The reason I follow the Mentalist (aside from how legendary Patrick Jane is), is because from the very first episode, Bruno Heller has said he has always known how the final episode of the show would transpire. He said at the very beginning that Jane vs Red John is the overarching storyline and this would not come to a close until the very final chapter of the show. Therefore I am very confident that he has planned pretty much every Red John related episode with knowledge of who Red John is from the outset, just as we know who Jane is. And I firmly believe Simon Baker knows who Red John is, and has known this from when he was approached with the script and signed on to play Patrick Jane. For me, Red John's significance would dwindle considerably if it turned out to be some random guy/girl we meet later in seasons 3 to 5 (e.g. Reede Smith/Haffner/McAllister etc). And I am convinced directly as a result of that, that the show's significance would dwindle too. Therefore, I am convinced that Red John is someone we have met in the very first episode of the show that both casual and religious followers of the show would remember. However for a show of this type to maintain it's casual followers, said person would need to be a character who is present as little as possible, but just enough for the audience to go recall immediately when Red John is finally revealed to us. The only recurring characters from the first episode, present until even now (in what I am convinced is likely to be the final season of the Mentalist if ratings dip) are: Jane, Lisbon, Cho, Rigsby, Van Pelt, Minelli (though we have not seen him for some time now) and Brett Partridge.
Of these, the character that fits this criterion is Brett Partridge (aside from all the other parameters pointing directly at him - e.g. being the correct age, height, build, the same voice, links within the CBI, morbid fascination with murders and crimes, etc)
I really badly have always wanted the identity of Red John to be Jane, Lisbon, Van Pelt or Cho/Rigsby and for this to be revealed in the very final episode of the entire show after we think the threat of Red John has finally been put to the grave a few episodes earlier. If this were my show, the final scene of the show's finale for me would be when all is supposedly well with "Red John" dead and everyone living happily ever after, us finding out that Jane really was Red John all along and the madness will continue because Jane has (as said in the opening credits of every show in Season 1) been "A Master Manipulator". However, that is just my dark and morbid way of thinking about this - as the boldest TV show in the last decade with the ultimate final twist, going out in a blaze of glory. Unfortunately, Bruno Heller has said a few times now that it is not Jane - therefore this shall reside in my imagination... for now.
However, it is unlikely any TV show will be as bold as that, even one of the calibre of The Mentalist. Additionally, Bruno Heller has said that there will be a little disappointment after we find out who Red John is. After watching S5 finale and S6 premiere closely and repeatedly I am now forced to entertain the most probable alternative -
It is now more clearly obvious than ever that Red John is Brett Partridge...
He "faked" his death very cleverly in front of us and Lisbon in purposefully poor lighting and as she was distracted by that mysterious sink, she was simply swiped from behind by Partridge. It all makes sense. Even if we get to see Partridge's dead body next week, it will only be a very short glimpse. Had Partridge been "killed" off in any other episode than the premiere this season, my theory would have been very poor and I would not be posting this now. The very fact that he has been "killed" off in the season premiere is incredibly telling. Most of us will now forget him completely whilst other suspects/innocents are being murdered and Jane hunts for Lisbon - until the episode we have all been waiting for arrives and Red John is revealed as Partridge, who was alive all along - this is classic storytelling...
The obvious reasons:
1) He was located at the scene of the "anonymous" tip-off on both GPS and in person
2) His presence was extremely notable in both S5 finale and now the premiere
3) This is the perfect Bruno Heller foil - the real Red John would take himself off the list as soon as possible - faking death in the opening episode is the perfect way
Not so obvious but perhaps more pertinent:
1) Remember the show's premiere episode way back in 2008. Where we walk in to the fake Red John murder scene and are introduced to Brett Partridge whom Jane describes as a Ghoul, mentions the classic line "He irks me. He is irksome" and says if he doesn't "get off on fan gory, then I (Jane) am Britney Spears". Remember that demonstration by Partridge of how Red John draws the bloody smiley on the wall? He used his right hand. Now watch the final scene where Lisbon's face is being painted. We are to assume this is Red John wearing a black glove on his right hand, standing to the right of Lisbon's (clearly unconscious only, not dead or bleeding, body) and painting her face with his right hand. In exactly the same way Partridge did it. Please go back and watch how Partridge details the way Red John paints the face. Watch them side by side. The similarity is impossible to ignore.
More to come...
..
U
.
