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 ;)