Red John - Appearances, Accomplices, and Copycats - Face-to-face

Face-to-face

The character of Red John has remained largely unseen from the beginning. His face was confined in the shadows when he made his escape from the abandoned house in the first-season finale. He may have appeared as a slim, dark-haired CHP motorcycle officer (blue turtle neck rather than blue tie) to poison Rebecca using his left hand; he is also seen in flashback in "His Red Right Hand". In the second-season finale, "Red Sky in the Morning", a man claiming to be Red John appears in the flesh, wearing a black sweatshirt, apron and pants, black rubber gloves, a pair of charcoal boots, and a grotesque rubber mask that distorts his face, making him look a little similar to what many believe the real life serial killer Jack the Ripper donned during his murder hunts. In the episode, Red John saves Jane from two student filmmakers who had copycatted Red John murders. During the encounter, Red John keeps his face hidden behind a mask, preventing Jane from identifying him. Before leaving Jane, Red John recites the first stanza of William Blake's poem, The Tyger.

There have been further developments in season 5. In "Red Sails in the Sunset", Lorelei Martins reveals, in a moment of pique, that Red John is someone Jane knows by telling him that he and Red John are very much alike and she is surprised that they didn't become best friends as soon as they shook hands.