What makes the best 'payoff,' and what 'rewards' as a viewer would we like to see in this last red john episode? for starters, i hope we get just a bit more on the visualize connection.

i don't need much more detail on the blake association. the way reede smith indicated that members 'never know' who is contacting them, and just do what is asked, makes the blake association the perfect tool for red john to influence people and do favors -- whether a member or not. for example, he could contact a law officer he knows is a member, have them 'erase' the problems of a potential disciple, and therefore have another tool at his disposal. all red john had to do was find out about the organization and its codeword/workings -- not be a member. regardless of who is revealed to be red john, the 10 year killing gap can be explained not as a gap in killing, but simply a gap in revealed evidence. red john could have been using the association to cover his tracks in that period, until either a falling out or a swell of pride made him more likely to reveal his victims.

i feel like the most feasible final 3 at this point are bertram, haffner, and mcallister. 

bertram: if he ends up being red john, 1 'payoff' is that he 'played dumb' about poker, which would show his powers of deceit. he quoted a blake line. another payoff would be how red john has tried to get patrick 'on his side.' revealed as red john, bertram has the satisfaction of saying something to the effect, 'see, patrick? you've been working for me all along." the single biggest reason i don't think it can be bertram is that patrick gave his name to the press/authorities. jane has always said he wants red john for himself. and i feel like the 'you've been working for me all along' thing is a bit cliched.

mcallister: if the sheriff is red john, we get to marvel at how he was able to anticipate jane's moves in order to lose every time at rock/paper/scissors. we get vindication for the creepy factor he exuded when approaching van pelt in episode 2 season 1, and his eerie discussion about hunting in episode 3 season 6. he can gloat about saving patrick at least twice. and we get the 'zombie twist' of having been told he was dead, only to see him rise on the third day and hide easter eggs. wait, that's somebody else...i guess i ultimately have less of a problem with his reveal as red john than i would with bertram, but i still have a gut feeling that maybe those early circulating pics of nick nordella were jumped on by mcallister proponents, and ignored by fans of haffner, whom he could also portray.

haffner: if ray is red john, we'll probably get a clear visualize connection. he fits the physical description (whether you believe rosalind harker or not). he has the surveillance experience to have been a step ahead of patrick and APPEAR smarter than he really is. his 'i was willing to work with you on this' line after being fired in season 4 can have symbolic implications of red john trying to get jane on his side. if even remotely intelligent, his experience watching stiles would provide haffner some of the skills necessary to further learn how to manipulate people. he's demonstrated the conceit and self-centered nature a serial killer would need. and his reveal would give the show the final 'twist' of not only the 'resurrection,' but the fact that he somehow planted the tattoo evidence with the private investigator, which feels more like a red john to me. big negatives against him being red john include seeming to be dead in the explosion, not being there from season 1, and not having the perceived gravitas of xander berkeley.

i'll be happy with either a haffner or mcallister red john reveal, though i feel that haffner gives the biggest jolt at this point. whichever suspect it is, i've had fun on the site. musing about theories was a fun way to explore the show's 'world' while waiting for the next episode.

i hope patrick jane kills red john, and paints a smiley face with a big 'X' through it. what do you hope to see in the last red john episode?