Theories of kimi33320 (6)

Lol at all the people who thought it was Partridge!!!

I don't know why, but I'm really nervous and excited for season 6..I just hope Bruno gets it right, and the actor he chooses plays the part well. My main suspect is Gale Bertram, but I've probably suspected everyone at some point along the way, just like everybody else has. I pretty much have a theory for all the suspects but for some reason I'm getting more and more drawn to McAllister and Smith on the list, just because they were such strange inclusions. People say it can't be one of them because they've only appeared once, but it should be remembered that we had never even seen Timothy Carter before he was revealed and he proved extremely popular....As Heller said anything can happen!
Based on the trailers and gossip we've had for episode 1, I'm going to guess that Bob Kirkland will be the first name scratched off of the list. Roll on Sunday night, I cannot wait! :-)

I think people shouldn't be so quick to disregard anyone on the list purely because of their age or appearance. There is a reason why they are on it and that's because it is possible for them to be Red John. Jane's not stupid, and unless it is a fake list ( which I doubt), they all remain viable suspects. Bruno Heller has told us he has left false clues and told a few small lies along the way, and I'm almost convinced now that Rosalind's description is one of them. Bertram remains my top suspect, but he's closely followed by Bret Stiles. I've went into a lot of detail about Gale already below, but now I'd quickly like to talk about why people shouldn't rule out Bret...

Red John's main skills and assets are pretty well known to us all by now (and, in my opinion, we should pay more attention to these, than say his hair color or his height); he's charming, manipulative, powerful, rich, mature (classical music, tea), possible ladies man, extremely sharp and clever, mentalist powers such as hypnosis, brainwashing and cold reading (similar to Jane), large following (especially, it seems, from law enforcement and Visualise).
Stiles more so than anyone ticks those boxes for me. In particular, the scene in the cell with Grace just cried out to us Red John..he came across as seductive, manipulative and very charming as he taught her how to keep herself calm and exhale out all the red smoke inside of her. What if he took a particular liking to her because she reminded him of Rosalind Harker?...could be where the "Red" in his name comes from(his attraction to red hair). It wouldn't surprise me if later on, off screen, he recruited her to his Visualise program, and possible Red John network. The main point for me though is the actors of the seven on the list. Malcolm McDowell is in a different league from the rest of them, and that could prove to be the clincher for Heller, who'll be wanting the very best to compete with Simon Baker as Jane. The majority of you will be disappointed if it does turn out to be Stiles because you say he's too old, and you may have a point. But I'd argue that Stiles looks very able bodied for his age, as in he's not thinning or stooping hunchbacked in anyway. I'd also argue that his age could possibly be a factor in why the Red John killings have slowed down in recent years. Besides, it wouldn't exactly require bodybuilder like strength to overpower young startled women (no offense) when you have a taser, a knife and a gun. Also wouldn't it make sense that he'd take back up along with him anyway, in the events of a struggle? The Red Barn episode is probably a red herring e.g who'd have guessed Haffner, now a popular choice for many, had it not been for that episode? ... So, a random man passes on the news that someone told him he saw a 'kid' painting the sign on the barn, and therefore this is supposed to be solid and categorical proof Red John is in his 40's? Come on?!?

Instead of me talking about how he has ready made followers already in his cult, which we all know, I'll finish on his relationship with Jane. No one quite manages to get under Jane's skin the way Stiles does. There's an underlying mutual respect there between the two and both are reasonably social with each other (do favors for each other) but you couldn't class them as friends. The chemistry between them however, makes every scene exciting, and would be just brilliant to watch if it turns out he has been Red John all along!
I'm not saying that he is him, just that it's still very much a possibility! Thanks guys :-)

In extension to my theory on Gale Bertram below, I'd like to add that he seems to be the one person on the list, who really enjoys a challenge (a Red John trait). For example, in the episode where Jane is being held hostage, it's almost like he's testing Lisbon, to see how far she would go to protect Jane. After taking jurisdiction away from her, he sits back and waits for her next move (as if it was a chess game). In a way, it's almost like he's boasting, saying that he has Jane's life in his own hands, and he can easily influence and dictate what happens next. He's surprised then when Lisbon uses the media against him (his main flaw) but just like throughout the series, he generally respects anyone who can outplay him, and appears to really admire her actions(similar again to RJ who enjoys having worthy adversaries). Another point is, it was Bertram who informed LaRoche of Hightower's affair. Maybe she was was getting onto him somehow, and he felt threatened, so wanted rid of her. Being a showman, he had to do it theatrically in a way which could lead to Patrick somehow getting involved. Effectively his plan worked, because not only did he succeed in scaring off Hightower and remain anonymous, he also got to beat Jane again in another twisted battle of wits.
In the recent finale when Lisbon asks Jane how he knows that the murder was really  by RJ, Jane replies "because when it's him, he can feel it". When I first saw this, it took me right back to when Jane first meets Bertram. Straight away, Jane takes a disliking to Bertram and starts acting strangely..how many times does he turn down a case, because it doesn't feel right? Somehow I just feel it's connected, and that, that same gut instinct yelling out at him in the finale, was present when he first met RJ/ Bertram.
The meeting between Bertram and Lisbon (and Kirkland), was purposefully set up, in my opinion, so that people would start suspecting her to be an accomplice, and the tricks worked for some.  I think she's innocent and what Bob meant when he said "can we trust her" is that could they trust her to be telling the truth about Jane's progress in finding Red John. This would support my idea that Jane was trying and succeeding to worry RJ, by constantly hiding out in his attic, thus forcing Kirkland and Bertram to break rank and make the next move: break in and steal his research. Jane's on to them, I'm sure of it!

Finally, out of all the suspects, I think Bertram's the one that would shock the rest of the characters the most. Imagine your boss, a high ranking policeman, turning out to be the notorious serial killer you've been hunting for all these years! The reactions we'd see from Lisbon, the team etc, would make for amazing television. Plays out much better than a murderous sheriff or forensic tech which have all been done before eg. Dexter.
Thanks again for reading.