The Mentalist kept me guessing … and still does

Let me ask you this: Did you call who Red John’s minion was going to be? Alright, that’s not really a fair question … for me. Did you call who Red John’s accomplice was, and then never waver from that choice throughout this episode? Because, if you did, then my hat’s off you you my friend. Though three of the possible suspects were on my own list, my strongest suspicion was with Gale Bertram and Craig O’Loughlin. First I thought it had to be Bertram (I thought this long ago, actually), but then I thought it could be Craig or LaRoche. Honestly, I was ping-ponging along so many times I lost count.

In the end, though, it made the most sense that Craig would turn out gone from the show one way or another. I first thought he was going to show up at the hotel in an attempt to surprise Van Pelt, then having the team wrongly suspect him and everything falling apart, possibly getting him killed. After Rigsby’s talk with Van Pelt recently, regarding not attending the wedding because of his love for her, it was obvious he wasn’t moving on and that O’Loughlin had to go.

When Bertram was pegged, I just couldn’t figure out how it could not be him with the evidence at hand. I’m still not convinced that he’s completely innocent, though, even though Red John is apparently dead.

Now, on to Red John. I guess we’ll have to wait until next season to find his true identity — the man’s actual name — but for now we all know him as Bradley Whitford. Here’s a theory I’m going to throw out there, since I’m still convinced Red John is Patrick Jane. I believe that Whitford’s Red John was simply another minion of Red John, sent into the fray to take the fall for him. Whitford’s Red John was sent by none other than Patrick Jane himself in hopes of ridding himself of his endless pursuit of … himself. Fed with detailed information and ironclad evidence suggesting he truly is Red John, there would be little doubt Patrick Jane would kill him. If not right then and there, then some other day. With that done, Patrick Jane’s alter-ego can go about the business of being Red John while Patrick — his other self — stops obsessing over him.

Take these bits of dialog from Patrick Jane’s meeting with Red John, for example:

“How do I know you are who you say you are?” – Patrick
“That’s a deep question. How does anyone know who anyone is? Who are you?” – Red John

“Get myself a new face, a new identity. Start a new life. I have skills and resources I can use, to really make a positive change in this world. For other people. Y’know, for children. I guess I’ve been pursuing my own dreams for so long that I lost sight of what’s truly important in this world. I think that happens to a lot of people, don’t you?” – Red John

Read those lines or watch them again from your DVR recording, with the thought in mind that Patrick Jane really is Red John. I’m not saying he’s conscious of the fact he takes on another persona in the night. I’m also not saying these minions of Red John’s are even conscious that Patrick Jane is actually their boss. He could keep disguised or — as the quotes above noted — uses his “skills and resources” of mind trickery to allow these followers of his to do, say and think whatever he wants them to.

Obviously I can’t prove I’m right about the Patrick Jane as Red John theory until this show is no longer. Since the creator has said Red John is a series-long arc, doesn’t it make sense it’s something that big, though?

Next season’s opener has shaped up into one I can’t miss. How long with Jane be jailed, if at all? Could we find out very quickly that this Red John was simply another pawn? What things will we learn about this man Jane shot and will there be evidence there to show he was rightly killed?

Last note: Did you catch the Wilhelm scream during the gas station bombing?

Source :http://cliqueclack.com/tv/2011/05/19/mentalist-bradley-whitford-red-john/