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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Just a question...Heller said that we can trust the list; does anyone remember if he said RJ is on the list? Thank you.

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I think I know how Red John knew the list before Jane...
It's quite a simple and obvious theory but think about it, maybe it's easier then we think.
So, here is the thing: Red John know that Jane is a mentalist (freaking smart).

OK, so he would assume that if Jane is doing a list he would check every aspect of each suspect, that include the time to do the killings and stuff.
So if Red John knows that Jane is really that smart and all, he would guess right the list if he just listed the people close to him, his connections, his ''friends'' or ''tools'' whatever you like, simply because he wouldn't underestimate Jane.

Well I think it's pretty much it, the only thing I could guess about this subject, what do you guys think?

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I honestly think Patrick Jane could be Red john, after all, he knew one of his happiest thoughts, the suspects before jane talked about the, etc. After all, we've never seen Red John's face, and if we did how would we know this was Red John. Like the person Timothy at the mall, and a bunch of other people.

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22 September 2011 is the date Episode 1 of Season 4 aired. (http://epguides.com/Mentalist/)
16 September 2011 is the date that Mentalist Writers said "Yes, Red John has been visible in prior Episodes. You've got to look for him like Waldo" (https://twitter.com/mentalistwriter/status/114530384280158208)

This means that we have actually seen RJ before season 4 started. We know that RJ is one of the seven names in the announced list.

First Apperances (Season x Episode)
--------------------------
Bob Kirkland 5x5
Brett Partridge 1x1
Ray Haffner 4x2
Reede Smith 5x1
Gale Bertram 3x1
Bret Stiles 2x20
Thomas McAllister 1x2

We have 4 suspects. Brett Partridge is dead, down to 3.

Sophie Miller says RJ is middle aged, and the priest that worked in barn backs this. Bret Stiles is out, down to 2.

RJ is either Gale Bertram or Thomas McAllister.


Story-wise, due to season 3 finale, I really think RJ should be Gale Bertram, but it seems like Thomas is Red John. When we look at Season 1, 2 and 3 as a whole, Thomas McAllister is the Waldo, not Bertram. Thomas is lost among many characters, and fits the statement perfectly.

I am really unhappy with this result, but taking the statements into account, Thomas McAllister is RJ. If RJ turns out to be Bertram, then the Waldo statement is wrong. If Bret Stiles is RJ, then we are fooled by Sophie Miller and priest. And if any other person is RJ, then we are fooled by official Mentalist twitter account, Heller and CBS. 


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We tend to think of Red John as a serial killer, who also has a cult of followers associated with him.  What if that's backward from the way we *should* be looking at him?

What if we should think of him primarily as a cult leader, who also has a string of killings associated with him?

Is it possible that Red John is more puppet master than slasher?  What if the killings (or most of the killings), and the other "legwork" involved in being Red John (possibly including things like having a relationship with Rosalind Harker or visiting Sophie Miller), are actually carried out by his "disciples" (via manipulation, coercion, enticement, or even hypnosis)?

I think this scenario has the advantages of both the "Red John is a group" and the "Red John is one person" theories.  Yes, a group is involved in "being" Red John -- and actually, that's something we've all pretty much accepted, but maybe just stopped short of thinking that the underlings could have been the ones performing the killings themselves (in at least some cases).  But only one person is the one calling the shots.  Only one person is "really" Red John.

So maybe (for example) Timothy Carter could tell Patrick what his wife and daughter smelled like, because maybe Carter was the person who actually killed them, but did so under the control of Red John.  Perhaps he was Red John's "murder weapon," if you will.

When you think of it in this light, many of the supporting details for some of the other suspects fade away (age, height, etc.), and Bret Stiles starts looking an awful lot more feasible.  He certainly has the money to fund such an operation, and knowledge of the mental manipulation and domination required to carry it out...

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Asking for help here:

I was just watching the pilot episode and in the very opening scene when they're walking to the crime scene, Jane looks at the dead body being wheeled out and the camera lingers on the arm(which bears a tattoo of a skull that may be dressed as the grim reaper) of one of people working for the coroner's office. It's probably just a red herring but considering that Heller has stated that Red John is like a Where's Waldo and perhaps someone that's been there from the beginning, it's noteable. Anyone think this guy resembles anyone else we've seen? At first, I thought it might be Partridge but this guy has shorter hair and seems slightly taller


























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WITH THE FINAL CLUE
IN HAND, JANE
ATTEMPTS TO GATHER
THE REMAINING RED
JOHN SUSPECTS IN ONE
PLACE IN HOPES OF
FINALLY REVEALING HIS
IDENTITY, ON “THE
MENTALIST,” AT A
SPECIAL TIME, SUNDAY,
NOV. 3
Michael Gaston Returns
as CBI Director Gale
Bertram
Malcolm McDowell
Returns as Bret Stiles
Drew Powell Returns as
FBI Agent Reede Smith
Reed Diamond Returns
as Ray Haffner
Xander Berkeley Returns
as Sheriff Thomas
McAllister
“Fire and Brimstone” —
With the final clue in
hand, Jane attempts to
gather the remaining
Red John suspects in
one place in hopes of
finally revealing his
identity, on THE
MENTALIST, at a special
time, Sunday, Nov. 3
(10:30-11:30 PM, ET/CT,
10:00–11:00 PM, PT) on
the CBS Television
Network.
CHEAT TWEET: Eeny
Meeny Miny Mo! Jane
gathers all the #
RedJohn suspects in one
place. #WhatWillJaneDo
#TheMentalist 11/3
http://bit.ly/16ebZ3a
SERIES REGULARS:
Simon Baker (Patrick
Jane)
Robin Tunney (Teresa
Lisbon)
Tim Kang (Kimball Cho)
Owain Yeoman (Wayne
Rigsby)
Amanda Righetti (Grace
Van Pelt)
GUEST STARS:
Michael Gaston (Gale
Bertram)
Malcolm McDowell (Bret
Stiles)
Drew Powell (Reede
Smith)
Reed Diamond (Ray
Haffner)
Xander Berkeley (Sheriff
Thomas McAllister)
Robert Picardo (Jason
Cooper)
Bobby Hosea (Joe
Lamotte)
Russell Thomas (FBI
Agent)
Emily Davenport
(Visualize Disciple)
Brennan Feonix
(Motorist)
Steve Bethers (Good Old
Boy)
Peyton McCormick
(Disciple #1)
Ana Isabel Mercardo
(Disciple #2)
WRITTEN BY: Ken
Woodruff
DIRECTED BY: John
Showalter
Source: CBS

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