After my feelings of anger, betrayal, disappointment & frustration went away I took a step back, and thought about some things ... before you read remember that we know almost as fact that Red John has previously sought out Patrick through other people, smiley faces & telephones. For example: Lorelei Martins, the Red John proxy in "Strawberries & Cream II", countless murders (smiley faces), the limousine call, the call while painting Lisbon's face & the ONE time he went to Patrick in person Patrick was helplessly wrapped up on a chair and Red John wore a robe and a mask.

In "The Grest Red Dragon" episode Gale Bertrum looks at the TV while he is on the run in the bar when Patrick reveals to the press that he is Red John and he has a very specific face ... know what that face is ... "Aw hell here we go I have to play Red John" ... stab stab stab stab. Like it is an assumed duty by the loyal high up foot soldiers of the Blake Association.

In the "Red John" episode the Sheriff uses the RJ voice. He did but Gale Bertrum said on the phone ...

"Hello Patrick, I don't have to use a funny voice right? You know who this is" ... 

Playing Red John ... he thinks he is supposed to play Red John ... another line by Gale Bertrum

"Yeah but if we talked on the phone then you probably wouldn't have come to meet me would you? ... and I was told to call you, tell you THE GAMES OVER and arrange a meeting"

Obviously Bertrum was given different instructions as he immediately says in the church that he is not Red John. He almost seems relieved and thinking he is going to live ... dummy "Heeeeeyyyy"

You mean to tell me Red John's plan was to have someone else be Red John? Gale Bertrum seemed to think so originally ... In case you didn't notice he was told to say "The games over" ... A member of the Blake Association was told to say "the games over". You might say ... yeah Red John shows up himself, kills Bertrum the lowly foot soldier and says "Games over I won" himself  ... Absolutely not ... 

Enter Red John proxy Sheriff Thomas McAllister ... a recurring theme and a proven method utilized by Red John

McAllister is sent by Red John to be an actor just like the man in "Strawberries & Cream II". Just like the man in the mall, being so convincing and telling Jane what his daughter's hair smells like McAllister is convincing and uses the voice and expresses some other information ..... then ....

McAllister gets surprised by a bird (anybody would in that situation), gets shot, gets scared, runs for his life through houses & glass (messy as all hell), calls 911, begs for his life and says he has real psychic powers in one last attempt to save his life ... not Red John (I kind of felt bad for McAllister actually ... all scared in his last breath trying to beg for mercy from Patrick).

You mean to tell me that was Red John? The guy who was chillin in Bertrum's office with Bertrum and Reede Smith chit chatting with two guys he doesn't respect enough to keep alive? That was the manipulative master mind that never exposes himself to Patrick unless Patrick picks the place and bring a gun?

The Mall: Planned location that Patrick brings a gun to in anticipation of Red John
The Man: Seeks out the mall by choice as a Red John proxy (instructed by Red John), proves he is RJ & gets killed

The Church: Planned location that Patrick brings a gun to in anticipation of Red John
Sheriff McAllister: Seeks out the mall by choice as a Red John proxy (instructed by Red John), proves he is RJ & gets killed

Red John is a neat, organized, manipulative, criminal mastermind and he would never put himself at risk by chosing to go to a place that Patrick knew about first and then get killed. Patrick has never actually caught Red John OR his proxies he has been sought out in person by ONLY Red John proxies.

Red John is doing two things

1. Protecting himself - he is not stupid as both proxies appeared to be (somewhat) but they were loyal to Red John and very good actors.
2. Turning Jane into a serial killer - His manipulations take on different kinds of genius with a man like Patrick Jane. He wants to be friends with him ... he could have killed him at any time but instead he sends loyal proxy actors to Patrick and before you know it Patrick adds to his vengeful murderous spree

Hit Green if you plan on seeing another smiley face sometime soon
Hit Red if you think Bruno just whiffed on the most pivotal episode of his masterpiece

Guys we still have most of the season left to answer questions ! The mentalist always has two season finale type big episodes , and sometimes more . We just had the mid season finale and well get another one. Maybe it wont be about the DEAD red john but it could be a cooler story. Lets face it, rj was played out . Heller admitted he didmt know who rj was till recently so there is no explaining anything really ! There is nothing to say becuase all the old clues were just ploys to make is watch the show .

The problem with the Red John episode is fans of the show care about the clues and want answers to certain questions, i.e. He is Mar, what happened to Kristina Frye, Rosalind Harker description of Red John, Sophie Millers description of Red John but Patrick Jane doesn't care, he found Red John and killed him, like he said he was going to do.

So the show couldn't reconcile what the fans wanted and what Jane wanted (or didn't want, for example he doesn't care how Red John knew his list of 7 suspects). 

So the show pulled itself apart in my opinion.

As far as Xander Berkeley, he's a good actor, he would have been a great Red John 10 years ago when he was playing George Mason on 24, Sophie Miller described RJ as middle aged, I think 57 is a bit old, mid 40's would have worked better for me, but here I am speaking as a fan, and Patrick Jane doesn't care how old RJ is.

I did like the way he killed RJ, could have lead to the moment a little better but I'll forgive it that.   

The last five seasons have shown an empty Jane looking to solve an intense mystery with clever plotlines and clues that left us satisfied; then, in one episode, Heller took our satisfaction and gave it to Jane while leaving us with his former emptiness and unsanswered questions.  Jane was tormented by the unknown, now we are, thanks Bruno!

People are saying that average mentalist viewers are unable to process facts and don't have the attention span to take in background stories. One popular thread even wildly extrapolates that the people dissatisfied with the resolution amount to a few thousand fans. I think the only people who have ever watched the show that were satisfied are probably reliant on the Mentalist for income or related to Bruno Heller in some way.

Really, every non-Red John episode starts with a crime, builds a list of suspects, and eventually Jane figures out the suspect, lays a trap, and explains how he figured out the killer, how he laid the trap, and how the important clues are connected.

The only storyline that abandons the second half of the formula is MOST IMPORTANT STORYLINE IN THE ENTIRE SERIES. It would be like if every episode ended with Jane just bringing together the suspects, pointing, and saying "That one did it," then with no further explanation the credits role.

The major "clues" from past seasons are not wrapped up or addressed in any way to explain the connection to Visualize, "he is mar," what happened to Kristina Frye, how he knew the list, how he developed the loyalty of the non-law enforcement followers who were willing to die for him.

For those that say abandoning those storylines is justified so new viewers can follow along. Why did they include minor, one appearance characters (like McAllister) in the list? If they can handle entire new storylines around obscure characters, they can handle a couple of flashbacks and references that are set up to make sense to them and satisfy more committed viewers.

We've already had one person say he was Red John and not be, how are we supposed to believe McAllister is Red John just because he says he is. Why would Red John finally choose to reveal himself in a place he didn't control and allow Patrick to set him up for what was obviously going to be a trick.

This is the only incomplete storyline and there is nothing to satisfy, even an occasional viewer, that McAllister was cunning, charming, or capable enough to lead both a vast law enforcement conspiracy and a vast network of blindly loyal men and women to do his bidding and even die for him without a second thought.

This could always be dealt with in 1-2 episodes or interleaved through several with flashbacks, references between similar new cases, etc which would leave committed fans satisfied and casual fans not confused.  I wouldn't be so upset with the episode or the wasted time on chases, etc, if Heller hadn't so resolutely stated that he would not be explaining or revisiting any of these compelling issues. 

Is it too much to ask that the biggest mystery of the series be answered and treated like every other mystery solved in a single episode? I say it is not too much to ask.

I know this wasn't the last episode, but we're you more let down by the Red John reveal or the series finally to Lost?

FROM IMBD
Things we learned from the mentalist
12. When all else fails beg for your life like a little girl.
13, Pigeons can hold their breath for a really long time.
14. Red John ran track before he was shot in the gut.
15. Killing Red John is really homoerotic.
16. The clues don't matter.
Please add more...
17. Blind woman are attracted to Red John.
18.Red John is afraid of tiny dinosaurs
19. Patrick Jane's dry cleaner specializes in getting out bird dropping stains.
20. Lisbon needs to get laid.
21. Mexican homies are mostly likely to give you are ride to cemetery.
22. Pigeons are still the best way to deliver a message.

You guys are acting like this show isnt mad corny sometimes . Remember tommy volker and how that ended ? Him trying to kill a kid in broad daylight at a zoo hahah kristina frye coming back a mute ? Lorelie martins whole story line was horrible . We put this show on a pedestal, thats our failt.