The chase between Red John & Patrick Jane despite being fictional, is regarded as the best I've witnessed. Obsession is a good word that would describe the mentalist for me. I would like to pass some simple observations regarding Red John. I strongly believe RJ is somehow related to PJ. He saved him from murder. He wants PJ to stay in the pursue and he wants to only be caught by PJ. Red John cares about Jane. Red John is a right handed skilled shooter, possibly trained by an agency(How he shot those who were trying to murder PJ in season 2 finale). Red John has an artistic/magical type of character. Killing PJ is too easy for him, he just loves playing at a mind level and is fond of Patrick in that sense. Something I also recognized, Red John never calls PJ by his family name but always by his first name. Probably  they know each other for a long time now? I believe that Kirkland is a good guy that also wants to catch Red John. Kirkland upon his first exposure in the mentalist, wanted to stay in the loop for RJ information. Then he wanted lisbon to back off from the Volker case. I think he is like Jane in the sense that he wants to catch RJ and sees him as a challenge.Of course that is just my humble opinion. The writers have made the mentalist an environment for many many suspect able to be RJ and I think that we won't get any closer to RJ unless the very end now that The Mentalist has been renewed for a 6th season.