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Basics[]

Note: Please put your impression/opinion/discussion of a particular suspect in a proper position -- like in each specific suspect to support that suspect/General Discussion to express your opinion/Specific Discussion to make a new specific topic you want to discuss -- so that the basic information always comes first.

Red John is the serial killer who murdered Patrick Jane's wife and daughter five years prior to the beginning of the series. His first appearance was, masked, in the Season 2 finale, "Red Sky in the Morning", but mainly in the very important Season 3 finale, "Strawberries and Cream". He appeared as a normal man (Timothy Carter) in this episode, and just as he was leaving, Jane stopped him and Red John proceeded to describe how his family smelled. Honestly, this man could be Red John, but he acted humble. Rewinding back to the first episode, Jane described that, by making his eerie smiley face the first thing you see, he was a showman, taking pride in his work. Saying "I'm not worth it," repeatedly is him either A) Fooling Jane while he is indeed not going to stop or B) Not Red John. It gives Bruno Heller and the others a lot to work with, I'm very positive that this next season will be very interesting.

Note: It has since been confirmed in Season 4, Episode 7 that the man that Patrick Jane killed was not, in fact, Red John.

Response to note: In an interview about Season 5 renewal, Bruno Heller has stated that Red John's identity will not be revealed for two seasons, so yes, it is confirmed that the dead man from 4-7 is not Red John.

In season 5 episode 8, we find out that Patrick Jane at some point shook hands with Red John. Lorelei Martins says to Jane "I only wonder why the two of you didn't become life long friends the moment you shook hands", when Jane tries to make her understand, that he believes Red John killed her sister Miranda. But in an episode in season five she hunts down people she suspects who murdered her sister and she goes to kill red John but doesn't tell Patrick Jane Red Johns name. Red John kills her at the end of the episode and the man who helped kill her sister isn't allowed to be with Patrick Jane because homeland security is taking over the investigation.


She didn't mean it literally, she knew they would meet. (Two users have tried to delete this line so far. I sent a request to provide supporting evidences of the line to the user (195.81.21.237) who put this line in the first place. Until we get a response from the poster, please respect others and do not delete this line. As a matter of fact, no line is to be deleted as long as it is put in proper place and in proper manner. This is Wikia.com, which accumulates fans' thoughts and opinions, and does not delete different opinions by others. If you have different thoughts/opinions/impressions, just state them in the proper place, but do not remove others. posted by M Miguel)

Suspects[]

Facts to be considered[]

Red John is someone Patrick Jane doesn't like, and someone, who doesn't like Patrick Jane too. It cannot be Patrick Jane himself, because he couldn't shake his own hand. He cannot be from Patrick Jane's team, because they all are in good relationships with each other. It cannot be LaRoche, because Patrick trusts him.

It cannot be Van Pelt, Lisbon, or Hightower because Bruno Heller refers to RJ as a "he" or "him".

Bruno Heller is very clever and he always makes sure that you suspect someone when it is actually someone else.

Then there is the list that is revealed in season 5 episode 22 "Red John's Rules". 7 names. If you count the letters in "Red John", you get 7. Coincidence?


Red John is someone Patrick Jane knows[]

PJ is RJ in one sense but not the other no pun intended.  PJ throughout having a troubled familiy life and other issues suffers from an undiagnosed case of multi personality disorder. And how it has gone undiagnosed for so long is due to his mentalist abilities are accessible by both personalities that of PJ and that of RJ. 

In essence Patrick is chasing his other personality the sick side of Red John but unaware of it. Using his mentalist abilities to have others unaware that they are doing and committing many of the acts for him Red John while under his mentalist influence.


As of episode 8 season 5, Lorelei Martins revealed to Jane that Red John was "just like him" and that it was a shame they weren't best friends from the moment they "shook hands". Jane reveals to Lisbon later in that episode that his ruse with Lorelei was worth it  despite the risk because he now knows Red John is someone he knows.

RESPONSE #4

My theory is that all the 7 persons in the Red John list on 5th season last episode are Red John disciples and maybe on of them is Red John. Maybe not.

Bob Kirkland is definitely a disciple, the photograph he got from Jane's room helped RJ to figure out who are the men on the list. This is already clear. He kills that other RJ disciple in the hospital also. A task usually assigned to disciples.

Gale Bertram is already a disciple because RJ is able to figure out what is happening inside CBI. There is no better person than Bertram to do this.

Ray Haffner is the guy who painted RJ's smiley on the barn run by Visualise. He is gonna start a new security agency. He is definitely one of the disciples. And one possible suspect of being RJ.

Reed Smith: This is a viable suspect for being RJ, because he appears not so many times before us and in many cases is being fooled by Jane. So I am not reading RJ or Jane here. I am reading Bruno here. I am expecting a double bluff by him here. Because we all expect a non-famous guy as RJ. But I am thinking he will put popular guy as RJ. So i am crossing down Reed as RJ. But definitely a disciple I guess.

Mcallister: This is a viable suspect for RJ, but only seen in one episode. Older of age than expected. I am expecting RJ to be same age as Jane. But over secrecy of Mcallister makes me give him a high rank to become RJ. I am keepping him as RJ suspect.

Brett Partridge: He is also definitely a disciple of RJ but not definitely RJ, because in the first episode he identifies a non RJ murder as RJ murder and other one in second season. If he is RJ he will not be willing to give RJ trademark to other mans murder. RJ is highly sensitive of that, lots of self pride.

Bret Stiles: This is the highest ranking suspect for RJ in my point of view, because RJ is same as Jane. His "psychic" capabilities may be better than Jane's. Brett Stiles can manipulate minds, make disciples to follow his orders, Stiles has shown these capabilities one or two times in other aspects also. Jane at some point is tranced by Stiles to be forced to reveal some of his secrets. Like the murder in the last episode. This is why he knows Jane's secret. So Bret Stiles is the highest ranking suspect for being RJ.

So my Red John Suspects are in its ranking

Bret Stiles Sheriff Mcallister Ray Haffner

RESPONSE

I've been studying this for a few years with just watching the episodes and following the evidence and this seems like the most feasible and logical theory to whoever RJ is. I especially thought the same thing about Darcy as well, only after taking a few steps back. Could be that she thinks Jane's tied to RJ is only a ploy to throw everyone off because she's the mole in the FBI all along...hmmm.

RESPONSE #2

How about Jack Coleman's character, Max Armstrong, in the "Red Carpet Treatment" episode? He would make an incredible RJ. It was strange that somebody high up in the D.A's office let him go And that he gave Jane a gun as a gift. I also so like the creepy forensic character as RJ.

RESPONSE #3

What about the controversy surrounding CBI Ron?

Red John is a male[]

Red John:Red John is most definitely a male. Why would he lie about that?And his accomplices say he or him. I think most of them have met him, that's the only way he could get such a following. They are willing to get arrested for him and even die for him, which probably means they've met him. He is most likely caucasian. He is extremely organized. He most likely has an above average intelligence. He is most likely employed in a job that gives him enough time and money to pull of his crimes. He is most likely an expert in poisons as he killed a female witness by poisoning her. He was most likely abused as a child. Probably by his mother. Which caused him to have low self-esteem yet become a manipulative serial killer. Even though he has low self-esteem he has good social skills. He is very charming. Rosalind Harker said that he is interested in classic piano music. He is an obvios narcissict and is very proud of his work. Patrick said that he is a Sociopath, because he is so organized and seems to care about no one (there is no such thing as a psychopath, the actual term is sociopath). He didn't kill Rosalind because she is blind. He cannnot be attached to anyone. He uses everyone. He has a possibly disguised high pitched voice. Inflicting pain on his victims is not Red John's main goal, because he slits their throats and then guts them. That way they feel much less pain. His main goal is to kill and to terrify the person who finds the body (with the Crying Smiley and then the bloody gutted body).


Diff person posting, same idea. I think Red John is a straw man, that there is a large organization with its higher ups calling the shots (Bret Stiles, Visualize? Anyob, bghh vgu tufbhgbfjknfhyufhjgfhjkthgne? Its mo50.136.86.19 19:09, November 29, 2012 (UTC)re likely a cabal of influential and skilled manipulators. Another thought is, what if the supposed dead man killed by stiles, Farragut, is not dead but turns out to be the true man behind the scenes, basicly running Stiles like Stiles runs Visualize.)

Most Possible Suspects:

  • Bret Stiles
    • ​Fits Red John's character very well, he is charming, old (making people think that he couldn't hurt a fly)he is rich, and has many followers.
  • Brett Partridge
    • Seen in first Episode; Fits profile exactly.
  • Virgil Minelli
    • Much evidence (See Below); Likes Jane.
  • CBI Ron
    • Always in the Background; Appeared for the first time in the episode "Seeing Red".
  • Ellis Mars
    • Acts like Jane; Pretends to be Psyhcic; In the book by William Blake, Red John's Favorite Poet, Called "America", Ellis Island is mentioned, and Mars, the "Red Planet", is said to be the real center of the universe.
  • The Red Sweater Man
    • Seen sitting next to Timothy Carter, staring at Jane; Seen in other Episodes. Too obvious that Bruno Heller wants us to suspect him.
  • Robert Kirkland
    • Seen in the CBI early days in flasbacks, with Jane; Fits profile; Kirkland Signature is a Costco trademark, by Kirkland, Washington. Kirkland produced Dried Cherry. Cherry is a recurrent title (the writers said that there's a RJ's clue in some titles): Devil's Cherry, Cherry Picked, Black Cherry. Kirkland is near to the town of REDmond. Something rotten in Redmund is an episode of last season.
  • Dean Harken
    • See Below
  • Patrick Jane
    • Simon Baker (the actor for Jane) is 43 years old, old enough to be RJ, he is 5 foot 11 inches, the exact height of RJ. It is possible that Jane is in a mental istitution and the whole series are his dreams and hallucinations of him trying to find a man he made up to take the blame for the death of his family. Perhaps all his co-workers are people he has met in the mental institution. The Mentalist could also be a play on the words: Mental Institution. Perhaps what Lorelei said about them shaking hands was just a figure of speech.
  •  Tolman Bunting
  • Patrick's father

Jane's list of 7 suspects[]

From this season's (2012 -2013) final episode, we learn the names of the the 7 suspects, one of which is said to be the serial killer named RED JOHN. The list is as follows: (added 05.06.2013)

1. Gale Bertram - Director of Law Enforcement

2. Bret Stiles - Leader of the Visualize cult

3. Ray Haffner - CBI Senior agent and cult member

4. Reede Smith - FBI agent

5. Robert (Bob) Kirkland - Homeland Security and agent on the Red John case

6. Sheriff McAllister - Small town Napa County Sheriff (only seen in Season 1, Episode 2)

7. Brett Partridge - CSI lead agent interested in the Red John killings


Response #3 The list of 7 is Patrick's, not Bruno Heller's. There is no reason to accept that Red John must be one of those seven men.(EDIT: Bruno Heller have stated that this list is legit) Patraick has made a logical leap not supported by the facts. Lorelie told him that Red John had shaken hands with Patrick. Patrick has assumed that this meeting must have taken place after his family was murdered. There is no factual basis for that assumption. See earlier astute comment that it is never who you suspect.

In addition to this remember the smile Patrick made when he realized someone's been into his apartment. He probably planned this and made RJ think that he is on the wrong track. But the real suspects may be different.


Response #4

I think it's interesting that Bret Partridge has been at three different possible RJ murder sights and at all three of them his initial assessment as the validity of those RJ murders have all been wrong. The first two that were not RJ's he said they were and the last one he said wasn't actually was. Maybe the reason why he is always wrong is because he knows first hand if all the murders are RJ's and he purposefully presents a wrong assessment.

Most Possible Suspects:  j[]

Bret Stiles[]

Bret Stiles :

Brettstiles

Bret Stiles. The big eye of Red John is the Visualize eye?

He already has a cult following. He has money and time. He is quite interested in Patrick and is one of the few people who actually "gets to him". He has a lot of devoted followers in every job imaginable. He gave Patrick Kristina's location. I believe he is an accomplice that recruits people for Red John. He is either doing it of his own free will or because Red John has dirt on him. Additionally, Craig O'Laughlin, a known Red John associate, first came into contact with the team while they were investigating Stiles, which further suggests that there is some connection between the two of them. If it is RJ he started the murders in  the70s, but with the m.o. of RJ only in  the90s; maybe he is the mind, while a man is the physical RJ. The first is Orville Tanner, then Timothy Carter, and now another. Rosalind can be hypnotized and doesn't recognize Roy Tagliaferro as Carter. Or maybe: What if RJ kills almost only people who want to leave his "club"(or Visualize)? People that are dangerous for him? People that he considers unworthy and traitors of his cult and his person. Maybe it is for this that he has a strange modus operandi, which has

Visualize

Visualize logo.

changed in some years.

If he's Stiles, the first real murders of Red John (born with classical m.o. only in 1998, maybe with  the contribution of Orville Tanner) could be the homicides of Farragut and sheriff Elswit in the 70s. RJ is an atypical serial killer--- he isn't Ted Bundy, he's James Moriarty, a big criminal but different than a mafia boss. He's also psychopathic and a missionary. McDowell joked that he had been disappointed by the program's recent third season finale with Bradley Whitford. "I always thought maybe I was Red John, but I guess I'm not," he said. But Carter isn't the real RJ. Stiles has also a disciple in common with RJ (Ron Deutsch).

The Visualize logo is similar to  the RJ smiley. Maybe RJ was inspired by this logo. The eye is the gateway for truth in Stiles' ideology; and this eye reminds one of the eye of Alex DeLarge, the character played by McDowell in Stanley Kubrick's movie A Clockwork Orange.


The similarity between the logo and the Smiley is not what has caught my eye. If you have a look at the Visualize building, with an almost symetrical shape revolving around a main tower, you'll see the eye at the topmost end, and a hand to the left (if my memory serves me right). The façade is striped in an irregular pattern.
William Blake's first paragraph of "The Tyger":
Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
Further facts supporting the Stilles' hypothesis:
- All we know about him is not a proven factt, but rather second-hand material - usually provided by people under Stilles' influence frame (either by allegiance or by cohertion).
- When Stilles is first introduced, an undercover FBI agent has been planted in his cult... yet his status is high enough to be a counsellor/teacher to Visualize acolytes. It suggests he's been there quite a lot of time. Undetected? Doesn't that sound strange, being Stilles as good as Jane in profiling people, and having much more resources? That can be a first connexion to an inside man within the police corps, a second double agent.
- We know nothing about Rosalind Harker. We are takiing her at face value. She can be lying (in which case it would make more sense if she were an inner circle member within RJ's group, instead of a woman in denial = red herring for Jane), or she can be telling her truth, which sounds bizarre to me: can Red John, a friend of Sheriff Hardy a.k.a. Dumar through his father (suggesting a weird age gap) be the Tagliaferro she describes? There is another weird thing going on: Red John has led Dumar into believing he can outsmart Jane (and Lisbon), which is obviously neither something RJ would really think feasible (therefore he's playing mindgames with Patrick through Rosalind and Dumar) nor actually wishes (quite the contrary, actually: RJ wants Jane alive).
- Todd Harker - either a red herring, or a nice lead:
· Everything in the episode suggests Red John is playing tricks on Jane. Red John hoping that Todd can outsmart Jane? Hmmmmm.
· When caught, Johnson is at first calm and seemingly at peace, stating clearly he will not talk... and then, when at CBI, he is obviously in panic and wants to speak to Jane. MacLaughlin is nowhere to be seen in these episode; it makes more sense that someone from the CBI has informed him he must die. Bertram makes more sense. Now, three is a conspiracy (Bertram's involvement is hinted as well when he recites two lines of Blake's "A Cradle Song").
So, who has the money, the followers, the wits and the contacts? 83.56.136.196 13:01, August 3, 2013 (UTC)

Brett Partridge[]

Brett Partridge : This is a very possible scenario.

Brett

Brett Partridge

Everything points to him, or is that just what everyone wants us to think? Jane is smart; he would have figured it out, and I bet he analyzes specific things in everyone he meets to compare them to Red John, given his past. We can't know for sure if Jane suspects him or not. On to the physical aspect. Roselind Harker did describe Red John as Bret looks. Average height, short, straight hair, neither strong nor weak, just softish. The calloused hands would make perfect sense for Bret, given his job. He can be Red John, or an accomplice. Also, he's perfect for the descriptions as an accomplice; O' Laughlin was FBI, he couldn't really have gotten deep into the CBI. Bret could. Big possibility. In "His

Partridge pilot

Brett expresses his admiration for Red John in the scene of his copycats.

Right Hand Man", someone shows up to kill Rebecca. Obviously Red John or an accomplice. Rebecca could have reported who he was. On the surveillance feed, it shows a man just under six feet tall, of average weight and build. He is holding a newspaper, topped with a cap covering his face and wearing a windbreaker that possibly says "FORENSICS", just like Bret Partridge in "Red Sky in the Morning". Even the way the man walks resembles Bret, but then again, there isn't much difference on how people walk.

Now, here is a video that compares Red John's voice and Bret Partridge's voice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6hU_l2wWwQ

Note Red John from "Strawberries in Cream" once more in a clip, and see how the voice he uses when talking to Lisbon is a bit off -pitch, maybe higher. Here is the URL to the clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rjXOkCxUUw

2141057 orig

William Blake, A brace of partridge. Blake is RJ's favourite poet (he quotes "The Tyger")

evidence of his similarity to red john is the voice, this childish character and behaviour (RJ killed only for a critic of his work), this psychopatic mind, this hate for Jane, the picture of Blake "A brace of partridge", his physical appearance. He's apparently not very intelligent and useless, but maybe he is hiding something... He's a supervisor of CSI (he said "my guy") or a responsible officer, anyhow. According to his job, I presume he also has a degree in biology or criminology.

AND THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART:

The great evidence, I think, almost proof (I don't understand that Jane doesn't see) is the scene of 2x23 with Patrick: it's a mirror scene of RJ and Patrick scene, when John speak of Kristina.

Scene of murder of Marley Sparrow. Brett and Jane.

Brett Partridge (sarcastic): Yeah, that's great, dude. But where's Red John?
Patrick Jane: Oh, this wasn't Red John.
Partridge (sarcastic): So you say.
Jane (He walks fast to Brett and looks serious): So I say.
(Jane walks away)
Partridge: Jerk.
Jane (returns, it seems that he forgot anyway, startling and slightly scaring Brett): Oh, make sure you have your people send those papers and journals to the CBI office.
Partridge: Will do.
Jane: Thank you.
(Jane exits the room)  

Scene of copycats; Red John has killed his copycats

Vlcsnap-2012-10-09-23h24m43s165

Jane's reconstruction of Janet Peak's murder by Red John. His true face is similar to Brett.

Red John (at Jane): Do you know who I am?
Jane (soundlessly): Yes.
(Red John uprights the chair, which Jane is tied to)
Red John: Tyger! Tyger! burning bright / in the forests of the night, / What immortal hand or eye / Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
(Red John exits, Jane is afraid)
(Red John returns and startles Jane, putting his hand on Jane's shoulder)
Jane (stratling and soundlessly): Ah!
Red John: I almost forgot. Kristina, would want me to send her love.She's very fond of you, despite your difference. Roll Tide!
(gives two friendly blows on Jane's shoulder. He exits and Jane relaxes his breath, smiling because he's not dead).  

The writer has said that when RJ appear, has get some red herring, that the audience will be disappointed, because RJ is only a simple man, that "simplicity is sophistication".

Edgar Allan Poe wrote that sometimes the best way to hide something is to put it in plain sight. (The Purloined Letter). Red John is a showman, says Patrick. Heller was inspired by english actor and comedian Ricky Gervais to create Partridge, the one of the few minor characters who has a name and surname, and appears in the seminal Pilot. Brett remember the Joker. It's a psychopatic man. Brett is suspect.


Since the airing of "Red Sky in the Morning, which marks the first time Red John is heard speaking as he recites "Tyger, tyger" to Jane, Partridge is suspected by many fans to be Red John because of their voice similarity (and similarity of RJ's face in a frame of His Red Right Hand). RJ's pronunciation of words and letters ("s" for example) is almost the same as Brett's. He appears in the two RJ copycat's scenes. Additionally, Jack Plotnick, who plays Partridge, is 5' 11" tall and ; in Red John's Footsteps, Red John was described by his old lover, Rosalind Harker, as being just under 6 feet tall. Brett appears in Jane's List of Suspects in Black Cherry (his name is the first visible). The surname recalls a picture "A brace of partridge" of RJ's favorite poet and painter, William Blake. Also, the scene with Jane in the beginning of episode 2x23, when Jane surprises Partridge by coming back suddenly from another room is acknowledged, by many, to be a mirror-scene with the scene with RJ in the end of the episode, when the killer seems to go away then comes back surprising and scaring Jane. Additionally, Brett Partridge makes his appearance only when there is a fake Red John at play, probably to look for clues and find the imitator. In relation to William Blake, Partridge seems to like Charles Dickens, another famous English author and poet. Could there be a connection?

Another Point that I would like to add to this theory is from "Red John's Rules" when Partridge is talking to the other (likley junior) forensics guy.  He says to him with regard to with being a Red John crime scene "Totally bogus.. I've been with Red John cases since the beginning"  In the Pilot he said he was "stoked to finally see one [RJ smiley] in the flesh" and Red John had committed many murders before this, so either it is lazy script writing or he HAS been with RJ cases since the beginning just on the other side of the law......

Virgil Minelli[]

Virgil Minelli

Minelli

Is Minelli Red John?

Some quotes:

Virgil Minelli: "It doesn't matter who I am." (1x11)

Timothy Carter (fake Red John):"You know who I am. (...) I have many names. Some people call me "Red John." " (3x24)

Red John: "Do you know who I am?" (2x23)

Jane: What do you say? Will you help me? Minelli: "You need a different kind of help. Red John is turning you into a paranoid conspiracy freak." (3x09)

Lorelai: Patrick, look at yourself. You need a new life. He can give that to you. (4x24)

Red John: "Imagine the life we could lead.It's a higher path, Patrick. A nobler existence." (4x24)

Red John: "Luckily, I have a good friend in the F.B.I." (4x24)

Alexa Shultz (in limo with Robert Kirkland) at phone to Minelli: "Well, it's useful to have a friend in the FBI, isn't it? And I'm a good friend." (5x05)

Many people don't think he is Red John or an accomplice.He seems like a very good cop.He looked very distraught after Bosco's death.And then he left. Then in season 3 when Jane set him up with the woman he seemed to like Jane.

But RJ is psychopathic, and he lies very good, and entered in houses, because has the key or is a reassuring figure, as a cop, or a doctor.

Patrick, as always, or nearly so, in cases resolves, it has already figured out at the start (or soon) who was the murderess, who was red john, only playing because he knows well that he could not fit, that is not to be able to say " I know you, "and then take it, knows that would run easily or circumventing accusations easily, then just wait to frame.

In this particular theory (that Patrick already knows who it is) I think that being somewhat red John "far" but "close" does not fit Bertram, which is really too close but rather Minelli, the withdrawal of which coincides with the true and its withdrawal from the scene of red john, except for the final 2 × 23, in which only patrick and lisbon know where Jane and

Red man

A cup of tea of The Red Sweater Man. Patrick Jane had kill Carter. And a man in red on background. Is Minelli?

the copycats, so we understand that RJ should have been deducted, and will also be smart, but if you must be one of the police, Minelli in fact it is. Jane does not want to repeat the mistake of Carter, not do fulfill that RJ would be completely free of any charge of all his crimes.

Minelli is strange on the way in which it examines the elephant plush (among other things the shopkeeper physically resembles him, I should not wonder if it was a relative), the story of translate Cut iron for Roy Tagliaferro, and more. In 1x12 are appointed, by some guys, "Roy T" and the "Tigers", before that the team know the name Roy Tagliaferro; in the previous episode (1x11) Patrick (referred to Wizard of Oz and witches, response by a "gag" by Minelli himself) asks Minelli, "If I'm Dorothy, then who are you?" Would that me the Wizard himself? or the Wicked Witch? RJ escapes from the property of Dumar, when the police arrive (first, Cho and Rigsby). How did he do? It is perhaps disguised as a policeman. Or is one of them. He's a chameleon.

RJ is perhaps retired, maybe he is old or sick, or he doesn't want to put himself at risk with Jane at the CBI. He want have fun but without danger for himself. And he needs friends and disciples for protecting his identity and his life, because he created the Red John's net, his personal cult. In reality, he's a paused serial killer. And Minelli is a paused cop and officer. Sure, he has powerful friends (remember that obtain the first list of LaRoche). And could be a former Visualize's member, or a former US Marshall.

How do you know that even Jane, as he does not believe in the afterlife (dialogue in the limo)? He listened to his conversations to the CBI? And why doesn't he want Jared Renfrew investigated? After Jane and Lisbon decide to investigate, against his order, he goes to Hawaii for a week. But he returns when Renfrew had gone away. He maybe sent Dumar to kill Renfrew for him, but Dumar isn't very capable, and he leaves Jared and the hooker not dead on the scene; for this they can write "He is Mar" on the wall. Could means "He is Marshal", "He is Many" or, by hooker (by Jared's last words) that don't speak english well, "He is Manelli", common wrong spelling of Minelli (the pronunce is very similar). Jared called RJ's friends (maybe not RJ in person) for save his life, then Jane that understand, with sounds and with hooker's cellular, which he's in Tijuana, in a motel. He speak on this with the team, Minelli and CBI Ron. How did RJ found Jared before? Maybe he's in this office in this same time. RJ has the number of hooker. But he don't locate the exact place, like CBI.

Bertram, CBI Ron, Max Winter (see the theories on them) and some FBI agents (Schulz, Mancini) are possible RJ's powerful friends, as other accomplices.

In episode 100 will return as flashback, but do not rule out to him in the present, in a few episodes, like when fishing, and gives Jane the list, in 3x10. We know almost nothing about his life, except that it is Italian-American, is divorced (when?) and has a sister who lives in Hawaii. Jane says he hypnotized to quit smoking, but do not know if it's true. We have not (nor for Bertram) even seen his home, as was the case for LaRoche and members of

Tumblr m174u181ZA1r4bh42

Original pilot script. Supervisor RJ Patel (indicated by the arrow, in this modified picture) is first name of Minelli?

the team and also for Hightower. Had Minelli children, in his past? Who are his parents? It also has a scene of whaling in his office and Heller always refers to Moby Dick. I do not know if, as some say, the older guy with sunglasses, baseball hat and red shirt, which is seen repeatedly in the background of the Carter scene, could be him (the little girl in 4x23 described RJ as a white man with baseball hat and odd voice). Gregory Itzin, who play Minelli, worked in a JAG's episode titled "Tiger, Tiger", recall to William Blake's poem, the favourite of RJ (Red John-Red Dragon, Apocalypse of John; link to Johann Sebastian Bach?). The name Virgil remember Dante's Inferno, that is illustrated also by Blake. The same poet-painter pictures The Pastoral of Virgil. In a deleted scene Minelli seems worry for the fact that Jane remain at night in Rosalind Harker's house. In a pilot deleted scene RJ watch TV and seems be a mature man.

RJ car

Possible Red John's car. The driver seems has a beard and sunglasses. Is Lorelei's enforcer, Minelli, Kirkland or is Ron? Is Red John?

In the original pilot script proposed by Heller to CBS and Warner bros., the name of Minelli is RJ Patel (and is Indian, then become an Italian). RJ wants to retire (according Timothy Carter's words) and devote himself to a family and children or to help someone. Minelli attending a young woman, knowing he has received from Jane, who works in social jobs.And there is also the famous Jane's reflection on computer of CBI, deliberately ambiguous, and also similar to Minelli.The voice on the phone in 1x11 seems not distorted, as in 2x23 and 4x24, and is similar to Minelli's voice. It's 5' 10" (1.78 m) tall. Last, Jane always says that RJ is a fisherman, like Minelli. Lorelei Martins says that RJ shake hand at Patrick, when they' s met the first time, as Minelli in 5x05. He's according with FBI and Kirkland for informations. He seems a good person, and RJ is described as "a very good man" with a mission, by his accomplices. RJ/Roy kill secretly Lorelei's sister and then help her, as RJ want did with Patrick in 4x24.

CBI Ron[]

CBI Ron (portrayed by John Troy Donovan, aka John Justin Donovan, actor, musician and co

Ron

Ron appear in almost every episode, in thebackground. Find Waldo or Find Red John?

mposer): in almost every episode there is a glimpse of an extra named CBI Ron. He has several speaking parts, one liners and what not. Here is our question, Why would a show have a recurring extra through out all 5 seasons of The Mentalist. His presence is over powering and once you notice him you will always see glimpses. He is always around when the team is working, and knows the ins and outs of the CBI. 1) The RJ appearance. Red John is like Waldo, on background, as says Bruno Heller, and we have already seen him. 2 and 3 are only "word games," but RJ (and Heller) like anagrams and games (example Red John/Dr. Joe, N,H.). 2) The name. He has the initial letter identic (actor and character), like in “The Usual Suspects,” and Red JOhN is contract in RON. What is the surname? If only wecould read the badge. Maybe it's Jordan or another with J. Maybe James, etc.

Vlcsnap-2011-03-06-18h27m04s211

The man in the background is similar to Ron (image by Red John's friends)

3) The name 2. Red John ali

Immagine2

John Troy Donovan as Ron. It's visible the ring in his left hand

as is Roy Tagliaferro/ Cutiron; Various wordgame: the complete english RJ's name "Red John Roy Cutiron" is a message from Heller? Red JOHN- ROY cuT iRON: contain “John” (obviously), “Troy” and “Ron” (and also agent Rojo). “John Troy D (onovan) as Ron” Red John Roy Cutiron = Red John Troy Ron; with the unused letters: Red John Troy Ron; over the letters c u i or Red John - Roy Cut iron (except three letters) is the anagram of Red John Troy Ron

Final recap: then may means: Red John -----> Dr Joe NH; Roy Tagliaferro -----> Roy Cutiron

and: Dr Joe NH - Roy Cutiron = I c u Red John Troy - Ron = I see you Red John Troy - Ron

4) The hand (possible clues) Red John/Roy Tagliaferro's hand has a ring? The hand may be that of Ron. Ron has a ring in a ring-finger (like PJ), and other ring.

5) Ron is often seen drinking tea or holding a tea cup. He takes a tea cup to Jane and Erica Flynn. 6) Ron is

Rj mano2

Have a ring Red John at hand? The photo with pixel modified seems point out an object at Roy's fing. A ring (like Max or Ron?)

with Wainwright before he was kidnapped, and he's seen the fake Rigsby's body. Maybe he immediately understands the trap, and it is confirmed by the FBI mole. 7) Can be Ron considered a marshal? Remeber "He is mar..."http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0llrwyH08Sg

Ron opa

Worst resolution of Ron's hand: note the similarity and shape of the ring.

Interview of John Troy Donovan, by Owain Yeoman The Ron's coat and shirt are similar to these of RJ. It may be funny if his name was "Ronald "Ron" J. Marshall," better know Red John or Roy Tagliaferro/Cutiron. Ron appear in many episodes, and in all RJ's episodes (apart 1x1), but isn't even visible when RJ is in action. The height is right: about 1, 80 m/six feets. The pointed beard can be a RJ's trick not to arouse suspicion (Roy does not seem to have it). Ron maybe is left-handed. Red John prefere use left-handed, for drinks tea, and sometimes also for take a knife.


Response: this is actually a really interesting idea. I'll have to look out for this guy- I've never even noticed him before. I like the idea of Red John being one of the background characters who appear in most episodes, but who you never really notice. Although, there is one problem I find with this theory: if Red John is someone in the CBI, why does he need to get his accomplices from the FBI to spy on Jane? Surely he wouldn't need an outsider to spy for him if he's constantly in the same office as Jane?


Response to Response: Some of information on the Red John cases are confidential in the CBI. Only the team and limited high-rank officials have access to those information. Even if Red John is an inside man and has some level of access to the information, he must have an alternate route to get to it. Meticulous as he is, Red John has to have an outside helper or two. The Agnents at FBI and Homeland Security are perfect for him to have.

Feb. 28, 2012

I cannot source this exactly, but did anyone else catch on to the fact that the only episode not to have Ron or Red John appear is the pilot and "pilot" is the only episode not to have a reference to the color Red in the title?  Also, can anyone confirm an episode where Jane shakes Ron's hand?

4-28-13 Interesting:

Check out Season 1 episode 16 "Bloodshot", its the episode that Jane is blinded by a explosion.  Towards the end when he and Grace are being chased though the parking lot, Ron is leaving in his car.  He pauses by the killer and I swear he looks at him and then down at his gun (watch his face) but then just leaves!  Too me, it looks like he saw the gun!

Ron is one of many characters suspected to be Red John (see Red John Theories). Since working at the CBI, he appears in almost every episode and in many RJ episodes, except (source needs checked): Red John's Footsteps, The Blood On His Hands, Red Moon, Strawberries and Cream, Scarlet Ribbons, The Crimson Hat and Blinking Red Light.

Some fans think Ron is Red John himself or one of his secret moles.  Here is some of the evidence.

1.) His name is possibly a contraction of "Red John" and sounds similar to Roy Tagliaferro (Red John's alias)

2.) Bruno Heller and other writers say Red John should be looked at like Waldo who appears in the background.  This character is often seen in the background, like Waldo

3.) At the end of If It Bleeds It Leads (5x07) when Kirkland is walking towards Lisbon's Office, Kirkland is seen walking with CBI Ron. This could of course just be a red herring. However, when Kirkland bumps into Jane and walks into the distance. Ron follows even after Jane is off camera.  Why show the same extra walking with Kirkland in the space of 2 minutes? - Possibly an FBI plant in CBI by Kirkland to keep an eye on Jane and the Red John case so that Kirkland can Catch/kill Red John

4.) Rosalind Harker's description of Roy Tagliaferro fits that of CBI Ron.

5.) The Surname "Tagliaferro" means "Cut Iron"....... "Roy I Ron".

6.) During CBI Ron's first notable on-screen appearance, he is sitting at a desk across the aisle from Rigsby.  When Rigsby calls over to Lisbon, the camera blurs out Rigsby for a second and brings the image of Ron into the foreground under the pretense that the camera is actually focusing on Lisbon, who is behind Ron.  When Ron is put on screen, the music changes to a sinister tone.  The episode is, perhaps purposefully titled, "Seeing Red".

7.) The man who poisons Rebecca is seen only from behind and has a similar build to that of Ron.  There is only one brief moment when the back of this mystery man's head is seen, as he passes Rebecca, and it resembles the back of Ron's head.  You can notice this by the color of the hair, the style of cut on the back of the head, and by the ears.  Note that this isn't a definite giveaway because of the briefness of the image, but it's another possible clue.

8.) The figure in the police cruiser that speeds off nearing the end of the espisode "The Crimson Hat" is slightly bulky, like Ron, and wears a policeman's uniform similar to the one worn by the man who poisons Rebecca. 

9.) Ron is basically a background character who has been in the show for many seasons.  What is the purpose of this exactly if he is not important in some way to the series?

10.) When Lorelei tells Patrick that she is surprised that he and Red John didn't become lifelong friends "the moment they shook hands", Patrick takes this to mean that he has met Red John in real life.  When he paraphrases to Lisbon what Lorelei told him, Patrick says, that Lorelei was surprised he and Red John weren't 'better friends'.  So, assuming that the handshake was figurative rather than literal (or that it happened off-screen), Lorelei is describing Red John to be someone who Patrick Jane knows but somehow didn't end up becoming friends with.  It is odd that Ron works so closely to Jane's team (Rigsby, Cho, Van Pelt, Lisbon) and has never joined in with them.  Lorelei, in her statement, is basically describing the surprising and unexplained lack-of-friendship between Jane and CBI Ron.

11.) There has also been some comparison between Roy's hands and the brief shots of Ron's hands.  Both men wear a ring, and the shape and size of the hands are arguably the same.

12.) Although rarely heard, Ron's voice is very soft and high-pitched, which is a trait of Red John.  This quality is most easily realized in an interview between Owain Yeoman (Rigsby) and John Troy Donovan (Ron), at this link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0llrwyH08Sg&NR=1&feature=endscreen

13.) Also from that link, Owain asks John directly if his character, Ron, is in fact Red John.  Donovan responds by saying, "I can't say...but I think you know, don't you."  To which Owain replies, "Yes, I think we all know."

Ellis Mars[]

Ellis Mars :There are a number of reasons as to why I believe that Mars is possibly RJ. First of all the name. Mars is listed in Jane's diary as a possible suspect and Mars is the 'Red Planet'. It was also written on the wall by one of RJ's victims that "He is Ma(r)..." Its not completely clear what was written but it certainly could have said Mars. Lorelei Martins mentions that Patrick and RJ are very similar and that they have similar personalities. At the time Mars and Patrick meet, Mars is pretending to be a psychic as Patrick was and from the very first scene shows very Jane-esque characteristics, he evens tell Van Pelt that she couldn't possibly be in charge because she is too young and pretty. Very perceptive. Other evidence includes the fact that very few episodes are actually written by Bruno Heller. Generally only the first and last episodes of each season yet occasionally he writes an episode in the middle of a series as he did with the episode that Mars appears in 'Red Moon'. Normally the episodes he writes are very significant to the RJ storyline which makes sense because, as the show creator, Heller would be one of the few to know who RJ actually is. Not only that but the episode was directed by Simon Baker. There is also the fact that Todd Johnson (A RJ accomplice) first appears in the same episode and refuses to kill Mars. He is the right age for it and build too according to Rosalind Harker. The final fact has to do with William Blake and 'The Tyger'. Blake once wrote a book called 'America' where Blake proposes that the centre of the Universe is Mars. Could be coincidence I suppose...Mars does after all appear to be an incompetent idiot yet as Jane states in the Pilot episode, RJ is a showman. He would be more than capable of, and would probably enjoy, playing the fool.121.74.253.33 13:17, December 2, 2012 (UTC)TM.

His

Ellis Mars primo bigliettino

Ellis Mars first card: "Ellis Mars H.M. (hire me) (916) 555-0136"

name is in Jane's List of Suspects to be Red John. In Red John's Friends, "He is Mar" is written on the bathroom wall by Jared Renfrew, second

Ellis card 2

Ellis second card: "Ellis Mars - clairvoyant - for consultant call (916) 555-0136"

Red John's male victim, and friend of Red John's friend (Orville Tanner, deceased father of Sheriff Hardy). Jared was killed in a motel in Tijuana, Mexico, with a mexican hooker. Mar could be short for Mars. "He is mars" transalted in spanish is "El es Mars." El es mars sounds like Ellis Mars, who had info on RJ and was going to talk before being set on fire.

JB FP 01

John Billingsley plays Ellis Mars

Or not He is Mar but l l e is Mars, a mistaken writing (inverted letters) from "Ellis Mars". Ellis has a red rose with red beams and an eye ("immortal Eye" of Tyger) on his first job-card, and Red John's favourite poet and painter, William Blake, writes poems into said of "planet Mars" (red planet) and "blood beams" ("America: a prophecy") and a poem called "The Sick Rose". Jane looked at the second card and thought about "Tyger, Tyger" (the poem told by Red John, The Tyger), words that, at the end of the episode will be recited by Todd Johnson before his death, and shortly after he recited those words he was set on fire alive by Red John's mole (Craig O'Laughlin). Johnson was deny to kill Mars, that Jane had tell to him as the killer of Todd's girlfriend, and he fell in to Jane's trap.

He Is Man - Ellis Mars

Confront with the writing

Mars is scared by police and Johnson, and escaped away, after Jane reveal him as a fraud. Ellis, previously, at Todd's house, looks in a strange way Johnson himself.

Had, probably, the same age of Orville Tanner and he can be link to mysterious dr. Towlen Morning, Carter Peak's doctor.

Mars put his right hand on Jane's shoulder, like what the masked Red John did, with his left hand, at the end of Red Sky in the Morning.

Mars told: "Without doubt, there can be no faith." And "faith" said Anthony Gupta and Lorelei Martins, two of Red John's disciples. Rebecca said that without darkness, there's no light (the meaning of The Tyger).

RJ car

Supposed Red John's car

The stupid appareance of Mars could be an "act" like Tommy Olds, for protect his secret identity. As Timothy Carter tell: "I have many names. Some people call me Red John".

"Mars", "Carter", "Red John" recall also the character of fantasy "John Carter from Mars", the Red planet; the first novel of his cycle is: "Under the Moons of Mars" or "A Princess of Mars". Mars recall Red as Roy.

In the Cash in Motion list, that Red John want, there are, closer, the name of Ellis, Colin (similar at actor of John Carter) and Johnson, Danielle.

Car

Ellis Mars car

Mars' car (it seems an old Chevrolet of 70s-80s) is similar at the presumed Red John's car (maybe a Dodge or another car of 70s) in the ending of Always Bet On Red. Maybe is a lover of ancient cars, like Patrick Jane.

In 5x08 motel there's a picture with a sort of moon (recall Red Moon, Face of the Moon, The Face on Mars) and in Lorelei's cabin

M2

Confront: Sally Carter's friend and Ellis Mars

there's also a picture with moon. The night of Jane's family murder is a night of full Moon.

At minute about 23:03 in 4x01, in the Carter's house there's a man from behind, not seen by Jane and Lisbon, that had the same appearance and hair of Mars.

Then, Sam Bosco had a file with the address of a Court, at attemption of mr. "Ellis Lamor". Jane saw what file Bosco had and it read: "Superior Court - L.A. County - Statements case # 42-53-2A - Attem. (or Attor.) Lamor Ellis".  This phrase contains the names: Ellis Mars, Roy Cutiron (Tagliaferro) Pro.

Dumar (son of Orville, french name)= du Mar (s)= of Mars (in french)      Martins= Martin's= of "Martin" (little Mars).      Carter/Fake Red John= John Carter from Mars      Ross (original name of Carter in Heller's script)= similar "ruber" "rufus" latin for red (as Roy in gahelic)= name of two craters: one on Moon and other on Mars.

Planet Mars in alchemic symbolism is linked at element of "Iron" (cut iron, Tagliaferro in italian; in italian "rosso", similar at "Ross", means "red"). The sybol of Iron is the same of planet Mars and "Male" (this http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Mars_symbol.svg).

Johnson has the corpses of his victims in a triangle, like the shape of an imaginary triangle formed by three vertices, or three spatial objects, planet Mars and its two satellites, Phobos and Deimos (greek "Fear and Terror", sons of Ares/Mars and Aphrodite/Venus in classical mythology).

Ellis is a Scottish name, but can be descent by hebrew language, similar to Elisabeth: "God's promise". Timothy is from greek: in God's honour. John in hebrew: God had mercy.

-I don't watch the show frequently, but sometimes it helps to have an outsider's perspective. From the evidence provided both on RJ's end and Mars' end, the most compelling evidence of any suspect seems to point to Ellis Mars being RJ. Presumably, RJ would want to make him appear incompetent if they were to meet in person. As a fake psychic, Mars is "like" Jane. They've shaken hands. The William Blake connections. "He is mar." It's circumstantial, but if they were going to breadcrumb the identity of RJ throughout the series, there's a pretty solid case building against him. Not to mention that he appeared in an episode written by Heller and directed by Baker, the two men who would know the identity of Red John and want to handle his unmasked appearances as precisely as possible.

The Red Sweater Man[]

The Red Sweater Man: a strange guy that appears in 1x10, 3x24, 4x01 and 4x09.

Red Sweater Man

I would love for Brett Partridge to be Red John, but i have my suspicions on the "red sweater man." In the end of Strawberries and Cream Part II, where Jane looks at Timothy Carter after answering his phone, the man next to Timothy was staring directly at Jane. It is possible that he was sent by Red John to see if Carter lured Jane into killing him, but i think it was Red John in the flesh, hence the red sweater. When Jane goes to confront Carter, the man walks up and goes away. I do not think that was just a coincidence. The man is seen throughout Carter and Jane's conversation, which is again very suspicious. Also at the end there is an aerial view of the crime scene, it is shown that the place where the red sweater man was sitting was inside a red circle. Again I don't think it was a coincidence. He was also drinking a cup of tea which is a resemblence to Jane. Although Lorelei said that they shook hands before, she might've said that to trick Jane into thinking that it was someone he knows. The man also appears in Season 4 episode 1 and in Season 4 episode 9. All in all, this would be very interesting if Red John turned out to be the Red Sweater Man.

Adding on to that, the cup's handle was pointing to his left hand, which means that he was drinking with his left hand like Red John did when he was seen drinking tea while staring at Rosalind.

Neither one of them is Red John. Maybe they work for him, but everything else is just pure nonsense.

Robert Kirkland[]

Robert Kirkland

Redjohnlimo

Robert Kirkland. Is an younger Red John in the limo? Or is an his friend or accomplice?

(The Man in the Limo): he appear in the end of Red Dawn. In this episode we take a look at the early beginnings of Patrick and the CBI; towards the end of the episode during a telephone conversation between Virg

47420 1285897528932 400 300

Minelli goes to meet a man dressed as an important figure. Is it Red John? Or Robert Kirland?

il Minelli and FBI Agent Alexa Shultz, a man is seen to be accompanying Shultz who could be Red John as he seals the espionage deal.

He said "Thank you" to Shultz. His voice does contain notes similar to those we have heard from Red John before.

Vlcsnap-2011-03-06-18h26m29s108

Is he the guy at right with yellow poster?

Confr

Confront between the man in 1x11 and the actor Kevin Corrigan

His appearance remember Red John/Roy Tagliaferro, various appearance on background (a man at Jane's trial, the Red Sweater Man), particularly in 2x08 episode. Also the man who drive an hystorical car (it seemse a Dodge of 70s) in 4x11, near cemetery. Possible was in the restaurant with Jane and Kristina Frye, and in 1x11 in the scene when Jared escaped from CBI's car. This guy may be a Red John's very important accomplice or best friend, or he's himself. He said to be an agent of Homeland Security.

Minor informations: Kirkland Signature is a Costco trademark, by Kirkland, Washington. Kirkland produced Dried Cherry. Cherry is a recurrent title (the writers said that there's a RJ's clue in some titles): Devil's Cherry, Cherry Picked, Black Cherry. Kirkland is near to the town of REDmond. Something rotten in Redmund is an episode of last season.

The name Roy, used by RJ, as name in the alias "Roy Tagliaferro", derived by a gahelic word "Ruadh", that means red. Robert derived from germanic words "berht" ("bright") and "hruod" (anagram "ruodh", similar to red in gahelic, ruadh) that means "glory".


Vlcsnap-2012-11-16-17h06m35s145

Kirkland's first appearance

Vlcsnap-2012-11-16-17h05m46s0

RJ's after PJ was hired

I have drawn similarities to RJ where he appeared with Director of FBI when Jane was hired by CBI. FBI Director called CBI Director after Jane was hired questioning and warning him about PJ and ask CBI Director to inform him of any case related to RJ and PJ. After she was done, RJ's voice said "Thank you" and then they showed him (one on the right). I compared pictures after kirkland appear in from of Lesbon because I was suspecting voice. I found that the left eye of Kirkland is same as that of RJ, eyebrows are the same, mark next to the eyebrow is the same, mark next no nose and mouth on the right is the same. These similarities supported my claim that Kirkland is RJ.


Robert Kirkland - homeland security has high voice like rj and shook pj hand at end of if it bleeds it leads - asked Theresa for a date which rj would do, similarities to pj, curly hair, height and build, possible pj and rj were brothers separated as children by their fairground parents, never mention of pj mother, so he could have family unknown, like an "evil twin" just as capable and manipulative as pj but not using this for good.

It should be noted that the moment Kirk and Jane shook hands, Lorelei was in prison, unaware of the outside. Lorelei that time does not have contacts with Red John, because she failed to anticipate jJne was the person behind the break out. Lorelei would have had to have a conversation with Kirkland at some point regarding Kirkland meeting Jane to have her statement about the hand shake fit in the timeline.

It cant be Kirkland. The moment Kirk and Jane shook hands, Lorelei was in prison, unaware of the outside. Lorelei that time does not have contacts with Red John, because she failed to anticipate Jane was the person behind the break out.

4-30-13

I believe that the man Minelli is meeting in the top left picture is to be Gov. Arnold!?  Would make sense wouldnt it?  I mean, 4 Agents gunned down you would think the Gov would show (plus it looks like him in the episode).

Patrick Jane[]

Patrick Jane: This is a fascinating prospect. Now, I know the initial reaction is to completely dismiss this as utter stupidity. Or maybe you're like me, and the idea that the best detective since Holmes and Batman is in fact his own Moriarty or Joker makes you furious at first. But if you think through it with me, it begins to make plausible sense

First, we've known from the very first episode that Jane has a 'sleeping problem'. This theory is reminiscent of the technique used in the brilliant 'Fight Club' in which the main character has an alter ego that takes over when he goes to sleep. Granted, it would be impossible for Jane to do everything that Red John does on his own, and in only 6-8 hours a day. But read on.

Second, in the season 1 episode 'Red John's Footsteps' we meet Rosalind (the blind girl that had a relationship with 'Red John'). We see the red smiley over the bed where Red John and his love interest would have slept. Again back to the first episode, we know that Jane continues to sleep in his house, underneath the red smiley. Red John obviously likes to mark his territory, and this could be an unconscious move on Jane's part.

Third, the mere similarities between the two are uncanny. They are both obviously beyond brilliant and have repeatedly displayed unbelievable powers of deduction, manipulation, and charm. Almost everyone that Jane encounters, if he so chooses, comes under his influence to such a degree that they are willing to not only agree with him, but even to break laws for him. Even those that are supposed to be of outstanding moral character (the team and others in CBI) are swayed by his mental prowess. It's very clear that 'Red John' is, in fact, an elaborate network of people that are possibly all being used by just one criminal mastermind, and in this aspect, Jane is a perfect fit.

Lastly, we know that Jane's own morals are very suspect. Now, while it's true that 'no one is perfect,' I've never seen a show where the main 'good guy' is portrayed in such an openly narcissistic and psychopathic mindset (other than House M.D. maybe, but even then, House has obvious and glaring mental and social problems that are the focus of the show). Not only does he influence others to do wrong, but he obviously has no problem breaking rules and laws himself. Now, he claims that he is willing to suffer the consequences of his actions, but he never ever does. E.g., back once more to the very first episode. Jane was suspended for meddling to such a degree that a woman murdered her husband in cold blood. However, he manipulated the situation to his own benefit once he felt like it, and was able to cut his suspension short by going over Lisbon's head. The more obvious example is the first and second episodes of the current season (4). Jane easily manipulates a jury into letting him get away with blatant murder, and then proceeds to twist arms and bend rules to get his own way and have the team reinstated, simply because he wanted it that way. We've seen a slow but steady decline in Jane's ethics that could very possibly find their end in Red John. {C}[1]Added by Mulder.glenThis theory has endless possibilities that would be like Christmas for the writers. Jane could spiral downward and end up completely overtaken by Red John. He could realize his own predicament and keep it a secret while fighting it by himself. The team could discover the truth and confront him, or try to help him. It could be revealed and Jane takes over, finally beating Red John and then continuing on to dismantle the rest of the network. The options are nearly endless and would make for a truly unique and original show.

Yes, and let's not forget the recent season 4 episode in which Luther Wainwright ways Jane has all the personality traits of a psychopath.

However, if Jane were Red John then Rosalind would heve remembered his voice or features when they met and quite possibly have shown joy of some sort over the return of her gentleman caller, Roy Tagliaferro.

Jane is Red John I believe Todd Johnson is a hint that Jane is Red John. What they "have in common" is that they both killed their fiance/wife because they were getting too close to the truth of theyir secret life and then publically sought revenge. Perhaps Jane has a Multiple Personality Disorder, and that is what would blow his mind if he knew. So he could have two personalities, whose behavior, voice, handwriting, memories and even whose appearence (posture, gait, prescence...) could be different from each other.

In any case, what befuddled Johnson could not have been that Jane was helping get revenge on a man Johnson knew was innocent -- maybe Jane did not! Unless Johnson knew that Jane knew Mars was innocent. Finally, Jane's initial refusal to talk to Johnson served a purpose..

Finally, I believe this would be in the spirit of Moriarity in The 7% Solution

Red john is janes wifes brother he took revenge on his sister for breaking up their family and took revenge on jane by taking his wife and daughter leaving him alone only to return to the carnis and his father. Third Fernandez

Luther Wainwright claimed that, according to the criteria for his mental health test, Jane qualified as a 'clinical psychopath.'


OBJECTION (5/6/13)

Heller confirms Jane is not RJ in an interview. http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/05/06/mentalist-finale-season-6-red-john-list/


OBJECTION

If you guys remember, in his one of the very first flashbacks, he was on a TV Show and saying that he was also helping to the Police Department to catch RJ. There he humiliated RJ!! and in the next scene (right after the show, when he came back home (STILL IN THE SAME SUIT) he finds his wife and child got murderred! The motive of the murder was as it was written on the note " I don't like to be humiliated"!!

SO as he was on the TV show, He couldn't possibly kill his wife and child!!!

RESPONSE TO OBJECTION

Just because he was in the same suit does not mean he couldn't have killed his wife and child before the show. This is a brilliant dude who could easily have manipulated forensics, etc. to make it "appear" that he had an alibi. That IS, after all, his forte. I personally LOVE the idea of Jane being Red John. The symbolism is absolutely KILLER (pun intended) because, in truth, the individual is always at the root of their own pain. We choose to view a situation a certain way-- we are in charge of our own feelings-- and in the end we are always responsible for how we interpret circumstance. Death is hard but there IS a lesson there. We can choose to see it or let pain and fear blind us to the truth. Either way, WE create our own mentalities through choice. With that said, Jane cannot blame Red John for the pain he feels because Jane is the one in control the way he interprets the death of his wife/ child and the emotions that result therefrom. In essence, Jane is the one causing his own pain. What better way to affirm this concept than to have Jane emerge as the one person deemed "allegedly" responsible for the way he is?

Another objection

Red John saves Janes life and is seen watching Jane on camera while jane is held at gunpoint By dumar. Also why would Jane want himself as his disciple.

RESPONSE TO RESPONSE TO OBJECTION :)

There are many events that make you wonder if PJ is RJ, yet there are also some events that are hard to explain if this were true. For example, in Red Rover, Red Rover a small girl goes to tell Jane what Red John had said to her. If PJ was RJ the girl would've recognized him. Also when Lorelei tells him that they have shaken hands before, i think she meant that you shook hands with him before. Another idea to include is why would Dumar want to kill Jane in Red John's Footsteps if jane was red john? After all red john did give him a beautiful girl.


EDIT: Feb. 28, 2012

Has anyone considered the possibility that Patrick Jane is, in fact, a constucted personality used by Red John to evade suspicion by hiding in plain sight?  Look up the wikipedia article for "hypnosis"; particulariy the sections on "dissociation".  Incidentally, Patrick Jane's name is awfuly similar to the name of the man who coined the words "dissociation" and "subconscous": Pierre Janet.  As shown in numerous episodes, hypnosis (and Patrick Jane is a master hypnotist) can induce sleep-like behaviour in a fully-conscious individual while also making the subject highly succeptible to suggestion.  It is possible that Patrick Jane's insomnia is a symptom of being in a dreamlike state of near-constant hypnosis?  Is that why Lisbon can almost always talk him down?  The appearances by Red John impersonators and qutoes from Blake could be ways to feed Jane trigger phrases and "tune" Patrick's behaviour to Red John's needs.  Additionally, I believe Red John calls Jane "my greatest creation" through the Red John impersonator Timothy Carter.  In each appearance by Red John or an impersonator, several words are emphasised unusually or used in an unusual context like one would use when triggering a post-hypnotic suggestion.  During his interaction with Carter, Carter emphasises the word "okay" followed by the phrase "strawberries and cream" right before Jane shoots him.  Could these be "trigger words" ordering Jane to kill him, so that Jane can no longer disrupt Red John's plans?  Similar events can be found in every meeting between Jane and Red John.  Following this line of thinking, the characters "CBI Ron" and Brett Partrige could thus be explained as "watchers", or "cleaners" whose job is to observe Jane and to "contain" his do-gooder activities.  Additionally, Ellis Mars or another character could be the acting leader of the "Red John Network" when Red John is incommunicado "disguised" as Patrick Jane.  Lastly, and this is purely subjective, many of Red John's "friends" react in an open and friendly manner to Jane - at least at first - before seeming to realize they're talking to Patrck Jane.  This would provide another reason beyond simple psychological torture for keeping Jane alive. Red John's followers know they are being tested and act accordingly when Jane and the CBI arrive to stop them. 

The idea of Jane being a Jeckle/Hyde character also raises the notion that, in practice, "Red John" does not in fact exist but is instead a chain of individuals acting according to intense manipulation and post-hypnotic suggestion.  At the center there IS no puppeteer, just a collective of individuals who each assume a role in bringing the "idea" of a serial killer to light a la a "Stand Alone Complex":

Jane consults on a violent murder investigation --> Jane has serious insomnia and uses hypnotic induction to put himself to sleep --> Jane begins having nightmares of the killer --> Jane's suggestible state causes him to act upon violent fantasies his mind dismisses as nightmares --> the "Red John" persona slowly builds a network of "followers" to commit his murders --> years later Patrick Jane calls out Red John on television  --> Jane's family is murdered by members of the Red John complex --> "Red John" uses Jane to call attention to his crimes so as to increase his noteriety and feed "his" need for attention.

What I find interesting is Jane's trouble sleeping. We attribute it to his stress/guilt over his wife and daughter's deaths. However, with Jekyll and Hyde being brought up, I began thinking, and Jane's insomnia came into question. What if he thinks he has difficulty sleeping, but at night, he doesn't really sleep, he is/follows RJ? This would explain why he is tired and tries to sleep whenever he can, while he only thinks he has insomnia. It sounds crazy, and I do not believe that Jane is really RJ, I just thought os mentioning this to see what people think. Ideas? EDIT: April 16, 2013 by TJ

OR...

RJ is to PJ, as Moriarty is to Holmes. RJ simply represents an evil, elusive character in his memory palace, and everyone else in the show are not real, either. They are all simply characters in his memory palace for his elaborate mental game, thus "The Mentalist".

In the first show, Jane is asked about his assistance to authorities in catching the serial killer, Red John. What throws us off is the fact that they show it as a flashback, years before. However, we know that PJ has a brain that works very much like a computer, and maybe PJ is really a psychic, and the whole show represents what all goes on in the mind of a psychic during a trance, regardless of the apparent time element. That is, the whole show occurs instantaneously in PJ's head during his trance. Eventually, PJ will discover the identity of the real serial killer, RJ.

To that end, PJ may awake from his trance, and be transported back to the first episode, and reveal to the studio audience, in dramatic fashion, the true identity of the real serial killer RJ (possibly the very same guy who asked him the question in the first place). What would be great is if the whole cast of characters from the show are the members of the studio audience, and his wife and daughter are standing just off stage.

Insert picture of PJ in his first show trance here.

In the last episode of season 5,Red John reveals in a video in which Lorelei is speaking,that he knows the 7 suspects on the list that Patrick narrowed down.The video was made before Patrick narrowed down the list of people with whom he had shaken hands with.How could RJ know that PJ would narrow down the list to exactly those 7 suspects and how could he know the happy memory that Patrick had with that little girl who now has been murdered?We all know that RJ is very very smart but this seems almost imposible to do even for a man with his intelligence.

Other Possible Suspects:[]

Alex Jane[]

Alex Jane is too old so it's not him. Jane was taught most of what he knows by him which explains why Jane and Red John are so similar. Also what if he kills young woman because a young woman was the reason Jane left the circus and he held a grudge. This explains why red John won't hurt Jane but will hurt those around him and why he is so obsessed with Jane. I think we will discover this in the coming season but Alex Jane will have left as little of a trail as Red John. Also Bret Stiles says to Jane that Red John is jealous of Jane and that it is a form of love. A father loves his son.

RJ = PJ OR AJ I love the idea that RJ is either PJ or Alex Jane! I think of the ability of PJ to play classical music as a further inclusion to him being RJ -- don't know the episode where he is playing the piano at the end, but also who better to lead him into the love for classical music than his own father! There is the idea that it could be AJ, PJ's father - when RJ kills the imiatators and PJ is in the chair, RJ (or stand-in) touches PJ a typical move of PJ's to hynotize -- He says, "You know who I am? Well, he is touched and then the question. If PJ learned much of what he knew from his father, that would be something "a father's touch" would do?

My View of Alex Jane being Red John 75.131.70.109 18:30, March 28, 2013 (UTC) Since the episode that showed Young Patricks flashback with his father I have thought AJ=RJ who else better to be one step ahead then the man who trianed him. Why more people don't think AJ=RJ is beyound me. Yes wwe hav heard that he is young but whom have we heard this from his followers. They wouldnt lie would they YEAH RIGHT!!. RJ always seems to know what PJ is about do like playing a chest game and knowing the next move. Also we know that AJ was really upset when Young Patrick wanted to quick the act. Also as a traveling circus act he could go in a town and kill and get out fast with out anyone being the wiser. Well that me view Just Saying...75.131.70.109 18:30, March 28, 2013 (UTC)


The issue that bothers me about PJ being RJ though is that RJ is described as having straight hair. PJ does not have straight hair.

Where does PJ get all of his money? Both he and his father would have the same skill sets.

Jane's Twin Brother?[]

Jane's Twin Brother?

Tyger Tyger has the words: "Did he who made the Lamb make thee?". This would explain the mysterious allusions to someone who looks like Jane and can explain the smiley on the walls if it is an identical twin, and also may be the obsession. - A logical conclusion of what may happen to someone brought up the way Jane was supposed to have been brought up. Was Jane aware of a twin's existance? There have been no references to Jane's mother. The twin may have been with her until Jane left? A common carnival magic trick involves twins. May also explain the tea drinking.

J.J. LaRoche[]

J.J. LaRoche

J.J

J.J. LaRoche.

He's easily as adept at playing people as Patrick Jane is, and seems to use many of the same methods. "La Roche" could also be a callback to Sir Boyle Roche, referred to in Ambrose Bierce's "The Devil's Dictionary", who held that "a man cannot be in two." It also stands to reason that Red John is as successful at recruiting law enforcement personnel into his network as he is because he, himself, is a law enforcement professional with a highly influential enough position to exercise inter-agency influence however in regards to la'roche i think it would be to predictable and i dont think that red john is a member of internal affairs and he just in my opinion doesn't fit being red john in fact he has been shown to not like jane at all and i highly dout had time to be red john and futhermore can not be in two places at once he also was the agent investigating todd johnson and i think clearly wanted to catch the killer.

In "Red John's Friends" there were people protesting the eating of meat while Jared Renfew was being escorted to the CBI. There is a big chance that someone from the group of people was Red John, and that's what urged him to run. Is that why he was killed at the end of the episode, for running away from Red John? He's dead now, but it's an interesting theory if you were to rewatch the scene.

Teresa Lisbon[]

Special Agent Teresa Lisbon Lisbon as Red John makes perfect sense and it would be one of the greatest conclusions to a long running television series ever written. If you watch almost any episode, the interaction between Lisbon/Red John and Jane continously supports the idea that they are one and the same person. Lisbon/Red John is able to constantly keep tabs on both Jane's progress in his search for him/her, as well as having inside knowledge on the CBI and FBI investigations. Towards that end, whenever someone gets close to figuring it out, Lisbon/Red John is in the vicinity and able to take them out one way or another (the guy lit on fire in the investigation room, the shoot up at the CBI office, Frye going crazy, even Hightower disappearing). Also, Red John is obviously fascinated with Jane and what better way to enjoy this as a sociopath than to work with him as his most trusted friend on a daily basis. This would also explain why Red John has not already killed Jane. {C}Finally, every episode can be watched with the idea that Lisbon is Red John and the theory holds (even with the blind woman, Lisbon could have just used a voice disguiser since the little girl at the cemetery in Season 4 says Red John's voice sounded funny). Added by Dan Katzner

The last episode of season  1 strongly suggests that Lisbon is Red John.  Even though  we are told that Dumar's dad knew Red John, there is this very interesting  moment in the basement where Lisbon tells Jane that there are people who care about him.  Then there is the scene where Dumar rises up from the stretcher and almost kills Lisbon. Why would he care if Lisbon lives or dies?  Was he trying to say her name before he dies or what?

In Season 2, Bosco and his team are killed in a horrible bloody episode. It is extremely hard to imagine Lisbon doing these murders because we learn that Bosco loved her.  But then the secretary doesn't look suspicious either at first.  And when that short, dark-haired person poisons her, Lisbon is not with the team.  Maybe Bosco had discovered something implicating Lisbon.  The final scene in the Season 2 finale also supports the idea that Lisbon is Red John.  If you watch the way "Red John" walks into the room where Patrick is sitting and strapped in the chair, it is clear that it is a woman, and a woman who knows how to use a gun. Watch the walk!!!  Compare that walk with other walks by Lisbon in other episodes.  Then Red John bends down and put a hand on Patrick's shoulder in a way that only a  woman can do.  Although many people thought that Kristina Frye was Red John after this scene, it's much more likely that it is :Lisbon, who knows how to shoot and would be able to lift Patrick Jane up from the floor.  AND, the only person that Jane contacted right before he ended up in that building was Lisbon.  

The finale in season 3 is a way to deflect the evidence away from Lisbon, so what better way to do this than have O'Loughlin shoot her?  From Lisbon's point of view, it may be that Jane was getting too close.  Also, if you look at the scene where Todd Johnson was burnt to death, right before this, a short, dark-haired person looks through the window to the room where Johnson sat.  The back of that person's head looks like the back of Lisbon, especially with her hair up.

My big question right now is this: how did Jane end up working for the CBI?  If it was on the request of Lisbon, then I'd wonder why? That's just more support for the Lisbon-is-Red John theory.  Lastly, I remember comments made by Bruno Heller recently that people will be angry with the identity of Red John, and Simon Baker's off-hand remark in season 1 "what if it's a woman?". I realize that many people will never accept the possibility that Red John is Lisbon, so they will always look elsewhere for suspects.  But this is where the evidence leads, and it would certainly be a shocker conclusion for the series.

Now, in my opinion, even in the beginning the notion is ridiculous. I mean, we've gotten close to the characters, if the directors begin to question them, let's be honest; we would hate Bruno Heller with a passion. So, Lisbon being an accomplice? Nothing points to her, and she would never let herself get suspended, just be the model cop; plus, think of all the fans of "Jisbon" (Like myself, admittedly) would stop watching the show? If there's no clues in the plot, you go for the logical notions outside of the characters. More then half of people ship Jisbon; you may not, but if you do you are part of the 60-70% of people who do. If you were a director, would you make a decision that would prove Lisbon to be RJ and Jisbon to be gone forever? It may or may not happen, but seriously, the hoping is what keeps everyong watching, the anticipation. I don't believe Lisbon is Red John. It's just a silly thought.

Lisbon? An intriguing but simultaneously repulsive and implausible idea.

Im pretty sure its a man because Rebecca and that Rosalind Harker said that he loved both of them. Unless the writers made both women lesbian which i think is highly unlikely

Plus, if it was Lisbon, Jane just might commit suicide, and that would be the end of the show. Which would be bad. Very. Bad.

I don't think it's Lisbon. Seriously? Although an interesting idea, NO!

Also, as the next section says: why would RJ lie about being male? Yes, it would make him/her harder to track down, but as we know, RJ likes to play games with people, and not give them too much information so that the chase is still there. Also, he's a psychopath who loves being right and being focused on, therefore pretending to be male when he's really female would be uncharacteristic as he'd feel belittled by it. He hates other people posing as him so I doubt he'd be pretending to be a man. Also, whenever we've 'seen him' or heard him speak, the stature is male and the voice is male as well, despite being high pitched. This can't just be to fool the CBI or something because sometimes it's only the audience that get this glimpse of RJ, so there's no-one he needs to be disguising himself for.

As of the finale of season 4 I think that its safe to assume that RJ isn't Lisbon. After all, the price RJ demands of Jane to become one of his deciples is "The head of Teresa Lisbon".


The theory that Lisbon is the RJ is almost certainly false. Here goes the most serious and I think defeating argument against it: Lisbon has a genuine affection for Jane and, what is crucial, it is shown not only when the two are together, but also when Lisbon is alone - like in the season 4, when Jane is missing and she is upset while walking alone, then going to the church or when she's watching Jane talking about his ideal women or whilst she is listening to Lorelei teasing Jane about his feelings toward Lisbon.


Quite frankly, the idea of Lisbon being Red John makes me want to scream (with frustration, not excitement). But I have to agree that if that is the case, it will be the greatest twist in The Mentalist history.

Dr. Linus Wagner : Does anyone remember him? He first appeared in the pilot. He 'pretended' to be Red John. Now, here's why I think Dr. Wagner is Red John:

1. His voice. They're pretty alike. If you listen to his voice and Red Johns pitched voice in the car, you'll think the same.

2. How he cut up Alison. Remember when Cho said "Textbook Red John"? It's not that easy to imitate Red John without 'practising'.

3. The music! Now, this is a really big point! Whenever we get to see a Red John smiley, this special sound happens. If you don't believe it, go rewatch episodes with Red John murders in it. It's always the same noise. BUT in 2x23 there was a 'fake' Red John smiley and guess what? There was no weird sound at all. But when we got to see Dr. Wagners smiley, there WAS the exact same sound! It also appeared when Wagner slipped the letter under Jane's door.

4. The interview Wagner had with Jane to prescribe him some sleeping pills! Jane made up lots off instead of telling him what really happened. As Wagner gives him the prescription, he says that he knows everything Jane said was fiction.

5. He is a recurring character. He reappeard in 3x08!

So, what do you think? Doesn't all of this make perfect sense?

What about Claire te "psychic" in Season 1. She answered the question that has been haunting Jane, "his daughter was asleep"?

Tommy Volker[]

Tommy Volker: I think Tommy Volker is Red John. There are a bunch of theories on the internet about Red John being a company or a person that is impossible to accuse or judge for something. Tommy Volker is exactly that. Charactars troughout the series mention that they get huge amounts of money of Red John and that Red John have made them rich. Tommy Volker is indeed a rich person with a huge amount of power. But Tommy Volker is probably just a part of Red John.

He is working together with Bob Kirkland as seen in "If it bleeds, it leads". Bob Kirkland tells Theresa Lisbon to back of from the case conserning Tommy Volker, and slightly after that he bumps into Jane in the corridor. He says "Sorry, mr Jane!" and then Jane turns around asking if he knows the stranger. "No," Kirkland answers, "But I know you."

In the episode "Red Dawn" Bob Kirkland, sitting in a limo, informs Alexa Shultz of the fact that Jane has been inside an asylum for almost a year. In that scene he's voice is almost similiar to Red Johns, when Red John reads the poem The Tyger by William Blake.


I have realized that in many episodes the guy that usually did the murder always says "Oh God no!" early into the episode. I've seen this with Tommy Volker, the fishing guy in There Will Be Blood, and many more. Maybe if we can find someone who says that frase a lot then he will be our Red John.

Rosalind Harker[]

Rosalind Harker :I think Rosalind was just someone Red John used.I don't think she knew anything about him.I do think she is actually blind.Rosalind tells Patrick Jane that Red John is just under six feet tall, has short straight hair, is neither soft nor overly muscular, and loved to hear her play the piano, particularly Bach. She says that Red John has strong, rough hands.

====Walter Mashburn==== 

Walter Mashburn Possibly.

Walter Mashburn

Walter Mashburn

He's rich.He's powerful.He's always gets what he wants.He's clever,witty and likes playing games.He's ruthless.He could definitely get accomplices.He definitely would have the time and money to kill people and mentally torture Patrick.But I don't think it's likely.I think he just likes being a murder suspect.Besides Patrick seems to like him and he seems to like Patrick.====

Patrick liking him is the ironic kind of thing red John would do and red John does like Patrick he wants him as an accomplice. Also his relationship with Lisbon would be very ironic. Also Walter says to Jane after 2x13 next time he sees him that hes going to be the killer. In 2x23 it shows red john and he asks patrick do you know who I am, Jane replys yes. Then in 4x23 Red John wants Jane to get to bring him Lisbons body (Lisbon denied him and Red John hates being denied). In the he is Mar seen it was short for he is Married, which Walter always wears a wedding ring. Also he says he knows lots of people, like sherifs aka dumar. He enjoys Patricks Company and Walters favorite color is Red. He's rich and he has the reasources to be Red John and has connections and unlimited supplys of money. Oh and he says in 3x7 that he wanted to keep his friend alive so he will feel the pain even worse then being dead hince same thing Red John did to Patrick.

Walter Mashburn is the right age to have committed the first murder (around 1998). He has the resources to be away for a long time without being missed (Brett Partridge is a leader of forensic specialist team, he would definetely be missed). He is clever, manipulative, Jane does like him but recognises he is dark and has him on his list of suspects. He is Mar; well he has both being married 6 times and the prostitute might have misspelt his name (Marshburn rather than Mashburn). Being wealthy, he would have known both Bret Stiles and our unfortunate dead friend. His ex girlfriend Elsa remains obssessed with him (shades of an early of an Early Lorelei). Could he perhaps have had a personal motive like revenge for the cancer girl; Jane helped con shown in flashbacks in Throwing fire? Circumstantial evidence indicates that she may be the sister of Grace Van Pelt who suicided. Finally he is Lisbon's ex; and since everyone (with certain exceptions like the writer of this post) ships Jisbon; an excellent way to finish that off.Bloodquaker3 (talk) 11:23, December 30, 2012 (UTC)

Dean Harken[]

"He is Married" could be the Jared Renfrew's write in Red John's Friends.

The odd voice could be his scottish accent.[2]

He has similar to Jane, and his moviments are similar to Fake Red John, Timothy Carter. Walking like Red John and in a frame he's in symmetric position with Patrick.

He said in his discourse (when they thinks that must die), in front of Jane, "May God have mercy on our souls"; "God had mercy" is the meaning of "John".

2012-12-04-044134 1280x1024 scrot

The same cop near Rebecca

2012-12-05-025513 1280x1024 scrot

CDCA Agent near Lisbon, Jane and Harken. Ever Tom Billett

He was a character created by Bruno Heller, but he's the one of Jane's suspect that appear in an episode in which there isn't nomined Red John.

He has friends in FBI, possibility of money (stealing the flask of GMO virus), and poison Rebecca with special venom.

2012-12-04-043402 1280x1024 scrot

CHP cop (Tom Billett)

One agent of his team, is played by an actor (Tom Billett) [3]

Tolman Bunting[]

Tolman Bunting

Tolman

Tolman Bunting

It's a social engineer, and it's very intelligent and smart. And he challenge Jane, but, in ending of 18-5-4 Jane did anger him.

Grace Van Pelt[]

Grace Van Pelt The series starts with her arrival, and she has red hair. Patrick says to her that she had a trauma in the past. She is in strict contact with the squad and CBI, and was involved with 2 people, 1 of them is an accomplice that will never hurt her. When John connects to the internal net of CBI (really strange for a serial killer...) it was her at the PC and communicating with him. When an episode is related to John the Red she is always left at the office. In the episode when the jailman wrote with his own blood the phrase "He is Ma  n/r" probably he wants to write "a Marshal"although she might be ruled out do to the fact that red john might be a male.

Danny Ruskin[]

Danny Ruskin: Patrick's brother-in-law, brother of Angela and uncle of Charlotte. Ruskin/Raskin is jewish surname and in russian language means more or less,

Ruskin2

Danny Ruskin

in ancient time "red-haired one", the same as Roy in gahelic. Danny is short for Daniel, in hebrew language "God is my judge", while John, in hebrew is "God had mercy" or "blessing of God". The prophet Daniel wrote a book that is very similar at John's Apocalypse, like John is an evolution of Daniel.Howewer, I don't know if it's him.

Unless He is Mar are the last words of Jared write by the hooker, that don't speak english well, in partial way, for He is married (with sister) that's could means "PJ is married with RJ's sister". Danny told also that "guilty is for MARks". They don't are friends, but know from many times. Danny wouldn't be the first man that kill his family. PJ said that Danny is a sociopath.A serial killer has a triggering trauma and a substitute victim.That fit, in someway, at Danny's and RJ's story.Trauma: wedding of Angela, that abandone the circus and him. What's the years of Patrick's wedding?Substitute: the women in period 1998-2003, similar at Angela. A killer stop himself for many times when he's satisfied, because kill or hurt the object of his hate.After Angela's murder RJ stops for several years. Charlotte, maybe, is only an incident, for this reason he don't wake and don't scare her.Patrick told at Danny of goes on, find someone to love, the same thing that Carter said. Jane plays his death, shot by Danny, as RJ did the fake death of him, with Carter.I suppose the first time Danny and Patrick met at the circus, have shaken hands. If Lorelei is the lover of RJ and his favorite disciple, have some confidence, and maybe he told her of their first meeting.Maybe RJ / Danny has stopped because satisfied after the death of Angela Jane, but in every woman like herself and see in every person who provokes him (that kills men only if forced), see Jane. Perhaps it is obsessed with Jane as she was with her sister. He says that Jane took her away, she was all he had, it seems almost a form of jealousy, love / hate towards Patrick, Stiles said as he carries off to Jane everything he cares about, like Jane did to him, maybe he had resentment for the betrayal of Angela, but that same RJ remorse (although Danny says that the guilt for the faint) for the death of Charlotte, which has not been awakened and frightened, though. Danny lays a bouquet of flowers not in the middle of the tombstones exact, but closer to the grave of his niece, on which is drawn a bunch of flowers. Jane also tells Danny the same thing that Carter told him: go on, found someone to love. Perhaps the obsession of RJ is deeper than we think. The provocation of Jane was the final blow that made him explode. It's strange that RJ don't kill Patrick, as he did with Panzer. He kill his family but, for provocation, he kill the persone who told of him, not innocents. He kill innocents in his classical modus operandi. Often the serial killer kill at the end, no more acting, but the person they hate.Ruskin's parents had a circus; when was child, Danny see sure some tigers. It could explain also that RJ identify himself with Blake's tyger. And his voice and appearance is similar.Danny was in prison in Canada, in the period 2007-08. Perhaps this is why RJ has left Miranda (2007) instead of killing with his m.o. and again in 2008.

Max Winters[]

Max Winter :

Just

Max and Jane discuss on vengeance and reconciliation

Red John is Max Winter (Jack Coleman), also called sometimes "Max Winters", the widower of the episode 3×04 pushing Jane to shoot at the range, and exact revenge on RJ, strengthening his purpose, and then gives him his gun with which he avenged his wife Jenny, who was killed in 2001 (is released because his son shot but the killer and rapist was already dead, killed by another,perhaps, and the prosecutor can not proceed). Jane with that gun kills Timothy Carter believing that it is Red John. Winter is a businessman and manager working in construction and industry (agent or director of real estate investment's company, as say him), it also brings him a wedding ring as Jane, is rich and buy an old warehouse of evidence, and the DNA is exchanged exonerate the murder of wife, Henry Dahl, to be able to kill himself. Buy a gun from an arms dealer, then someone like Manuel Montero, the friend and supplier of Todd Johnson, killed by O’Laughlin to the museum on the orders of RJ to frame Hightower. Johnson

played with him in football, as O’Laughlin play football. O’Laughlin knows Brother Steven Wench, the undercover FBI in Visualize, on which Stiles knows everything. And Stiles also know a lot of RJ (and an adept of the Wench’s group is Ron Deutsch to Visualize that steals the gun and the cell of Carter, then Wench can be a mole of RJ in FBI; or the mole is the FBI chief in person). Another person involved in the construction companies as Winter, is Jack Tanner (1×03), a worker alcoholic, father of a victim, Christine, kills in a construction site. Christine had a relationship with Dane Kurtik, architect and costructors. PJ says that RJ know the Plasketts (as Dumar), and Plaskett's father is also an architect. Tanner it's the same surname as Orville Tanner and his son Dumar. RJ has some knowledge of building as built himself a hut on the farm Tanner in Sparrow Peak, registered as owned by Cutiron properties, fictional company of Roy Tagliaferro, as RJ solutions of San Francisco (as the warehouse, in the bay, Max says). RJ initially hides the body of Carter Peak in a construction site of a shopping center. In a shopping mall, the Pinewood, (the same?) Jane meet Carter. In same mall work Ron Deutsch). RJ pay an airplane pilot who specializes in writing in the sky for the smile of the scene of the murder of Emma Plaskett; Max and his son, Jackson, build model airplanes operating in the workshop-garage.The plane that Jackson doing finished is the similar colour (yellow-orange) than the plane used by RJ solutions' order. The Las Vegas zone (with Debonar way, a word use by RJ) is a kind of construction site finished, foreclosed and abandoned, like the house where they find Kristina, and the house when Kristina call the radio. NOTE Max Winter recalls the name Max de Winter, the widower protagonist of “Rebecca”, the first wife of Hitchcock’s movie. RJ calls the women victims’ his wives or brides, “writes Wagner (Jane is not surprised, perhaps Linus, being expert modus operandi of Red John, he used a term already used by RJ himself). Rebecca, the secretary of Bosco, proclaimed himself the “girlfriend” or at least the lover (as Rosalind) of RJ. Girlfriend living-dead wife, maybe so in the jargon of RJ.

Lorelei is also perhaps one of his lovers, as well as Jane. PJ causes RJ on TV. Jane and Winter are on TV by Karen Cross, the former prosecutor who did condemn Dahl, and who has followed the case Winter (which has already gone on television to confront the mother of Dahl, pretending to be forgiven through faith in reconciliation, something similar to the words of Carter and Lorelei) and Jane does the trick of fire with the candles (which by the way also O’Laughlin says he can do, maybe that’s how he set fire to Johnson). Panzer causes, instigated by Jane, RJ just to show Karen Cross. Maybe RJ is a faithful viewer of this program, since it kills a few hours later, then the transmission is supposed to have seen the same evening? If Max had something to hide, maybe Dahl pushed himself to kill his wife for him. Maybe his wife suspect of him (as Todd's girlfriend). And Max is one of the few people that Jane has a hard time to “cold reading.” If we want, we can find many other links. And Bertram (remember the newspaper of Carter and other clues, as the poem?) can be the mole in CBI. Or is CBI Ron? Bertram go to prosecutor's office to drop the charges against Winter.The RJ plan is manipule PJ, and is start with the "Tyger Tyger", goes on with Johnson case (the cop's murders is maybe only a bait to attract CBI) and Carter: the gun of Max is important in this "big picture", for transform Jane in a RJ's follower.

Then, the write He is Mar; could be "He is Max", or He is manager: maybe written by the hooker, who didn't know well english language, on the advice of Renfrew, before dying both. Will be just all coincidences or false clues? As Jane says: "There are no coincidences". His height is quickly more than Roy Tagliaferro: 1, 88 m. Roy is about 180 cms (almost six feet).

Other interesting things and hypothesis: Real name of actor is John MacDonald Coleman. RJ murder's scenes, in particular the crimes of anger (Panzer, Jane's family) is more near to Lodi, in San Joaquin county, than Sacramento. Lodi, CA, is Max Winter's city. RJ maybe started as a bricklayer (remember "rough, strong hands") and after he's become rich. Max can be plays at football in high school or is a former coach, or his son plays? Over Johnson and Montero In Vineland High School and O'Laughlin with Amos Van Pelt, it's possible plays football maybe also Renfrew or his brother (or he know about RJ only in prison by Orville Tanner? The write on wall can is Heisman; for John Heisman Trophy?). A school in season 1 episode, has a football team with Tigers as nickname (nick as Roll tide of Alabama Crimson; other references The Red Shirt, with a fake death of a football player); the students told a nickname of a boy, Roy T. RJ could do many travels in California, for job, and he know many little village, maybe for football? Malibu is in Los Angeles; San Joaquin and Lodi are near San Francisco. San Francisco is the TV show's place; in San Francisco is officially RJ Solutions. And, as we says, Winter's company has properties in San Francisco bay.

Oscar Ardiles[]

Oscar Ardiles: considering

Oscar Ardiles

Oscar Ardiles

all the suspects on the list I can think of a character that did not make a turn when he learned of the chamber of Hightower: Ardiles would have to worry about it being the assistant attorney would have to send someone to arrest. An attorney who discovers that two agents protect a suspected of double murder to the CBI and knows where it is and DOES NOTHING?

The others are not going to stop because Jane told them to wait two days, or for other reasons that are called. Maybe Red John has quickly realized the trap.

Maybe O'Laughlin speaks Ardiles and understands the trap, send the killer on purpose to trap Bertram (she goes there and waits until the arrival of agents to commit suicide on the orders of RJ, he build false proofs against Bertram), but in order to make it clear to Jane the true mole (but late) so O'Laughlin kill Hightower (plan failed) or he will be killed and can not speak, and Jane is in trouble with Bertram and meet with Carter, so kill him and be on way to becoming a disciple, as well as end in prison. Everything apparently is possible right, and maybe Ron is its spy. Even the appearance could be his, and also has a strange voice. The type is also suspected in the fourth season, for example when he says that Jane has no property at the time of bail: Jane has a bighouse in Malibu, but RJ obviously does not want to sell because there is the "face" on the wall. His name is in Jane's List of Suspects in 5x09 to be Red John. He's definited "Road Block" and fits at description and

Vosneb

Ardiles in Panama Red.

appearance; then:

  • He works in court. Cut Iron/Tagliaferro, alias of Red John, is the anagram of "in court".

His name O. Ardiles, is an anagram for "A soldier". Lorelei tells Jane that Red John views him as an "old comrade".

Timothy Carter[]

Timothy Carter and Roy Tagliaferro:

RedJohn

We thought it was Red John. We were wrong.

Red John is a couple of serial killer, two friends. One is dominant ("Roy Tagliaferro), and one is submissive ("Timothy Carter"). Orville Tanner is first accomplice. Then they have many friends and discipule. Some know Carter as Red John, and some not. "I have many names. Some people call me Red John". Carter is dead, and now is alive only one of the original couple. When one of two is masked, nobody know if is one or other.We seen RJ, in the sense we see one of Red John. That means He is Many or He is Match. Match for "couple", "alliance".

 

Timothy Carter was really Red John and he survive; he's the real RJ but could not resist the occasion to play with Jane. So, has taken this false name, as Roy Tagliaferro, has hypnotized Rosalind to forget its physical characteristics, and has invented a character. He 's gone to the mall, making fire from Jane, having put a bulletproof vest and a bag of his blood. Then with the help of Ron Deutsch and Baris Acar (the morgue assistant, later killed) falsified the autopsy and put the body of a double in morgue, or he faked a state of apparent death with a poison to deceive Jane and Rosalind. Then he made ​​a facial plastic or is camouflaged, he ordered his wife to commit suicide and is gone in order to reappear and haunt Jane later.

RJ is Timothy Carter twin brother. Another strange hypothesis.

Steven Wench[]

Steven Wench, the

Images

"Brother" Steven Wench

FBI's infiltrate of Visualize (as Brother Steven) in 2x20 and 3x03, was one of my long ago suspected of being RJ in person because Stiles knows that

Mentalists

Confront: is Ron Deuscth the bald of Visualize in Brother Wench group (episode 3x03)

is a infilitrate and gives wrong information, physically resembles Roy, is the teacher of one of the disciples of RJ (Ron Deutsch) and Bret says he knows much more than Jane and RJ can imagine, then, that he knows who is RJ, but RJ does not know that he knows it. In addition, the discovery of Kristina could be a sign that Stiles does not approve RJ, RJ because he dared (although the FBI) infiltrate his sect. Stiles seems to regard smarter than RJ, somehow.

   

Gale Bertram[]

Gale Bertram :

Bertram

Director of CBI Gale Bertram

I have no detailed evidence to back this claim, and he might be a little too tall (it's more than six feet, Michael Gaston is tall 191 cm), but he is at the nexus of power to develop a network of accomplices and have access to all the inside information he wants. SPOILER ALERT: Also, there's something about the way he played it off in the Season 3 closer ("Strawberries and Cream"), when Jane briefly thought that Bertram actually was Red John, that just seemed a bit odd. It's mostly a feeling on my part, but what a shocker it would be. Then again he might not have time to kill due to his busy schedule plus he seems to be a politician, something I doubt red john is, but gale could be an acomplice. Also, in the episope in which Jane helped Hightower escape from the CBI builing when she was being framed, Bertram quoted two lines from a William Blake poem. Red John (or someone acting in his stead) quoted a different Blake poem in the episode in which he whispered in Jane's ear while Jane was duct taped to a chair. Perhaps this is just the writers toying with us - perhaps they just want us to think they're toying with us. Perhaps I'm over thinking this. Additionally, it doesn't make sense that Red John's imposter would show up at the mall where only Bertram and Jane planned to meet (albeit with survelliance) unless Bertram were involved with Red John. It also explains why Bertram chose an odd phrasing that included the word "rope", which is what diverted Ja

C

Carter read the same newspaper of Bertram?

ne's attention to O'Laughlin. {C There's an additional reason to suspect Bertram. In the episode "Stra

B

Bertram read the newspaper of read Carter in following day

wberries and Cream", the room assigned to Bertram is room 605, one room above O'Laughlin's. If Bertram is Red John (or his friend), then O'Laughlin would have called him and told him where Hightower was. Bertram, being told by Lisbon that she was in another room would have suspected a trap and would have needed a scapegoat. So he tells the assassin to enter room 605 and rope down to room 505. The only person, aside from the team, that knew that room would have been empty was Bertram, so sending the assassin there and "planting the seed" into Patrick's mind of the "rope" would have ensured that he would no longer be suspected.

He drinks tea.

After the trap Jane says that Bertram isn't involved with Red John. It's not a mole. Timothy Carter must pretend to be him RJ. And he's believed RJ from us untile 4x01's end.

But there's a strange link to Be

Fisher

Red John fisherman?

rtram visible only after several visions of the episode: Why Carter reads (probably) a newspaper of previous day? The same of Bertram?In season 4 he don't fire Jane. In season 5 is suspect. For his strange, later and questionable political movements with FBI and judge, Lorelei go away and disappear, before she revelead some informations on RJ. His voice is similar at Baker's voice, and is very similar at RJ's voice in 4x24. The number of chambers of motel, involved in trap to Bertram or other mole's suspect, are 605 (Bertram) and 505 (rope O'Laughlin). The number that Lorelai (near Debonair way; RJ says "Debonair" in limo) says for the RJ meeting in Las Vegas, is 5071. Before Patrick says: 5059,

5065. These number contain the same numbers of 505 and 605, in anagram (maybe a RJ's joke).

The poem, the newspaper, the tea and the phonecall are when Jane is always absent. It's highly probable that Jane don't know these clues.

Bertram know the "name" that Jane was famous in his youth: The Psychic Boy Wonder.

Jane says:"(Red John) thinks I'm the fish and he's the fisherman" ("The Crimson Hat"); not only Minelli, also Bertram is probably an expert fisherman; from 5x01 in this office he seems has an award of fisher competition, a statue of a fisherman, behind this desk.

Gabe Nyland[]

Gabe Nyland:

Nyland

Attorney Gabe Nyland

the Attorney of San Diego, and politician with secret daughter at Rancho Rosa High School, fits at description (born 1970, 5' 11 or 180 tall, short hair), but I don't know. He shook hands with Jane twice in the episode.

the unknown cop of 3x09[]

Red John is the unknown cop of 3x09, played

Vlcsnap-2012-07-09-22h20m40s217

Bruno Heller appeared briefly in the episode 3x09 Red Moon. He is seen in the background eating while listening to the conversation.

by writer and The Mentalist's creator Bruno Heller; in Red Moon he did a fast appearance, like Alfred Hitchcock. Heller sitting behind a suspect on background, and eats a sandwich.

Gabe Mancini[]

Gabe Mancini: The agent of FBI Mancini; He is Mancini

Red John is Dean Harken first appearance is in Code Red. Also Dean has a wedding ring and its on his left finger just like the scene where Red John is sipping on his tea. In 2x11 He is mar scence means He Is Married.? In 5x09 Patrick Jane's notepad of possible red john suspects at the very end shows that he can't keep his eyes off it then the show ends. If you watch Code Red 2x16 carefully when he meets Patrick Jane he acts very controlling then asks to see thier name tags. Then Patrick Jane asks to see his name tag and thiers no picture on his name tag. When Dean Harken was questioning people Jane couldn't take it and said he Erks Harken. Then Lisbon states that CDCA is very weathly and well connected just like Red John. Then when Dean and Patrick are talking to sercurity owner about anybody having acess to the Vault Dean says that he has friends in the FBI (just like red john). Jane then states that Dean had acess to Vault 1 day before anyone else thus making me a suspect. Once agian Dean that he has friends in the FBI. He then gives a speech saying that 4 hrs to live and isn't worried at all because he in fact took the anitiode. Then when Janes trick to catch the real killer Dean also tries to escape before the military comes to drop bombs. The real killer in 2x16 says he spilled a vlask just to get Dean off his back (aka red john but he was already awear of this). At the very end Jane gives a Dean a vlask and he just stairs at it and isn't going to put it back and in fact keep it. Red John aka Dean Harken probably bought it off the blackmark ( in which bought it off Griffin the person who has selling it. We noticed that Red John Poisoned Rebecca after he killed boscos team in season 2 the same kind of poison in 2x16. My theory is that Red John injects sumtype of poison in all his henchman to ensure that the job gets done which works well for him because if they don't get the job wrong they die either way without having the Antitode.

Red John Summer Edgecombe

She was the only femsle close to CBI whoi wasn't present during Red John's last attack. With thin body and short hair she could easilly be disguised as a man. As prostitue, drug addict and trouble maker she was probably arested plenty of times and could found accomplice in FBI. Also, Red John has femaly-like voice. As prostitue, she could also made knowledge of disguising too. She also blew her relationship with Cho shortly before Red John send message to Patrick and began a six month long game.

FBI DIRECTOR[]

FBI DIRECTOR is RED John or FBI Director + CBI DIRECTOR or Whole betting party group

FBI director looked terribly suspicious and he is the only one who did not say a word but has the highest rank in THE MENTALIST as well as the meanest peverse look in his eyes.

Discussion[]

General Discussion[]

The Mentalist nothing is placed at random. When Gale Bertram says or does something suspicious, PJ is absent (poetry, tea, journal).Why mislead in this episode, if we must believed that RJ was Carter, as a red herring?

In season 4 episode 7 "Blinking Red Light" Patrick Jane is malevolent in his method of exposing the character James Panzer to Red John. The end result ... one less somewhat capable competitor. Jane steps out of himself, enticing Red John to strike out and end Panzer's arrogence.

The character Jane suffers from is dissociative identity disorder and a second personality manifestation is Red John. Jane is observed to literally release the rabid Red John in this episode.

Subjects suffering from dissociative identity disorder generally do not perceieve the existance of other personalities. In this episode, however, it is evident that Jane feels Red John's anger bubbling up from just beneath the surface of his personality. With vengeance, Jane acts accordingly.

The repeated occurance of what is percieved by Jane as napping, are periods in which Red John fully dominates his consciousness.

OTHER OBSERVATIONS OF INTEREST:

1. If you break up the name Patrick into two words, Pat meaning to strike a blow, Rick meaning to protect, the result is defend or defender. Jane is the derivative of the masculine. The combination of the two results in "Defender of John".

  • Kind of a stretch saying 'Pat' is to strike a blow, and what form of 'Rick' means to protect? Still, some nice outside-the-box thinking. :) Maybe go with 'Pa' = father, and trick = deception, and Red John as the Father of Deception.
  • Pat is defined as: To strike.
  • Rick is defined as: A protrective cover comprised of thatched materail used as a defense.

2. It is also of interest that all of the bloody wall portraits left by Red John resemble Patrick Jane.

  • A similar design note from A Price Above Rubies, when Jane is seen using a voice distortion device to sound like a kidnapper it has two red dots like the Red John eyes. Jane >> Distorting his voice >> Red John Sig.

3. Jane's personality assessment of Red John fits Jane in every respect.

Feldy: Or... How about this: Darcy herself is either Red John or one of his disciples. As long as Jane thought RJ was dead, he was of no interest to the killer; but now that Darcy knows he's aware that RJ is alive, THIS is why he needs to be brought down and not some "Jane's-a-sociopath" junk she threw at Wainwright. At least, this was my thought after I watched "Cheap Burgundy." As an afterthought: isn't it funny how we discuss all these theories of who RJ might actually be - and if the show's story writers read this, wouldn't they be moved to introduce another angle into the story once the correct culprit has been identified by one of us? In this case, the show could go on for quite some time - which I would love for it to do just that :)

Someone else: I really love watching this show. And I always wonder where Bret Stiles gets all this information from. This is the only series where I am really sucked into the plot. So, Bret is clearly connected to RJ. He is my favourite guy in the series. Always powerful, always selfaware. Besides RJ, the only person on the same level as Red John.

IF RJ has ever been introduced into the series as a real person, than only as a side note. This is my theory.

When I hear Red John's voice I think of actor Garret Dillahunt speaking softly. Of course there is no proof or record of this.

Do you think it's strange that anyone can change this page??

It's fascinating to read of the many theories outlining who could be Red John. There are compelling reasons given taken from obvious inferences or not so obvious signs throughout the four seasons of the Mentalist.

I don't believe Cho could be Red John as his backstory is now pretty well fleshed out with the Avon Park Playboys and his relatioship with Summer. What we have seen there doesn't fit with the Red John character. I think the same can be said of the other members of the CBI team. I just don't buy it. I mean these gys work almost 24/7 as agents and so it would be hard to moonlight as a serial mastermind killer with connections in high places. It just doesn't wash.

  • The only backstory we can't be sure of is Grace's. She has lied about her history multiple times to crack cases. Also, the only outside source that confirmed her history (her dad being a football coach) was Craig--Red John's disciple. She seems to be a very good liar. She is also the only character to not have any real outside connections that we see on camera. I don't suspect that she is Red John, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was a connection.

Nor do I think it's Bertram could be Red John. In the grand narrative he's too lowly to be a Red John even if he is the director. BUT the jury is out of whether he's merely a Red John accomplice because there are unanswered questions from the season 3 finale 'Strawberries and Cream' - The red john assasin still used his room in the sting op to swing down to the lower room. Bertram uttered the words 'rope' and even quoted Blake which were a tease. And of course what was the false Red John (Bradley Whitfield) doing in the mall in the first place?

Red John's character and profile are just too big to be the work of a CBI official. Red John has shown to be a killer with personal qualities that are more than a match for Jane as well as the resources and networks at his disposal.

Red John is a mastermind at playing mental games who seems to be a step ahead of Jane. He has to be super-smart that obviously borders on the pyschopathic. I don't see any of these mental qualities in the CBI Team or the secondary characters thus far.

Red John is powerful and well connected. Jane himself has come to the realisation that Red John isn't just any killer with a few accomplices. The man is seriously well connected to get away with it for so long.

Red John has built up a network of die hard - one would say brainwashed - group of accomplices who have been one step ahead of Jane and the team at every turn. All of the accomplices caught were willing to die for Red John. There's an almost quasi-religious feel to all of Red John's accomplices when they have been found out. Red John has real charisma if has people willing to kill and die for him.

What to make of all this?

My best guess is that Red John had something to do with Brett Styles' Visualisation cult group.

Could it be Brett Styles, the self-styled guru and leader of the Visualisation Cult?

Styles seems to have an inside track on Red John since he was the one who told Jane where to find Kristina Frye when red John abducted her but didn't kill her. So there has to be at very least some connection to Red John.

Styles definitely knows more than he is letting on. The man himself has an empire of brainwashed cronies and has members of his own cult group in every sphere of life, including cops. It would be easy for him to activate an acolyte to clean up or do some last minute task to be a step ahead of Jane.

But for all this I don't think Red John is Brett Styles.

My gut tells me that the writers will find something more creattive when they reveal who it is.

If it were me perhaps I would go for someone who was once part of Brett Style's visualisation group. Perhaps he was the protege of Brett Styles and they had a falling out. Perhaps he is Brett Style's estranged son? Hmmm.

Either way, perhaps Red John broke away because he interepreted his philosophy (there is no light without darkness) differently. It's hard not imagine Red John taking a few acolytes with him and building his own network of accomplices. What if Red John is not an individual? what if he represents a group of people?

A theory I hold myself. RJ was formerly connected to Visualize maybe another co-founder (which is how he has such tremendous resources and free time + connections). I also think that it is striking that in "Blinking Red Light" that Jane tells James Panzer that the first kill says the most about the killer, there is more of the original individual represented in that kill than the others as the killer's pikachu evolves. Then he finds SJK's first victim's dance music on Panzer's iPod. Yet little is said or pursued by the CBI/Jane re: RJ's known original kill. In the end I think a revisit of that crime, and not "novel gamesmanship" will reveal and deliver RJ to Jane.

In the season 4 finale, The Crimson Hat, Jane comes into contact with one of Red John's disciples and supposedly RJ himself, although we later find out it isn't him and only a mobile phone transferring his voice for the conversation with Jane. But RJ's voice is unnaturally high pitched, and whether that is just a disguise or not I don't know, but it is exactly the same as Jane's voice, only higher. Which is super weird

Red John is definitely the forensics guy from the first episode.he has the pale look of a psychopath.his voice is high pitched and sounds very similar to red johns voice in the episode were he rescues patrick in s2.he also appears in that very episode when the girl was murdered by a copycat of red john.in s1 the first person to say the words red john is the forensics guy.also patrick clearly dislikes him and gives him a weird look whenever they meet.

The Medical Examiner Just Plan it Out Patrick is Mental to catch the Killer, the Examiner (Which dies, but im unsure because him and Patrick have a cup of tea and he passes away, Ok) whilst he is all Physical to catch the killer his voice resembles characteristics of Red John from witnesses like Kristina, Like his Hair his Skin As mentioned before by someone, So Im 100% with The Medical Examiner (if you having trouble knowing who im talking about his the guy who Patrick plays silly jokes on when he examines the victim's bodies in Season 2 or 3 can't remember maybe both!)Just think it through

Red John is Jane's absentee father. He was also a showman from what Jane has indicated, but with a more sadistic edge. Plus, it would explain why RJ is so obsessed with Jane in a way that he hasn't been with his other victims. Also, Red John could be a way for Jane's father to get closer to and to form a relationship with his son. Also, he would have been able to forge many relationships and to acquire many "friends" during his time off the radar. Moreover, it would be a unique twist on the Red John relationship that most viewers wouldn't expect.

The idea of Red John being Jane's father is very intriguing. Honestly, I feel like that theory has the most basis, rationally. Or at least it fits all the qualifications necessary to be a plausible ending to a popular broadcasted TV show. All of the members of the CBI team have been affected by Red John too personally for them to fit the part. I can't think of a way for the writers to possibly spin their stories in order to support that--plus it doesn't fit any of their characters. You know? The ones that the writers have been developing for 94 episodes now? I do, however, feel that the series' ending would be a lot more meaningful if Red John wasn't some random Joe from off the street. It is entirely possible (if not completely dissappointing) that the Mentalist team will pull the same stunt as the Bones writers did with Gormogon--making him a complete nobody. But this tale has been spun far too intricately for that to be satisfying. So Red John must be someone we have met or that has significance in some way. Ergo--Jane's father.

Also, Red John is close to Jane's build, he sits liek Jane moves like Jane, enjoys Tea like Jane, Jane picked these things up from someone. Also, There's been nothing to show that his father isn't alive, but it does show that his father is no longer with the carnival. Other interseting things include that Red John refuses to kill Jane,
he killed Jane's wife, the woman that took Patrick away from the carnival and Jane's daughter, the person that represented Jane's life away from him and new beginings. both Jane's father and Red John hate Jane's arrogance. It fits quite well.

He has all the qualifications--we know little about him, he has a very good reason to be interested in Jane, and the reveal would be poignant and heartbreaking. Which is what sells (or gets people to watch the show, in this case XD ) The point is, this is an entirely plausible theory. Does it fill in the blanks 100%? No, not really. But if I'm being honest, I'm not sure the developers even know who Red John is. His character has changed so dynamically from Season 1. He went from a simple (albeit extravagant) serial killer to a mastermind of Moriary proportions. This just tells me that the writers have kind of taken the idea and run with it over time--perhaps they haven't even created an ending yet. I suppose we'll find out soon enough.

Interestingly, the name Jane (Janae) can be translated to mean red, god as well as a form of the name John. Therfore Jane could be translated as Red John.

Maybe it could be max winters? Wasn't his wife killed around the time that red john started killing? What if he flew off the handle? And wouldn't his calm and zen-like state of mind help to charm people into doing what he wants them to do? He also claims to have forgiven his wifes killer, yet he shot the person in the face. He is very patient to have waited that long to get his revenge, and red john must have a lot of patience as he needs to plan his next kill and escape. Is it max?

I believe Red John is Homeland Security Agent Kirkland. Please review last week's episode when they pass each other in the hallway at CBI headquarters and Agent Kirkland says "You don't know me, but I know you" AND they shook hands in the hallway, and in the season four finale the voice of red john is done by the guy playing kirkland!

I wouldnt say, that Kirkland is Red John, because that would be too easy. but im sure he, in some way, is connected to him. Besides all the other hints, this made me even more curious: In the scene, where Kirkland and Lisbon are on the beach, Kirkland goes behind the stone, where Lorelai stood. The same way you couldnt see what Lorelai was doing, you couldnt completely see what Kirkland did with his hands... Maybe she left some kind of massage for him? Also the ranger, who interviewed Jane, i have the feeling, he was not who he said he was....

Hello everyone, I am Red John. :-)

But seriously its Jane's dad, where Jane learned everything from and how RJ's always 1 step ahead of everyone else. In TV manipulate etc. is easy so his dad does it over everyone like Jane does it to solve cases.


In the season 4 finale, The Crimson Hat, Jane comes into contact with one of Red John's disciples and supposedly RJ himself, although we later find out it isn't him and only a mobile phone transferring his voice for the conversation with Jane. But RJ's voice is unnaturally high pitched, and whether that is just a disguise or not I don't know, but it is exactly the same as Jane's voice, only higher. Which is super weird


Season 5 has given Jane and the viewers a much larger list of suspects than any other season. This is just spectulation, but I believe we are nearing the beggining of the end for Red John, and more than likely the series (since the show's main plot is the capture or killing of Red John). Once again this is pure theory, but most really good dramas on TV try to finish on top and do not drag on longer than they have to. The Mentalist is at one of the best points of the show's 5 season run, and I wouldnt be surprised if the shows producers and writers already have an ending planned and know when they intend on using it. I'm not saying the show will finish up this season, but if the writers are as smart as I believe they are, Season 6 could be the final chapter. One more time, I'm purely guessing at this after watching many TV series with great endings when the shows were at the top of their popularity (Lost, The Sopranos, The Shield, The Wire, etc.).


I have a feeling that Red John is not someone who has been in the show once or twice. It has to be someone more known and someone who will shock people. It would be total garbage to find out its some person who we cannot even remember. One guy whos been coming to mind and who has been a suspect on 2 occasions is Walter Mashburn. But, did Jane like him when they shook hands? I do not believe he did at first, but it seems like he does later on. The coincidence of him being around in two murders is sketchy.

In Season 5 Episode 13, we have Agent Ray Haffner come back and try to get Teresa Lisbon to quit her job and join him. Could Red John be Agent Haffner? It seems like maybe Red John might want Teresa because of her connection to Jane. Some strange things happen in this episode. We find out that Red John killed way back in the days, way before the CBI believed he started and in a manner that was unconventional. I have had a feeling that Red John was a part of Visualize, possibly even Brett Styles but thats another story. Another possible clue is that Haffner is a member of Visualize and Teresa did not know he was. You can see that Haffner seems a little nervous or defensive. Just enough to give us a little suspicion and the way the show/writers do not add any more to that, it made me wonder. Teresa doesn't even say anything to Jane, especially when Haffner was at the barn around the same time as Red John. They made mention to a teenager, around 17 who could be the one responsible for the other 2 deaths and who could be Red John. Haffner played a prominent role at one time, during an important change at CBI, which he was in charge and only Jane reinstated while the rest of the team was on suspension. The writers brought back Agent Haffner who at one time shook Janes hand I believe but we do know for sure that Jane did not like him. He made sure to get rid of that whole team and get his peeps back in the fold. For some reason Jane did not like him at all, maybe his spidersense kicked in but never really put the pieces together since he was CBI. Lorelli did say he shook hands with Red John. I have read the theory that it still has not happened, that she did it to mislead Jane or meant it as a future event. NO!!! Jane knows Red John, shook his hand and does not like him.

Another possibility is that J.J. LaRoche is Red John. He was involved in the Hotel setup, when they choose 4 or 5 floors to try and set up Red John's informant. And then theres the break in incident, where Jane hired a criminal he helped arrest and found some leverage on LaRoche even though he was bluffing. There was a container in LaRoche's safe at home that was suspicious.

I also think of Brett Styles as Red John. He was accused of murdering his partner back in the days when they first started out. Then theres been a lot of Visualize involvement in murder cases. But what makes me think it might be him is his mentioning many times that he knows a lot of people and some are directly connected to Red John. He finds the address where Kristina Frye is being held which doesn't get any attention really. This is strange. He is the head of a cult, who's methods involve criminal acts and it seems like they are involved in some way to many murders. Jane did not like him when they met.

I will make one last comment. What if Red John is a woman? Remember that Red John sends people to do a lot for him. Robert Kirkland was hinted as a Red John possiblity but he had not met Jane when Lorelli tells him he shook hands with Jane. The voice is the same as the guy who helped Jane when he was tied to the chair and almost killed. That was Kirkland but it was not Red John because Kirland is not Red John. Like I said, Red John seems to have many followers and sends them to do a lot of work for him or her. Maybe Red John does not kill anyone. Maybe, he gets everyone else do it for him/her. Krisitna Frye seems to have been around a lot of murders and disappears but comes back alive. Is her state she was in when they found her for real or was it fake? Jane continuously says throughout the show that psychics are fake and its just not real what they do. They are mentalists, which means they can read people and their body language. Kristina seems to talk to the dead which Jane believes is a fraud. When she is rescued alive, she is catatonic and only when Janes has the lights out and a candle brought in, she comes back saying that she is dead. This could be a game shes playing. She was a murder suspect more than once in my books. She can also hypnotize people and get in their heads with the talking to the dead game she plays.

The last one I suspect but will not write much about since he is just shady period. I cannot remember his name at the moment but he is the head of CBI. The boss, not the department head like Virgil. I will look it up and edit later.

I think the woman theory is something that would shock people. It probably will not happen but when you think about all the tv shows, you mainly see the serial killer as a man. Who knows. The blind woman who actually met Red John would throw us off but like I said, Red John has many followers, maybe even that blind woman who might be a lesbian and was just lying to protect her. Just an idea. Who knows.

Based on the happenings in "Red John's Rules" I now believe that Red John must be someone from Patrick Jane's childhood.  If we take as a given that Red John is not psychic, then the only way RJ could know about a specific woman in a happy memory that Jane has never told to another person is if RJ was present during that event and read the look on Jane's face.  We know that RJ is a very skilled manipulator of other people, just as Jane is, so presumably RJ could read people's faces and mannerisms just as Jane can.  If so, then by watching Jane during the party with Eileen, RJ would know that the moment was having a real impression on Jane.  This speculation leads to another, even more interesting one.  What if RJ was Jane's nemesis since Jane was a child?  What if RJ became a serial killer specifically to make Jane suffer?  Here is my reasoning.  Jane was very talented, even as a young man, more talented than many of the other carnies.  His early talent and success could have sparked the animosity and rivalry of someone around him - someone very clever, but not able to work easily with people and put on a good show, as Jane could.  RJ is, in fact, always insisting that he is more clever than Jane; it seems very important for him to prove that fact.  If RJ is as smart as we think he is, and saw Jane in his early life, then RJ could predict what would happen in Jane's future life: he would leave the carnie world, he would continue using the skills he learned in carnie life to fleece ever more people, and he would become a rich and famous psychic.  If RJ could figure out that much, it would be fairly easy to SET JANE UP to make a stupid comment and then PUNISH him by killing his family.  Famous psychics are always asked about famous mysteries: Are there aliens? Where is Elvis?  Who shot Kennedy?  ...and WHO IS RED JOHN?  So, all RJ needed to do was to become famous in some way, and since we know he is a sociopath/psychopath, he chose serial killing.  Once RJ became famous enough, it was almost inevitable that Jane, a famous pscyhic, would be asked about RJ, and therefore inevitable that Jane would make some kind of baseless statement about RJ.  Once that happened, RJ would have his "justification" for revenge on Jane, a perfect setup.  Jane began his suspect list with everyone he met since RJ killed his family, assuming that RJ didn't know him before that point.  If I'm right, Jane is looking at all the wrong people from the wrong time in his life.

My Opinion (Eyurt):[]

During S5, we see Alexa_Shultz, in a car, with an unknown man. I can't really recall the episode, nor I'm sure that was indeed said, but Im possitive the scene was a story of the past. Anyway, I think the man sitting with her in the car was pointed out to be Red John.

Than man resembles Robert (Bob) Kirkland astoundingly well. However, I don't think he is Red John. The fact he has his men from Homeland invade into Jane's room, makes him look more like an accomplice of Red John's rather RD himself. Furthermore, he works for Homeland Security, which probably doesn't give him much of free time to commit the murders.

So Robert (Bob) Kirkland, is probably not Red John. With the same means, Bret Stiles is not him either. He has a lot to deal with in the Visualise and he seems a bit too old for him to be RD.

Ray Haffner, on the other hand, doesn't seem smart enough to commit those murders, nor stay out off of Jane's radar for so long. I don't think he has anything to do with Red John but, to be honest, I didn't believe him being a member of the Visualise, either.

Gale Bertram is known to be a dedicated, although somewhat newbie, poker player, throughout season 5. For me, he is borderline addicted, due to the fact he almost had Van Pelt not attend the Hacking-related sceminare, due to his loss. Now, being an addict makes you vulnerable and Red John doesn't give that impression of himself.

Reede Smith was only seen in one episode (and it might be the one where we get to see Red John as a young person) and he's attitude make his seem a little foolish and naive. He also is good talker and depends too much on other people's opinion. That could be a hell of a camouflage. Like, pretend to be the excact opposite of what RD is, so as to cover up yourself.

As of Sheriff McAllister, I really can't say anything. It's been a while since I saw S1, and I cant recall his attitude or his part of the role. For me is a grey zone. But his face looks like more of a scam person or someone who could commit fraud and get away with it. Not a serial murderer. Anyway, my reasoning here is... well, non-existent, but I don't consider him to be RD.

So, that leads me to the person I think is Red John: Brett Partridge. He seems a bit to young, I can give you that. But his faces is the second that best resembles the one from the episode mentioned in the begin, after that of Kirkland's. Furthermore, he has a creepy look. To me, he definitely looks like a person that might have commited all these murders.

That makes my list goes like this:

1. Brett Partridge

2.[4]Reede Smith

3. Robert (Bob) Kirkland

4. Gale Bertram

5. Ray Haffner

6. Sheriff McAllister

7. Bret Stiles

Thoughts on Basics[]

To the people saying "He is Mar" could mean "He is married" - why on earth would a dying person take time to inform the police that their killer is married by writing a message in their own blood? Surely if they know that detail, they could inform the police of something much more useful. Even "He has brown hair" is more useful than the idea of him being married. I just can't accept that someone would write something so trivial in the last moments of their life. That piece of information would have to be something much more significant for a person to take the time and effort to write it in their own blood.



Does anyone else find it kind of weird that Lorelei told Jane that he shook hands with RJ? To me, this would imply that she was there, otherwise how would she know that they shook hands and didn't just meet? Unless RJ was lame enough to brag about it like "Yeah, I met him, he shook my hand and didn't even know who I was, how badass am I?"


@Regarding the preceeding paragraph:

My opinion... Red John is a proven narcissist, a serial killer who regards murder as a form of art, and has somehow managed to establish an incredibly wide yet tight web of accolytes. Therefore, it is in his nature to brag about anything that can (internally) cement and (externally) prove his superiority - which in this case, happens to be no small feat, since the mere fact of having interacted with Jane regardless of the later's genius, drive, and legendary prowess in reading people constitutes something to be proud of. In essence, he is a pathological show-off. Furtehrmore, and as mentioned, it should be taken into account that another trait Red John possesses is an outstanding charisma. He manages to secure his accomplices' alliance far beyond any reasonable point, creating a cult-like fanatical response. But a proficient leader knows that proficient leadership is based primarily on the outer perception of proficiency in leadership, so making no secret of his contact with Patrick within his rring of trustees (hence proving yet again he is constantly outsmarting Jane and confident to keep it that way) would not only fulfill his egotistical needs: it would actually be a must to ensure his status.

@Regarding the paragragraph starting with "To the people saying he is Mar":

I completely agree with you, yet I feel a bit uneasy about how the final season will be able to fit the pieces of a puzzle we have been only glimpsing for five years, pieces like the one your mention.

Motive? More usually than not, neither the scriptwriters nor the producers have a clear idea or a set path from day one till the end... mostly because in TV a series gets renewed on a yearly basis (if lucky not to be cancelled without notice) and therefore most of the initial effort is put in enticing the audience in order to secure high ratings. The treatment given to Red John, in the first and most of the second seasons, and from a producer's point of view, is that of a MacGuffin - a way to explain the characters' behaviours, motivations and interactions. Idea: an amoral, gifted, out-of-the-box thinker with seemingly supernatural powers, the skills to make some serious money, charming yet superficial must team up with a by-the-book police agency - hmmm, let's fuel it with a personal vendetta that doesn't commit us too much yet leaves the door open for further development. Voilà, Pilot Episode! If the series proves viable, then plot twists are needed... more and more often... regarding the archenemy... adding layers and layers of facts that may not add up. (Other mechanisms involve going in-depth into the personal life of major characters, as well as romance, but it only gets you so far, and there's the constant danger of jumping the shark). So it's quite common that the last season of any series with no long, binding contract, usually feels rushed, unsatisfying, or artificial. The MacGuffin trick needs to be undone, and two things usually happen: a Deus Ex Machina is created (an explanation that evades the plot and comes out of thin air to make things work - see "Lost"), or an implausible character is tailored to retrofit the ellusive antagonist, often recycling a minor role into the villain since that avoids both tons of work and a huge creative effort to avoid all inconsistencies we would find in characters already explored in depth.

Let's hope I'm wrong... (P.S.: Apologies for my poor English) 83.56.136.196 11:09, August 3, 2013 (UTC)

Is Red John even real?[]

So, this may sound crazy, but hear me out (or read me out...). What if Red John isn’t real? Someone else mentioned/suggested this above. Think about it. The first Red John smiley face murder could have been random. After it gained attention, a few people started following this Red John. One of the followers could have could have committed the next killing, hoping that whoever Red John was would approve. This would gain more followers, each vying for attention from the non-existent Red John. Every time a new Red John murder is committed, the followers (except the one that did it) would think it was Red John. It could be a different “disciple” that kills every time, each thinking that RJ had committed the other murders. The followers could just be puppets, with no puppet master. (Whoever said this above, thank you) “At the center there IS no puppeteer,” just a bunch of puppets who control others while they themselves are controlled. The followers might think that they are making choices for RJ, such as when Timothy Carter met Jane at the end of season 3. Also, you might wonder who killed Jane’s wife and daughter, if RJ isn’t real. It is possible that one of RJ’s followers felt that RJ would be offended by what Jane said on TV, so he (or she) took matters into their own hands, killed Angela and Charlotte, and left the note to Jane, posing as RJ. So, theoretically, RJ isn’t even real, just a group of followers that think he is real, so technically, all the murders would be copycats of RJ. The only real RJ would be the first murderer (who might even be dead) and wasn’t trying to be a psychopath; it was just a random murder of act of revenge, which gained followers. Some of minions who pretended to be RJ might have done that because they wanted to prove he was real. They might have even deceived each other. In order to convince the rest of the followers the RJ was real, one follower could have posed as RJ to other followers, making them believe that he was real (if they had doubted it). Those followers might, in turn, pretend to be RJ to convince even more followers, feeling that it was okay, because they had met the “real” RJ (who was just a follower/pretender) and they needed to make sure his “cult” believed in RJ. This might sound crazy, but think about it. When “Red John” demanded Lisbon’s head (which creeps me out), it could just have been someone in the cult with a particular grudge against Lisbon. When Lorelei told Jane the he had shaken hands with RJ, she might believe that RJ was someone who had met Jane (even though it was just one of his followers pretending to be RJ). Or, she could just be lying- it’s not like she hasn’t lied to Jane at all- to trick him. When the directors showed RJ (him watching TV, etc.), it might have been one of the followers, but the directors wanted to trick us into thinking that he is real. When the supposed RJ saves Jane (end of season 2), who’s to say it was him? Also, with the “Tyger, tyger” poem, one follower could have come up with that and told others that RJ had told it to them. That way, if they come into contact with Jane, they could scare him. I think this would be an interesting conclusion to the series. I also feel it would leave Jane very unsatisfied in his quest for revenge, and it would be difficult to unravel and prove (because even the followers are convinced RJ is real). Well, it may not make perfect sense, but are their any objections/holes that I haven’t thought of/explained?  It’s just a theory...

===

A very interesting theory but I have an objection. In the 'fake' Red John murders, Jane could tell that they were fake, this hints that RJ is just one person and has a lot of practice to make sure that every murder is exactly the same. If there was no RJ and there were just followers, wouldn't Jane see the differences between every murder?


Edit: April 19, 2013

As the fellow who "mentioned/suggested above" that Red John may be like the Laughing Man from "Ghost in the Shell", I think I should clarify my earlier statement. I didn't mean to say "Red John" is just a series of copycats trying to impress a figure who isn't there. I was aiming for something a lot more insidious. I was intending to present Red John as a group without a leader; something akin to "the Red John Network". First, look at episode 1x18 where Rigsby is hypnotized. Now, imagine that episode played out on a MASSIVE scale with potentially dozens, if not hundreds, of "Rigsbys". What if someone could be "programmed" to kill on command using the Red John signature? Certain details may vary (i.e. taser vs gun to subdue the victim) but other details would be inviolate (i.e. placement of the "happy face"). Thus, "copycats" would be fairly easy to detect. Additionally, once the triggers are in place, Red John wouldn't necessarily have to be the one to GIVE the command. Other minions could do that for him. Red John could even train others to do the programming. Someone like Brett Stiles or Ellis Mars could manage the "network" while the "original" Red John remains in plain sight the entire time! In such a scenario the "original" Red John may never have killed nor given a "kill order" at all!

You could even take it a step further and posit a scenario where some carny hypnotist unwittingly ingrains hypnotic triggers in a latent serial killer that interact with a cult's conditioning to compel the poor schmuck not only to kill but to train other serial killers through a kind of post-hypnotic "self-help for serial killers" and then years later the same carny hypnotist dedicates the rest of his life to hunting second and third-generation copies of the serial killer he created after his wife and daughter are murdered.

However, as cool as that sounds I am slightly tormented by the significance of Red John calling Patrick Jane his "greatest creation". As if Patrick Jane were not a work-in-progress, but instead a completed work of art already.

If you look closely at Jane's interactions with "Red John", particularly episodes 2x23 and 3x24 you will notice Jane being fed "triggers" by "Red John" (Compare episode 1x18). Notice how certain words are used out of context or oddly emphasized by "Red John" during the conversation? The phrases "roll tide", "okay" and "strawberries and cream" stand out to me. Pay special attention to Jane's reaction to these phrases. Something's up. Secondly, Jane suffers from insomnia. Since being under hypnosis is similar to dreaming, Jane's insomnia could corroborate that he is in a hypnotic trance at least part of the time. Other little details, like listening to an ipod with ear-buds when resting also start to look suspicious when you're looking for things that could "reinforce" hypnotic conditioning. If Red John truly were a master manipulator and hypnotist wouldn't his greatest masterstroke be to brainwash HIMSELF and embed himself within the organization(s) trying to track him down? Would Red John pass up the opportunity to be both Moriarty AND Holmes? Could he? Similar ploys have been used in fiction before:

(SPOILERS!)

-- Light Yagami (temporarily) erases his own memories to evade suspicion in "Death Note". 
-- Tyler Durden made sure even "he" couldn't rescind his final orders in "Fight Club".  
-- Douglas Quaid is an artificial "cover personality" in both versions of "Total Recall"

(END SPOILERS!)

All Red John would need is a competent Lieutenant (Ellis?/Stiles?) to "mind the store" and a "watcher/bodyguard" (CBI Ron?) to make sure he says alive and can be reached in an emergency. At that point, "Red John" is pretty much a corporation...

...And Jane is the Marketing department.


Specific Discussions[]

Is Red John truly a serial killer?[]

In the "Crimson Hat" episode,when Jane reunites with Lisbon, a mysterious police cruiser whizzes past them. Did you ask yourself if Red John was behind the wheel ? It appeared odd to me, since the sting operation to catch Red John involved only the CBI and to some extent the FBI (with Susan Darcy at its helm). So no Las Vegas authority was aware of it. So how do you explain a lonely police cruiser prowling the arid desert of LV. After all, the final teaser of "Crimson Hat" says," You have to watch every scene very closely".

Red John is possibly the forensics guy from the first episode. He has the pale look of a psychopath. His voice is high pitched and sounds very similar to Red John's voice in the episode were he rescues Patrick in s2. He also appears in that very episode when the girl was murdered by a copycat of Red John...also Patrick clearly dislikes him and gives him a weird look whenever they meet. Some people say Patrick is Red John, but this cant be true because Red John killed Patrick's family whilst he was being interviewed on that show. He cannot be Cho because Red John has been killing from 1998. Cho must have been in the army at that time or in his old gang.

It is telling that Jane told only Lisbon of his plan, then Lisbon in an effort to deflect Wainright from engaging Jane to bring him back to the CBI, lets slip: "Things are not as they seem/appear." Shortly before the raid, Darcy and Wainright talk and Wainright says much the same thing to Darcy. Then RJ tells Jane that a "friend" in the FBI tipped him off to Jane's little deception. Who is RJ's contact in the FBI?....the clues seem to point to Darcy. Maybe in the earlier episode where RJ appears to stalk Darcy while the CBI team watches on the internet, RJ's comment: "She's cute this shouldl be fun," is wrongly understood. Maybe RJ is really talking about her recruitment to his side being fun?

.Kirkland works for Visualize[]

Theory by Duubhglas

In my opinion, Kirkland is after Red John, and he's not affraid to kill people related to him or his accomplices (I'm thinking about Lennon here).

Maybe HE is the one who killed Lorelei, not Red John...

Kirkland could be an inside man for Visualize, not Red John. He was hired to clean the mess of the lost sheep of the cult.

.Season 4 Episode 1[]

During the closing arguements by the DA, the DA says, "...was Timothy Carter a good man? No. But was he a serial killer?" At that moment their is a quick closeup of a male jury member. I call him Jury member #2 as he was sitting beside the Jury Foreman in the front row in seat number two looking left to right. I believe this is foreshadowing this character as Red John. This is the same face I saw in the "Red John's Friends" episode. You can see the picture I posted on that episode earlier. Here is the face of Red John.

101

Juror #2, the Face of Red John?

005

Reflection of Red John! This is from the "Red John's Friends" episode.

I have added the second picture below so you can compare them together. If you look at the facial features, there is no doubt they are the same person. I wish I could tell you if Red John is Brett Stiles son or something that would blow your mind but I can't. What I can say is that I have found the face of Red John!

I'm not so sure. The juror's face has long lines below the eyes which the reflection doesn't. Also, the reflection's eyebrows are slightly more curved and his eyes seem a little more protruding. I could be wrong, of course. Still, I think they would pick some bigger name to play Red John than an anonymous bystander.--Jpx400 (talk) 22:59, September 12, 2012 (UTC)
On the contary, if we closely look at the face in the reflection (shown in the "Red John's Friends" episode), it has a small pimple beneath the left eye. Look closely to the picture and you will be able to spot it. And just after that IM session is over (red john disconnects from the network), Patrick talks to his colleagues about him. At that time, that pimple is clearly visible beneath his left eye. This means the reflection was nothing but of Patrick's face only.
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That does not look like Patrick to me...but I don't think it's RJ either. Introduce a bit of Anarchy (talk) 16:08, October 5, 2012 (UTC)
EDIT: Actually, it is Patrick! it's just that this image is not clear, Introduce a bit of Anarchy (talk) 12:05, October 6, 2012 (UTC)
Actually, considering the show is known by fooling us into who is the killer. That easily could be one of Read John's followers on there doing the work. As Jane said, he has many follower, many who look up to him. Introduce a bit of Anarchy (talk) 19:56, September 17, 2012 (UTC)
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Any body wanna put the fat guy,Hannigan (who punches jane on the nose on being provoked) in Season 5 episode 5 as Red John ?.He has shook hands with Patrick jane.Obviously he does'nt like him.He left as soon as jane joined CBI. He did sympathsized with Jane,well, I d'not expect the writers to show RJ in his real "form".Also it satisfies all the criteria put down by Lorelei. ........Just a thought what do you say people?.Also he was not presented as powerful or suspicious perso
Could Summmer be Red John? What do you think? She was the only person close to CBI who wan0t presnt during Red John's attack, in season 4 finale. She blew her relationship with Cho shortly before Red John send anothr message to Patrick. With thin body and shot hair she could easily be disguised as a man. As troublemaker, prostitue and drug addict she was probably arested plenty of times and could easily found people who know people and found informant in FBI. Also, Red John has femaly-like voice.

See also[]

  • Is Jack Coleman's character Max Winter the real Red John ?
  • Who Red John is not?
  • RJ is either a family member(most likely older half brother PJ's dad seemed the lecherous type) or another similar performer from Jane's carnivale days.
  • In addition, the pilot makes it highly unlikely for Brett to be RJ. He seems oblivious to RJs modus op.(seeing the "painting" first etc) and Jane showed several times that he can directly spot if someones lying.
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