SPOILERS FOR FIRE & BRIMSTONE:
For those of us not hoping, wanting and screaming for Janes list to be fake or a resurrected corpse being Red John, how did you find this episode?

I absolutely loved it, now that we are down to three suspects:
Bertram
Smith
McAllister

Im personally happy that Haffner was not Red John as the thought that Red John spared Lisbon cause of a school boy crush on her is pretty repulsive to me.
If it had been Haffner though, i was hoping there was another reason why she was spared.
Alas i need not fret as he isn't part of the clique, im happy to see that my pick from the start is still in it though.

Unlike most people on this site, i dont demand Red John to be who i want it to be.
As long as it makes sense in the end ill accept it.
If your someone who still believes the list is fake or red john is not one of the three men please dont bother replying as im sure your still going through your seven stages of grief.

And then there were 3. Bertram, Smith and McAllister all share the same tattoo, probably a mark for the tyger collective. 1 of these 3 is RJ. 

Smith and Bertram are too tall, leaving McAllister as the only man who comes close to the physical description. 

Hello to
every readers !

 



Here are
some of my analysis and theories I’d like to share with you.
I’ve tried to use only
objective and verified clues, ignoring all elements that at this time are too hazardous,
uncorroborated or only usefull once RJ name will be known.



I’ll first
expose some general considerations, then submit my favorite theory about the
killer identity.
I know it’s quite long so feel free to select what interest
you the most.

 




1-      RJ killings : we can see an interesting evolution
regarding his victims and motivations :



 

_ At first, they were all women, all killed in the same way, the smiley face
always present on the crime scene. At this stage, the only anormality resided
in the Janet and Carter Peak murder, in which we know the serial killer made a
mistake.  RJ IS A CLASSICAL SERIAL
KILLER.

 



_ Then, he killed Charlotte and Angela Jane in retaliation to Patrick’s
interview because he felt insulted. That is the first time he murdered someone
for other reason than his need, but only to teach a lesson. At this point, he
didn’t considered Jane as someone special (“worm”, "fraud")

 



Start of season one

 



_ After that, we can note a clear change in his motivations : he killed
Jared Renfrew to protect his identity, then murdered Towlen Morning, Marlon
Hicks, Bosco’s team and Rebecca Anderson in order to covered his mistake in the
Peak’s case. ALL ARE DEFENSIVE CRIMES.

 Emma Plaskett, a classical RJ
murder, became the exception moreover so that RJ use it to taunt Jane ( red
toenails, smiley in the sky) : the game between them begun.

 



_ The new bond between Jane and RJ is clearly established when RJ killed
Dylan and Ruth ( copycats) to save Patrick.

 


 

       ð  In the space of one season, RJ’s will to punish Jane morphed into a will
to protect him : what happened ?

 






_ Jackie Sandoval, killed because she mocked him (“horrible RJ”) and Kristina
Frye who had spoken about him on TV hypnotized ( psychic irony  of the “living dead” +Jane interest)     

 


_ Panzer : RJ killed for Jane, which means he wanted to be a kind of friend to Jane.

 



_ Lorelei Martins : RJ killed her for his protection and to punish her
for her betraying.

 



_ Eileen Turner and Sophie Miller death followed the change oh the rules
: RJ’s back as an attacker.

 



_ Partridge : both attack and defense.

 




     ð  Rj isn’t a traditional serial killer anymore. ( since the start of the serie and season one, there really isn't anymore pure style RJ killings) What does he want with
Jane ? Friend ? Apprentice ? Equal ? (Lisbon different smiley a sign she reserved
for Jane to prove himself a friend of RJ?)

    

ð  “I catch you “ : unlikely the death of Jane. The things above or the madness ?

 






2-      RJ’s characteristics and network :

 




_ His
knowledge in Literature and his wording, tends to prove he is well-educated, as
well as his tendencies for playing with words.



_ Since
many of his followers and allies are in law enforcement, we can safely suppose
that he himself belongs to law enforcement (the list of seven tends to confirm
it).



_ Since it
would be quite unrealistic that two secret networks coexist in the same background
(law enforcement), it’s also safe to assume that the RJ’s circle is the same as
the Tyger one or that it is a confidential subdivision of it.



_ It would
be a mistake to believe RJ is omnipotent. Even if he is a great mind, he can’t
have mastered all the skills he’s demonstrated so far. For some of them, he needs
accomplices not only to kill but to be informed too. The most probably one is computer
skills, except if he is part of CBI.



_
Connections to Vizualize :



     .  
If the informations we got are corrects, there is a link between RJ an
Vizualize starting with Elliston barn (first smiley, drawn by some kid). If not
the killer of the two men or the “artist”, RJ was there. We might suppose that
the barn were a place where young troubled people could find help : were RJ one
of those people or one of the people offering help ? An outsider living around
the barn ?



      . Again, would it be realistic that
Vizualize members coexist with the Tyger group ? It’s at least more plausible
since Vizualize existed long before Tyger group and RJ. If there’s really two
networks, they at least have to be aware of one another. They might even be
interconnected or confounded since it look like a certain number of cops are
affiliate to the sect. At last, RJ could have used his connection to Vizualize
to access/create the Tyger group.




 

_ Roy
Tagliaferro seems to be a pseudo RJ used various times before season one when
doing his killer’s activities (Miranda), then why using it with Rosalind Harker
? If he had met her in his daily life, he would have given her his true
identity. Had he chosen her as a new victim or a tool ? Then, why did he not
killed her or use her in his plans ? Because she’s blind ? She could still
identify him…
Moreover, he’d spent lot of time with her (months), probably
going to her place when he didn’t work ( was supposed to be a business man),
which tends to demonstrate he was genuinely caring for her, as him not killing
her after she didn’t identify Timothy Carter as RJ, instead of the morgue
attendant.

Another possibility would be that his excuse for meeting her were
true, that his car really broke down near a place while he was going to or back
a crime scene, so in order to not arise suspicions, he gave her an alias in
case someone ask about him ?

 

 






3-      One theory about RJ identity.

 



Some of you
might have guess at this point where my reflections lead me to.



Since I
think that the first season is the turning point in RJ criminal carrier, I
believe McAllister is the most plausible suspect :



_ Jane was
already working with the CBI for some years before season one but RJ’s victims
and motivations only change in the course of that first season, meaning something
in that laps of time triggered the change.



_ his
meeting with Jane could explain why he stopped considering him as a fraud who
didn’t know what he was talking about and started seing him as a mind of equal
quality, first with the demonstration of rock, paper, scissors, then with the
way he solved the case assigned to the team. Finally meeting someone of his
intellect, and being confident in his own skills, it seems only natural for RJ
to want to explore this new possibility, hence the killing becoming more of a
way to resolve problems and taunt Jane than a way to satisfy his need for blood
and/or, exert power.

 



_ Most of
known RJ accomplices were coming from small cities or rural backgrounds,
especially the one closest to him ( Tanner, Hardy,…) which tends to suggest Rj
himself is of the rural kind.



_ The fact
Miranda knew his alias (Roy) suggest that he met his victims prior to murdering
them. Maybe the fact that he wants his victims to see him before killing them
is to be recognize on purpose and inspiring more terror ? Finally, who better
than an officer of the law wearing a uniform could inspire trust to women ? If
there isn’t any sign of breaking and entering in the homes’ victims, it equally
explain how he penetrated said home late at night without leaving a trace.



_  The first real proof we have of RJ having
access to CBI (by computer) showed in the season one final with the computer
hacking. I don’t take into account Jared Renfrew case since by his story, his
background and his acquaintances, it’s more than likely that RJ kept an eye on
him all the time. Since he probably didn’t possess computer skill, an
accomplice was necessary and who better than an inside man could manage such a
task ?

 


There, it’s pure speculation : I think that at
some point, Van Pelt had been recruited by RJ to keep an eye on the team and
Jane’s progress :



     .  It’s always on her computer that RJ passes his
messages and she often seems to be there listening in, particularly when Jane
and Lisbon are implied.



      . She appears like the most likely people
on the team to be corrupted ( quite naïve, troubled past, openness to psychic
life…)



      . her choice to broke with Rigsby in
order to stay in the team? ( various lectures possible)



       . a feeling of darkness, mystery around
her



        . Ultimately, her newfound happiness
and wedding : I tend to believe that in order to compensate the lost of Rigsby,
RJ gave Van Pelt another love interest, that she had to kill to protect herself
and her secret alliance. But doing so, she started to doubt her choices, to
question herself. As the occasion arose again and she’s become more confident, she
took a chance with Rigsby again, which incited her to stop her “partnership”
with RJ, hence the reason why RJ needed a PI to bug the CBI office, in order to
know what’s going on. That betraying could explain hers and Rigsby's future
departure ( murder to punish the betrayal).

 



_ Some more
facts :



 . good shooter



.probable
member of the Tyger group



. strange
fact that he knows people as Bertram and Smith when he shouldn’t in regard of
his jog and location, that he’s more that comfortable with them.



. in a way,
his face remind me of the smiley



 

 

Thank you
for reading this. I’ll be happy to answer you if you have any question, remark
or argument corroborating or contradicting my theories

 


NB :
despite the appearances, I believed that Haffner is more on the good side than
the bad one : he might have been one of those young people helped by Vizualize
at Elliston barn, knowing or suspecting what had happened there but no free of
telling anything. His multiple changes of jobs might be a way to distance
(protect?) himself from the Tyger group and/or RJ ( seems to know a lot about
them), his tries to make Lisbon accept his offers a way to protect her too,
since it looks like he cares genuinely for her.

http://www.subirimagenes.net/i/131103080054106927.jpg


in cap 2x08 

In S1e2 he chatted up Van Pelt to screw up Patrick Janes trap. It created a distraction that led Lisbon away from Jane in the hotel room, so the two killers still showed up with their victim and almost killed Patrick Jane.

In S6e3 it shows he's just as good as Patrick Jane when it comes to reading people, when they deduced the dead guy was a pizza delivery boy.

Guys check this guy's theory: Theory #8575
This guy casts light on some interesting points from the season 2 episode 8: His right red hand. Red John is one of the policemen escorting Rebecca to the CBI HQ.

Take a look at these pictures (Thanks for the guy who posted them):
http://a.disquscdn.com/uploads/mediaembed/images/682/5550/original.jpg
http://a.disquscdn.com/uploads/mediaembed/images/682/5549/original.jpg
http://a.disquscdn.com/uploads/mediaembed/images/682/4544/original.jpg
http://a.disquscdn.com/uploads/mediaembed/images/682/4210/original.jpg

You all remember the guy who poisoned Rebecca right?
Here's a clear shot of his back:
http://images.wikia.com/thementalist/images/a/ac/Red_John_Disguised_02.jpg
http://images.wikia.com/thementalist/images/a/a9/2x08.png

This mysterious man wears the same uniform as the policemen escorting Rebecca with the blue collar and sheriff-like costume. Why am I saying this guy must be Red John? It's because when he was walking towards Rebecca, she started smiling like when she was talking about Red John and how he brought joy to her life.

Now think for a second, of all the 5 remaining suspects who could possibly disguise himself like that and hustle around the CBI corridors without anyone paying attention to him? Can't be Gale Bertram, Haffner, or Stiles. Bertram is a politician figure, his face is all around the media. Same for Stiles.."Speeches, I give a lot of speeches". Haffner is known inside the CBI, he was a special agent there before he left to create his own firm.

So two suspects are left: McAllister and Smith.
It can't be Smith because I'm quite sure many of us agree with that.

McAllister, not only his uniform resembles that of the policemen escorting Rebecca but he can easily infiltrate CBI'S HQ and do whatever the heck he wants.

I think my message is clear, if you need any further explanations I'll be glad to respond in the comments section.

In
my previous theory, I looked at pertinent points surrounding the mystery:

http://www.whoisredjohn.com/See-a-theory-Red-John/6218
I
intend to do a similar thing here.
I
urge that this is judged on the merit of the points, as opposed to my chosen
suspect – I feel too many theories on this website are disregarded based solely
on who they accuse, regardless of the content offered.
Although
I can’t conclusively accuse anyone, my gut instinct says McAllister, and I’ve
noticed a number of theories stating that ‘Bertram/Haffner/Stiles’ and ‘the
sheriff’ are the only plausible suspects – clearly a number of people think he’s
a dodgy guy.

If
we are being McAllister-specific, I would suggest – though it hasn’t been
touted before – that perhaps ‘rock-paper-scissors’ could be construed as a form
of fearful symmetry, but that is tenuous at best.

The Red Tattoo
– we must consider when the PI actually saw the tattoo – an answer, though not
a realistic one, is that it was visible when the murder was committed, although
I find it unlikely. More plausible is that it was visible when she met the
person who hired her, although I bodes the question of why she would’ve been
able to see it? If – and I haven’t stated conclusively – it was Red John, it
seems such an oversight that it must’ve been intentional, suggesting he wants
Jane to have the clue. A genuine oversight seems a bit of a poor solution. If
it was not Red John, it suggests the client clearly was not that worried.

Another
question is where they met, as the only plausible way for it to have been
visible is if he were in a vest, or his top was off. The vest option suggests a
gym to me. Top off could imply many more places, though if it were Red John,
maybe suggest some intimacy between the two.

Bugging the CBI
– again, we ask why. If it were Visualise, it suggests they have some need to
know what is going on. This suggests a high-ranking member – Stiles or Cooper,
or possibly Haffner. If it were Haffner, people ask why he did not do it
himself as he is an expert in surveillance – a solution is maybe he did, and
the other bug served as a red herring.

If
it were Red John, we ask why as he has been able to hack CBI fairly regularly –
a plausible answer is to suggest that he is someone with no access to CBI, thus
suggesting the guilty party is in the building – Bertram, if the list is
credible. Another solution is to lead Jane to the murder of the PI, which would
suggest the tattoo clue is intentional.

If
it were someone else, it suggests that the bug was what it was – the only way
someone outside of CBI could gain information readily. This, to my mind, covers
the rest of the list.

Lisbon’s arm
– although I have no clever theory to go with it, the fact remains she hurt her
arm doing a mystery thing, and I’m curious as to what. There must be some
relevance, or why bother with it?

Leaking the list
– why tell Lisbon about the list if Jane didn’t want the team to know? Some
possible solutions – it is part of his intricate plot to catch Red John. Red
John has Jane watched, or bugged – it is the action Red John would expect Jane
to do. Red John is one of the team, and the list is a massive red herring.

Phobias
– the theories suggest that Red John has a fear similar sounding to
‘acrophobia’, and that heights, insects and pigeons are all valid solutions. I
say that Sophie Miller said the person – who may or may not have been Red John
– may have had a real phobia – this isn’t conclusive enough evidence.

Michael Kirkland
– I’ve seen theories that suggest Michael Kirkland has been active as his
brother, so he met Jane whilst pretending to be Bob. I find that really
unfeasible – the idea that one twin led a double life in such a high-profile
role without the other knowing seems to be ludicrous. All Bob would need is a
conversation he hadn’t taken part in, a meeting he didn’t know, etc.

The mall, and Timothy Carter
– this bothered me for ages after I watched ‘Strawberries and Cream’ but I put
it to one side. The assassin’s plan to climb down for the room above implies
knowledge that the room above would be unoccupied – how could the assassin
guarantee this? I suspected Bertram for ages above this – also, how could
Timothy Carter have known to be at the mall where Bertram and Jane would be? A
suggestion is Jane was followed, as I don’t believe we see Carter or Jane
arrive, although Red John had a security guard – Ron Deutsch – in his power
too, so clearly some plan was in motion here that needed inside info in order
to succeed and, indeed, occur.

(Robin Tunney interview – I don’t like to consider the real world,
as I feel it defeats the deductive element of the show, but I will note this.
Robin Tunney said she was surprised when she found out who Red John was. This
implies – a) it was not someone on the list, which is possible, b) that it was
someone on the list whom she didn’t consider plausible, or c) she had her own
suspect, and it was someone else, hence she was surprised. At the moment, this
fact tells us nothing and it would be unwise to draw conclusions from it.)