The Mentalist’s arch enemy, Red John, who brutally butchered Patrick Jane’s wife and child, makes his next terrorizing appearance on the CBS hit’s November 19 episode, titled, His Red Right Hand. “It begins with a recently murdered body found in a cemetery, and then takes some twists and turns involving Red John,” says the episode’s writer, coexecutive producer Ashley Gable. “It is clear they are dealing with something much darker. And our [main cast] will be in jeopardy.”
Expect a reappearance of the mystery murderer’s signature red smiley face. And as for the episode’s cryptic title, Gable explains it was pulled from a 1994 song by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. (Every
Mentalist episode includes some reference to the color red.) “It’s a really creepy song,” says the writer. With lyrics such as “you know you’re never ever coming back” and “you’ll see him in your nightmares,” Gable says, “The lyrics could easily be about Red John.”
Oh really? In last year’s season finale, a blind woman named Rosalyn described the physical attributes of the serial killer (under 6 ft. tall, straight hair, gentle voice and rough hands) after she supposedly made love to him. But there are many theories on John’s identity. Series star Simon Baker tells me, “He might be a she.” To that, Gable shrugs, “Ah, no. Simon’s a minx. He was just having fun with you. But we’re never sure of anything in this world.”
So will we learn his or her identity during the November 19 episode? “I can tell you for sure we will not,” says Gable. “The answer is locked in the brain of [show creator] Mr. Bruno Heller, the keeper of the secret. Talk to me in Season 7.”