Who is Red John?

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List of seven

Thomas McAllister
Thomas McAllister
Reede Smith
Reede Smith
Ray Haffner
Ray Haffner
Gale Bertram
Gale Bertram
Brett Partridge
Brett Partridge
Bret Stiles
Bret Stiles
Bob Kirkland
Bob Kirkland

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When thy little heart doth wake
Then the dreadful night shall break

by William Blake

Remember Bertram saying this poem at the end of an episode, to Lisbon and LaRoche? 

Here is what I think. Bertram didn't say this because he is a friend of Red John. He told this because he simply heard it from Red John, without actually knowing that the person is Red John.

In the last aired episode, they focused on Bertram and his poker thing. Bertram is stubborn, he has to win at poker. He can't even bluff, so there is no way he is Red John. Red John is a manipulator of mind.

He is also not Red John's accomplice. He would never be so foolish to reveal himself this easily by telling the poem.

He simply heard it and wanted to use it. Like an interesting word you recently learned and try to use it to impress people. That's what Bertram is, he learned the poem, found it cool and used it.

But, who told Bertram the poem? Was it a guy from his poker nights? Or a close friend? 

I believe that this poem is not an office thing. You talk about stuff like that when you are enjoying your time, having a drink maybe. So my bet is Red John is a poker mate of Bertram. But this is because we dont know something else about Bertram's personal life. Could be something else too.

What do you think?

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Theory #1475 • By Aaron Francis
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I haven't been following The Mentalist for long but I just watches the episode with Panzer
with the interview on Karen Cross' show with Patrick.
During the interview, Patrick was aiming his words at Panzar being the serial killer
but also trying to include Red John as a greater figure compared to Panzar. This upset Panzar.
Afterwards, Patrick visits Panzar in his dressing room and says "you did good".
As if to say Red John would approve of that argument.
In the end, Panzar is dead. But, in the dressing room scene, Jane had a look of defeat on his face
after saying what he said to Panzar. Jane was proud of Red John's performance and felt the need to eliminate
Panzar to prove he was better.

Anyone know where I can get all the seasons!!! I want to look into this more closely.


To be honest, I REALLY HOPE PATRICK JANE IS RED JOHN.

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I've written a theory for Mashburn previously so in this theory I'll just focus on some small details that would support Mashburn being RJ.

First, RJ is very careful not to leave any real clues as to his identity.  He would not arrange to meet Jane because it would be too risky.  This is why I believe that RJ meeting Jane was a coincidence.  Mashburn just happened to be one of the team's suspects for the murder in Redline.  Redline is full of clues/evidence for RJ being Mashburn but I'd like to focus on how this coincidental meeting changed RJ's relationship with Jane.  A few episodes before, RJ has Rebecca kill Bosco and his team to cover up the evidence uncover when Carter Peak's body was found.  RJ was forced to do that to keep himself safe instead of it being a directed mind game toward Jane like we see in later RJ episodes.  Rebecca killing the team and telling Jane that RJ missed him just means that RJ wanted to use Rebecca to the fullest extent seeing as she would have to be killed after Jane caught on.  At the end of that episode, I believe that RJ's first concern was his safety and playing with Jane was fun but not his top concern.  Then comes the episode Redline where RJ/Mashburn meets Jane by coincidence and RJ experiences real risk as he talks with Jane and manages to slide past Jane's radar.  This is what triggers the change in RJ and Jane's relationship.  RJ finds that he enjoys the risk of really playing with Jane.  That is why in the second season final, RJ takes the very risky action of following Jane, intervening to save Jane's life, allowing Jane to see him (albeit with a mask - but body shape & height), actually speaking to him and taunting him in person.  Remember in Pilot, RJ was content to let Jane catch his copycats but in S2 final RJ wanted to play with Jane.  The difference is that Mashburn/RJ had met Jane and acquired a taste for playing risky games.

Second, when Mashburn returns in Red Hot, he at first pretends not to remember Lisbon's name and Jane has to remind him with "Agent Lisbon."  Later when he's stepping into the room with the bomb, he steps out again and suggests that he and Lisbon should get together, calling her Teresa.  Mashburn/RJ would have tried to throw Jane off guard by looking like he'd forgotten Lisbon when RJ obviously would know a lot about Jane's team.  I think that Mashburn/RJ somehow guessed that there was a bomb and had to quickly invent an excuse for stepping back outside.  Mashburn is very familiar with bombs (starting making small ones in Reform School) as is RJ who presumably made the jacket bombs that were used in the first part of Strawberries and Cream (S3 final).  Mashburn could have guessed Yuri would try something like that (which is why he took the opportunity to get Jane/Lisbon on the case), smelled or noticed something in the office that meant bomb, or read Yuri's anxiety about the bomb.  What I'm saying is that RJ/Mashburn pretended not to know Lisbon but stopped that pretension as a way to get out of the room. 

Third, Mashburn took the time to flirt with Lisbon and he even slept with her.  RJ would have known how risky it was that he had actually met Jane so I believe that to throw any suspician off of himself, RJ/Mashburn developed a relationship with Lisbon in Red Hot and then ordered O'Laughlin to kill Hightower, Lisbon, and others in S3 final and tried to get Jane to kill Lisbon in S4 final.  RJ is very clever.  He is clever enough to throw suspicion off of himself by liking Lisbon as Mashburn and nearly getting her killed as RJ.  That would throw off Jane's suspicion.  Also note that Mashburn is the only suspect with the same power of seduction that RJ has shown in seducing women over to his side and inspiring trust.

Fourth, in Red Hot, Mashburn stops Else from stabbing Lisbon with a knife.  After Lisbon arrests Else and leaves, Mashburn holds the knife naturally in his left hand.  I think most people would put a knife down immediently but Mashburn naturally lets it rest in his left hand - most people think RJ is left handed.  I think Mashburn is the only suspect that we've seen holding a knife. 

These are just observations that support my theory which can be looked up on the website.  Thoughts?

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Theory #1470 • By Sfgiants116
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Been rockn with this show since day 1. For some reason I think it's Lisbon

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I think that that the show will continue progressing in a slooooow way like it has been happening last seasons.

1 out of 8 episodes continue with the RJ story and the others are just random non interesting cases.

I have been thinking and untill the end of the show it last season 4 finale and the hole 5 season, so I amagine that season 4 finale would make thinks a little bit more confusing instead of easier in order to have enough elements for the 5 season.

I predict that the end of the story will be simple. I can't imagine a "super tricky i cant believe it" ending like RJ being PJ or similiar. I think that it is going to be 1 person that we know and that we wouldn't believe it's him.

So how would the story progress in this chapters? I think that a lot of old characters will appear again in orther to make the decition more difficult, so Mashburn will come back, Lorelei, Kristina, Rosalind... And a lot of non story episodes too till the season 5 finale that I imagine will be hurried and dissapointing for us with many things without explanation.

That's my opinion floks :)

My choice? Mashburn, for me he is the character with more posibilities. Second choice Minelli and Third Rosalind. I think that Van Pelt won't be involve but they will make us think that she is. 

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I'm not sure who RJ is but I wish people would stop accusing every middle aged man who is seen in the distant background.

Nothing is for sure but these people are most likely not RJ.

Robert Kirkland: Are people really that naive that the believe that RJ's identity would be made that obvious.

Ray Haffner: Again, it is way too obvious. I dont doubt that he has something to do with RJ though.

Brenda Shettrick: Fist off, RJ is probably a man. Secondly, she did not seem comforable in helping Volker locate that little boy.

Bret Stiles: He is too old. I think he knows something but not what evrybody is assuming. Remember that episode where that guy at Visualize killed that girl. Stiles slapped him for it.

Craig O'Laughlin: He's DEAD.

Dr. Steiner: Also Dead.

Grace Van Pelt: Saying that she has red hair is not a legitimate clue. Anyway she is too young.

J.J Laroche: He's to slow and monotone to be RJ. He has a secret, but its one that he thinks Jane knows. When he found out Jane "knew" his secret, he gave into Jane's demands. RJ would not do that.

Kimball Cho: Let's get real here. This is cho. He is too Cho-like to be RJ. Also he was there when RJ killed Rebecca. (and it was probably RJ himself who killed Rebecca based on the Joyful expression on her face when she saw him.

Lorelei Martins: It wouldn't make any sense for her be RJ.

Luther Wainright: Dead as well. Let's stop accusing the dead shall we.

Patrick Jane: He does not have multiple personality disorder. It wouldn't make sense for him to be RJ either.

Sam Bosco: He's Dead

Summer Edgecombe: She has nothing to do with the RJ case.

Susan Darcy: She could have something to do with the case but she is not RJ.

Teresa Lisbon: There are many reasons. She is a girl, she was in the cellar when RJ was watching, etc.

Wayne Rigsby: RJ is a controling narcissist. He could never be as silly and sweet as Rigsby is.

Personally i think that evrything Rosalind Harker says is a load of crap. I think she is more evil than we are led to believe.

Also Rosalind Harker... Dean Harker... Perhaps there is some relation... they do both have Red Hair.

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