Who is Red John

I've been trying to make sense of everything that's happened thus far.

It seems when the show just started, Bruno Hellar was very into mentalism and was attempting to weave a super comoplicated, but clever story. At the end of the Red John storyline, it seems like he got tired of the story and just took a shortcut to get to the finish line.

I never got into the "multiple Red John" theories because I thought they were just too fantastic. However, the more thought that goes into it, the more sense it makes.

So, how about this?

There has only been one Red John. He died at Patricks hands just like Episode 6-8 shows. However, there is a very intelligent (but terribly sick) person who has been playing Red John and Patrick against each other. Neither Red John or Patrick knew he/she exists. Patrick discovers this at the begiining of Season 7 and spends the rest of the season tracking him down and in the process explains all of the loose ends. Thus, Bruno Hellar's reputaion as a brillant story teller.is redeemed.
Perhaps this is lame, but do any of you have any better ideas?

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Prior to last night's episode, the only person in the series who tried to cut off Patrick's fingers was Red John. Is this reason to make anyone wonder?

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A light just came on in my head about why Kirkland asked Jason Lennon if he knew him. Since he and is brother were twins, he was trying to find out if his brother was Red John.

This still doesn't explain why he killed him. If he really wanted to know Red John's identity, Lennon was still the best source of information.

I watched the "Red John" episode last night and am more comfortable with McAlister being Red John. However, if the meaning of some of the clues aren't explained during the rest of the season, Bruno Heller's reputation will be vastly diminished in years to come.

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During Season 1, Episode 9, (Flame Red) Patrick told Lisbon "when I catch Red John, I'm gonna cut him open and watch him die slowly like he did my wife and child."
If Sheriff McAllister is Red John, this means: Patrick didn't really mean it; he forgot; it wasn't practicable; or, he changed his mind. It may also mean that Sheriff McAllister was not Red John.
Perhaps the two year layover and the FBI gig is an elaborate ruse to make Red John think that Patrick thinks he is dead. Maybe Patrick will lash out when its least expected and cut someone (later revealed to be Red John) open and watch him/her slowly die.
Perhaps the producers have lost track about what was said and done in the past and are just attempting to keep us entertained while waiting for the series to be cancelled. If this is the case, the producers will have lost all credibility in my book.

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Perhaps something like this is what Bruno Heller has in store for us during the rest of the season. Patrick is near death while lying on the floor of a room after months of decline in his mental and physical health. Lisbon is broken down and crying. A dozen people he has known for years are standing around very concerrned for him, but they know there is nothing they can do to help. They lament how much they are going to miss him and isn't it a shame, etc., etc. Just as the ambulance crew is rolling Patrick away on a gurney, he bolts up and slashes the neck of one of his attendants with a razor he had hidden. To the astonishment of everyone present, Patrick has been playing possum. Because Patrick is clearly mentally competent, he is charged with murder. During his trial over the course of three episodes, he presents witnesses who testify to apparently unrelated facts which tie many of the clues from previous episodes together. On the final episode, Lisbon takes the stand and testifies to some seeming insignificant fact which makes everyone realize that Patrick's victim was Red John. Patrick is nonetheless convicted and sent to prison, a happy man. Lisbon becomes a reculsive beekeeper.

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Most of us following the show thought the reveal of Red John would be like Murder on the Orient Express. In that story a trainload of apparently unrelated people contributed to the killing of the bad guy (who needed killing). A very complicated scenario was woven into a tight believable clever story. This isn't what Mentalist fans got. Instead of Agatha Christy, we got something more like Larry McMurtry. It caused much frustration, got us off balance, and left us wanting something more.I disagree with everyone that thought Sheriff McAllister was an unlikely Red John suspect who was chosen at the last minute. If you recall, in Season 1 Episode 2 when he first appeared, the CBI set a trap to expose a killer by using Van Pelt as bait. The sheriff showed up, but talked his way out of it. Patrick eventually trapped the couple as the real killers and the sheriff was dropped from consideration. I remember thinking that if the sheriff really was Red John, the way Patrick embarrassed him with the rock, paper, scissors could bring serious retaliation later. However, just like CBI, I got distracted and forgot about him as a suspect. Looking back with 20/20 hindsight, what better job could he have to hide his activities?Just think - CBI was within a whisker of catching him, but he slipped away. Along similar lines, this is one reason that I think the lady in the chapel will become a major player in the story.Hopefully Bruno Heller hasn't used up his bag of tricks, so I'm going to keep watching.

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Theory #16612 • By wpm

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I'm okay with Sheriff McAllister being Red John. I think the writers deliberately portrayed him as a pathetic loser to avoid making him grandiose. Can you think of anyone in the real world wanting to be just like Red John now? Thanks!

In my mind at least one big clue was resolved. People familar with Scottish syrnames know that "Mc" is an abbreviation of "Mac." Perhaps in Season 1, Episode 11, the victim was trying to write He is Mac (as in MacAllister) rather than He is Mar.

One thing that just doesn't set right with me in the reveal is the choice of weapons. Given a choice, Red John always used a knife, A handgun seems a little too clean and antiseptic for the final kill of his arch rival. Then, as this is sinking in, the dark headed lady walks up and slashes at Patrick with a long bladed knife. I think that this lady may turn into Patrick's next arch rival on the series.

All in all, we still must remember that all of it is fiction written to entertain us and shouldn't be taken too seriously.

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Theories of wpm (11)