8. Red John

Complete story — includes the ending

In the conclusion to the Red John saga, Jane, now considered a fugitive by the FBI, goes on the run, in the meantime arranging a meeting with Gale Bertram, who is now publicly believed to be Red John. Meeting with Bertram in the chapel of the cemetery where Jane's wife and daughter are interred, a Red John operative (Oscar Cordero) shoots Bertram dead. Sheriff McAllister steps out, revealing he is alive (after events in Fire and Brimstone) and is Red John. Jane deduces that McAllister had knocked the group out with a concussion bomb to allow him to drag Jane, Bertram and Smith to safety, then exploded a second, lethal bomb, to kill Stiles and Haffner, also leaving behind a corpse that matched McAllister so authorities would think he was dead. Jane distracts McAllister with breadcrumbs and a pigeon, causing McAllister to drop his gun, whereby Jane retrieves a gun he had taped under a pew, and shoots him. After Cordero runs in Jane shoots him dead, but is then attacked with a knife by a woman who is presumably a Red John acolyte, thereby allowing Red John to escape. Jane manages to take the offensive, overpowering the woman and catching McAllister in a nearby park. McAllister begs for his life, even promising to answer questions he knows Jane cannot answer, such as how he knew the seven names on Jane's shortlist. Jane, however, goes through with his revenge and chokes Red John to death, then leaves a message for Lisbon telling her that Red John is dead and it's all over.