Is it maybe possible that there are 2 red johns? Hear me out...

The real red john has visualize-like followers.
Meaning that they seem brainwashed , they look at red john as a God . They speak as if he is bret styles actually. On a quest of love and stuff like that.
*red john followers commit suicide or happilly get killed after they are caught. They key word is happy. And they never talk. Ever. At most they say tiger tiger and thats it.

Macalister the BA Red john. This guy created a secret society of cops,
Judges, lawyers, and basilly law enforcement. The BA do not seem brainwashed . They have no real doctrine or mission statment. They dont care about "love" at all. They like
money and power and and cover up illegal law rnforcment infractions.
When they get caught they do NOT go easy or happy. They got shot in the back and are told the opposite .
They also talk in more instances of red john followers when pressured by real law enforcement.

*Maybe Macalister used the persona of Red john becuase
1. He thought the real red John was dead
2. He thought the real red john retired(partridge even said
"The real red john hasnt killed in years".
3 He didnt give and shit about the real red john becuase macalisters identity was a secret.
Using serial killer is great distraction to cover up certain murders and stear police in the wrong direction.

**Maybe the real red john has a more "visualize" upbringing.
Maybe he/she hasnt killed in years and is laying low.
The real red john seemed to stear patrick to the BA.
He gave patrick clues which lead to the BA being exposed and taken down.
The real red john was very angry with the BA for using his name and being currupt in general.

I know it sounds crazy but you have to admit there does seem to be a big difference between the red john followers and the BA.
The church scene is a great example:
Cordero is BA and that crazy lady was a typical red john follower.
Macalister didn't seem to know she was even there .

I'm french, so sorry for my bad english. But watch you season 6 part 8 time 36 min and surprise a ghost!

One simple question: BH stated that we would see a small glimpse of RJ in the season 3 finale. IF he already knew back then who RJ is, where the hell is a clue that leads to McAllister?

I watched part 1 and 2 of Strawberries and Cream several times and didn't notice anything. Pleas tell me if I missed something.

This is the only website where I really see people disliking the New Beginning. Everywhere else I go, most people seem to like it and are relieved the Red John story is over.

In my opinion one can't solely or 100% rely on footage from the show to form a theory. The footage contained within the series is always prone to continuity mistakes (which is why a continuity person is employed for all shows and films). Even so, many continuity mistakes persist nonetheless, and many more can crop up in the editing process as one of multiple takes of a shot is cut together with one of multiple takes of another shot where body position, props, and performance are not fully in sync despite best efforts.

Shows are victim to the writing and producing process, with many factors such as studio pressure and other projects affecting decisions (read: Heller's new show 'Gotham'). Within the canon of the show - the most logical explanation may be that Sheriff McCallister is a decoy, however, in reality we may just be seeing signs of a poorly tied up ending by a writer who cares more for providing what he deems the right thematic ending, at the expense of one that fits with the clues (which are often written in before the writers they decide how they will fit in later seasons -- remember the identity of Red John was only decided on by Heller during season 4 or 5 according to interviews).

Heller AND Baker have both confirmed in interviews that the plan was to tie up the plot and reveal Red John for fans before the show went off air and was at risk of not being picked up for another season, while also to use the latter half of the season to setup a new direction that would give the show the best chance of being be picked up again. 

Having seen great writers and producers ruin the endings of two iconic shows: Lost (of which most clues were ignored completely or were ret-conned) and Dexter (whose characters were bent into actions inconsistent with their fictional selves in order to service the writers thematic ending to the show), I wont be surprised if this is indeed the end of Red John.

One thing I would like to note however that I havn't heard anyone mention yet (possibly because I am mistaken - please correct me if I am) is that Lorelei tells Patrick about shaking hands with Red John BEFORE they get to the house in the woods where Patrick crashes the Jeep. After Patrick wakes from his concussion he sees Kirkland for the first time. If this is indeed the case, then how can Patrick put Kirkland on his shortlist?

What does everyone else think?

there's so much they haven't shown us  like what happened before the explosion or what Jane was really doing during the two year time jump and why he is really coming back to work for the FBI                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Jane and Lisbon walk into Abbott's office and find Abbott, Fisher, and Whyle  slaughtered   blood everywhere  RJ smiley face on the wall RJ music plays   season 6 ends          Everyone would go fuckin bonkers                         I hope Heller and Simon Baker are using A NEW BEGINNING as a long con on the audience   giving interviews with their fingers crossed behind their backs   knowing they are going to give the audience a huge suprise and one of the best moments of the series