not on the list because Bruno Heller has said so.
Second, regarding suspects who are DEAD:
Brett Partridge is definitely dead as Lisbon and all of us viewers witnessed so he can't be Red John. Him saying Tyger, tyger was either a cry for help or a clue as to his murderer. I highly doubt Red John would do either of those things.
Robert Kirkland is dead as we all saw Reede Smith shoot him multiple times in the back and his body was found dead. Smith later admitted in The Great Red Dragon that he killed him, so Kirkland is not Red John either.
Bret Stiles is dead as confirmed by the people who work on the show and also by the fact that his DNA was found all over the building and there was no tattoo on his shoulder... so he isn't Red John either.
Ray Haffner is also confirmed dead the same way as Bret Stiles. Besides, while he was quite suspicious in the way he tried to transfer Lisbon into his department, he wasn't tough enough nor was he very persuasive. While it is known that he had support from Visualise, he was most likely just a disciple of Red John, nothing more. He also did not have the three red dots tattooed on his shoulder either.
Thomas McAllister has been confirmed dead as well just as Bret Stiles and Ray Haffner. Also, when Jane saw the tattoo on his shoulder, McAllister was afraid and said "It's not what you think." clearly frightened. Red John would not act that way and would already know about the tattoo's significance to Jane.
Now, I think that is about all regarding the subject of the non-suspects, so now to explore what we do know about Red John.
Now, Harker Rosalind may not have met the real Red John, just one of his disciples claiming to be him under orders so as to mislead Jane. Anyway, why would Red John be so foolish so as to make it possible for her to identify him? Why not send in someone else so Jane will have the wrong description? It is possible that the man she slept with was actually Red John but it is important to be careful with what information is to be taken seriously and as truth.
The man who stabbed Kira Tinsley may not have actually been Red John. It is possible that the person she communicated with was a disciple, not Red John himself so her description may be of a different person.
Besides, why would Red John even show anyone that tattoo or make it visible? You would think that if he is going to communicate with or kill someone he doesn't trust, he would either make sure they are completely dead before he leaves or make sure that there is nothing on him that can make him identifiable or linked to anybody else. He should have worn clothing to cover his shoulders.
I think it is likely that in The Great Red Dragon, Red John planted the bomb but positioned himself so as not to be harmed. While they were all gathering into the room he could have planted the bomb in an appropriate place after having a quick look as to the layout of the room. Or he may have arrived earlier and snuck around to watch Jane to see which room it was to happen in and then planted the bomb in a good place somewhere in the house so he won't be harmed seriously. Then he could leave and 'arrive just on time' so Jane won't suspect a bomb.
Now, many people suspect Reede Smith to be Red John but I don't think that he is. My reasons being:
Red John sent in people to kill Reede Smith. Some viewers may think that it is just an act so Jane won't suspect him but they why did the officer say he was going to kill Reede Smith if no one from the CBI was around to hear it? It is clear that Reede Smith was going to be shot if CBI hadn't intervened. And near the end, when Reede Smith is in the alley way dressing his wound and asking Van Pelt for help, he was wary of the car approaching him and hid until he heard that the Cordero was from the CBI but would not drop the weapon until the fake agent Cordero said he came from Van Pelt to help. It is clear that he was going to be shot then until Kimball Cho showed up and saved him. Later when he was being interrogated, he gave a lot of information to Jane and Lisbon that Red John would never want them to know.
MY THEORY: GALE BERTRAM
He is the only suspect on the list left and he doesn't take orders to kill from anyone (well, as far as we can see) and has people who do his bidding. He also has been trying to get all the information he can about Red John from Jane. And he happens to be the director of the CBI which happens to be the perfect position to keep an eye on Jane and make sure he doesn't get too close and to try to keep him under control. Oh, and did you see the boxes full of false identities, passports, money, and other equipment he has in that storage room?! I should think that is a pretty big sign that he is up to no good... And the way he killed that bartender without any look of regret or emotion on his face. He is a ruthless killer who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
Well, I hope that my ramblings have enlightened you and hopefully you have learnt something from this. I may not have changed your mind but I hope that some of what I have said will be considered and perhaps taken seriously.
Thanks for reading,
The Heir of Black
