Just some thoughts to share ...

In the first episode of Season 6, when RJ's knife is shown up close, when I first saw it, I thought it reminded me of something, but I could not quite place what it was.  Finally, after pausing the scene, it hit me ... the knife resembles the head of a bird.
 
I found this to be especially interesting, because there are so many references to pigeons in all of the episodes (the pigeons flying out of the room, in the first episode / the women feeding the pigeons in the second episode ... by the way, she was very big for a woman, had red hair, and a large ring ... I personally thought she looked suspicious ... really a man ... listening to Jane and Lisbon's conversation? / .... and then, in the 3rd episode, there was the pigeon flying at Sheriff McAllister).  I cannot quite make the connection of the birds, but somehow they are very significant.  And of course, it is obvious that pigeons and partridges strongly resemble one another.  To some, this might mean that Partridge isn't really dead or that perhaps RJ has a phobia of pigeons.  These could possibly be theories, but it is also possible they mean something else entirely, that the audience simply does not know yet.  Oh, by the way ... Didn't we also see pigeons flying out of the Red Barn in that episode?

I have not been one to think Partridge is alive, but yet, it isn't impossible, given everything we have seen.  In this regard, one thing that is noteworthy is the fact that we do not actually see Partridges' dead body, nor do we see the team attend the funeral, which seems quite unusual, given all of the funerals we have seen them attend.  Also, of interest is Blake's painting "A Brace of Partridge," in that Brace's poem "Tyger Tyger" has been quoted by RJ and his followers.

No matter who RJ turns out to be, I believe Heller will give his audience a lot of drama/intrigue when RJ is finally revealed.  I have no doubt that that there will be many connections revealed, that are not apparent just yet.

The only thing which can be said for sure is that Bruno Heller is good at intriguing people.
I've been reading this web-site for a long while and there've been plenty of different theories, some of which seemed plausible while others didn't.
We all know that according to Bruno Heller there's a big clue in the final sequence of s06e01.
Inspired by the idea of finding out who RJ is, I watched the episode several times.
Honestly speaking, I hope that the clue is not about how many pigeons there were or something like that. That would be very poetic but I guess that the clue is more evident, the problem is that at this stage we don't consider it to be significant.
What do you thing about CBI Ron talking on the phone right at the moment when RJ called Patrick?
I'm not accusing CBI Ron of being RJ - he is not charismatic enough. Doesn't that just seem suspicios to you? If this scene means nothing then why add it?
Let's discuss it? What are your thoughts about the clue in s06e01?

Regarding Sheriff McAllister, just a small point for those focused on a strict interpretation of Loreli's handshake comment:

Isn't playing rock-paper-scissors essentially "handshaking?" In fact, given the playful nature of the Jane-RJ relationship, in story-telling terms, isn't this better than a formal handshaking?

In other words, doesn't the fact that McAllister and Jane played rock-paper-scissors say something even more telling than if they were to "shake" hands as normal people would?

And to those who will point out that Jane beat McAllister every time, isn't losing (and therefore seeming less than cunning) a great first move on RJ's part?

Just a few things to think about. Hope all of you are well.

Do you have any
Mentalist scoop? –
Shena
I just screened this
Sunday’s episode, and it
moves along the Red John
hunt in some verrrrrry
interesting ways. For one,
there’s an edge-of-your-
seat tete-a-tete between
Homeland’s Bob Kirkland
and FBI agent Reede Smith.
You’ll also learn that two
people from Jane’s past
have recently died. And
you’ll hear, “Tiger, Tiger”
uttered several times.
We’re shocked by the
title of The Mentalist
episode 6.09, “My
Blue Heaven.” Any
idea what’s going on
in this episode? And
why no RED in the
title? –Mila
I’m just spitballing, but I’d
take the change in colors
to suggest that Red John
will not be an issue by
then…? P.S. Lest you think
Jane’s soon entering his
“blue” period, Episode 10
– in which we meet a
gung-ho new tech analyst
named Jason — is titled
“Green Thumb.” Maybe
they’re saving periwinkle
for February sweeps?
P.P.S. Shouldn’t the first
episode after RJ is nabbed
be titled “Orange You Glad
We Caught Him”?

My theory is that Bob is killing the people on the fake list, believing one of them to be RJ, and once he gets wind that the list is fake, he kidnaps PJ in order to try and get the real list. Realising his career is pretty much over, he goes all out to get the list, comes close to killing PJ, but at the last minute, the real RJ comes in, kills Bob, saves Patrick, much like Red Sky in the Morning, but this time, he doesn't speak or uses a different voice, something that would throw the viewer off. Either that or pigeons will somehow feature again.

Kirkland it would appear is out to get RJ, but in a far more aggressive fashion than the CBI, which suggests a personal reason, much like Patrick. My theory is that RJ killed a relative of Kirkland, and it's taken him this long to gather information, and unluckily for him, he's probably going to meet his end at the hands of  the real RJ, much like Lorelei Martins did on her revenge quest.