Wiping the Red Smile Off His Face- Red John Full Review

As always there are spoilers ahead and the picture is the property of CBS and Warner Brothers.

Plot: 
After piecing together all the clues over 10 years, Jane pretends to fall into Red John's trap in order to once and for all end the bastard that took his wife and daughter away from him.


The Story of Jane:
Jane became a changed man but it was not just because of Red John and what he took away from him.  Jane changed because of the CBI.  He lost one family and although he tried not to care about, tried only to use them, they became his real, second family.  A family that supported and gave up everything in order to make him happy.  By the end of season 5 Jane's relationship with Lisbon was having an more profound impact than before.  He started to be more honest with her, included her as a real partner and in turn she began to put more trust in him.  As season 6 rolled around Jane realized how much he cared for Lisbon, how important she was to him.  Lisbon meanwhile decided to stop fighting him and trying to get him to change his mind about Red John.  Instead she put in faith in him, more than she has ever and let him do what he felt he needed to.  As much as Lisbon changed him, he changed her.   Pre- Volker Lisbon would have never let him kill Red John.  But she had felt a tang of vengeance herself and now understood him more.

The two scenes Jane and Lisbon share in the episode are very telling.  Only Lisbon knows where he is.  He has trusted her with that information.  She hands him her gun, a piece of very existence.  He doesn't lie when he says it is only a prop for it is- something for Oscar to take in the pat down.  Of course Lisbon's gun was still on Oscar when Jane met Red John.  Thus a part of Lisbon was with him, he wasn't alone.  Lisbon and the rest of the former CBI crew allow themselves to get arrested to save Jane.  It is a loving act from all four of them and then Lisbon tells Jane to take her car.  We know that Lisbon has always been a control freak who doesn't like it when Jane drives and I can't recall him ever driving her vehicle.   But she lets go of that control for Jane's sake.

After Jane kills Red John he holds the gun up ready to kill himself.  He honestly didn't think he would live and he doesn't really care if he dies.  But he changes his mind of ending it all.  And then he calls Lisbon telling her he's okay (I choose life), that it's over (thank you I got to kill him) and that he'll miss her (my only regret is having to say goodbye).  Oh how Jane has changed.  In the first season finale Lisbon tells him she thinks he would choose life and he tells her she would be wrong.  Jane had always promised to save Lisbon but all this time it has been Lisbon who saved him.  If he can gain a new life again I think it will be directly linked to Lisbon being his savior, saint that she is.

I always claimed that I thought Lisbon would be the wild card that red John wasn't counting on for his final battle with Jane.  It turned out I was right.  Lisbon wasn't there but her presence was and I don't mean just the gun.  Jane was calm, ready, using his wit and brains to figure everything out and have a good plan not a "stupid plan" like he did in season 4 finale.  His clothes were nice, he wasn't crazed and because of his good mental health in the preceding days and final moment he was able to fulfill his goal.  Lisbon's influence that he finally let in, especially in these season 6 episodes, kept him on an even keel.  He only beat Red John finally after all this time because of it. 

Once Jane has strangled Red John he isn't actually happy.  There is no fist pumping, dancing around or big smile.  Which Lisbon predicted but in the season 3 finale and season 4 premiere Jane felt (he was very happy then about Tim Carter's death).  But Jane is a changed man.  The love of a good woman can do that.


The Story of Red John:
Now I'm not Bruno Heller but if I follow the breadcrumbs I can answer some lingering questions for you.  First of who is Thomas McAllister?  He probably was born with a different name, grew up abused, physically, sexually.  He felt like he was nothing, bullied by the cool kids and with no real friends of his own.  Then he joins Visualize now he is part of this bigger picture.  He sees how with one leader, a king of sorts, thousands can be control.  He is on drugs, enjoying killing animals and doing weird things to them.  But he doesn't feel powerful- not yet.  He paints the smile face on the barn maybe for a lark maybe because he saw the painting of a face with blood in a Visualize ceremony.  Every time he sees that bloody smile it makes him feel powerful, happy, it is the symbol of his rebirth from no one to Tom McAllister.  He tortures two of his barn friends and finally gets his rocks off.

The new Tom McAllister emerges sing Visualize and Stiles's governing to slowly create his own empire- the Blake association.  He works his way up the police ladder.  Easy to be a cop and get young women to trust you so you can murder him.  And that is what he does first on his own with no smile and then with Orville Tanner, his tool using his symbol of rebirth.  He tattoos himself and asks for his members to do so too- he needs to feel part of something like a fraternity and there are more corrupt cops judges etc then he realizes.  He has always been good with playing with peoples minds because he spent so much time in his corner just observing them because they won't let him be their friend.  The murders increase and so does his lust for power and control and blood.

He's now older and a sheriff, the Blake Association is doing well but this charming, handsome, rich pretend physic comes on television saying all these that aren't true about him (but they are true).  He can't let that happen.  He's going to teach his cool kid a lesson that he couldn't do with his bullies.  He takes away Mr. Physic's wife and daughter.  Oh and then the fun begins because it doesn't end up like every other murder.  No, this guy, this Patrick Jane goes crazy ends up in the nut house and then gets out and starts working for his fellow cops.  He is around the Tyger, Tyger crowd and the sap, idiot doesn't know it.  Oh, well he'll never catch him because, he, McAllister is so good. 

Then Jane comes to his Napa Valley with his CBI cohorts who are honest and he can't control.   Jane makes him a food with a rock, paper, scissors game and he can't take it.  He needs to kill but he can't while he is here, he thought he took this boy a lesson.  Then he sees a red headed that looks like the dead girl in a pretty dress.  She's all alone he'll offer her help, he is the police.  But the big oaf comes along with Cho in tow and hits him making him land on his butt.  Lisbon never liked him, she was rude to him.  So was Cho and now these two kids made him look like a fool.  He hates them all.  Now it is a game.  The CBI kids aren't a match for his wits but they'll be nice chess pieces, now he's obsessed with beating Jane or killing him.  They have a symbolic relationship.  Jane wants to catch him and he wants to catch Jane. 

McAllister's organization is so strong when he saves his playthings's life he tells him about it.  Can he be smart enough to figure out what Tyger, Tyger means?  Of course not, he's the master, he controls the game.  He's finally going to beat that cool kid.  He plays the ultimate con on Jane giving up his number 2 Tim Carter so that Jane can rot away in jail.  But Jane gets out, he charms the damn jury.  Jane appears to have had a meltdown he left his precious CBI.  McAllister sends his Lisbon lookalike (because he wants what Jane has got) to sleep with Jane and turn him over to his side.  He needs a new number 2 and life isn't fun if he doesn't have Jane to play with.  But Jane tries to trick him and we now know Reede Smith tips RJ off.  Darcy knows Rigsby and Lisbon aren't dead.  He's won again over that fool.  But Lorelei who he thought he had brainwashed enough lets slip an important detail- Jane knows know that they have met.  The thread is unraveling.  McAllister knows Jane will be putting together a list so he puts together his own- who was there during the times of his killings.  He's going to amaze Jane with it, Jane will think he is a real physic.

He sees Jane's ex Shrink because he needs to know him better, to see the woman who saved him first.  It is a stupid move but he can't help himself.  Jane was honest with Lisbon and shared the list.  No, he can't have someone more important than him, than Red John in his life.  So he sets a trap for Lisbon and plans his own death with the help of Partridge.  He'll "die" and be reborn again maybe as a new serial killer.  Maybe he'll just hid in the shadows.  He'll win that way (because he knows now he can't beat Jane).  But first he'll take Jane's favorite confident.  He's ready, he paints her face, the perfect last smile face victim.  But their are pigeons about and they keep flying near and Jane is coming- there won't be time.  Oh well at least he can see from a distance Jane in utter display about what happened to Lisbon.  Jane has set a party at the Malibu house and he now waits for his death scene.  The first flash that looks like a gunshot is the concussion bomb and then he really blows it up.  Must keep Reede and Gale around to become Red John.  The Blake Association is crumbling, he has no choice he has to end the game.  Jane must die.  Maybe he can somehow haunt Lisbon later though it won't be the same.  He's smarter than Jane, lured him to come alone.  He's going to kill him.  Then he can fully be reborn again.  Because he doesn't want to die, he can't die he's still that scared, odd boy who had no friends who was beat upon and hated pigeons.  They were free, he wasn't.


Questions:
For me this was one of the most satisfying conclusions to a major storyline that I have ever got to witness.  I applaud Bruno Heller, Chris Long, the crew that put this together and of course the wonderful actors Simon, Robin, Michael, Rockmond, Owain, Tim, Amanda and Xander.  Simon Baker deserves an Emmy for this episode alone- it should stand as a testament to all actor want-to-bes as what you want to achieve.  But I know some of you have questions.  I answered some above but I'll answer more here.

Roslind- Yes, McAllister was her Roy.  He fits the description pretty perfectly and he looks like someone who is good with their hands.  Plus being Sheriff of Napa could give him some time to run around.  The smile in her room?   Yes, his claiming her, owning her. 

Stiles- No, Stiles didn't know who Red John was but he knew from the smile faces he was a former member of Visualize.  He wanted to help Jane because he didn't want his religion disturbed by the likes of someone as in control as he was of an army.  He knew about Kristina probably from O'Laughlin who had been working on Visualize and was a RJ minion.  He may have been playing both sides.

Kirstina- Like McAllister Kristina liked to pretend she wasn't something she wasn't- a physic so when he kept her locked up playing mind games on her she snapped and became a physic but she could onyl communicate with her dead self.

Pigeons- everyone has fears.  Cho was scared of the Wicca religion.  Lisbon passed out over bugs.  McAllister's fear is real, not silly to him.

Buried there- why?  Not just for production purposes but the Sac area was where the carnival came that led Jane to meet Angela.  It was close to where he was originally part of the carney life.  It was his home.  Malibu was a symbol of the arrogance that caused them their deaths.

What happened to the Poker games- Lisbon was inducted into the Blake Association last year without knowing it.  But she didn't fall prey to them actually ending up using the judge and Bertram to get what SHE wanted (Volker, Grace's LA trip and yes Jane taught him the poker).

Lorelei- she was looking for a father figure with her older dad mostly out of the picture.  In came McAllister to fulfill each sister's Oedipal fantasies.

He is mar- he is many referencing the members of the Blake Association

Loyal followers- People need to feel wanted, needed, belonging.  The Red John gang were not nice people who joined the police etc to belong to something and ended up join this new clubhouse of sorts.  

The flash drive- Van Pelt sent to to Jane right away.  Most likely it gave him a clue that Bertram wasn't the killer and McAllister was.

Last Thoughts:
- Loved how the ep had Jane chasing McAllister very symbolic of their long chases all these seasons.

-The team coming together and putting everything on the line for Jane and his "Thanks, guys".

-Abbott calling Jane Lisbon's boyfriend because it is obvious to everyone but them.

-McAllister made complete sense- he felt every clue and Jane and co didn't like him when they first met him.  He was on my short list with good reason.

Next Week:
-Jane is bearded and wearing skirts. 

-Lisbon's got a seashell on her desk.

-It is a mystery ;) 

Quick Shots: Red John

This has spoilers for the episode Red John.  Watch this brilliant piece of television before reading this.  Of course my full review will be tomorrow.  Picture I do not own.

-First I have to say that it is ridiculous that Simon Baker does not have an Emmy for portraying Patrick Jane.  The scene where he kills red John, the look on his face- gah.  Never mind he deserves an Oscar.  Let's pretend these last three eps were a movie.

-The acting in this was incredible.   Not only Simon, but Robin, Amanda, Tim, Owain, Rockmund, Michael and of course Xander.  Excellent acting with amazing writing and direction.

-In Catholicism the pigeon is a symbol of a saint that goes against the devil.  Do not know if this was intentional or not but interesting.

-Yes, pigeons are that docile and quiet and can survive in small enclosed spaces.  I honestly have an old cow barn on my property with a good 50 pigeons that ended up calling it home.  Yes, Red John would never bother me.

-Extremely important that Lisbon and Jane so trust each other.  Lisbon and the rest of the former CBI crew exchange their lives for Jane.  Lisbon allows him to go kill Red John.  And Jane in turn takes the time to call her, tell her he's okay and admit that his biggest regret is that he won't be able to see her again.  Huge people.  How much each character has changed from the beginning.

-McAllister was always on my short list so I am not surprised.  Love Jane finally mentioning Angela and Charlotte by name as he killed him.  Loved how the death went.  Jane had reason to shoot.  Okay so he didn't have reason to strangle but still a little bit better than slowly cutting him. 

-Were all the questions solved?  Um,pretty much, actually yes.  See my review tomorrow and be free to ask any questions you want answers here.  I have never seen a show make so much sense out of a long running storyline.

Final thoughts- You guys got me with Red John but I will stay to see how Jane moves on.

Having Fun in Sacremento- A Review of The Great Red Dragon

This is my more in depth review also called I had a little more time to ramble.  If you haven't seen The Great Red Dragon yet...well you have been certainly spoiled by now.  More spoilers will follow.  I will try to keep my theories down to a minimize any ruining any part of the next ep of The Mentalist.  The picture that follows is property of CBS and Warner Brothers.

Plot: 
Jane awakes to discover that Haffner, Stiles and McAlister are dead while Reede Smith and Gale Bertram and their tattoos are on the run.  Finding his wife and daughter's killer brings about the outing of a secret association of government officials which thus leads the FBI to close the doors of the CBI.


Welcome Back, Kotter...I mean Jane:

Oh the parallels here!   In the second episode of the season Lisbon is having a nightmare involving three suspects (three dots- ironic or not) killing everyone including her team/family at the CBI after Red John marks her.  Here Jane is having a nightmare involving the real events at his house with the 3 dotted tattoo men and the two that choose the wrong couch to sit on.   For both of them it is a worst nightmare situation.   Lisbon fears losing her CBI family (which by the end of the ep she has but luckily not through death).   Jane fears being bested by RJ and watching everything go up in smoke including losing all that he has left (which he is going to lose by episode's end).  When Lisbon awakes the first face she sees is Jane who has stayed at the hospital all night with her.  When Jane awakes the first sight he sees is Lisbon smiling at him.  Seeing he has been asleep for 12 hours and Lisbon is ready to disobey orders to stay by his side (kudos to Diana from Spoiler TV for bringing that up) it can be assumed that Lisbon stayed there awhile.  Maybe just leaving for a change of clothes while the doctors checked on him.  Jane was there for Lisbon in ep 2 and now Lisbon is there for Jane in ep 7. 

Jane has a history of coming back from the dark to see the light and that light being Lisbon.  See Fugue in Red, Bloodshot and Throwing Fire to name a few.  Lisbon is the light at the end of the tunnel.  The Saint, the cross wearing good person that he always finds himself returning to even at the worst of times.  The anchor in the storm that brings him back home. 


In Fire and Brimstone Jane finally had let down his mask and told Lisbon the truth,  fully displaying how important to him she is.  Yes, this is referred to as the sunset scene.  The sunrise portion of this is Jane waking up after those 12 hours of sleep.  He is happy to see her from the smile forming to the way he addresses her name as if she is some dream and not a reality standing in front of him.  Her greeting of the actual "welcome back" with the smile and the tone used at once tells Jane and the audience that she's not mad at him.  Why does Lisbon forgive Jane so easily?  Simple.  She's just grateful he is still alive.  The thought of him dead is too much to bear.  Lisbon will always forgive Jane because she loves him and sees the real him now.  It wasn't always that way, the relationship has developed over time.  But now Lisbon is much more the way Jane described Angela in the date video.  She is strong, knows herself and has seen the worst side of him and can't stop loving him. 


The Tygers Are Out Tonight:

You got to love how everything makes better sense.  Yes, of course there are still some plot holes but they may be addressed in the next episode.  Even if they aren't the show has done better than a lot of other television fare with addressing and answering its big mysteries.  Jane's show and tell was awesome.  Scenes like this helps set The Mentalist apart from other crime dramas- it always has some fun even in it's darkest hours. 

I like how the whole corrupt organization of cops has been set up really from the beginning.  Bruno Heller warned us years ago that Jane and Lisbon were learning that there were more people that you couldn't trust than actually trust around them.  In the season 2 finale Red John says "Tyger, Tyger" to Jane and then taps his left shoulder.  Was he trying to have him figure out the organization or laughing in his face that the great Jane couldn't deduce what was going on?  In the third season Todd Johnson told Jane before he uttered Tyger, Tyger , that he didn't understand how big this was.  Now we know why Todd was killing cops and what was so much bigger than Jane. 

It was nice hear a reference to Rebecca, Bosco and those murders.  That episode was the first game changer in the series.  Why though it had to be referenced is intriguing.  Because if Red John was a part of the CBI he wouldn't have to have a FBI agent fake creds for he or someone else to kill Rebecca.   That detail seems to be very important to be included. 

Which leads me to address the whole- is Bertram Red John?  My guess? No.  I think Bruno has a good trick up his sleeve.   When Jane did his usual "I got the case solved but I'm not going to tell you" in Lisbon's office after Cho sent a pic of the Partridge skin I knew he had figured something out.  Is Jane letting go for real?  No.  Jane doesn't want Lisbon following him (thus his apology in the elevator for deceiving her once again and also because she has lost everything).  He is heading to the church for a specific reason and I don't think it is prayer.  Jane outed Bertram to the press to start one of his great tricks and now he must just wait until it works and he catches his prey.


A Lost World:

Every ep this year has a had a theme but this ep had the hardest theme to deal with- loss.   For the fans it is a loss of certain key elements of the show, relationships, characters and beloved set pieces (not to mention sets).   For the characters it is the same type of loss.  It is ironic that just when Jane realizes what he needs in life he has to watch it go away.  All this season Jane has changed.  He is not crazed, he is actually nice and he has a certain stability about him even though the world around him has gone insane.  I have written before that this is because of Lisbon and the CBI team.  This season he finally got honest with them and they actually worked as a cohesive team.   Doing so made Jane actually better and now he has gotten close to getting Red John.

Having the team actually help and take a more active part in turn is going to make Jane lose them.  Red John always taketh away.  Red John brought Jane to the CBI.  Red John's end will tear Jane away from his second family.  This is a real profound loss for Jane.  Even when he was gone those 6 months he always had the CBI to return to.  Not just the people but the actual place.  His home there was never dismantled no matter what he did or even when Haffner was in charge of the team.   He had his perch, his couch, his desk and his tea cup.  The tea cup smash heard around the world.  Once again Red John will destroy the life Jane has built up and Jane didn't see it coming.  Jane has lost his home and those little tactile fixtures that remind him of it. 

Lisbon also has a great loss- her job, career, money, her little family, her home and of course Jane.  Lisbon finally becomes the agent in charge and then boom she no longer has any job.  She who gave up everything to have this job, who has always been about the work and right and wrong.  Almost 20 years in and no pension to retire from.  Her family (Cho, Rigsby, and Van Pelt) will move on like her brothers to have their own lives after she "raised" them.  Her couch from Jane, desk, office that was always there even when Jane was gone, is now packed away.  For the longest time she wasn't unpacked in her apartment because that wasn't home- CBI headquarters was.  Jane's leaving her either through death, jail or fleeing.  Lisbon's world has been turned upside down just like when she was 12.  She's going to need that faith she has to get through it. 

Other Things:

-Once more I must compliment Michael Gaston, Drew Powell, Simon Baker and Robin Tunney for their magnificent acting skills.

-Jordan Harper wrote and Elodie Keene directed a true masterpiece.

-Lisbon was so bad ass in this ep from holding and firing the gun in her left hand, going into the bombed building, refusing Bertram, telling Abbott off.

-The action sequences were particular intense.  Special kudos to Amanda Righetti and Owain Yeoman for making them oh so real.



Next week:

-A can't miss episode where Red John and Patrick Jane come face to face and this chapter officially ends.  Prepare the Kleenex now.
 

Quick Shots: The Great Red Dragon

If you haven't seen the ep then these quick shots are huge spoilers.  Watch it first.  My bigger, more in depth review is tomorrow but for now a few thoughts.  The picture is the property of CBS and Warner Brothers.

- Oh boy the symbolism in this episode.  Jane has always had the CBI to lean on since he left the institution and Lisbon made him a consultant.  Even when he was away those 6 months, the CBI was always there to return to.  Now it is gone.  Taken away because of Red John because Red John takes away everything Jane loves.  Jane liked having the law that was like Lisbon- black and white.  It was comforting and now that is gone.  There is only grey.  The couch leaving and then the tea cup breaking...they remained at the CBI even when he wasn't there.  But alas is he really letting go?  No, Jane tells Lisbon sorry in the elevator because he is leaving her again to go on his own, to catch Red John.  He knows more than he audience does and I won't say anything more because I don't want to ruin the twist that is coming.  Suffice to say Jane is in a church for a very good reason.

-Are we suppose to be upset to see the couch leave, the tea cop break, the CBI set go bye-bye?  Of course, we have to understand how Jane and the others feel.  From a writing, acting stand point though this is gold.  I have written several unpublished things were I loved the environment I had created for the characters.  But I also loved tearing it down.  It is going to be good, though, I promise.  Just wait for the new world they will be in.

-Before I go back to trying to catch up on all your tweets I have to big props to E Keene for wonderful direction, Jordan Harper for the OMG writing, whomever edited this ep that kept the action going, Kevin Derr and Karl for the action sequences, and the actors.  Michael Gaston was riveting as he revealed the Bertram behind the media loving guy.  Drew Powell made actually feel bad for Smith, a murder!  Really great work on his part.  Robin Tunney told us everything with her looks and glances...perfect.  And Simon Baker, of course, got to show us a new layer to Jane one with the realization that everything was changing and Red John was in his sights.

That was quite the thrill ride.

Burning Down the House: A Review of Fire and Brimstone

All that anger and wailing you heard from the coasts of California to the busy streets of Hong Kong, yes, was fans upset that this episode was postponed a week.  I have never seen such a flurry of anger from not only online fans but local stations and regular people I know.   I guess people really do love The Mentalist.

Of course there are spoilers for the episode if you have not seen it and the picture is owned by CBS and Warner Brothers and I beg them not to sue me.

Plot: With the final clue in hand, that Red John has a three dot tattoo on his left shoulder, Jane comes up with a master plan to bring the five remaining suspects together at the place it all started- his Malibu house- in order to reveal his family's killer.

The Jisbon of It All:

I have said it before but I will say it again- I'm not a shipper of anyone.  I was once one for CSI and it broke my then young heart in two.  So I proclaimed I would never ship.  That doesn't mean I can't enjoy shippy scenes though.  But I am fine with letting the creator taking the proposed couple where he/she wants to.   So I viewed the sunset scene as a more neutral third party and I will tell you this- it was as shippy as hell.

First off you don't film a scene like that with a romantic backdrop and imagery and not have it be viewed as shippy.  If Cho and Rigsby had played out those words I would have said that maybe Rigs married the wrong one.  Jane and Lisbon are friends, they have been for some time, but there was more than friendship there.  Is it a romance?  No, not quite yet but the scene foreshadowed that it could be, that as the sun sets on the Red John storyline, the sunrise might bring new hope, a new day and possibly a new love.

Was Jane being genuine?  Yes, he was.  This was his goodbye to Lisbon.  He doesn't know if death or jail awaits him.  For once he takes off that mask he wears and shows the real Jane that is lurking below.  He is grateful for her, for all that she has done, for all that she represents.  It is the most honest we as the audience have even seen him be with himself.  The hug is genuine, too.  He fully pulls her to him, the man who doesn't like to be touched and holds on for dear life to his anchor in the storm.  His eyes closed tight, willing himself to do what has to come next but not wanting to let go, he then, and only then takes the phone from her jacket.  The hug didn't have to last that long but it does because he needs to feel for once.

After the hug he plants the mask back on his face for a few minutes but he can't hold it for long for as he drives away the tears begin to fall.  Tears he has only let fall for his wife and daughter before.  Jane usually can control his emotions  (even when drunk) but this time he can't because he has let Lisbon into his heart and she has changed him.  He always thought saying goodbye would be easy but it becomes the hardest thing he has had to do.

Both Simon Baker and Robin Tunney were excellent in this scene.  Baker let us in to what Jane was thinking and Tunney had Lisbon crying (!) and overjoyed that he actually did care about her.

For me the scene wasn't ruined by Jane's ditching her.  It is what Jane has to do because either he puts Lisbon in harms' way by having her here (physically and job/jail wise) or he worries that she might actually let him kill Red John.  We all know how honest Lisbon is and how much of a horrible liar she is.  But Jane can't read her in the attic scene.  He wants to believe she is lying (he needs her to be his beacon of truth and good) but she doesn't seem to be lying.  My personal opinion, Lisbon doesn't want him killing RJ but if RJ tries to kill them...then legally she can kill him.  Thus, in her mind, they all win.  But for Jane it wouldn't be a win because he needs to be one doing the killing.  Jane thinks his revenge will bring him peace that it won't.

Another great scene is Jane answering Lisbon's phone call.  He has to know it's her but still he picks up.  He even says he's sorry (Teresa what have you done to Jane).  He tries to tell her he'll be okay, she begs him to stop, he says goodbye knowing his white knight is trying to come to save him. Maybe part of him hopes that she will make it in time.

The question of why neither of them ever pushes forth their feelings for each other has been brought up before.  For Jane he doesn't feel worthy of Lisbon's love.  He is full of self hated, self loathing, and he's got her on a pedestal of angelness.  He wants the best for her and he knows that isn't him.  His self hated makes himself want to hurt and denying the pleasure of true love is another cut to the body.  The women he has chosen to be interested in were either killers (Jennifer Sands, Erica Flynn), frauds (Kristina Frye, Brooke from Miss Red), needy (Sophie) or slightly psychotic (Lorelei) .  None of them represented the strong, goodness that was his wife, Angela.  The only one that comes close is Lisbon.  So Jane must deny himself the pleasure of anything more from her.

Meanwhile Lisbon is used to being the one in control of relationships.  She broke up with Greg, didn't have things go anywhere with Bosco, took Mashburn to bed clearly in control.  Lisbon, has shown on screen, some control (all the guys have crushes on her) over her old partner Bobby, Ray Haffner, JD, the drug dealer in Pink Tops, Scott in Red Gold...the list goes on.  The only man she doesn't have control over is Jane.  She can only guide him and change him to a degree.  While Lisbon has been the heart-breaker in these other relationships she is the one who gets her hear tbroken with Jane.   The pull he has over her must be so scary to a noted control freak who lost at a young age someone she loved very much.  Lisbon has always been reserved in her emotions because if she "doesn't lock it all down" she's afraid of what will happen, what will she feel.  But Patrick Jane has managed to break down those walls within her.

Thus Jane and Lisbon are each others perfect match though circumstances (his self hated, her fear) lead them not to be together.  As much as The Mentalist has been about the search for Red John it is also been the story of these two and their ever changing world because of knowing each other.  Jane once told Lisbon he would always be there to save her and Lisbon countered that she didn't need saving.  Alas both of them were wrong because they are actually there to save each other.

The Themes Unite:

The episodes this year have had themes of love, fear,  hopes and dreams and the price of revenge.  In this episode Ken Woodruff does a wonderful job bringing all those themes together.  There is the love of trying to save one another (Jane and Lisbon), the fear of being near death (Baker did a lovely job portraying Jane's nervousness waiting for the suspects to show up), hopes and dreams (one of Jane's hopes might come true- RJ dead but at the price of losing a dream of a new life), and the price of revenge (his life in exchange for revenge).   These themes are Jane's journey and I think post- Red John life is going to be very interesting to see.

The Usual Suspects:

The whole ep had a different, more movie like feel.  Big shouts to John Showalter for the direction, Blake Neely for the music that set the scenes and Jimmy Gadd for the editing that was movie magic like.    The guest actors did such a wonderful job keeping us guessing whom might be Red John.  I particularly was glued to the set when  the great Reed Diamond as Ray Haffner was taking to Lisbon at the diner.  He seemed genuinely upset that she thought he could be RJ.  Then there was the wonderful Malcolm McDowell having his Bret Stiles conduct his "resurrection".   This was further proof that RJ was once a member of Visualize and took some of their methods to form his own religion and create the power hungry evil, Tyger, Tyger organization.  So when Red John marked Lisbon the way he did he was telling us that he was about to be resurrected.  Hmm. Was he going to make Jane think he was someone else, have Jane kill that person like he did Carter and then RJ come back as a different serial killer or a RJ copycat?  Maybe he was just going to end the game with Jane did and be a new person who didn't kill anymore.  Maybe we'll find out.

I have to give bravos to Drew Powell who keeps giving me the chills (and he is a super sweetheart on Twitter), Michael Gaston as Bertrum who was owning every scene he was in and Xander Berekley whose intense look at Jane had so many layers of meaning.  The show really choose great actors to be RJ suspects.


Other Things:

-Lisbon doesn't need her contacts on her phone to call Jane.

-The image of the two phones on the seat together symbolized the Jane and Lisbon relationship well- so close but yet still apart. 

-Stiles hoping that Grace didn't marry Rigsby was very funny (poor Rigs) and was a nice connection to the ep where Grace was enchanted by Stiles.

-A nice touch having Jane take out the gun that Max Winters gave him.  Not sure why he didn't use it for Tim Carter but...that is a nick-pick.

-Every time Simon Baker enters that room with the smile face fans are treated to seeing one of the best actors of any time (he truly is) work his mojo.


Next Week:

-Jordan Harper gets to play with RJ and if the ep is half as good as his short stories or his other TM eps we are for a treat.

-Two more eps to go before the big reveal.

-The conclusion of this chapter, beginning of the next.

-Rockmond Dunbar makes his first appearance.