This is my thought process:


I’ve held back from sharing any theories for a long while, but my confidence has firmed since reading the US TV Guide feature review (of episodes 7 and 8) , which confirmed (as much as anything can be) two “facts” neither of which I’d have believed before reading it.

1. Red John really is one of the seven on the list.
2. RJ headed the TT organisation.

The writer of the article interviewed and quoted the actor playing RJ so obviously knows more than we do, and the article states both of the above as fact, not suggestion and not with any vagueness to it. So the above points would either be true, or would need to be intentionally false, with the author’s knowledge (which is unlikely). 


Coupling with the above, I’ve made some assumptions:

1. All candidates cast into suspicion via the pathetically obvious phobia clues will not be red john. It would be below the show for this “clue” to be attached to the person who ends up being Red John. This is the most important plot resolution of the series and will ultimately define how its remembered. I’m counting on the writers to know using this as “ammo” to point to the real RJ would cement the show as mediocre and unworthy of us ever having watched it. This eliminates Haffner, Smith and McAllister.

2. Bret Stiles comment to Patrick Jane: “Trust me Patrick. I know so much more than you or Red John could ever imagine” is genuine. Stiles regards both Jane and Red John as beneath him and is not RJ. He knows RJ, and is probably tied to him in some way, but he’s not the man. (He would have been great though)

3. In hearing Janes plot in 6x06 Bertram’s first instinct is to make a call to share his information. If RJ is the leader of this group (as confirmed), then he is the likely recipient of the call. This rules Bertram out. 


So far this rules out all 5 in the room in 6x06. I don’t think any of them is RJ and to be honest I can’t think of a way any of the 5 could be justified as RJ that wouldn’t be a weak plotline. 


This leaves the two most unlikely suspects on the list. The dead guys, Partridge and Kirkland(s). 

Michael Kirkland could be RJ. It could be that half the time we see Bob on camera it was really Michael. Or its possible we’ve seen Michael once or even never, and that he shook hands with Patrick a long time ago in the Carnival days rather than on camera. I can see a few holes in the Kirkland theory, and a degree of lameness about the twin plotline.

E.G I don’t believe both Kirklands were both roaming around CBI offices interacting with people, all the while with BK looking for MK. My gut feel is Kirkland2 is either dead (a total red herring), or will be part of the final plot as RJ’s assistant, but not actually the main man. He could have been the guy in 6x01 who drew the smiley face on Lisbon.
I consider him the second most likely on the list. 

Lastly theres Partridge.
He’s someone I didn’t want to believe as RJ mainly because I couldn’t think of a way past the corny “I’m not really dead” storyline that wouldn’t disappoint me greatly, and because I disagreed with a lot of the rationale others used to suspect him. But if Partridge is RJ, and (as confirmed above) Red John is the head of TygerTyger, and we saw even the random prison guard willing to partake in a TT cover up, the chance that this death “stunt” could somehow get past everyone (except Jane) increases.  And I think it becomes further of a possibility if Patrick Jane already knows Partridge is the man. This line of thought is not rock solid, but it would be fairly consistent with the show’s modus operandi for PJ to know who the bad guy is early in the piece, and for everything he does afterwards to be an elaborate misdirection to lure the real killer out.  


I’m not that happy with this if it were right (I prefer RJ to emerge as an unknown from the shadows) but it would be neat enough and somewhat satisfying, and a lot better than him being any of the 4 live guys on the list who aren’t Stiles. And it being him would lead me to re-watch the show from the start knowing who RJ is.


Some loose ends I’m still pondering:
1. How did RJ get the 7 names?
2. Why would Kirkland kill Jason Lennon? If its Bob why isn’t he asking more questions, and whats with him talking as if he is being a friend. If its actually Michael why would he care if Lennon recognised him and he was already going to kill him?
3. Why Hightower?
4. Will the phobia clue be a complete red herring (as it has been so far), or will it actually play a key role in the way Jane eventually cleverly traps and beats Red John?

Thanks for reading! :)

I am little bit confused right here...in the promo for the next episode rigsby says Red John brought the bomb to kill Jane and other suspects but in that magazine article that contains newest spoilers it says Red John wants Jane´s friendship and attention,so if you want someone´s friendship and attention you dont bring a bomb which can possibly kill that person...I am affraid this whole story line is a little bit rushed to its conclusion so we find a lot of confusing facts,that is probably why most people are disapointed at this moment,we have always got some little pieces by each season of Red John and tried to put the pieces together but now there is so many clues and misdirections,it just seems rushed.

Hey people!

I'd like to put my finger on some misguided thoughts that some of the posters display here:

1- RJ's voice being very similar (and to some, the same as) to Partridge. Yes, we have all figured that out with our medium brains and Jane being (at least presented to be) "a master in details" have not. Wouldn't that be stupid? I mean, this show is based on PJ hunting down several murderers (and also red john) by figuring out such small/hidden details when the others keep staring like monkeys? If it wasn't the voice but a scent or parfume, maybe you can't accuse someone in particular because there might be many people out there to wear it. But voice? C'mon...

2- People accusing Bertram, Haffner, Smith, Mc Allister, etc. (the whole lis7) are blind enough to see that this show has never given us what's coming before it actually comes? I mean for some cases, I pointed right to the possible killer(s) but it was nothing than a hunch/instinct/wild guess. It was never a reasonable deduction/induction from my side. So, I do not believe that Red John can be identified so easily by the given hints (red herrings) about all those suspects. The key here is to keep us unsuspected about the one to be revealed soon. People may say that Heller said in an interview that the audience will be disappointed about the identity of Red John. Yes, correct... but if you read that interview thoroughly, you will see what he actually means. He says that when such a criminal is hidden from sight for the whole show, every single person creates a superior image of the villain in his/her mind and seeing him in flesh and bone finally, never meets your expectations because your imagination has put him in a higher ground already. This is why we'll be disappointed. Whoever RJ is, we will be disappointed. This is what he means. Of course, we will have some kind of closure in our minds but our super-villain will still look a little plain no matter how well the actor plays him. 

For me, either RJ will turn out to be none of the LIS7, or there will be a HUGE twist on the identity of one of those guys. Otherwise, the whole show goes to trash. Tell me if I'm wrong... Thanks for reading!

I think the whole show is about PJ being smarter tha everyone else. The thing is that, as far as we know, RJ is prooving to be the mastermind of the show, so even if PJ unmasks one of these 3 suspects I would still have the feeling that RJ is the smartest one.

In my opinion, for the show to be complete, PJ needs to set up RJ before catching him up, not just gathering the 5 suspects in a room, because anyone could do that. So I think PJ clearly knows none of the 5 suspects is RJ, and the whole bomb thing is part of PJ plan to set up RJ.