Let's talk about the Season 3 finale where Jane kills the fake RJ Timothy Carter.  The buildup to the shooting in the mall all started when the cop killer, Todd Johnson, said the words "tiger, tiger" to Jane before he died from being burned alive.  Jane assumed that Johnson was working for RJ because RJ had recited the William Blake poem in the Season 2 finale.  We now know that tiger tiger is a California club of corrupt law enforcement officers which means that RJ not only saved Jane's life in the Season 2 finale but also warned him about tiger tiger.  Knowing all of this means that we can safely assume that Todd Johnson was a member of tiger tiger and was killed by another member of tiger tiger and not RJ.  Jane set up an elaborate plot to catch RJ but he was actually chasing tiger tiger who probably noticed Jane's interest and that's why they framed Hightower.  RJ is not involved but he does have a set of eyes in the form of Craig O'Laughlin.

Jane gets LaRoche's short list of suspects which include Gale Bertram and Craig O'Laughlin.  Knowing that Bertram is tiger tiger makes it safe to assume that he lit Todd Johnson on fire and he sent the assassin to the hotel.  Now I'm going to assume that Craig O'Laughlin was both a member of tiger tiger and RJ's man with his loyalties obviously lying more with RJ than tiger tiger.  This explains why tiger tiger knew there were two different hotel room numbers and sent the assassin with rope.  It also suggests that tiger tiger was getting desperate with Jane getting really close to figuring out who killed Todd Johnson.  So at the mall, Bertram's comment "you're at the end of your rope" is really tiger tiger framing Craig O'Laughlin and more importantly RJ.  RJ knew something was going on because like Jane suggested several episodes ago, RJ probably has Bertram's office bugged.  RJ knew Bertram and Jane would be at the mall and I'm guessing that he thought Jane was finally going to reveal tiger tiger so he sent Timothy Carter to watch.  

Instead RJ gets a call from O'Laughlin telling him that Jane's scheme is really to catch RJ.  I'm guessing that up till then RJ thought that he and Jane had a better relationship because RJ saved Jane's life and gave him a tiger tiger clue that Jane was following through on.  RJ realizes that tiger tiger framed him and Jane completely fell for it.  RJ is angry with Jane for not being as clever as he expected him to be and very angry with tiger tiger for messing with his plans for Jane.  This is why he orders O'Laughlin to kill Hightower, Lisbon, Van Pelt, the kids, the cops at the cabin to teach Jane one last lesson in humility.  This is assuming that RJ was communicating to Timothy Carter though an ear communication device and the conversation Jane had with Timothy Carter was really with RJ.  I don't think that RJ sent Timothy Carter to the mall to fake his own death.  I think it was a decision made in anger after his plan to have Jane reveal tiger tiger fell through.  I think RJ meant tiger tiger to be a gift to Jane to reach out and start a relationship.

Coming up to the current season, the events in the third season would explain why RJ gave Jane a list full of tiger tiger suspects.  He's finally getting his revenge on tiger tiger by setting Jane up to expose them, getting Kirkland off his back by including him on the list and knowing that Jane will force his hand, and including Visualize for some other reason.  I no longer think that the list of seven suspects was Jane's planted list for RJ to steal.  I think that it is completely RJ's list as a gift to Jane.  When Jane exposes tiger tiger, RJ is going to think that Jane has accepted his gift and that will make him more careless when Jane finally reaches out to him using the real list of names we saw in Jane's notebook.  Now I believe RJ to be Walter Mashburn but this theory is more about the origin of the seven suspects list and an explanation of the season 3 finale so choose plausible based on those.  There were always a lot of inconsistencies with season 3 and RJ's motives that are all neatly tied up with tiger tiger.  My theory would explain why a statement was made suggest that Strawberries and Cream was the most important episode (and I wish I could give the exact quote).

My theory is based on the assumption that the Heller has written much of the Mentalist Red John arc as a pseudo biblical metaphor.

William Blake was a Christian and his paintings and poems were all symbolic of the struggle between good and evil.

The 666 clue in episode 1 is symbolic of the unholy trinity that is headed by the Anti-Christ (i.e. Red John). 3 dots are the "mark of the Beast" so all who have it are followers of Red John.

In the Bible, the Anti-Christ rises to power on a platform of peace.  He's charismatic, articulate and worshiped.  Everybody that falls under his spell is deceived and will gladly do his bidding, even unto death. In reality he's the devil incarnate but they only realize it just before they die.

He's mortally wounded in the head at some point, but rises again and is ultimately vanquished by Christ in the final battle.

The ONLY person that truly fits those requirements metaphorically is Stiles.

Everybody thinks he's a kindly old father figure to Jane.  Jane even said to him "You'd never hurt a fly".

But Stiles controls and deceives people and in their delusion they would do anything for him.  Remember the dinner scene when everybody stood up to prevent his arrest?

At his ascension ceremony in the previous episode he said not to mourn for him, he will come again.  So look for a death and resurrection in the next two episodes.

Stiles "loves" Patrick because only Patrick is worthy to take his place. 

He wants Patrick to bow before him so he can pass on his kingdom.  However, Patrick can't be tempted by that.

As for most of the RJ killings we've seen throughout the series, they were committed by unholy "sons" killing in the image of their "father" trying to please him in order to inherit his earthly kingdom.

This site won't be over in two weeks it will only get better and more interesting when we all find out the truth behind Red John        I know it won't be what I want or would do it but I'm sure it will be awesome    so far the Mentalist hasn't let me down and I have faith that the next two episodes will be the best episodes of the series by far . . . . .unless they completly fuck up ala LOST       I hope this makes me feel like Breaking Bad(best ending ever) and not Phantom Menace(biggest dissapointment ever)     can't wait to visit this site sunday night     

Brand new interview about episode 7!

"there will be an answer to the fate of Brett Partridge".!!! (finally)

http://tvline.com/2013/11/15/the-mentalist-season-6-preview-final-three-red-john-suspects/

I've watched a ton of old episodes the past few days...whomever posted that Red John hasn't actually killed anyone for most of the show - I AGREE with you. I think Rj killed the people at the barn, Patrick's family, Eileen, Sophie Miller, and Brett Partridge. That's it. I think tyger, tyger staged a great deal of the Rj killings for TWO reasons: 1 - Bertram and Minelli recognize the value in having Patrick on the team, keeping him after RJ is paramount to him staying at CBI. 2 - Some of those RJ murders were covers for tyger, tyger crimes. This leads to why "RJ chose to kill Partridge first" as Heller said. Partridge staged the crimes and crime scenes for Tyger, tyger. I believe RJ loathed him, was insulted by his inclusion on the list, hated that he made mistakes at certain crime scenes and most importantly, by killing Partridge RJ took away a valuable part of tyger, tyger and made the organization much weaker. I think Partridge was accurate when he said "Red John has been laying low for years." He knows this bc he has been the one staging the killings.RJ recites tyger, tyger when he saves to Patrick as his first attempt to push Patrick towards Bertram (who loves William Blake) and the organization that his been blaming him. Tyger, tyger was started by Minelli. Minelli resigns bc the Bosco team murder has put the spotlight directly on the team and he knows or is told this will unveil tyger, tyger.