Having watched the leaked episode, which I'm certain is more or less the
episode that will air on Sunday. The word that keeps coming back to me
is laziness.

Laziness on the part of BH, the writing staff, and
everyone involved with making what should have been a fantastic finale
into not just a disappointment, but an insult to all the fans who have followed and made the show from day 1.

They
could have made McAllister a great Red John. They could have taken the
time to dedicate the entire episode to the reason why everyone has tuned
in for six years.

Yet what I can only describe as sheer laziness and expedience turned a potentially legendary ending to the story into a forgetful one.

All the avenues that should have been explored were ignored:

A clever explanation on RJ knowing the 7 suspects-just looked over.

He Is Ma-not a mention of it.

How Red John recruits his followers, and why are they so willing to give complete devotion to him, to the point of suicide.

A
history to himself as a serial killer, how he began as a killer to in
his own words-"building a secret empire controlling thousands of lives."

How he is able to put people like Kristina Frye, Rosalind and others into that trance like state.

No explanation of how Bret Stiles knew the location of Kristina Frye, and what RJ was planning back in S3.

Not a mention of Bradley Whitford's RJ at all.

Not
even a talk of Luther Wainwright found dead in the back of the limo in
S4, Lorelai Martins, or The Red Barn where RJ presumably made his first kill.

The
whole episode just reeked of laziness, and was a squandered opportunity
to give the RJ story a fitting ending. Not only do they breeze over the
past history of the show, and not give any good explanations, the
episode itself lacked any kind of excitement or structure. The time
spent on the whole FBI angle was unnecessary, when it could have been
put to a proper showdown between Jane and RJ.

The best they had was that Jane had a pidgeon underneath his jacket!?!

The RJ we knew would never had admitted to being sorry for murder and being afraid of death, knowing he was dying.

I would also have liked RJ to have kept his high-pitched voice throughout and reveal that his deeper accent was just a front.

Also just like Timothy Carter, there was no real proof that McAllister really was RJ.

They didn't have to close all the loose endings, but to simply ignore them ALL, just showcased laziness on the part of their team. A waste.

Abandon all hope. 
The leaked episode is real, only without some vfx. 
Red John really turns out to be a coward and begs for his life.
We will never know how Red John knew the list of 7.
Red John is a leader of Blake Association, that's dissapointing. 
The promo ruined the already bad episode.
 

Some people defends the lack of answers by saying that PJ didn't want answers, just revenge.

That's complete bullshit, this serie isn't a third person view following PJ all the time, it's done in an omniscient way.

We've been onlookers from a God perspective so we deserve at least SOME answers, not just the answer of some pointless explosion in season 6.

Face it, the writers showed their incompetence by not being able to tie the loose ends. Heller has been hiding behind other writers that have gone on a rampage. Now he couldn't clean up the mess.

The main problem is the general audience of TV-shows, they are not demanding / involved / intelligent enough. Therefore crap like this is accepted as a valid ending. 

The same thing happened to the game Mass Effect 3 but then the fans were vocal enough to demand a better closure and got it. I doubt the same thing would happen here though...

Maybe an apologize from CBS for the leak and a japanese style public appearance for the writers where they can hang their heads in shame while asking for forgiveness.

Pick up your hayforks, people!

I don't know how to feel and i certainly don't appreciate being called dumb or a junkie because i am none of those things but i must admit that i am incredibly annoyed, upset even if the leaked episode is real and i probably won't watch anything from Heller again. Im one of those who has a slight hope it might have a different ending or red john and i regret watching the leaked episode. Ugh, why did they have to spoil it? It really was not fair for any of us and if its real then i guess i can look at it from Jane's view that he just wanted revenge, not answers, just revenge. =/ 

I think Mcallister was the best choice for Red John.

This is not an opinion on how episode 8 was executed - I agree it could have been better and some important things should have been answered in more detail. Maybe the final version will have more explanation. But reality is that on Sunday I think we will see pretty much what was in the leak. Some specific clues were not answered but in general the sheriff fits the clues as Red John.

Here is my reasoning:

Red John is a showman. A showman is an act and Red John would ultimately have to be an ordinary man. Therefore, the season 3 finale for me would not be a fitting end to Red John since it was too much 'show' and not real. Also RJ dressed as a dumb sheriff would be an great act. I liked the fact that Red John was an ordinary man, not some God compared to Jane. I liked that in the end he was vulnerable and flawed, just like Jane. I think the writer's point is to build up Red John as some powerful God, but then show in the end he has to be an ordinary man - he can be shot, tricked, fearful. The fact that he is on the list and revealed to be the ordinary sheriff is totally in line with this.

Occam's Razor - simplest solution is usually the right solution - the physical description pretty much matches and is explainable (loss of hair). Red John would want to be low key and out of the public eye (this was stated many times by Partridge - Red John has been laying low) - a power behind the throne - so the small time sheriff in Napa seems a good way to go. He was the only person gaming Jane and wanting to be his friend or follower in season 6. He is a hunter and likes killing and can be invisible (as shown in s01e02 and s06e03). He is self-possessed and calm.

Bertram is out - too high profile, too tall and big.
Partridge is out - dead - Cho himself checked the body and to think one of the core team would not notice/suspect a fake body is disrespectful. Plus if body was fake, RJ would have had it destroyed before Cho got to it. 
Kirkland - dead. Any twin theory is too much of a complication so far into the end.
Smith - physically unsuitable, too much of a hot head.
Haffner - the only other possible/believable option - but came in late, was humiliated out of CBI by Jane, too outwardly emotional, publicly doesn't like Jane.
Styles - not an ordinary man, too public, too old

Also Heller said there would be no tricks, and I kind of agree - in the real world he has to end the story line so some long running big twist throughout season 5/6 and revealed in ep. 8 is really unlikely. It has to be someone from the list, someone we have seen from the beginning (s1 or s2) but know the least about. It just makes filling the clues easier as a writer.

Red John has been described as sadistic, lonely, tormented, arrogant. To have that proven right through an ordinary man Mcallister, this is a winning end for Jane.  And this is what it's about - not Red John being some mighty God who has in the end bested Jane. But Jane proving Red John can slip, can be tricked/beaten and Jane to exact his revenge on a broken arrogant man.

I just wish there is more of a backstory to Red John instead of pointless noise about Bertram, the FBI etc.

The Mentalist 6x8 - Red John - Sheriff Thomas McAllister is Red John

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsnqP1PummY 

2:15 minute

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Patrick Jane  vs Sheriff Thomas McAllister (Red John) - Death scene -

http://youtu.be/KAqBO4Hx16I

13:12 minute

#GoodByeRedJohn

Welcome Great Fans!

I'am very upset! We had to wait for this almost 6 years?? Really??

Honestly, Red John episode it was a piece of shit, as same as the Dexter finale!

Bruno Heller and his crew just fuck yourself! They aren't shows respect for us!

Is Bruno Heller a genius? - No, he isn't, he is an asshole!

If you agree with me, please hit the green/plausible button!