Plot:
Jane and crew investigate the death of a Santa while the man in charge of Todd Johnson's death, J.J. LaRoche, upends Jane.
Santa and The Former Con Man Known as Jane:
Benjamin Ripple lost his parents at a young age. It was the happiest time of his life, a time he never could quite leave. So he became a Santa in order to keep himself in that bubble of the past. But his obsession with being Santa, with holding on to that past led him to his addition- alcoholism. Which led him at his worst to a support group and Mae. Mae, who saw past the issues and helped him, fell in love with him along the way even though she wasn't suppose to.
Patrick Jane didn't have a mother for some reason and his father used him and his skills to be their bread and butter. He escaped that life with Angela but unable to let go of his childhood and thus turned his Wonder Boy routine to being a high paid physic. His obsession with power, money, glory led him to angering a serial killer who took his family away from him. Jane now had a new addiction- finding that man at any cost and killing him. Jane was first briefly saved by his doctor and then fate brought him to his own support group- the CBI and his sponsor- Lisbon. She was there to help him, to listen, to try to stop his addiction. Along the way Lisbon did what she didn't want to do- fall in love with him.
There are great parallels between these two men. Ripple's addiction ended up bringing him to his death. Jane was lucky and lived, finally letting go of his addiction and is now two years, 3 months sober of being addicted with revenge. (On a side note- Jane told Minelli that he should grow a beard when he set Mae and Minelli up because she had a thing for Santa. Parallel that with Lisbon biting her lip as she told Jane- "Nice beard.")
Secrets and Other Sins:
One theme of this episode was addiction, the price of it and the types of kinds. I loved Mae's comment that anything that stops you from living a fulfilling life is an addiction. Jane hasn't been truly living. He was consumed in his chess game with Red John. His one sexual encounter over the six years was sort of with Red John by proxy. Or in the name of finding Red John. The addiction was leading Jane not the other way around. But at the beginning of this season when Jane almost lost Lisbon a part of him finally woke up. He realized that there was someone else he carried for that wasn't buried six feet under ground. Lisbon's capture provided the moment Jane needed to get clarity, stop being so consumed with his addiction and thus he was finally able to find Red John and kill him. After his death, Jane left everything behind, even his addiction.
Another theme of this episode is secrets. A drunken Jane tells LaRoche that we all have secrets and then asks him what is his. LaRoche quickly answers he doesn't have one but from his face we can tell this is a lie. By the end of the season we meet the Tupperware container but it isn't until season 5 we learn LaRoche's secret that made him a more cautious man. Jane likes to pretend he's an open book but he has his own secrets too. He tells Mae that he doesn't know what it is like to let something rule his life. No, the truth is his. He holds his secrets close to the vest. Maybe that is perhaps why he doesn't wear one anymore because he is now freer with everyone (island Kim, the wife of the missing hubby, and of course Lisbon). The only other time we have seen Jane vestless was in season 2's Redline where he talks to Lisbon about both of them wishing they could have a normal life.
Lisbon's childhood isn't a secret but it is something that she probably wishes it was. In season 1 she was angry when Van Pelt brought up her mother's death by a drunk driver. She dismissed Dr. Carmen's use of bringing up that her father was an abusive alcoholic. Eventually Lisbon learned to deal with that secret letting out to the wife of the dead chef in Red Herring and admitting her father beat her to Jane in Blood for Blood. But that doesn't mean all of Lisbon's secrets were out. Lisbon has always been good at pretending to herself (a mixture of truth and lies, Jane once said) that everything was fine, that she didn't care about losing her job. But in Green Thumb Lisbon lets go of having secrets allowing first Jane to tell her she's lying, admitting it and then even telling Jane off on the plane.
These new less secretfilled Jane and Lisbon have certainly grown and shown themselves ready for more in life. Maybe it is time to have that real, fulfilling life.
Last Thoughts:
Daniel Cerone wrote this episode in season three. Not only was it hilarious and wonderful but now some things make more sense. Todd Johnson was killing police officers. Why? Because they were either interfering with the Blake Association or were coming close to figuring out that their head one was RJ who was McAllister. Rance, I think, was the one killed who was sleeping with Hightower. Maybe RJ had to get rid of Hightower for fear that his secret had been told one night and Hightower would one day put two and two together. Johnson had to burn to cover up his tattoo. McLaughlin knew about lighting and burning (see Red Carpet Treatment). Johnson was ready to tell Jane the truth, let him in on this thing that was much bigger than Jane thought (cough Blake Association). Johnson gave Jane the Tyger, Tyger clue but it was too late for him to tell anymore of the secret because he died. Ironically when Jane joined law enforcement to get closer to finding Red John he was actually entering Red John's liar. Red John had control of the CBI and other law agencies- Jane was always in his backyard. Bravo to Cerone for laying so much foundation in this episode.
Grab the popcorn, watch it again and see what you think during this hiatus.
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