Back-story Spoilers!!!!!! The Mcalister Clan made the trip from Ireland with the
Janes and other important clans. The clans where mystics and masters of
the dark arts. There was much division among the clans related to the
luciferian religion. The religion it self is not considered bad but
rather dangerous if used by the uninitiated. The Mcalisters began using
there skills like parlor tricks early in the 19th century until the
great rift. It was the council of the elders that the Clan was banned
from the practice of black magic. Mcalisters practiced in secret until
the gifted RED JOHN appeared. Mcalister is the figurative embodiment of
the great dragon with the Blake society being the true force of the
cult. RED JOHN merely practiced human sacrifices as part of his
luciferian religion. RJ took offense when Jane spoke callously of his
religion and sacrificed his wife and child as act of contrition and
vengeance. The FBI has been looking into child and adult abduction and
sacrifices cases since the 60's but very closely since 80's. The Red
John ascended master period. Stiles was practicing the white version and
RJ the black.

You have to admit... Simon and Xander did an A M A Z I N G  job in their scenes.. the sly, smug looks on Xanders face.. Simon and his amazing portrayal of pain and revenge in the final scene.. it was just amazing to watch those 2 on screen. 

You HAVE to give them that!

I see many complaining about the pigeon thing.

I think that Bruno meant to let Patrick use this "cheap" trick because after all these years of trying all these well thought out plans and traps he failed to get Red John with, he went "back to basics" and just outsmarted him with a small cheap trick.  

How would you have liked this to happen though?I also wanted a showdown but if you think about it they can't have a gunfight, or a sword fight or argue each other to death.  Endless dialogue would have made it stale.  The trick Patrick use was right up his alley and he knew it's something RJ wouldn't expect.

I only feel that the execution of the trick was a bit rushed from a writing point of view. We don't truly see where the pigeon comes from and the way it starts is truly unrealistic: 
Patrick: "Can I show you something?"
RJ: "Sure" *Walks over and holds out his hand . . . uhm DUH!

The rest of the RJ reveal sequence I really don't mind. It was poetic and it was a fitting end. 

The writers have from the beginning of this series had poetry as a huge theme and in my opinion this episode ran like poetry.

There was this monster created by years of hype and mental torture, but he comes to Patrick in the form of a man. A mere man, weak and afraid of death.

I think also that in a continuation of the Bible-themed season we've had so far, it may have been the overall idea of the writers to show the "lucifer" of the series Red John be defeated by good, Patrick Jane and then beg for forgiveness.  Patrick passed judgement on Red John. He says to Red John that he is an evil man. 

Revelations, if I am not mistaken, speaks of a dove that brings peace. Maybe that is where the pigeon comes in. And the church and all of the symbols we have been given in this season.

I think you get my idea.

In short, I think that the reason the episode played out the way it did was because of a central theme the writers followed with the Red John story. He was a "beast" that deceived men and fooled nations to follow him. But he came in the form of a man, who when finally brought to judgement, sought forgiveness and mercy.

Many would have loved a creepy character be revealed as Red John and the episode be an amazing showdown. I also would have loved that.

But the ending that we were given is a satisfying one when you look at how well that theme was carried forward.

If you look at the poetry, the symbolism and take a step back to see the bigger picture, the Red John story was a brilliant masterpiece and the end was the Revelations of this story.

William Blake's poetry and art dealt mainly with religion and Heaven and Hell, and God and the devil.

The next episode is also appropriately titled "My Blue heaven".

Take all of that in and you will come to the realization that Bruno Heller wrote and created a masterpiece of a story.

judging on the next episode's name anythoughts on who is blue john ?

What in gods good name did i just watch? A mastermind serial killer was deceived by bread crumbs and a pigeon? Good god i feel like the life has been sucked out of me in one quick sweeping motion.After 6 years of anticipation and expectation, Percy from fuc*ing Nikita is Red John? When he did the voice i just lost it to be honest............... Sadly BH has just destroyed 6 years of his life's work + he has disappointed his fans. 

Mentalist fans,please stop getting your hopes up because if you do you will be broken again. Red John is over and you might get your explanation in the coming episodes about the list of 7 but thats it. Partridge is dead so stop making stupid idiotic theories and accept the fact that our show was just shat on.

Although we know the episode is legit, i still think Heller has something planned for us. I think we will be majorly suprised, at least thats what I still hope for. McAllister just didnt SEEM like red john at the very end...something is wrong and I really dont think that a master mind like Heller made a awesome series for 6 seasons and at the very very last episode messed up?

Whats up with McAllister begging for mercy in the end and saying "Dont you want to know how I knew the list?"? Jane shut him up, but there was an unanswered question...like another clifhanger that might still mean something.

At least I hope so. This episode just didnt feel like Heller. Something is still gonna happen....

"Xander is a wonderfully subtle actor who can go deep — deep enough to be our Red John," says series creator/exec producer Bruno Heller,
who says he selected McAllister to be his Big Bad "about a year ago,
after carefully weighing all other options. McAllister made the most
sense. He had the perfect cover job as the sheriff of Napa, where he was
the master of his domain. No one ever questioned his whereabouts. He
didn't have to answer to anyone. He needed that freedom and the quiet
loneliness of the countryside to do his thing as Red John."


So all the clues we got before are useless. Wasn't the audience supposed to be able to solve the RJ case before it would be revealed? Didn't Heller claim that the clues we already gathered would lead to only one person? So how exactly do WE can solve a mystery before it gets revealed when the writer doesn't even know who his f*cking antagonist is?! -.-