Take away all the bells, whistles, sub plots, red herrings,
mental tricks, false clues and irksome hints that have littered the storyline in
Season 6 thus far and what do you get?

Red John and Patrick Jane are entering the ‘end game’ phase
of a duel; a game; a challenge that started way back.

Both of these characters have been plotting, scheming,
outwitting, outlasting and outthinking each other in a back and forth manner for
years. 

Almost like a version of ‘Mental
Survivor’.

This should make it clear that Season 6 is nothing more than
a culmination of the mental game of dexterity between the 2 is coming to its
end.  With two such ‘brilliant’ minds in
play, I’m almost certain this ‘end game plotting and planning by BOTH’ started
the minute Patrick Jane refused ‘Red John’s’ friendship. Not suddenly in last
season’s finale.


They both have different desired outcomes of course to the ‘end
game’ – but to think that both of them have suddenly been spurred into action
to rush along these events, is not giving either ones intellect enough credit.


Red John leaving a clue about a tattoo to reveal his
identity? Honestly? – Not a chance, part of his long term planning nothing
more.


Patrick Jane believing the tattoo clue and running with it?
Honestly? – Not a chance, it’s Jane ‘returning serve’ to Red John.


This tennis game started in Season 5 (in earnest), which is
when I believe Patrick Jane identified Red John. He obviously had to knit a web
of intrigue and lies (lists and handshakes and utterly ridiculous assumptions)
in order to draw Red John out in a manner of HIS (Jane’s choosing).  I have always thought that he would get red
John to come to him, in the same way Red John came to him way back – through insulting
him, belittling him or making him seem inferior in the media. See next episode
when Jane (IMO) reveals the name Reed Smith as Red John, in order to piss red
John off seriously. Then Red John will come out to play.

Even though Red John has been meticulously planning and
plotting his own ‘end game’ – which was supposed to be the glorious death of
all with a bomb, and a clean getaway for him.

The need to show himself as the
TRUE Red John (to Patrick) will overcome all his ‘best laid plans’.


Why wouldn’t he just get the hell out of Dodge?
Because what
do we REALLY know about Red John? Not the useless bits of info others have
given (Rosalind etc) which could or could NOT be reliable – but the information
Red John HIMSELF has given us.


1.      
We know he hates to be belittled in the media,
and made to look like a regular fool. We also know he can’t ignore this – he is
driven to act by his very nature.
 2.      
We know he hates imitation and people who ‘pretend’
to be him – once more he is driven to act by his very nature.


3.      
We know he thinks he is smarter than Patrick. He
says as much in the Lorelei video. He calls Patrick ‘lucky’ and himself ‘clever’
for revealing the names. While we know he ‘likes’ Jane as an adversary (simply
because Jane is the 1st person he has ever met who provides a
challenge to him and who is of similar mental intelligence), BEATING Jane in
this game is still very important to him. But driving him here is not so much
the beating – it’s making sure Patrick KNOWS he has been beaten by a ‘superior
intelligence’.

 



So using that, one can almost SEE Patrick's plans, (that he
put into play the minute he knew who Red John was in Season 5) laid out in
front of us. The bomb might have thrown him off course, BUT it was a positive
sign that Red John has ‘bought into’ Patrick’s plan. He’s got him on a hook
now.

He has simply used what he DOES know as FACT about red John’s
psyche, to trap the man – and then deal with him – alone. 
Patrick will not ‘share’ Red John with
anyone.


“Red John is MINE”



Bob Kirkland will be back as I theorized yesterday. Patrick
will announce Reed Smith as Red John to the media, infuriating Red John. While
Red John ‘knows’ he should use this as an ‘out’ and run – his ego won’t allow
it. The desperation to show Patrick how ‘wrong he is’ brings him into the open.  RJ is going to be one pissed off puppy; but
he’s also going to want to brag a little in between as to how cleverly he
fooled ‘Patrick’.


Sadly for RJ – PJ is counting on this.


Killing a man already dead, burying the body and telling
no-one who the real Red John is = PRICELESS. (And RJ’s worst nightmare)


***long post again – sorry – but if these characters were
mine, this is what both of them would be doing, because it’s a true reflection
of their psyches and intellect and to be honest, both characters deserve a little
more credit than what is currently being given them – silly clues, tattoo reveals
etc. We need to stop thinking like TV viewers and keystone cops, and start
thinking like Jane and Red John - it has been a marathon, not a sprint**