just my two cents: As much as many of you didn't like the Red John episode, I really think the way they close this series will be even worse.  Yeah, the RJ episode would have been a disappointing series finale, but this new beginning thing doesnt seem to have enough steam.  The only ending I can think of that would please most fans would be Jane and Lisbon ending up together but I think most people on this website dont even care about that part of the Mentalist.  I just hope the show makes it to the end of the season so we have and ending that makes sense.  It feels like the way things are going they should have just made the RJ episode the series finale but explained the clues better and made it up to par with the other season finales