FOR THOSE WHO ARE TOO LAZY TO WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEOS I POSTED EARLIER, HERE IS A QUICK SUMMARY OF THE PROOF OF BARLOW BEING RJ OR BEING THE KEY TO FINDING RJ?

What I mean is, the symbolism.. the "666" symbol is shown at shawn
barlow's place when jane and lisbon visit him on the final episode of
season 5, and also a triangle ( the all seeing eye). Jane is at a church and the same symbolism is shown in the church, also in the promo we see (unidentified man) with a gold ring and shawn barlow is also wearing that gold ring at the end of season 5. Coincidence? I think not!

SHAWN BARLOW? WTF

listen, i don't want to write a comprehensive guide, but is shawn barlow RJ? or is he the key to finding RJ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRCD1ZInvTI


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBepaOq3Vrw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ukc55dtwd4&feature=c4-overview&list=UUF0T7xfPCe5tuigiBzIApSw


WATCH ALL 3 of these videos and connect the dots, shawn barlow is RJ?

It should be obvious now that RJ was never on the list of suspects.  Reede Smith confessed to other crimes and is off to prison.  It's not Bertram because the media has accepted his as RJ so Jane would not become a wanted man in South America for killing him.  Everyone else is DEAD.  There are no fake deaths.  RJ faked his death in the S3 finale and is not going to do it again.  RJ set that bomb that killed people and unless he's insane, than he was nowhere near that building when it blew up.  He was not in that room.  There are no suspects left on the list, it is time for everyone to start writing up their theories on the names we saw in Jane's notebook.  Those names were Jane's real suspects.  The list everyone has wasted time theorizing about was RJ's list of suspected tiger tiger members given to Jane to expose the tiger tiger group.  

Recall RJ's message to Jane:  "I know that you've made a list, and I know that by the time you watch this video, you'll have narrowed that list down to a few names. That's quite a feat of memory and research. Bravo. I bet you think you're pretty damn clever, but you're not. You got a lucky break. That's not clever. I'll show you clever."  If RJ doesn't think Jane's ability to make that list is clever, then no way will he think that stealing Jane's list is much more clever.  What would be clever?  Sending Jane a list of seemingly random names that will lead Jane straight to the biggest secret law enforcement club.  Jane has played RJ's game by Red John's Rules, he investigated RJ's names with Lisbon as if he was looking for RJ.  The game is over and the question is did Jane catch RJ or did RJ catch Jane?

The Mentalist never catches killers through a series of elimination and that is not how RJ will be caught either.  There is going to be a big twist next week and part of that twist will be that RJ was never on the list.  The real suspects were Brett Partridge, Vint Molinari, Dean Harken, Ellis Mars,Jason Cooper, Linus Wagner, Walter Mashburn, Towlen Morning, Virgil Minelli, Oscar Ardiles from Jane's notebook.  Some are obviously not RJ.  Narrow it down to the most likely suspects and you get Jason Cooper, Walter Mashburn, Virgil Minelli, and Oscar Ardiles.  One of those four men will be revealed as RJ in the next episode.  I strongly suggest that everyone abandons the seven suspect list before next Sunday because you've run out of time to make viable theories.

There are many good, interesting comments and theories here, and it's always stimulating to read others' observations.

I really do not know who RJ is, but based on the last episode (The Great Red Dragon), but I believe the following:

1) I still do not believe RJ is one of the seven on the list, for the simple but compelling reason (at least to me) that PJ would NOT have revealed his actual suspects to Lisbon and (by extension) the CBI team, since he had to know that telling one was effectively telling the whole team.  For one thing, he would not want them in danger, nor could he contain potential unintended leaks by any of them. However, we know all seven are "bad" in some way or another, so investigating them could prove fruitful even if none was RJ.
2) There have been so many twists and head fakes on the show that we are prone to doubt everything and be unsure of what's true or false.  Every recent death, for example, has been legitimately questioned, and we Kirkland has a twin, just for good measure!!
3) Bertram is NOT RJ, but his first lieutenant/first officer/prime deputy.  Though Jane only told the five suspects where and when to meet him, we have no idea if any of them told someone else.  And Bertram was always quick to make a call when he got key info re RJ.  
4) Who fired the shot in Jane's house, and who set off the bomb?  My opinion is that someone told RJ of the meeting, and he had a bomb placed into the house beforehand. Why was Bertram unharmed? (Everyone else is either dead--we assume, tsk tsk--or injured).  Bertram escapes unharmed.....why,  unless he knew where the bomb was and had been in touch with the 'bomber" (RJ).  Why would RJ plant a bomb?  To get rid of several problems at once, including PJ!!!
5)  I like Mashburn but he has so many characteristics we assume of RJ:  resourceful, very sharp, loves games, is bored, has high-level govt/law enforcement connections, and charismatic.  (Remember he is the only man we ever see Lisbon with in the series, which could help explain why she has been spared when she could have been killed.

Anyway, as they say, keep those cards and letters coming!! It will exciting to see the RJ finale, and we can only wonder how  the CBI and Blake Association story lines evolve post-RJ!!

At the end of The Great Red Dragon, Jane walks into a church . . . WHY?  Jane doesn't believe in God and the only other time he was in a church was when he revealed his fake breakdown to Lisbon . . . that's a hint!  Jane's in a church again and we're about to learn about whatever con he's been playing.  Plus, that elevator scene was just like the elevator scene in S4 finale where Jane leaves to fake his breakdown in Vegas.  Nothing is as it seems . . . Jane would never go to the church to seek heavenly help so he's there to meet someone and it's not Lisbon like last time!  It's RJ and who else do we see in that church?  A women on the left that looks like Lorelei and a guy on the right that looks like Mashburn.  Mashburn has a really distinctive hair cut plus it looks like that guy is wearing a red turtleneck and we've only seen Mashburn wearing red turtlenecks.  Also Jane was very on edge walking into that church because he knew he was about to meet with RJ

RJ IS WALTER MASHBURN AND WE SAW HIM IN THAT CHURCH AS JANE WALKED IN!

I'll post a picture in the comments.

Hi everybody,

Firstly, i apologize if my english isn't good at all , i will try to do my best.

I looked a lot about all your theories, it was very interesting. But in my opinion, i don't think Red John is on the list. It wouldn't be a great twist i guess and we all know how BH  manage to make us mad with all his tricks.

So here is my theory : RJ is WM.

I know, BH said : « We can trust the list » ; but what is the point if BH talked about the list of names we can see when Patrick is writing on his book ( the list mentions the names of Linus Wagner ; Walter Mashburn and the famous Brett Partridge )

Why should WM be RJ ?

Physically, he corresponds more or less to the Rosalind Harker's description.

His first appearence was in « Redline » ; who mentionned the Red colour.

His last appearence was in « Red Hot » ... Two times Red colour.

He is very charming ; stylish ; very rich and he is a gentleman. He has power with womens. (Like Lorelei Martins)

His third wife liked a lot about medium things. He said that in season 2.

He appreciates a lot Lisbon, that could be explain why he didn't kill her in 6x01.

He also had a relationship with the woman selling luxury cars and was killed in season 2 and as you remember that we know Walter Mashburn in this way, it would have offered a table with... a Tiger.

He shooked Patrick's hand in season 3.

He is in good terms with PJ , and we know all of us that RJ wants a friendship with him.

An important point : He repeated several times to PJ that he is a medium or something like this in season 1. It remind the RJ's letter in PJ's house.

He wears red pull-over.

He has knowledge in explosive stuff.

He is a good manipulator (after all he had a relation with Lisbon and he was the only one who seduces her except Patrick).

Okay, so I put Walter because I am still hopeful I am right + I want to see Walter! Let's face it, my Walter theory stands more of a chance than the fake death theories. That's so been done and is a cop out on the shows part if any turn out to be true. Only one of those I can say would make sense is Kirkland's twin brother.

I just wanted to make a few points mostly non-related to Red John's identity:

Does anybody else find it weird that Red John is going to be discovered on episode 8? And it is Red John because of the voice he used in the church. I mean the seasons typically have around 20 episodes. What will the show do for the rest of the season? Is Red John not going to die yet? Or will the rest of the season focus on The Blake Association?

Why did Stiles say some time ago that he knew more than Jane or Red John? I still want to see this loose end be tied up.

Another loose end, why did Kirkland kill that guy who worked for Red John and say that he hoped someone would do this for him were he in the same position one day? Was it a mercy killing to keep Red John from brutally killing the guy? Or did Kirkland actually work for Red John? Was that not Kirkland and actually Kirkland's evil twin? I'm so confused by this one!

I would like to say this, Bertram's last killing was sloppy and left fingerprints, also he is running. Not like Red John to run or try to kill Jane in such a public place and not in the usual Red John way. Just saying, I think Jane made Bertram the obvious scapegoat for police attention and to lure Red John on to kill this impersonator receiving his credit like he killed those two mimickers.

I for one was pleased with this episode, even though I'm kinda sad that Haffner is dead. I felt like Jane and Lisbon got back to acting like themselves and the team got back into their close knit sync. Plus, we saw more Cho who has been extremely absent in the mess of that stupid list. >,<

I am confused by this - McAllister, Smith, Bertram, and Jane all went to the wall. Haffner and Stiles were on the couch. Haffner and Stiles died, together, but how was McAllister the only one with the other three that died. If he died, shouldn't all the others? Also, we never found out what the gunshot was. Something here is missing. Too many loose ends and Jane is either not remembering or withholding.

I am glad to see Smith out of the running. That would have been the most disappointing of the ones STILL ALIVE!

Tyger Tyger...where to start... Well, the group is made of FBI, judges, and cops - all law enforcement. Cho of the CBI knows the Tyger Tyger poem, remember? I actually think the not-around-as-much CBI agent Cho may be in the group. Maybe he did something real bad that he's buried deep. Also, Smith didn't know the leader of the group...maybe the leader of The Blake Association has money (cough Mashburn) instead of being law enforcement. Maybe the leader was Stiles, who knows more than Jane and Red John ever will. Perhaps, he pulls Red John's strings. Or maybe it is some smoe. Smoe rhymes with Cho...NOOOOO! Maybe the smiley face represents the fact that Cho is smiling...on the inside.

Oh, and let's not forget that farm for Stiles' group that had the Red John face painted on the side had something to do with Red John's early killing. He killed two guys, supposedly. Haffner worked on the farm around that time, but he's dead. So, who did? This is a huge clue I wish we knew more about.

Speaking of the smiley face. I would like to know why on earth Red John would want to kill Partridge. Was he a disposable way to draw CBI in to paint the smiley face on her? And why on earth did the face look different. Red John is OCD. Everything must done the same way, every time until more recent. Like when he killed Jane's old, lady friend, he put the face on a sticky note and he put her in the oven. That's new! And of course Red John would kill his little fanboy because 1. he's useless and disposable and 2. he's got a big mouth. But what is the meaning or significance of the smiley? Jane washed it off Lisbon and didn't tell anyone about the difference in the face. Perhaps, Red John didn't like the "list" getting credit for his work and couldn't help but leave Jane with a little hint. This makes me think it's someone from Jane's childhood, not his father (although that would be an amazing twist, how do you "become friends" with your father "the moment you shook hands"?). 

I have been having trouble spotting a potential clue left by Heller at the end of the episode every since the client list, which by the way I know I said that Michael Washburn was pointing toward Walter Mashburn (which would be so genius in so many literary ways, which is just like the poetic Red John who recites the poem). I think it is possible Michael Washburn = Michael Kirkland, but Mashburn would be 10 times better. Anyway, the last episode I spotted two potential clues.
1. The favorite tea cup
2. When Jane sits down at the church, there is an awkward moment where the camera flashes to Jane's upper leg as he sits. It was so weird, but only a flash. Somehow, this could be the clue since it was so out of place and so sudden you could easily miss it. God, I need the trailer to freeze it and screen shot or listen to the audio louder for a strange sound or something. Maybe it wasn't Jane's leg...maybe it was Red John's!

Okay, and one last thing. I know we've heard Red John's voice over the phone, etc. but something about the promo when I heard Red John's voice, it was so familiar. Not Red John familiar, but other character or actor familiar. I hope it hits me cause that would be awesome, but it's going to drive me crazy otherwise. I need zat promo stat! :P

Anyway, remember "He is Ma..."

- Tina

And I see the promo is up, I will begin watching over and over... >:D