CliqueClackDoes Patrick Jane’s list point out Red John?
In the latest episode of ‘The Mentalist’, we get a nice close-up of Jane’s notebook of … I guess people he’s shaken hands with. And lookee who’s at the top.
You may recall that I’m a huge supporter of the idea that Patrick Jane himself is Red John. I won’t get into that again here, because it can be a long conversation that sometimes upsets a lot of long-time Mentalist fans. Something else I’d gotten into at one time was my second-favorite theory about Red John: that he is forensics investigator Brett Partridge. Now, as you can see from the above image, it seems Partridge is on Patrick Jane’s radar as a person he’s met in the past (more specifically, someone he apparently shook hands with, as Lorelei Martins seemingly let slip out last week).
So, as I usually do when the thought of Brett Partridge coming back to the show comes up, I contacted actor Jack Plotnick for comment. Here’s how the basic back-and-forth went:
Me: Did you happen to catch what was written on Patrick Jane’s notebook at the end of the most recent episode? So NOW do you have any idea if you’re getting a call back?
JP: No… WHAT was written on his notebook???!!!!!
Me: Well, Jane is making a list of all the people he’s met that he suspects could be Red John, since he now has the hint that it’s someone he’s met before, or at least “shook hands” with. There’s a close-up of his notebook at the end of the last episode, and the first name: Brett Partridge. Did your character shake hands with Jane? I can’t remember! So I take it you’re still not called back?
JP: Nope, not yet…. Thanks for the heads up!!!!
Revealing? Not at all, really, unless you consider the possibility that Jane’s list is completely meaningless and he’s not going to pursue it at all, at least this season. Or it could mean that Partridge isn’t a contender at all, and the real Red John will show up before we’re ever able to get to investigating Partridge. To be honest, I mostly found it very cool that someone we’ve been suspected as possibly being Red John was noted on the show. I’ll just go ahead and think they’re shouting out to ol’ CliqueClack there … let me think it.
Another name on that list you might notice, one that had come up in the past here, as a possible Red John contender: Virgil Minelli. But where’s Gale Bertram?
How about the other names on that list? Any of them strike out to you as very good contenders for being Red John?
31 Comments on “Does Patrick Jane’s list point out Red John?”
hey I’ll tell you who red john is really.he is someone from Pakistan.yes he is and I am not kidding at all whatsoever.trust me I know.
and how do I know it you ask me? so here’s my answer,and be prepared to spoil the hell out of mentalist:
I know it because red john is ME,MYSELF! and I am from Pakistan.MUAHAHAHAHAHA ha ha ha !!
Mr.Keith McDuffee, you have offended my existence by saying that my old friend Jane is Red John himself.Now,you will pay for this by your life.I’ll cut you up and make a smiley face out of your blood wearing my rubber-kitchen glove.
I know you are going to discard this message as some sort of joke but let me tell you that I am dead serious man and I am gonna get ya!
Any chance the actor wasn’t being truthful? If you’re confident with his honesty, I think this makes it pretty clear that the Partridge character doesn’t mean anything.
(By the way, I’ve thought for the past couple of seasons – for whatever dumb reason – that Riggsby is Red John.)
I emailed with him a few times and I think he’s being sincere. I had asked him if his voice was used in an episode and rather than lie, he said he wouldn’t say one way or the other.
Na…
Rigsby is dumb
It’s all an act!
I thought Bertram’s name was on the previous page, which probably nullifies him as a candidate since the camera was on the pages shown above longer.
I’m always open to other possibilities, but I still really love the Jane is Red John theory, myself. I notice a lot of people want to make it acceptable as him being a “schizophrenic” or being completely unaware of a second personality, but I’ve always thought there was an even darker angle to it. Not that he isn’t aware, but that he’s fully aware. That being the extravagant con-man and performer he is, he’s been taking pleasure in integrating himself into the CBI and making fools of them for years. Many who believe the theory like to make it easier to swallow by having him still be a good guy and just unaware of another self; I happen to think he’s been fully aware of everything from the beginning–that his selfishness, disregard for rules and protocol, problems with authority, and unmistakeable charisma despite being a complete ass to most people he meets aren’t just him being a wounded cynic with a heart of gold underneath. He might just be an actual sociopath who takes pleasure in solving puzzles and being the smartest person in the room.
There are still many scenarios and lines that make it just as likely and unlikely that it’s him. It’s an argument that could be explored in pages much longer than this article. I’d say it could go either way at this point, but many of counter-arguments people bring up (including Jane being tied up at the end of season 2) can still be explained away by RJ’s many “followers”. I was also re-watching season 1 recently and thinking to myself whether there exists the possibility that in helping keep up the charade, Jane could have used a bit of self-hypnosis to put himself in a trance at times, and of course used on others to make it harder for them to point the finger at Jane when he encounters people who know Red John. It’s a little far-fetched, but not out of the bounds of this show by any means. Hypnosis is a favorite of Jane’s after all. Still, wherever the show goes with RJ’s identity, I’ll be interested in seeing.
i get your theorie, but what i don’t get is: why should he kill his child and wife?
I’ve always believed it’s Walter Mashburn. Also convinced that Van Pelt may know something.
About the necklaces…Van Pelt keeps the necklace that OLaughlin gave her around the office. Is it a mic? Is it like the other two..I haven’t noticed.
About the smiley face…I have not seen any mention that it is Patrick Jane’s face (notice the eyes)
Anybody else?
I have watched the show since the very first episode .And I think what keeps it so interesting ,so intriguing is the fact that practically everyone who’s been on it could be Red John .Cho always so serene ,so loyal ,but with an intriguing past in gangs (but his girlfriend getting killed kinda disqualificates him maybe ) ,Rigsby with a troubled past with his dad ,Van Pelt who at the beginning was kind of an opponent to Jane especially in what she believes in or not .And that was only for the closest people .Lisbon herself could be Red John ,especially as Jane’s feeling ( he cares for her ,she understands him better than anyone else ,they have had a long road together ) have grown deeper towards her .One could argue that it could be some twisted plan from Red John to take away what Jane loved the most (AKA his family) and make him weak ,defiant ,but then attached/complice/trustful to Lisbon ( being later found out as Red John – this would be the hell of an evil plan lol) .Plus ,throughout the seasons ,we have seen differents aspects of Lisbon’s life that obviously the rest of the team doesn’t know about ( AKA relationship with Mashburn etc ) .Minelli ,Bertram ,the annoying Laroche ,Partridge ,or even maybe one of Jane’s con-friends (while he was in prison for killing the wrong man lol) .Or it could even be someone he’s met during one of the many cases he’s worked on since the beginning .And maybe why not that annoying journalist ?? Or Rigsby’s baby mother Sarah ?
I don’t know why ,but I feel like discovering Red John has to be something tough for Jane .By that ,I mean that it has to be someone that’s not as easy to kill as we think it will ( I mean emotionally ) .Somebody that has a certain importance either to him or to someone close to him ,like on the team ( maybe a Lisbon brother – there are three and we’ve only seen one so far – or someone from Van Pelt’s background since we’ve not seen one of them so far ) .
Anyway ,whoever Red John turns out to be ,that’s what keeps me watching the show .The fact that practically everyone we’ve seen could be Red John ,since nothing with Jane ,is only what it seems .
What about Brett Stiles the cult leader? He’s rich, already has lots of followers. He certainly has the means. He knew about Kristina Freys location and he also helped Jane break Lorelie (sp) out of prison. To me it’s almost too obvious but maye that’s the point.
I just don’t understand how people can think that Jane himself is RJ that’s the most dumbest idea I have heard. I know you all trying to be smart and think outside the box with the split personalities and hidden dark psychological blah blah but ask yourselves this first….Why the Hell would Jane murder his own wife and child then devote the rest of his life catching uhhhh…. himself? Also we know already that RJ is not Jane because RJ himself saved Jane before. Some people just try to think up the dumbest conspiracies wherever they can find it and NO it’s not like people who get offended are not open minded…we are just baffled and exasperated when we hear unbelievable stupidity coming from a persons mouth that just absolutely believes in their nonsense. Actually answer me this too…. Why the Hell would Bruno Heller make someone like Jane who has been the main protagonist we have been watching for Five Whole Seasons RJ? I bet if you put your idea to him he would be like “WTH have you even been watching the show?”
I believe Red John is dead. I believe Patrick Jane killed the real Red John years ago and now either pretends to be Red John because he was sent truly insane by his wife and child’s murder or that he has created the alter-ego so that he has something to live for. I don’t think either idea is outlandish or far-fetched given the subject matter of Jane’s abilities to anticipate and manipulate human behaviour.
Also, whether Jane being Red John is believable or not to people, how can we account for Red John’s obsession with Jane? Before Jane’s family was murdered Red John was a notorious and prolific killer, since then his murders are few and far between, and most of them surround Jane’s life or people who are getting too close to his identity. Red John, since Jane’s wife and child were killed, has not acted like a serial killer; more like someone with a different agenda entirely. His whole world seems to revolve around Patrick Jane and vice versa. Why is this? Before Red John killed his family Jane was basically a con man and had no real discernible history that would make Red John think he was the ultimate ‘opponent’ so why would Red John dedicate himself to Jane’s misery so devoutly? If it is to test himself, then he has proved time and again that he is elusive to Jane and CBI so what does he have left to prove? The semantics of Jane being Red John may be convoluted but the motives of Red John fit only with the idea that he is Jane himself, in my humble opinion.
Also… does anyone remember how Jane keeps sneaking into CBI offices and files when he isn’t allowed to know anything about Red John? Why would he do that if he was Red John? Just doesn’t make sense. He also insists that he find Red John like he wants to take him out himself. Just wondering…
So Lorelei couldn’t understand why Patrick Jane didn’t become best of friends with himself after shaking his own hand?? I think that pretty much blows the theory of PJ being Red John!
The theory about Van Pelt knowing something (or anyone else in the CBI team) would be so bitterly disappointing and I just don’t buy it.
Brett Partridge would be cool in the sense he was in the first ep … but I think he is too young to be RJ.
I have no idea though who RJ but Walter Mashburn is a leading contender for me (although I really don’t think it’s him). What a cruel twist it would be if it was him because he slept with Lisbon. And I’ve always been a huge fan of Lisbon and Jane ending up together – after he catches RJ and can put his ghosts to rest.
I believe red john may very well be jane’s father.
I believe that Red John is Walter Mashburn, because he slept with agent Lisbon,
and has the power and influence to pull off what Red John has done.
Have none of you replayed the voice in the limo?? It’s Jane!
Does Jane have any more family? Or is it just him and his dad
I just have one thing to say: I like Brett Stiles for this and I really think he could be RJ. Also, it bugs me his name is not on that page!!!! He might be somewhere in Jane;s notebook, but that close-up indicates that RJ may be one of those 10 men, and Brett’s name is not there. Intriguing.
i strongly believe that red john is actually walter mashburne… why you say???? just because of the fact that he was depicted as a rich playboy billionaire who gets what he wants… and mostly because he is shown to be very astonished by murders and killings and wishes to be a part of it one day, he himself said that he gets bored easily and will do anything for a new thrill….. but hey thats just me!!!
Could be Robert Kirkland also…
But still.. I dont think the writers have for sure who is red john already.. they can change it just to blow our minds out. lol
it’s not Jane…
1: Is it Jane?
What would happen if Red John was caught? Jane would be forced to face life without his family…faced to live without purpose. The pursuit of Red John is his purpose. Jane could have already killed Red John and took up his mantle to keep the ruse alive, thus keeping himself alive. However, it’s far to elaborate, Jane would have had to kill his own family, his own daughter, and Bruno is TOO clever for it to be Jane.
It’s an interesting theory but I just don’t see it.
2: Too obvious is not Bruno’s Style…
It would be too obvious for Red John to be Stiles, Partridge, Mashburn or any other “high profile” character. It’s simply too easy…a red herring.
3: Those of you saying its Lisbon or Van Pelt…sorry, that’s the dumbest thing I have heard. Red John is a man. So forget Agent Darcy etc.
4: Cho and Rigsby? Umm no. Seriously?
5: Minelli is too old…
6: Harker’s too easy. I think he is purposely a distraction.
7: Think about how Heller has spoken about Red John…”We will see a glimpse of him…”…”We will come within inches of Red John”…”Ultimately Red John is just a man”…
Someone unassuming. Someone Jane thinks so little of that he would not even look his way…someone that we have only seen once, and his appearance was forgettable for Jane because it ended with another Red John Killing, making him forget the man in question.
My guess from the moment he aired on the show…Ellis Mars.
Just making up. Let’s see if it will make sense to anyone here…
Brett Stiles is the president of Visualize. He does have the skills to convince, hypnotise and manipulate the people and those who are attracted become his pupils/subjects. RJ has joined the club in mid 80s showing a natural talent in mentalism. Stiles’ abilities are nurtural whereas RJ’s natural. Just like the compatition between W.A. Mozart who was a born-genius in music and the famous composer Antonio Salieri. A simple touch made by Mozart used to charm people whereas Salieri was stretching his ass by composing extra-complicated symphonies to keep up but failing.
Long story short, rather than indicating an identity on who RJ is, I’d like to point out how things played out between Stiles and RJ. As mentioned above, once RJ displayed his natural talents in mentalism, Stiles at first was excited to have such a brilliant figure among his pupils. Until he discovers the truth that RJ was even beyond Stiles’ talents. This led to jealousy but still he didn’t have the guts to lose him because he knew that he had things to learn from RJ. However, RJ has taken himself apart from Visualize and set up his own underground mass to an evil end. Within this process and timeline, he always searched for a rival with a natural gift in mentalism because others he faced didn’t give him the exact pleasure of competition so far. And he found PJ. However, there needed a reason to get PJ involved in his games with passion. So he killed his family. Brett Stiles on the other hand, he perfectly knows who RJ is but he will never slip it out because he admires him and still believes that he has many things to offer him. But Stiles also helps Jane about RJ and wants him to realize this.
RJ may have many actors and actresses among the CBI team or elsewhere but that’s not the point. The point is there’s a triangle covering Jane, RJ and Stiles. The big question is of course, WHO THE HELL IS RED JOHN? I have no straight answer for that but it must be hidden somewhere. Sorry dudes…
So PJ shook his own hand? Hmmmm…….
What about the episode “Red John’s Footsteps (Season 1, Episode 23)” where the blind woman (“Rosalind Harker”) met Red John. She would have immediately ID’d Jane as the guy using Red John’s alias, “Roy Tagliaferro”. If he was Red John then “Red is the New Black (Season 4, Episode 13)” would make absolutely no sense since “Rosalind Harker” was on the phone with Jane, who was at the CBI, while “Red John” was serving himself tea in her living room.
@ Darcy Fournier…. It being Ellis Mars makes sense because when he killed “Jared Renfrew and Juana Porfiria Braga” in Tijuana in the episode “Red John’s Friends”, “He is mar” was scrawled on the wall in blood as a possible clue regarding Red John.
am confused! who is it…..
grrr.
It could not be Patrick Jane!all you people who think its him,are idiots!!
I said it!! I-D-I-O-T-S-!!!!
in every movie or tv show that serial killers are involved there’s only one thing tha never change..THEIR FUCKING VICTIMOLOGY!!! ok i srongly believe tha red john is patrick jane and i dont think i’m ”STUPID”, but i’m just saying he is neither killing for the same reasons he did at the beggining of the show nor he has the same pattern on what he does.He’s just playing with patrick jane now that’s all?
Something else..whY did he apologised to lorelei’s corpse? ok he could just be ‘sorry’..but i’m just saying…