The Jane, The Lisbon, The Colonel and the Briefcase: A Review of the Silver Briefcase

This is a review of The Mentalist episode The Silver Briefcase. It contains spoilers so beware if you haven't seen the ep yet.

Plot: Jane has a chance to foil what seems to be a perfect crime involving the murder of a Colonel's wife.

The Baker/Harper combo:
There are great episodes of television that provide laughs, something that makes you think, etc.  Then there are special episodes which are perfection.  The Silver Briefcase falls into that category.  Not only is it great tv but it also has a movie feel.  Not just any movie either.  This is an award winning movie that would be considered one of the greatest of its time.  Yeah, it is that good. 

Jordan Harper is one of my favorite writers.  If you haven't checked out his hard core short story writing check out Amazon btw.  He has never scribed a bad episode.  He always brings something new to the show, changing up the usual plot beats.  He also is a fantastic character writer- showing new shades for the actors to play. 

Simon Baker is such a gifted actor that has made Patrick Jane so real...I doubt any other actor could have portrayed the character as well.  Along with the acting talent, Baker is a brilliant director.  His tv episodes are always mini movies that seem to have had more time, or a higher budget or...he is just that good.  He lets scenes breathe and the actors have a chance to act.  Things are slower.  The shots aren't all quick cuts and the camera angles are always unique. 

So to have a Baker/Harper combo was mesmerizing to say the least.  Blake Neeley's music and Jimmy Gadd's editing further add to make this episode one of the best eps of The Mentalist ever.  Yes, top 10 people. 

To Plan or Not to Plan, That is the Question:
Jane tells Raymond, the Colonel, that his men's problem  (in the training exercise) is that they were going by a plan and not instinct.  The whole ep was about Raymond's seemingly perfect murder plan going array because of Jane.  Plan's can be thwarted.  Jane is a planner.  Always has been...until last season.  How many times over the years has someone said "Oh, Jane's got a plan," "Jane, what is the plan?", "I've got a plan!". Jane had several plans to catch Red John (Red John's Friends, Red John's Footsteps, Strawberries and Cream, The Crimson Hat, Fire and Brimstone) that all got messed up along the way.  He was use to the plan, the con, the trying to mentalize and make happen the ending he wanted.  At the end of season 6 he had the grand plan to seduce Lisbon over Miami and steal her away from Pike with beautiful dresses and a made up letter.  She ended up throwing water in his face, agreeing to marry the Pikester, and getting on a plane.  Yup, that plan went wrong.  But then Jane made the choice not to have a real plan to just go by instinct.  His instinct told him to hop the plane and declare his love.  Golly, it worked.

Pike was all about his plans for Teresa.  Now that Jane and Lisbon are together Jane admits he really doesn't have a plan.  He doesn't know what the future will hold but he is willing to follow that instinct that won him the girl and let them see the possibilities.

Don't Worry and Be Happy Now:
Jane telling Lisbon that is happier than he has been since she knows when was such a heart clutching moment.   The man was depressed, angry, crazed for a good 12 years after his family's death.  Finally he is free from his past (his wish in Every Rose Has a Thorn), able to live (he chooses life- Red John's Footsteps) and is happy.  Lisbon makes him happy.  Sure the mental mind games he finds stimulating still but he doesn't need them in the structure of the FBI all he needs is Lisbon.  She is what brings the smile to his lips and fake house hunting so fun. So whatever Lisbon decides to do with life, as long as Jane is with her, he seems willing to go with it.

Baker does a wonderful job directing the "jisbon" scenes that Harper wrote.  The love has grown since the first episode of the season where they were in the honeymoon stage.  They are now completely comfortable and reassured in their love for one another.  Their bantering was back from Jane's 'did you have a fling" question to his teasing her that they could be beekeepers.  He doesn't fear she'll leave him.  Lisbon seems more rest assured in their relationship as well as she brings up the future without hesitation (and tells him unlike with Pike that she wants the job in the FBI still).  The characters are so joyful together holding hands briefly or Lisbon touching his back...it is wonderful to see two lost souls find an anchor in each other. 

It was interesting to see this secret couple being soooo open with their relationship. They have nothing to hide, Baker seems to be showing.  Just like Wiley's crush needs not be hidden- nothing wrong with it.  But the murderous affair between Raymond and Denise is something to hide for it is wrong.  They don't echo the love that Jane and Lisbon have...they even end up turning on one another.  Jane and Lisbon have always risked losing everything to protect each other. 

Jane and Lisbon's current relationship is an engagement.  No one has got on a knee or anything- you didn't miss an episode.  But they are a "we", they are headed to a future together, they are in a secure ship with each other- they are heading towards a marriage conventional or otherwise.

Other Things:
-The lol of Wiley and Vega from the car change to the end opening the briefcase.

-A nice hark back to CBI feels with Cho and Lisbon doing the training together. They relied on instinct because they have great trust in each other.  Raymond and his girl did not thus his perfect plan went away.  When Jane put his faith in his CBI team he was finally able to kill Red John. Instinct/faith/trust are an important parts of any puzzle.

-It is wonderful to see a happy Jane and for Baker he got to film the character happy without a cloud of heaviness.  My Blue Heaven had the light at the end when Lisbon appears but the others Blinking Red Light, Red Sails in the Sunset, Red Moon are all very dark.  It was great to have Baker show off his talent with more light.

-Lisbon having good instinct was a nice nod to BRL where Jane encouraged her to go by instinct for the suspects.  Hailbach she didn't care for...he eventually would grow to a serial killer.  The scene in the coffee place reminded me of Blood Money, too.  Being with Jane has made Lisbon more like him in mentalist abilities.

-So who knifed the wife?  It doesn't matter, says Jane and it truly doesn't because they are both guilty of her murder.  From the opening shot though it appears Denise was waiting by the car and Raymond was doing the gutting. Did Raymond purposely come up to famous Jane and Lisbon?  A killer who committed the perfect crime may want someone of Jane's stature to know this...can you guess what I did but you can't figure any proof out.  Gives them more power and control. In the end though, just like any other monster, he was only human and he let fear of the unknown (what was hidden in the case) make him confess. Just like Red John had a fear of pigeons, everyone has a fear of something and it can be their undoing.

Next Week:
On January 7, a Wednesday at 8 there is Green Light which finds Jane and Lisbon celebrating and Abbott hoping the past doesn't catch up with him.

Sniffle in the Air- a Review of Black Market

This review is full of spoilers for the episode Black Market so avoid this if you haven't watched yet.  I do not own the show, merely my opinions.

Plot: A sick Jane orchestras from his beloved couch as his partner in crime and life, Lisbon, plays his usual role of fake medium. Meanwhile Abbott faces problems with marriage and employment as Cho and Vega learn to work together.

The Parallels and Pitfalls of Romance:
Abbott and his wife have a problem- she is up for a big DC job but his past is coming back to haunt him.  Out of great love for his wife he feels she is better off without him and urges her to pursue her work dreams in the new city.  Hmmm who does this sound like?  Jane's past haunted Lisbon...enough that she had to take a small town Sheriff position and fell for him when he hadn't completed his goal of killing Red John yet.  Out of love and waiting to protect her, Jane use to keep her in the dark about his schemes and intentions.  He pushed her away to keep her safe.  Then Pike showed up and Jane told her he wanted her to be happy even though that meant he was going to be dying inside. He pushed her to go fulfill her dreams.

Abbott's story also reminds viewers that love isn't easy it is about making hard choices sometimes.  This is echoed in the final scene with Jane and Lisbon.  Jane clearly tells Lisbon he wants to leave the FBI and take off with her.  Now he is under contract to tell those BA member names and he has to stay working for the FBI for five more years.  So if he leaves before the five years could this mean jail time for McAllister's death?  Jane doesn't want to work for the FBI- he was only there to be with Lisbon.  He joined the CBI because 1.) it would help him track RJ, 2.) he needed something to hold on to, and 3.) he eventually fell for Lisbon.  Now he has Lisbon he doesn't need to be crime fighting anymore.  Lisbon, on the other hand, has always been about the job.  Through chasing RJ with Jane though, she has been demoted.  So even though she says the job is her life still maybe that will change.  They both have hard decisions to make as they venture through this relationship so that they can both be happy.

Lisbon Says Roger Says Hi:
There were some weak areas in the episode but this part sold the whole thing.  Robin Tunney was amazingly hilarious as Lisbon pretended to be a medium as Jane coached her.  Lisbon doesn't like being on display so being in front of the audience, all the eyes on her, was hard enough.  Lisbon never cared for Jane playing fake physic so that added to her uncomfortably level.  Then on top of it, Lisbon, has always been known as a terrible liar.  She actually has been doing quite well with it lately especially in the opening scene.

Mere words cannot express how hilarious this was.  Nice little Easter eggs to fans, too.  For example Roger, the name of the dead dog, was a connection to My Blue Heaven and the character of Roger that showed Jane what his life would be if he didn't run to Lisbon.  The little dog beloved by the owner- a hat tip to LaRoche and his little dog.  How about the Red Badge feels when Jane says he will be inside her head...but his time Lisbon is glad for it?  Then there was the "Psychics don't exist" which Jane has said from the pilot.  Speaking of the pilot Lisbon was doing a Jane flashback reenactment from that ep.  Nice little treats from the show to the fans.

The Only Problem with Gifts:
The show is really trying to make this the year for the fans.  It means great things for us but also, as shown with this ep, can erect some problems.  The opening sequence is one of them.  Now I fully admit I liked the idea years ago that Lisbon and Cho may have had a one night stand before he joined CBI.  Given their personalities they could have remained friends and then back coworkers (boss/agent) without issue.  So the thought of Cho and Lisbon pretending to be a couple didn't bother me.  But if I were a long time shipper I would have been rightly pissed.  No kisses between the actual couple on the show but one between two other long time characters (and actors that are friends).  I now realize that the lack of showing actual physical romance of any kind is not because of the character's life perspective, the actors' friendship, etc.  It is because the show is trying to give all of us fans something -thus the Chisbon and the lack of kissing etc. The show is trying to make shippers happy by having jisbon happy but not showing the physicality to keep non shippers happy too. In turn this makes something lacking.  Either Jane and Lisbon are together and stand strong on that or don't put them together.

The other issue with this ep was with the Cho/Vega storyline.  The show knows fans want Cho to have a good arc so he has Vega who their might be sparks with  (and maybe tragedy, too).   It also knew some vocal fans didn't like Fischer so Kim is gone, Vega in.  Vega was made to be liked if not adored by the audience.  The only problem is in this ep Vega's strength was taken away from her and her capable performer.  Vega was pleading with Cho to forgive her and the story repeated this over and over again instead of showing something new to shed more light on the characters.  How about let Vega be strong and Cho admire that. 

Other Things:
-For people pretending they aren't in a ship, Lisbon said kinda loudly for Jane to go back to her place.  I didn't find that an error I just found it funny.


-Get Lost Fluffy was back when Lisbon said "the engagement is off" while flashing her badge.

-Joe Adler was so great in this ep- trying to lift Vega's spirits while hilariously wiping his phone after sick Jane used it.

-Jane sick was adorable.  It was nice for him he got to wallow in his sickness. He had someone he could ask to bring him soup and lay down with him while he rested.  Remember in Paint it Red when Van Pelt says Jane called in sick and Lisbon says Jane is never sick?  He wasn't then because he had a mission to catch Red John and couldn't rest and get ill.  Too much running on adrenaline.  But now with Lisbon he is at peace, calm, relaxed and can get sick.  I won't say all the sex is making him ill but maybe a bit more tired though.

Next week:
Hold on people it is the Simon Baker directed ep with a mysterious suitcase.  Simon eps are always something special and the man is a brilliant director so fun to be had! 

Mr. Jane's Very Wet Day- Review of Orange Blossom Ice Cream

The following is a review for Orange Blossom Ice Cream as such there are spoilers ahead.  I don't own, work for or even have the bathrobe used in the show.  I don't own the show either.

Plot: Erika Flynn is back with a scheme up her sleeveless dress as Jane plays courier for her water/numbers loving boyfriend, Jan.

Exing out the Exes:
Lisbon asks Jane about him and Erika.  He ends up telling her the truth (a writer revised truth though- he kissed Erika twice, once in the hotel and once before she escaped).  He even apologizes and like the plane scene is as honest as he can be.  It was neat to see "liar" Jane who so easily fubs choking back knowing that when she asked about Lorelei he was going to be forced to tell all.  Luckily he found an out by bringing up Mashburn and Lisbon didn't want to discus her one night stand with the billionaire.  Good thing; Jane didn't want to say "Well, I kissed her numerous times and slept with her to get Red John." Lisbon knew about the one kiss and believed he had slept with her given their conversation in The Crimson Ticket.  Better to let it go, it is the past and now they have the present and the future together.

Jane and the Rub a Dub Tub:
Jane was dunked for what seemed like a very long time as he was told words that he had to memorize.  Not sure why the dunking had to take place or if it was merely a gift to female fans.  Or perhaps if you felt like slapping Jane about Erika from her last ep...this was your way of achieving it.   Kudos to Simon Baker for enduring the torture.  Had to love how Jane was very concerned about drying his hair more than his clothes.

Rigsby Never Lied to Him:
Cho must have been having pangs for Rigsby when Vega went and screwed up and he found out she lied.  Partners need to depend on each other and he could always do that with Rigs.  Part of Cho's anger though was also that he cares already for the rookie.  Cho is a man of few emotions but did you see him when he thought she got shot?  Fear was scribed in his voice.   Cho can't help it.  As he once said, the heart wants what it wants.  It makes me wonder if part of the reason he told Vega off was out of fear for his feelings...if he is having them.

Your Love is Better Than Ice Cream:
At the end of the ep Jane sets up a romantic ice cream meeting on the top of the building for Lisbon.  It echos of the ice cream scene in The Red Shirt.  They once again eat from the same bowl but this time they are huggy and the love is more evident.  Jane has clearly put it together to reestablish that he loves Lisbon and wants only her.  It is obvious that she didn't need much encouragement to know that. By the end they are teasing each other- Lisbon saying the ice cream isn't too special and Jane laughing about her blue color roots.  They don't have to live in fear...their love is secure.

There comfortably with each other is easy to see in the robe/bed scene.  Jane doesn't get all "OMG, wow" as Lisbon comes out of the bathroom because we can assume he has seen her like this a multitude of times since their first kiss.  The love is right on display though it is odd even in private times we only get small gestures and not more.  Really, shouldn't Jane be in a robe on the bed to signify he left the shower just to make the phone call?  Or perhaps was going to join but she left because she is a bit pissed off?

 

The Truth is...:
The theme of this ep was truth from Cho's anger about Vega's lie to Jane telling Lisbon about Erika.   The truth is that I loved the first Erika Flynn episode but did not like the second one.  Luckily this one I was back to loving the character and the plot.  Morena is a wonderful actress.  Erika thought she had fooled Jane but nope he brought her to justice and Lisbon got the fun of being the one to bring the vixen to her knees.  In the end her appearance further solidified the relationship of jisbon.  They were tested and passed the test.

Other Things:
-Abbott was surely playing cupid when he sent Lisbon and Jane to an one hotel room on the government's budget.Even his "stay in the hotel" was him pushing for more lenny things.  If you don't know what that means...context clues people.

-The taxi ride scene where Jane grabs Lisbon hand was so nicely done- a thank you, an acknowledgment of his fear.  Since Jane has been given a reason to live he hasn't wanted to die and now finds himself fearful when put in these bad situations.  Before he would joke and probably felt he deserved whatever death was coming to him.  

-Jane loves telling others that Teresa is his.  From the "She's my girlfriend" to flatly telling Erika he loves Teresa.  That admission caused him some pain but he didn't seem to mind.  The viewer can tell he loves his freedom to admit his heart now.  Once one sets the truth free...he can fly.

Next week:
- A sick Jane forces Lisbon to become the mentalist.  I am already laughing.

Visitng time at the Greybar Hotel

This post contains spoilers for The Greybar Hotel.  I do not own the show nor make any profit from writing my thoughts down.

Plot: In order to stop a car ring Lisbon must gain the trust of a recent inmate by becoming one herself. 


Liar, Liar Orange Pants on Fire:
In Blue Bird Lisbon tells Jane that he doesn't tell the truth anymore that he is so lost in all his lies that he doesn't know to be a regular person.  In Graybar Hotel Lisbon tells the inmate that she was living a lie pretending not to be in love with Jane.  Was Lisbon projecting her own problems on to Jane?  Was she telling him off or herself?  She admits now that she was in love with Jane for a long time but wouldn't say it out loud.

So in love are we two:
The love was clearly on display between their flirty phone call to the looks they gave each other when they both thought they were going to die.  The phone covered also mentioned Jane lowering his guard.  He told the truth on the plane and he was rewarded with Lisbon stopping the lie- and getting off the plane.  She lowered thus her guard too and let him in.  That was of course scary for them both and still is as Lisbon admits.  She even still worries that he might leave.  Miami seems Lisbon's little fantasy paradise where her greatest moment happened- she mentions that Patrick is in Florida.

How to Save a Life:
Back in season two (for another Jordan Harper) episode, Jane tells Lisbon that he will always save her whether she likes it or not.  She says she doesn't need saving. Figuratively they saved each other in that plane moment and the pickle scene afterwards.  There has been many of an occasion that Lisbon has to save damsel in distress Jane but this time he had to save her.  It was a new Jane to the rescue as we have never quite seen him this scared before.  He couldn't even do his usual smirky glances at guys with guns that he usually tries.  The stakes were greater this time because he was in love again.  He lost the first woman he loved but now he was able to reverse that and save Lisbon.  The past is no longer haunting Jane.  He has even broken the cycle.

Other Things:
-Wiley/Vega/Cho

-Abbott's wife has a DC job offer.  Parallels to Lisbon and Jane perhaps? 

-Jane we have seen in prison twice so it was neat to see Lisbon instead in there.

-This ep was soooo much better than my review is saying.  I apologize, don't feel that good so brain is numb.

Next week:
The Return of Erika Flynn