And They Lived Happily Ever After: a Review of The Mentalist Finale

I have said goodbye to many shows over the years, process of aging and also hard numbers for shows to achieve.  Usually be the time the show takes their final bow you aren't as invested in it.  It is no longer up to the caliber it once was.  Like with every facet of it The Mentalist is different.  It is leaving the airwaves still engaging, intelligent, and as good as it was the first time Jane made tea in the pilot.  The Mentalist is saying goodbye as still one of the best television shows on network tv.  I know I am bias but if you are half drunk, weepy and reading this review so are you.

So thus I bring you my final review ever of the show that made me think, made me believe in love again, and moved me.  Spoilers ahead.

Plot: Jane matches wits with a serial killer as he makes his once nightmare end up becoming a dream come true.

Thank You God, and Bruno Heller:
I honestly have never seen a finale that ended so happy and was so well written in that happiness.  Not only did the wonderful, divine, Bruno Heller create this amazing show he also gave us the ending we hoped for.  We got to see Owain Yeoman and Amanda Righetti return as the Rigsbys, which I was so happy about.  Usually when cast are gone off a show you never see them again but luckily they help conclude the series run.  The wedding was gorgeous and we also got the proposal, the party, the choosing of the dress.  It was unbelievable and I will never begin to express my gratefulness.  Like Lisbon and Jane and audience was rewarded for its faith in the show.

Full Circle:
The show begin with a serial killer and now ends with one.  This time though Jane doesn't make the same mistakes- he has someone in his life so now he can think better to outwit him.  "The truth is mine" he said in the pilot but when in last year's finale he said "The truth is I love you" it changed everything.  By being honest with Lisbon they were able to stop a madman before either of them got hurt. Honesty is always the best policy.  It is the Red John do over except this rewrite ending is a dream.  (Luckily it really happened.)  The twist of the FBI taking down Lazzie was great.  This time it wasn't Jane chocking the life out of someone.  Jane's love for Lisbon has changed him the once dark soul is now infused with her light.

How beautiful that a show that began with the main character sleeping under the sign of a death ends with him in full joy smiling.  A character who was a widow with a dead child now has a wife and a baby on the way.   He now has that three- he, Lisbon and the baby that will mend the darkness that was once in him.  The storm is over, the rainbow is out.  Jane started the series in utter distress, loneliness, and sadness.  Now he ends the series with euphoria, hope and  a huge smile. Hold on, I am weeping on my keyboard.

Lisbon also got the happy ending she didn't know she wanted.  She started the series angry, all about the job, walls between her and others.  She ends it now full of life, love, happiness, finally having a real family again.  Patrick Jane saved her from a different life, a fake, untruthful life.  She in turn saved Jane from a non life hiding the truth.  It was the most beautiful love story- two lost souls who through their friendship and eventually love learned to live again.

What Happens Next?:
We don't know.  Does Lisbon stay at the FBI?  Seemed like she was going to.  Will Jane remodel the cabin and then take care of the baby?  Maybe diaper duty will be as thrilling as the chase?  The show leaves it up to the audience to determine what they think might happen next.  But whatever it is you know it will be happy.   


Other Things:
-Cho in typical Cho fashion helping Lisbon dress shop.  Hilarious.

-The kissing was sooo passionate here- full of romance, love and fun. There was sooo much kissing here, too!

-The return of Tork.  Who thought a one time guest star like this would ever return?  But alas that is the uniqueness of TM.  Tork was given a second chance.  Everyone deserves a second chance.

-The proposal was so sweet and all truthful.  Lisbon is his past, his present and his future tied into one.  ..:makes a Patrick Jane out of clay for myself:

-I am an emotional basket-case in so many ways right now.  Where is Dr. Miller when you need her?

-This was the best series finale I have seen for it stayed true to the show while giving the fans a wonderful thank you for the years of support.




Last Thanks:
First of the thanks go to Bruno Heller who created the show, supervised it till the end and wanted it to be unique.  He also let his actors shape the characters which made these pop off the screen- real four dimension characterization. 
Major thanks to Warner Brothers and CBS for putting this show on the air and hammering out a deal for season 7.
Were would we be without Chris Long's vision, Nina, Karl, Jimmy and the other editors, the hardworking crew, Blake, and of course our generous writers?  We had the best in production here.
Patrick Jane would have fallen sort without the talent of Simon Baker behind the character.  Robin Tunney made Teresa Lisbon into an icon (a great model) for young women.  Tim Kang, Rockmond Dunbar, Owain Yeoman, Amanda Righetti, Emily Swallow, Joe Adler and Josie Loren proved that a "supporting" cast makes a huge impact on the quality of the show.
We were blessed with great guest stars and recurring characters and sets and pieces we loved.

To all those who made The Mentalist the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow- thank you.  You were our "light" that prevailed through the "dark" of the world.