The latest theories about Red John's identity (page 205)

By the end of The Mentalist's Season 5 finale, viewers will finally know Red John's real name.

On Sunday's episode (10/9c, CBS), Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) narrows down his list of suspects to seven people. And despite the twists and tricks of the past (remember Bradley Whitford as Red John?), creator and executive producer Bruno Heller insists that one of the names on Jane's list is indeed his serial-killing nemesis.

"The cards are up on the table and they're the real cards," Heller tells TVGuide.com. "There is no sort of double twist. There's no more messing around.We've been through all the twists and turns of plot, and we're now getting to the truth. Only the truth gets revealed from now on in."

So, how well do we know the seven possible suspects? "You will recognize some of the names," Heller says. "Some will be obscure, some will be very well-known. But they're all legitimate suspects, and next season we will have to work out which one is the real guy. But under a great deal of pressure, that will be revealed at the end of this episode."

Indeed, just as Jane thinks he's closing in, Red John strikes out against someone from Jane's past. And the move is baffling to Jane. "It's someone Red John couldn't possibly know is connected to Jane," Heller says. "So, just when Jane thinks he is finally one step ahead, Red John is still on top. He doesn't turn things around to make Jane realize what he's learned is wrong, but it appears almost magical."

Speaking of magic, Emmanuelle Chriqui will reprise her role as Lorelei Martins, who was last seen dead at the hands of Red John. "It's not a flashback, a typo or a mystical thing," Heller says with a laugh. "You'll have to work out what other alternatives are left. It's a surprise, and it's a good one."

Also surprising: the shocking way in which the list of seven names is ultimately revealed. And while Red John won't be caught in the finale, Heller promises that the story is growing much closer to its conclusion.

"This is the final chase," Heller says. "We will know who Red John is and we will catch him next season. Everything that has happened over ther past five years will come to a head, and things will change drastically. This is the biggest finale in terms of game-changing and setting up for the last act of the Red John saga. This is as definitive and revolutionary as you can get."

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I believe Jane is saying he had list to bring out red John. He feeding people false info to see who gets it. He tells people he has list and he's narrowed it down. I believe jane played red john to get the list from him. About memory Jane had break down and was just getting out of hospital season one . So his doctor knew and Jane . You can drive your self nuts on this.

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Theory #2555 • By breannaa

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Interesting thing about the name Ray...it only takes one letter change to make it Roy.

(I am holding out hope that Luther Wainwright's death was faked; this is my backup suspect)

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First off I should note after the recent finale where Jayne revealed the seven people he had narrowed down the list to that I am assuming the writers are not going to dick us around too much and Red John is either Jayne himself, one of these seven, or a combination of these suspects.

We know Red John does not actually have psychic powers so I would like to think Jayne is finally being clever when it comes to Red John and is one step ahead of him. It would appear that the only way Red John could have predicted those seven suspects is from when Bob Kirkland had his people copy the notes from his loft. I doubt Kirkland himself is Red John but it is obvious he is connected to Red John in some way. I think Jayne has a plan now and knows more about who is Red John then he is letting on, leaking the info to Red John to let him feel clever and think he is still one step ahead. This would explain how he knows the seven suspects but it is still unclear about the whole "happy memory" thing but likely Jayne leaked that somehow too....

The other explanation how Red John knew the suspects and the happy memory is that Jayne is actually Red John and does not know it. Personally I really don't think this is the case but really the writers could do this if they want to be dicks...

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Don't loose hope my friend i also wanted walter to be at leat considered
to be rj...if in fact what you say is true that heller said that rj is
on the list...then by all means that may be true..you just have to pay
attention..i don't know which list you or heller were talking about,the
30 suspects or the 7 suspects...in my theory anybody not on the 7
suspects list could be rj...patrick planted the evidence found in the
episode were he used the toothpick..so kirkland fell into patrick's
trap...so he knows whoever broke into the room would tell rj..is only a
matter of time befores he finds out it was kirkland and i bet he get
kills next season so jane looks to be one step ahead of rj.also remember
that jane has been been burning rj files a few times so he kept only
what he wanted to keep and burned the important ones in order to throw
some people off. so in other words i don't believe rj is on the 7
suspects and patrick knows it...jane planted this evidence thinking that
rj would find it somehow..so rj is going to start killing more people
more often..WHY??...because he is feeling very confident right about
now,,,because he thinks jane doesn't suspect him because he is not on
the list when in fact jane already knows that but rj doesn't know so
jane is in fact is one step ahead....

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I have suspected Luther Wainwright since the end of his first episode on the show. All it took was this look on his face as he walked away from Lisbon, something about it sent the unintentional thought through my head: "oh my gosh, he's Red John." which sent me back to his conversation with Jane the minute before. After that, the thought would not leave me mind. Through the rest of the season my eyes were opened up to little hints here and there and I can honestly say that having his character killed off was almost physically painful because I was so sure. I would like to hold out hope that my gut instincts were correct and that Red John pulled off a clever trick to fake his death.

If I was indeed wrong, I have chosen two of the final seven to be the other possibilities. They are Ray Haffner and Brett Partridge. Brett seems to be a popular one on here so if it isn't Luther it may not be him either (the popular ones always seem to be the least likely). Unfortunately, I lost my enthusiasm for figuring out who Red John is when the show appeared to have killed off Luther because I honestly and truly felt and believed that it was him (which is why I hold out the hope that it is) but I'm going to try and at least keep my theory peddling mind at work this coming season.

I have no real foundation for my accusations of the other two. I looked at them and I felt they were the right suspects to pick. Maybe my gut was wrong about Luther but it could be right about Ray or Brett; my gut is not wrong very often (which could be the problem...the writers on the show might be a bunch of people exactly like me trying to mess up and confuse other people like them/me).

One thing I know for sure is that it is NOT Kirkland. That would be far too obvious and when he killed that guy in the hospital, he asked if he knew who he was before killing him. I distinctly remember that guy saying he knew who Red John was and he said he didn't know Kirkland. Would I be surprised if Kirkland was a friend of Red John's? Heck no. In fact I am pretty sure he is because why else would you kill a suspect who knew the killer's identity? I think he asked if he knew him simply to make sure that his connection to Red John had not been exposed to "underlings" because that could ruin him. I also have serious doubts about Stiles, don't think it's him either. Bertram...nah. I am not feeling that one. I doubt it's the sheriff and no idea about Smith but still thinking no on both.

I say it's Wainwright. I want it to be Wainwright. I will be sad to finally see my theory (which I spent months building last season) laid to rest if I am wrong (which is likely) but I think having Ray or Brett turn out to be Red John would soften the blow a bit because their not too disappointing as far as suspects go.

Side not: Interesting thing about the name Ray...it only takes one letter change to make it Roy.

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I just wanted to say that given red john's technological prowess, isn't it possible that he could have recorded a longer video with Lorelei reading more names and then edited it or adjusted it based on Kirkland's research? Timeline-wise, Kirkand's research is after Lorelei's death (therefore the video recording as well) but as he is obviously in the thick of this somehow (although I don't think he is RJ because he has had too much camera time recently) that research must have had significance to RJ, if not for the video then most likely to figure out how long it would take Patrick to come to the conclusion of 7 people based on where he was at the time of Kirkland's photographs, and then plan exactly when to murder Eileen.

Although I also think the Partridge theories are pretty good, and I could definitely see him being like BBC Sherlock's Jim Moriarty.

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