**Bret Stiles**- what do we know about him? Of all the suspects remaining he is the only one that has the money, resources and infrastructure to mastermind the RJ-crimes while at the same time being able to stay two-steps ahead of law enforcement.
Of the remaining suspects Stiles is obviously the only one who has the persuasive and manipulative personality to match Red John and his ability to indoctrinate followers. In fact you could argue given how little we really know about the number of RJ followers that Stiles’ ability to convert people is far greater considering the size and success of Visualize.
We also almost certainly know that the foundation of ‘his’ church was built on the murders of the original Visualize guru Timothy Farragut and Elliot Elswit, the investigating sheriff who according to ex-visual member Randall Parker, doctored the police report of Farragut’s death. By all accounts before the leadership change in Visualized occurred Stiles was a struggling hippie/visionary that lusted for more and did not see eye-to-eye Farragut’s leadership:
> **Bret Stiles**: Farragut was a dreamer. Dreamers are useful in their way, but we don't live in dreams, do we? We live in the here and the now.
> Van Pelt: Did you kill him?
> **Stiles**: You've killed, haven't you; someone who mattered to you, who hurt you. Did you enjoy it?
> **Van Pelt**: No.
>
**Stiles**: Really? I'm told it gives the feeling of great perspective, like waking from a dream.
**“And once you are awake, you shall remain awake eternally. ” Nietzsche**
> **Van Pelt**: It changes you.
> **Stiles**: Did you friends notice?
> **Van Pelt**: A little, but I think it freaks them out.
> **Stiles**: Of course. They don't have the imagination or the vocabulary to converse with you about it. You know, you're like a little bird that fell out of the nest, but you don't need the nest. You need to fly, and that I can teach you. -
**“The higher we soar the smaller we appear to those who cannot fly.”- Nietzsche**
When he murdered Farragut it was then he created his *self-realized* idea/persona of ‘Red John’ that would provide the template of values he would subsume Visualize under. Like Nietzsche’s Ubermensch, Red John is a self-mastered individual that sets out to create his own morals and values that are not, in his view, mistakenly borne out of mystical constructs such as God, the Devil, etc etc. Like the Ubermensch, Red John is not only a person but a goal for all of humanity (Visualize members) to strive for and a standard for men to be judged.
The Ubermensch would say that the meaning of life is that you die, so make it valuable, which is almost exactly what Timothy Bradley told Jane at their face-to face, under what we can assume was RJ’s directive- “I’m not a monster, I’m not a devil. I’m not worth ruining your life over. “
Red John isn’t just about the killing; sure it plays a role but a major part of RJ’s psychosis and acts of murder is that he wants to, in his mind, enlighten and set his victims on a higher path, i.e. when Jane lost his family he was fraud-psychic that told lies for money and fame, and then later chose to use his intellect and guile for good, even if it is essential driven by vengeance. In the amnesia episode Cho says basically the same thing; Jane was a shitty person before losing everything- and who is ultimately responsible? RJ
The wording might be different but the message espoused by Rebecca Anderson and Lorelei Martins pretty much identical to the one preached by Stiles and Visualize:
> “Don’t you see? Without death there is no life. And without darkness, there is no light... until your daughter and wife were killed you were living an illusion... Red John opened your eyes, and now you see the world for what it truly is."
> "It set me free and brought me to my full reality." – Lorelei on her sister’s death.
Go back to when Jane first met Stiles, ambushing him in the middle of a DVD/film production:
> “The eye is not just the window to the soul, it is the key to unlocking the key to your greatness, when you see it, you will be it. “
My theory is that Visualize is the mostly (mostly) non-violent branch of the Red John brand, one easily digestible for the masses. For the people RJ/Stiles believe possess greater potential (or simply wants to turn into a sleeper cell for his own purposes outside of Visualize) and who may not fall so easily for the teachings of the church, he intervenes personally to “***open their eyes***” and make them “***see the world for what it is***” and “***unlock the key to their greatness***.”
This would explain RJ’s obsession and repeated attempts to try and convert Jane; recall the conversation that took place at the end of Season 4:
> “As you well know, Patrick, there is no hell. When I die, I won't be punished. But if you really did have a change of heart, what if you and I were friends? Imagine the life we could lead. It's a higher path, Patrick. A nobler existence.”
Before I move onto to the Haffner related portion I’d like to point out a few more things worth noting when you entertain the idea Bret Stiles is at least part of the RJ identity:
- McDowell is the longest tenured cast member to be playing a suspect and the biggest star of the bunch, first appearing in Season 2 Ep. 20 titled “Red All Over.” (*Ahem* Blood Ritual in 6x6 F&B *Ahem*)
- Before the list was narrowed down to the final seven Heller hinted many times RJ could be someone that has already been casted and on the show.
- In his first meeting he did not shake Patrick’s hand on-screen, however due to McDowell’s character being a big part of this arc coming to end, re-shooting a scene depicting an on-screen handshake when they first met could be easily done.
- Stiles assisted Jane in orchestrating the escape for Lorelei Martins, shortly thereafter Jane allowed Lorelei to go off on her own to find out if RJ really killed her sister. This was *before* Stiles went reportedly missing and was still in the area to reconnect with Lorelei if she sought him out.
- It would be very Red John-ish to help Patrick free Lorelei so he could have her run back and find out what kind of progress Jane has made toward identifying him before killing her.
- Brett Stiles went missing around the same time RJ sent the tape to Jane containing Lorelei’s death.
- Stiles knew the whereabouts of Kristina Frye and tipped Jane by saying “Red John is throwing a party for you.”
- Last point regarding the Red John/Visualize angle; Wouldn’t it make sense, with RJ being the mastermind that is, and having an almost endless amount of networks and resources at his disposal, to have two independent clandestine cell systems (Visualize Network/Red John Network) that were unaware of each other? This could explain how he has been so damn impenetrable and illusive to law enforcements multiple and extreme efforts to track him down? Just some food for thought.
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**Ray Haffner**- what do we know?
- Haffner was at the Visualize-owned Elliston Farm in 1988 where the earliest known Red John victims were killed and presumably the first time the smiley was painted.
- Red John has been known to use many weapons but his weapon of choice seems to be a linoleum knife which is a common gardening tool that Haffner would have used at the Elliston Farm which was an agricultural project.
- Fits the description given by Sophie better than any of the other suspects: Bertram/McCallister/Stiles too old to be considered middle aged, Reede Smith by clinical standards probably isn’t in the best of shape considering his size, and Stiles as we know is dying.
- Reede Smith did express a fear of heights in F&B but Sophie Miller described RJ’s unknown phobia as severe and Haffner literally freaked out at the sight of the tiny spider.
- Also fits the description given by Rosalind Harker.
- Haffner is shown having a thing for Lisbon and has had some stalker-ish spooky interactions with Teresa, especially in the hospital after the season premier, and we all know RJ has been wanting to kill/get to Lisbon as a means of breaking down Jane a final time.
- Worked at the CBI, could have maintained the “lead” on Jane by being in the same law enforcement agency, would also have had access to kill Rebecca Anderson.
- When Haffner goes to meet with Lisbon about the Jane trap he is having a conversation with man dealing with a mistress, he tells the man to write her a big check and if not there are “plenty of ways to keep a woman quiet.” Red John has been known to kill men but his victims have been mostly women, perhaps a subtle hint that Haffner has “dealt” with women before?
Almost done! If you managed to stay all the way I sincerely appreciate it. Now I just dumped a bunch of pro-Haffner info right there but I think he is only part of the puzzle. Stiles clearly has a violent streak to him but he doesn’t really strike me as the kind of character that is capable or even willing to kill someone in the way Red John does, but Haffner? Totally. The cult of personality and brainwashing/manipulation is more of Stiles’ speed, the messy killing and the face painting? No, that stems from a much darker place than I think Stiles was originally when he killed Farragut.
I like Haffner for killing the two workers at the visualize farm and drawing the original smiley face. At some point he was found out by Stiles who saw a troubled young man (also think about when Stiles tried to indoctrinate Grace when she was going through her emotional turmoil of killing O’Laughlin) that he could..
A.) Use to kill people outside the reach of Visualize to maintain its legitimacy
B.) Plant inside law enforcement to keep his ear to the ground
C.) Later groom to take over Visualize and RJ network once he is gone so that his ‘work’ will continue.
So there you have it! My guess is that Red John is a collaborative effort between Stiles and Haffner, and while I know this leaves out a lot of other really good information and leaves the motivations for killing Jane's family murky at best- it's the best I got! Here's to the next two episodes!
