I knew "Red John's Rules" was going to be intriguing when it opened with an exhausted Patrick Jane burning all of the information on his Red John wall.  He'd obviously had a major breakthrough but before he'd share it with Lisbon, he needed sleep. That meant lying on the leather sofa in the middle of the CBI with his suit jacket thrown over his head for most of the day.  

For anyone else that might have seemed odd but when your wife and child have been brutally murdered in your own home, I suppose it would be easier to sleep in the middle of a bustling law enforcement office. 

Jane's memory of LeeLee Barlow as a little girl was so simple and precious. I loved that he shared that moment with Lisbon, a moment he steadfastly believes he's never shared with anyone else. 

But then how did Red John know?

Mere coincidence? Unlikely. Could there be another connection to Eileen Barlow that Jane was overlooking and in doing so has unknowingly given Red John more power than he truly has?

Or could Red John truly have powers?  Is Red John a psychic?

Personally I think that's a bunch of bull.  Generally, I'm a skeptic like Jane. Most, if not all psychics are just very, very good at the con.  Nothing made me smile more than Jane calling out the psychic in Venice and how she immediately dropped the act when she knew she couldn't make a penny off the cop and the conman standing in front of her.

However, Lisbon's reaction to it all surprised me…

Lisbon: What if Red John really does have powers?
Jane: Please, and what if dolphins were actually aliens from another galaxy? That would be kind of cool. | permalink

Has Red John gotten her so spooked that she'd believe the serial killer was a psychic?  Although, she did look almost nervous when Shawn Barlow alluded that he could read her. Then Barlow came out with this The Mentalist quote…

Shawn Barlow: Lying in bed, thinking of Patrick. You're a little in love with him, heh. But he's so secretive and controlling. | permalink

You could practically see Lisbon blush. There's certainly truth to Barlow's prediction but that doesn't make him psychic. Simply observant and good at doing research on his prey.

I did find it interesting that afterwards, Patrick felt the need to admit that he can be controlling and secretive and agreed to come clean with Lisbon about his list.  Unfortunately, the belief that Lisbon was "a little in love with him" was never broached. Most likely because it's a little too close to the truth for both of them just yet.

The side plot that gave us some much needed humor was Rigsby absolutely dying to share his newly consummated relationship with Van Pelt with his partner. Cho's deadpan responses could not have been any funnier. 

But that was just a moment, and it couldn't lift the darkness that Red John brought to The Mentalist season 5 finale which once again left us with more questions than answers.  The one thing it did give us was the definitive list of suspects:

The Final Seven Red John Suspects Are:

1. Gale Bertram
2. Brett Stiles
3. Raymond Haffner
4. Reede Smith
5. Bob Kirkland
6. Sheriff Thomas McAllister
7. Brett Partridge

How could Red John have possibly known Jane would come up with that list going all the way back to when he killed Lorelei? I'd guess he's had eyes on Jane's Red John wall long before he sent Bob Kirkland's boys in to copy it all. 

Red John's hatred of Patrick Jane knows no bounds and it sounds like next season, no one will be safe. Perhaps even his family at the CBI, including Lisbon may end up on Red John's hit list. 

The killing has started and it won't end until Jane catches Red John or Red John catches Patrick Jane. Which do you think will happen first?

C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.