Hi Mentalist fans!

 



I really love this site and I have been reading
your theories for many months. I never shared my thoughts to you so please give
me the chance to introduce my theory of who is Red John and stick with me
till the last word =)

Let's start with the list of seven final
suspects. I suppose we can trust that list, because it would be stupid
to show the audience two fake lists (Kirkland's
list) and make six episodes about these people with clues etc. and no one of
them is Red John.



Now, we can start to analyze Patrick's
suspects:

 

Brett Partridge wouldn't make a great RJ, because that would
just be another show with a creepy forensics guy as the killer. I don't think
Bruno Heller would create an original story with a usual end. That's why he is
already dead. In addition he never shook hands with PJ. We should have seen the handshake on screen at their first meeting.


Don't get me wrong, I’m sure Jack Plotnick
would play the character of RJ great.

 



Leaving 6 suspects:

Robert "Bob" Kirkland was after RJ like Patrick. He was
shot by Reede Smith because he found out that there is a powerful organization
within the law enforcement. They have shaken hands when they met the first
time. I don't care about his twin brother, because this would be cheap anyway
if it turned out Bob’s brother is RJ. It’s a red herring. It was just a story
that Bob told Patrick and explained why he is even killing people to find RJ.
RJ probably killed his brother.

 



That means only 5 people are leaving.


Reede Smith: I think the only reason he is on the list is
the Tiger Tiger organization that will be important for the story after Red
John is catched. He doesn't fit the description gave by Sophie Miller. Red John
said in the limo (season 4) that he found out about the trick as soon as his
friend with the FBI found out. I don't think he was lying. Another proof is the
murder of Kirkland.
That isn't Red John style. It was all about the TT. No handshake at their first
meeting and he was introduced way too late. There is no option Reede is Red
john.

 



Sheriff Thomas McAllister: He is calm, a little bit creepy,
a hunter. He is a small town sheriff so I can imagine there are ways and means
to “disappear” and live a second life as RJ. He is a little bit too thick.
I don’t think that he has any phobic disorders. I still could imagine him being
RJ, but he hasn’t shaken hands with PJ. I have the feeling that he is just a TT
member and not more.

Gale Bertram: I could imagine him being RJ, but he doesn’t
fit Sophie’s description. He probably is high up in the TT hierarchy and is
trying to catch RJ. Even though we should keep in mind that he actually shook
hands with PJ, quoted William Blake and he really cares about the media and the
other clues you guys posted. I don’t want to repeat.

 



Bret Stiles: He is too old. There are many clues pointing
to him (whistling, the height, charming, powerful etc.), but there is no way he
is RJ. I can imagine that he is a kind of a master for RJ. We also know that he
knows RJ because he told PJ the place where Cristina was and he said that he
knows more than PJ or RJ could ever imagine. I ask myself why the FBI wants his
head now, after 20 years doing not much. Maybe new clues? Maybe it has
something to do with RJ. Reede Smith is an FBI agent and TT member. What if TT
is trying to catch RJ? They found out that Bret knows RJ and protect him so
they want to bust him and force to talk. They suspect RJ being a Visualize
member. BUT there is one problem. Why didn’t Stiles let PJ kill McAllister?
Maybe because that wouldn’t change anything. They are too many.

 


Raymond Ray Haffner: I know we see in many situations Ray acting
weird, even ridiculous, but RJ isn’t a hero. He is just a serial killer with
many followers because of Visualize. He killed PJ family only because he
couldn’t stand being mocked on TV! Remember Panzer? Similar case. Come on guys,
how childish and sick is this?! So don’t expect RJ being superman. This is what
Bruno Heller meant by many people would be disappointed when RJ is revealed. I
have a theory for the statement that RJ is like Waldo. Ray was working with the
CBI and we might have seen him in the background. I rewatched the first episode
with McAllister (S1E2) and there is one scene in the office where you can see a
guy looking like Ray, but it’s unfocused. Maybe there are other scenes? Maybe
we were focused on Ron, so we hadn’t noticed Ray? Would be a great distraction.

He fits the description of Sophie the best. He
is a Visualize member. I'm sure that Red John is a member, too. I bet the cult
is helping him to find followers. I remember Rebecca talking about RJ as a
messiah. She said a few things which sounded like Visualize staff. He has the
right age and when he was young he probably worked at the farm. Stiles put
blood on someone's face and RJ did something similar to Lisbon when he killed the TT member Brett.
Another Visualize connection.

Ray talked to someone on the phone and told him
to offer a lot of money (from Visualize). He added if she doesn’t want to take
it, there are many ways to silence a woman. Exactly the same would RJ do and say.


 



So it looks like Ray
Haffner is Red John. My 2nd guess would be Gale Bertram because I don't know if
we can trust Rosalind. 

 


Just my other thoughs: Is
it possible that Ray is acting that strange because he knows Bret Stiles is
going to die and that would mean the end of RJ because the other Visualize
leaders are against him? Is Bret the only supporter?

I thought the explosion at Jane's was of his own doing, but this promo says otherwise. So, doesn't that perpetuate the Brett Partridge theories? If Red John really bombed that house, wouldn't it be completely irrational of him to actually show up for the meeting and risk blowing himself up? If he were one of the five suspects, wouldn't it have made far more sense to simply wait it out until everyone but him entered the house, and then activate the explosion? Sure, the CBI team would automatically suspect him for being the only one who didn't show up, but still, isn't that better than going in there and probably getting killed by his own device? 

The only way this makes sense for Red John is if he's Brett Partridge. He 'died' so he has a pretty solid alibi. This would also explain why Partridge had to die so soon, he got himself off the radar and was free to carry out his plans. Of course, the faking of a death is a cheap plot point and I didn't want it to happen, but I think Partridge is now the likeliest candidate. This show is not above such a trick.

The only other guy who is on the deceased list is Kirkland, and we know he was actually hunting RJ so he's not an option.

Regarding the promo, when the voice says it's down to the final three suspects, it shows the tattooed ones, but again this conflicts with their reasoning to enter the house.
As for those whose photos are pinned up on the board, I believe they are at large. There would be no point having them up there if they were confirmed dead, as that puts them out of the picture. Also, there is no photo of Partridge there.

Lets hope we learn Red John's identity in the next episode, it's been long overdue.

Sorry for the long post. But I believe this is how it's going to go down.

Patrick Jane is going to play the final game in the press conference in 'The Great Red Dragon'. The spoilers state that he and Lisbon will reveal the name of 'Red John'. Lisbon will believe this name is true.

Patrick is however setting up the final showdown, making sure the media, ALL law enforcement and his own team are sent on a chase after Betram or Smith (whichever one he reveals as his 'false' Red John in the press conference). This allows Jane the space, time and opportunity to draw the real Red John into the open: ending in Red John's death in a park - eventually.

Whilst lot's of excitement will be created as the police and media go beserk and hunt for 'Red John' (Bertram or Smith - whichever name Jane feeds them....), the real Red John will be drawn out in a desperate act to contact Jane - simply to tell him 'he has the wrong guy'. We know Jane has fooled Red John once (the drinking and breakdown), he can and WILL do it again by giving the false name 'very convincingly'. The real Red John, (even though he tried to kill Jane with the bomb...) won't be able to resist contacting Jane about some other 'person' getting credit for his work.
We know there is nothing Red John hates more. And if he is made to believe that Jane REALLY believes Bertram or Smith IS Red John - well, he will risk it all to show Jane otherwise.

By now, Red John has nothing to lose, neither does Jane. His attempt to kill Jane failed, and he's now planning his 'escape' into society and normality. The ONLY thing that will draw him out to Jane is when his ego won't allow him to accept that his friend/foe Jane is crediting someone else as Red John. And Jane: KNOWS THIS.

Jane knows Red John (the real one....) will only come out in those circumstances. His ego will take over and force him to reach out to Jane.

The scene with the final 5 suspects and the tattoo hocus pocus - for Jane it's been nothing more than an elaborate and convincing plan to 'give someone else credit for being Red John', making the real Red John believe this and thereby forcing his ego to expose himself, finally.

Enter Bob Kirkland once more. His hair has now been dyed (red probably) - ok, wild guessing here, but it sounds fitting.

Final showdown. Fight to the death.

Why are people so sure that Bret Stiles personally knows Red John?
He even said once that "Red John sounds like a perfectly unpleasant sort of fellow" and if he could help Patrick get closer to him, he would.
So I don't understand why some people are a 100% sure he knows him personally. It's not a fact.

Simple deductionA. Bruno Heller said that we can trust the list. It has several time been confirmed that Red John is one of the seven suspects.
B. Bret Stiles, who personally knows Red John, was genuinely surprised by Patrick's accusation.

Conclusion: (A+B=) Either Kirkland or Partridge is still alive and is Red John!