And so ends the Red John chapter. I so much wished that the leaked episode was fake. I would so much like to see Simon Baker and Bruno Heller's face now. FACEPALM.

Here is how the Mentalist team made the show.
They finished the Red John chapter in Season 3. But realized that the fans are hungry and its too soon and also didn't know what to do after Red John. So they made a stupid plot that the man killed was someone else and resurrected Red John. What they really needed to make these episodes after that was not a real Red John but the intelligence of Red John and making him one step ahead always. In the end, you could make anybody Red John right?
So they drove the shows for 2 more years and knew that its time so they had to end it up all in a hurry. So they made 7 suspects (some people that we have seen once or twice except Partridge) and then knocked down one by one.

Otherwise, how else would someone like that Sheriff McAllister, who appeared in just ONE episode in 2008 lying somewhere in the Napa county be decided as Red John? They obviously informed Xander Berkley that he will play Red John in 2012. How else would one DUMB police officer incapable of closing cases in 2008 be a super cool observer in 2013?

And how did he say he found out the list of suspects?

McAllister: Coz I am a real Psychic.
Me: Psychic? My ass!

Its like Bruno Heller and team thought - Oh it would be cool to portray that Red John knows the list of suspects! So they did it and now they had to tie it up with an explanation. They couldn't find any! So well.. lets make him a real psychic!!

Overall: Waste of time