Seeing Rose Colored Glasses With New Eyes

Tonight I watched the Season 2 gem, Rose Colored Glasses.  It made me realize three important things.  First of all that an ep that is mostly comedy still can give amazing insights.  Secondly that we should have known that Lisbon lied to Jane.  Lastly that Red John will always be around...just not the literal man.  So thus a review of the episode.  The photo belongs to  Spoiler TV (because I had to look for it).  Please don't sue  me, I gave you credit.

Plot: Rigsby has to pose as Derek Logan a former student of a high school whose horrible bulling leads to three deaths (his and that of Selby and Jana Vickers). Jane uncovers that the killer is no other than Miss Popular now regional tv personality, Willa Brock.

So it was the Clarinet:
In last season's Red, White and Blue, Jane says to Lisbon, "You played the clarinet."  In this episode Lisbon denies playing the instrument which is Jane's first guess after revealing the real Lisbon.  Watching this episode again I noticed more clearly how Robin Tunney had her voice go high when saying no to that instrument.  Which is always an indication with Lisbon that she's lying (see the most recent episode- Green Thumb).  Bravo to whomever (Robin, the director Dan Lerner, writer Leonard Dick or anyone else) who made sure it was evident Lisbon was lying.  Kudos also to Tony Astrino who then showed Lisbon was lying in the aforementioned episode.

Lisbon tries not to react to Jane saying that Lisbon was driven to a point of almost having an ulcer.  She gives the truthful head nod that she doesn't have time for superiors who aren't as smart as she is.   She seems surprised at the not hanging with girls apart and almost has a laugh at the not giving boys time.  He thinks he had her all figured out and almost did but was wrong on that part.  Kudos to Ashley Gable for then including Greg, the ex fiance in season 4.

It must still be shocking and thus scary how well Jane reads her.  He even knows her better than she knows herself at this time.  So Lisbon isn't going to be truthful with him and lies about playing the clarinet.  He won't know all of her, she'll keep some secrets.  Though I will venture a guess now that Jane could tell she was lying and kept up the guessing for his own amusement and to make her squirm a bit.

There Will Always Be Evil:
When Jane is telling the audience what Willa did and why, I realized how much like Red John her character was.  They both appear normal, can fit into society, no one would expect them to be a killer.  They both could have been considered weak.   They are both vain (RJ can't take someone else scrapping up his credit, Willia keeps the incriminating photos because they are of her).  Jane says that Willia enjoyed always having power over people and liked destroying them (like Derek).  She took great pleasure from it.  She used Selby like a tool...he was never her friend.  But she had built up a secret power structure where she was in charge but no one really knew it.  Golly, that does sound like Red John who used his tools (he didn't have friends), wanted power, controlled a group secretly and took pleasure from destroying people.  Neither of them felt any remorse for their murders either. 

Red John is dead.  The one who took Jane's happiness away is forever gone.  But there are more people like him out in the world.  They don't have to be serial killers but people who take pleasure in ruining another.   Jane has a purpose in the world- to get all these Red Johns in whatever form they come in to bring peace to the victims and their families.  It is quite poetic and now an idea that Jane realizes in the present episodes.

The Dance:
Of course in light of recent events the dance is more of a cute moment than the high intensity of the current hugging Jane and Lisbon do.  But it is still significant.  Yes, Jane is trying to get Lisbon's mind off of Rigsby and why he played Derek but the real motivation is happiness.  When Lisbon hears the song "More Than Words", the closed off woman who has lied to him about what instrument she played in school, suddenly opens up.  Her admission that she loved the song and her smile of happy memories it might conjure (maybe it was her song with Greg) show Jane a new side of Lisbon.  He is delighted that she isn't yelling at him, or thinking about the case and that she is being honest.  The happiness on his face shows it as well as repetitive "You love this song," as if he is telling himself this isn't a dream.   When he offers to dance with her she gets scared.  Lisbon doesn't want him to think that she likes him (even at this point she does).  He gives her an out about her pretending that he's that cold guy from school that she never talked to.  She agrees, letting her heart rule her mind for once.  At this point in the series Lisbon is still trying to bend Jane to her way and they don't have the partnership that they did in later seasons when Lisbon goes along with the schemes.  So this is a big character development moment and shift in their friendship for Jane and Lisbon.

Now here is where the cute moment turns deep.  Lisbon relaxes with Jane, closing her eyes and putting her head against his shoulder.  She's at her most open, her most free, her most peace.  Even more free than she was after her night with Mashburn.  Jane is seeing the real Teresa Lisbon as they dance to a song she loves.  For him it becomes a much freer moment than he probably expected.  He's close with someone not just physically but emotionally in that moment and it feels right.  They fit perfectly together and move in sync and nothing is weird or off (like the kiss that reunion goer gives Lisbon at the beginning of the ep, or Jane debating his ring with both Kim and Kristina).  They are safe, they are happy and it is a perfect moment.  He can still prod her and she doesn't mind.  Jane doesn't mind anyone seeing him on the dance floor with another woman that isn't Angela.  He doesn't need alcohol.  Lisbon doesn't mind anyone seeing her with a man on the dance floor.  It doesn't feel like they are doing anything wrong because they aren't.  Contrast that with Lisbon hiding from Jane in Mashburn's room and Jane feeling uneasy with the two K's.  Thus this "cute" moment has much greater depth to and demonstrates that if the show decides to elaborate on the Jane/Lisbon chemistry in a full out romantic sense it could work well.

Other Things:
-This episode also showed how Grace and Lisbon were able to use some Jane logic to get to conclusions.  I also appreciated when TM  did this.

-Owain Yeoman is so awesome at comedy- he really shined in his Derek Logan scenes.

-Cho's "You're brain's a fool."  Not only the line but Tim Kang's delivery- perfection.

-Van Pelt assures that Selby and Jana didn't need a great place or money- they loved each other and that was all that matter. 

Now you should play "More Than Words" and find at least your dog to dance with.  Thanks for reading!