Who is Red John

"We really like your new boyfriend, T. He seems like a great guy. Don't mess this one up."

"Cool it you knuckleheads. We've been through some shit. He's been my partner for about a decade, after all. Did I not mention that? Eh, it's all in the past. Sometimes I forgot myself. Have I told you that he has killed on multiple occasions. But it's fine - he only did it to get back at the guy that murdered his wife and child."

"Whoa...that's pretty heavy. Well, you look happy."

"Thanks. I feel so relaxed in my hometown that I wore a spaghetti strap dress from circa-1995 just to prove how casual I feel. Because, everyone knows that the midwest reeks of the mid-90's and aqua velva. That's how we roll in the heartland."

"It's not that. You just seem different. Like how you didn't even get mad at Jane for not telling you about my loan shark issues."

"Yeah. Being treated like an adult - especially as it pertains to my job - used to be really important to me. But since we've gotten together, I've really let my guard down. I'm showing him and everyone how much the love of a good man can tame an strong, independent, albeit messy woman. Now I love how he just wants to protect me."

"It means a lot to us that you were able to make it. We should hang out more often."

"We totally should. And look - I know you don't take what I do seriously because I'm your big sister and this is a well-trodden trope and all, but the next time you are in trouble with the law - call your FBI agent sister. I'd hate to have to rely a absurdly contrived plot device to see you guys."

End scene.

"What ever happened to that

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If any of you haven't listened to the Serial podcast yet, stop what you are doing...and go listen. Or maybe don't because it will consume you.

I have been reading the Fantomas books (thank you Quithat - whom I sure no longer comes here) and it made me think of an alternate and far better explanation of "He is Mar...".

"He is many" - not that Red John is many different people (a la BA) but, rather, Red John (one person) has many personas. "McAllister" is simply a persona. Think of it this way....McAllister isn't Red John. Red John created the persona of McAllister in order to hide in plain site.

Still hoping that McA isn't Red John at all but the above rationale sits better with me than bringing the BA into things.

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Simon Baker at a recent WB press conference:

“The experience that we had last year, in the last season—it was really interesting because you have the arc of what a story is and what the story should be. Then you have the idea of the business outside of that, of whether it will continue or whether the story is finished.

“If you ask me, the original story that we started off with and laid out in the pilot episode many years ago—that story finished probably around the end of the second season. When was Bradley Whitford (in the show as a man who convinced Patrick he was Red John but was not)? Like third season? I don’t know. They all blend into one."

He goes on to talk about Jisbon so I won't include it here. Just found his "opinion" (whilst among WB execs) to be interesting and similar to some thoughts expressed here recently.

http://entertainment.inquirer.net/155649/simon-baker-coy-about-rumored-end-of-mentalist

(Sorry about the wierd source material....Philippine Inquirer?)

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So Strawberries and Cream part 1 was on TNT last night. I hadn't realized it at the time but in hindsight it is very clear that either LaRoche or CBI Karl gave the bomber/gas station attendant keys to free himself from the cuffs when he was put into the cop car....most likely LaRoche from the looks of it. His escape attempt then allowed LaRoche to kill him with impunity.

Why does this matter? It ties into the theory that the Ardilles/LaRoche murders were about tying up BA loose ends rather than some Hiabach revenge plot.

Also, if I'm being cynical - and why not? - the episode includes another instance of Jane using a supposed profession of love to Lisbon to misdirect a bad guy. (As he would later do when he fake kills her at the end of season 4.) If history is repeating himself, perhaps the plane scene isn't as lame as it seems.

My optimism knows no bounds...

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I had a dream last night that I was watching a new Mentlaist episode. There was a time jump. Robin Tunney had unceremoniously been replaced by Alexis Biedel. ::shudders:: She and Jane were travelling around the country in the air stream fighting crime.

The new baddie was played by Steve Carrell.

It was a nightmare, though not entirely unentertaining.

So I guess my subconscious accuses Steve Carrell of being Red John.

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Below is a theory which allows for all of Heller's statements about Red John to be true. But it is incomplete because I get stuck on Lorelei.

What if Timothy Carter was RJ (i.e. the original murder) but wasn't the murderer of Jane's family?

The assumption then is that Roy is McCallister...head of the BA, an organization that co-opted the Red John persona for their own means. Using the RJ persona, Roy/McCallister murdered Jane's family.

(Why? Hopefully we will find that out in Season 7 because a reason isn't screaming out at me.)

So, at the end of Season 1, Roy/McCallister/BA - not Red John - is taunting Jane. Jane conflates the identities of Roy and Red John, which suits Roy just fine.

Then Strawberries and Cream happens. Red John uses O'Laughlin to kill Todd Johnson (who is BA and therefore an enemy of Red John).

With this in mind, when Johnson recites "Tiger, tiger" he isn't exposing his relationship with Red John, but he is actually trying to see if Jane is in the BA and can help him. In Todd's mind, Jane and the BA have a common enemy in Red John.

(Aside from O'Laughlin, it is interesting that LaRoach's suspect list also includes Shetrick (BA), Bertram (BA), and Ardilles (later murdered..hmmm).)

Later, Carter Red John says he is planning to retire. How does a psychopath serial killer "retire"? He dies. So he baits Jane into killing him in order to stop killing. Eh?

In Season 4, Jane proves to himself that Timothy Carter wasn't Roy by using Rossalind's negative ID. The murder of Panzer proves to everyone else what Red John is still alive and that he wasn't Timothy Carter.

Perhaps Jane killed Panzer, knowing he could peg it on Red John, thus "proving" that he wasn't dead. From Jane's perspective it could be one of two ways:

Either:
1) Jane still doesn't realize that RJ and Roy were different people so when Rossiland told him that Carter wasn't Roy, he assumes RJ was still alive. So he kills Panzer so that everyone will believe him.

Or:
2) He realizes that Roy and Red John are different people but he needs the CBI to think Red John is alive so that he can continue his pursuit. So killing Panzer "proves" that they got the wrong guy.

Sadly, I get stuck with Lorelie. Who is she with? She is either in league with the BA (doesn't seem likely) or is working with some other organization which seeks to take down the BA (seems more likely) and goes along with the Red John story in order to captivate Jane. Not sure.

Anyway, just a wee theory for old times sake.

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Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you...your cool...fuck you. I'm out.

H IS M. a part of me died a little when I saw that.

But it was cute. If I totally ignore my EXPECTATIONS and HOPES and DREAMS, it was cute.

The H IS M bit might mean that the joke has been on us all along. And if that is the case, then fine. I'll take it.

What do you make of the H IS M thing?

BTW...that dewey decimal clue was not that easy, right?

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Theories of krobhag (25)