50 Shades of CBI Killer Grey: A Review of Grey Water

Yes, I try to have fun with the post titles.  As always this features spoilers for the episode Grey Water and I do not own the show nor the picture below.

Plot: 
Jane and Kim solve the murder of Dan Becker who refused to sell his land for fracking rights.  Meanwhile Grace and Rigsby find themselves on the CBI stalker/killer's hit list as Cho and Lisbon work to discover who it is.

Jane and Fracking Fractors:
Although the fracking murder wasn't as eventful as the CBI case it did a nice job of relating to Jane and his past.  Dan Becker, the murder victim, is a good man that does something wrong (staging the protest to break in) for the right reasons.  It ends up getting him killed.  Jane, like Dan, is a good man who does wrong things (cons and tricks) but for the right reasons (to catch killers).  When Jane is taking to Dan's widow she says that Dan wanted to leave the farm for his son.  We don't know what Jane wanted to leave for Charlotte whether money or physical or spiritual.  But it is something else Red John robbed him of.  Thus Dan's family is also robbed by the killer.  But this killer is nothing like Red John- in a moment of rage he loses it and ends up taking a life and seems to feel guilt about it. 

Big oil is displayed as it is in Jane's mind- "the man" that he so goes against.  It is the big evil that is ruining people's lives and making followers from those giving up their fracking rights.  Just like (in a parallel form) Red John was a big bad destroying lives and gaining followers into his cult.

Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder:
Both Jane and Lisbon distance themselves in this episode.  Jane is friendly but not overly so with Rigsby and Van Pelt when he first sees them.  Why?  Well I would wager guilt.  Because of Jane and his obsession with Red John, the CBI was dismantled thus costing Rigsby and Van Pelt their jobs.  Yes, they both have their own business now but they both loved being cops.  Van Pelt says to the reporter in Bleeding Heart that she always wanted to be a cop of some sort, that working at the CBI was her dream come true.  Rigsby spoke to Cho in Blood Brothers how he liked being a CBI agent because there were rules to follow and he likes the security.  We also know VP could have been anything, was top of her class but choose the hard but enriching life (see Russet Potatoes).  During one of Rigsby's conversations with his dad he spoke about loving what he did and then again he told LaRoche the same thing.  They enjoyed their jobs, they were good at them.  Golly, their love of their work actually was one reason they had broken up before.  They met because of the CBI, shared their first kiss in the kitchen, broke up at Wayne's desk and then reconnected because of their undercover CBI job.  Not to mention they became engaged directly related to a CBI murder at a wedding case.   The CBI meant a lot to Rigsby and Van Pelt and because of Jane it was taken away.  Jane once again, like with his family, ruined lives out of his own egotism (or at least that is what he probably feels.)  I have a feeling that Jane wasn't overly friendly because he didn't know what to say.  He hasn't spoken to them in two years; a sorry isn't enough.

There is another reason Jane happily takes the fracker case- the whole CBI stalker case is so reminiscent of Red John.  His friends are in danger again probably because of something he did.  He is at fault.  Two innocent people that he liked are no longer alive...more victims in the wake of hurricane Jane.  He may have killed one sicko but Jane hasn't rid the world of danger.  It is still out their lurking in the night willing to murder babies.  He understands all too well what the Rigsbys are going through but he is fearful of taking too active of a role (yet- that is going to change next episode).  He thinks he is the bad luck penny that is causing more blood shed and he is "better off alone".  Jane also never brings up Red John who was always on his mind before because he thinks it is all packaged away in a neat box he'll never have to open again.  But as Black Helicopters proved the past is always there waiting to rear its head.  Jane must learn to confront his inner demons he still has, forgive his part in this, recognize his love for these people and then go all out to do what he couldn't for his first family- save them.

When Kim comes over offering Jane the case I wondered if she was giving him an out, if she had noticed his discomfort.  Kim did say in the previous ep that she use to wish she was invisible.  At that moment on the couch it looks like he wishes he was.  So Kim gives him an out, understanding him for the first time, and let's him play the murder by his rules.

Meanwhile Lisbon is distancing herself from Jane.  It is fairly obvious when Rigs says about the drink, Cho is up, Rigs mentions grabbing Jane and Lisbon is all "count me out".  I wrote about this for the last episode- the reasons Lisbon is staying away so I'll just say I think what happens to the Rigsbys will start the ball rolling.  Rolling for what you ask?  Lisbon finally letting go of her fear, her ability to distance (Cho-"I don't want walls between me and my team"- Bloodstream), trying something new and then realizing she wants only Jane.

Other Things:
-Loved that the show used Hutton, Haibach and other great villains as  suspects.  The scene where Jane asks them to follow their instincts harkens back to Blinking Red Light when Lisbon first chose Hailbach.

-I am so going to miss the Cho/Rigsby banter.  Kang and Yeoman had such great comedic timing together and chemistry.  I was glad to see one more glimpse of it.

-The Wiley/Van Pelt scene was cute- VP is finally the one giving the orders in a way.  Although, yes, she gets kidnapped, nice to see the woman being a one person army against the intruder.  Always loved how his show mixes up the sexual stereotypes. 

-Jane is getting cleaner.  His suit was beautiful, beard trimmed, hair cut and not cut but not crazy all over.  He is finding his peace and thus his place.

-Abbott and Lisbon scene was great- like that he listens to Lisbon.  Nice to see also Cho in charge. 

Next week:
-Grab your kleenix as we say goodbye to Van Pelt and Rigsby

-Jane finally gets a chance to realize what they all mean to him

-We find out if Haibach is the stalker or...could he be working with someone else?