Mentalist Panama Red

Synopsis

The California Bureau of Investigations new case is the murder of Jeremy Reese, a botanist, in Clearlake. Suspicion first falls on his boss, whom CBI consultant Patrick Jane (Baker) and Senior Agent Teresa Lisbon (Tunney) learn he’d had an argument with. But the case is complicated by the fact that Reese was working two jobs: one at an organic marijuana farm owned by Matthew Gold (Troy Ruptash), and another coming up with a new strain of marijuana at a high tech lab. Meanwhile, Cho’s first time helping out Agent Tamsin Wade (Monique Gabriela Curnen) in the newly established Rapid Response Team at CBI has him running into an old flame.

Concise Verdict

Panama Red is one of my new favorite episodes this season. The case was interesting and had lots of good old fashioned Mentalist humor. The guest stars are great, including not one, but *three* recurring characters. The direction is perfection and there is plenty of continuity. The music is sublime at times, playfully flirty at others.  And the performances…well, let’s just say the actors gave us a subtext party in this one. And it is all thanks to the script. Like Grossenbacher before him (who sadly has criminally only given one entry to this show so far) Michael Weiss’s foray into the Mentalist world was such that, by the time it was over, I was literally breathless with happiness. Welcome, Mr. Weiss. You’ve officially been brained. Which hopefully isn’t as painful as it sounds. At least, not this time: 9.5/10.

Detailed AKA Humungous Review (spoilers galore)

Some pretty heavy flailing is about to commence. You’ve been warned.

Jane SMILES!

LISBON IS BADASS!

Both Cho AND Rigsby get a prominent role in this episode!

It’s back. My favorite show is back!!!

;_;

This has been a stellar season thus far, but also, an increasingly dark one. Just to be clear, I love the RJ plot as much as any other fan (or at least, I used to) but I completely and humbly disagree that the show should end with him getting caught (as seems to be where the show is headed). Episodes like this flaunt one of the show’s greatest assets: it’s freaking fun! Sure, it’s nice to have a run in with the Big Red every once in a while but Jane’s obsession doesn’t exactly make for easy viewing. And The Mentalist has always been a humorous show despite its dark premise. I’ve really missed it. Too much Red made me blue and I actually felt my heart break a little one episode at a time. Even Lisbon’s new plot with Vokler, while exciting, is depressing. An all powerful billionaire who wiped out an entire village and mercilessly watched as the only lead against him was choked to death? Ugh. Not even Black Cherry written by the comic genius Erica Green Swafford could bring me out of my funk. But getting two subsequent stand alone episodes seems to have done the trick. That, and the fact that Lisbon’s character remains successful not only in getting Jane more involved in the cases, but in regaining some of her long abandoned authority.

Teaser

Take the beginning of this episode. Jane doesn’t show up for work. And when Lisbon calls him telling him he shouldn’t obsess like this, Jane tells her “I know I met Red John now, shook his hand.”

-Now I know the moment was graciously included to recap for viewers who may have missed an episode and subsequently where Jane’s at with his hunt for his family’s killer. But for us regulars, I found myself taking a page out of Charlotte’s book and thinking “I’m so over Red John”. Seriously, it’s more than I can handle not going back and re-watching all the episodes from the beginning to see which characters Jane shook hands with without being constantly tortured with this new clue. Thank god for the fact that the act didn’t necessarily have to have happened on screen, or us viewers would all probably become as obsessed as Jane is.

Lisbon tells Jane that they have a new case. And when he tries to distract her saying that she’s the one obsessing, she says she’ll text him the address and hangs up.

-Lisbon, acting like Jane’s boss, which she is, might be the best way to help him. If not for his sake, then for hers. It’s not like the Serious Crimes Unit can focus only on one case. And getting Jane out of his black perch can only be healthy.

Jane and the Victim Jeremy

We get to see the victim Jeremy through the eyes of his college professor Alice Burns (Susan Gibney) and very quickly a parallel is drawn between the two, the least of which being that both their names (that people called them with anyway) start with a J. Some were obviously intentional, others not so much, but I included all for fun.

First, Alice tells Jane and Lisbon that while Jeremy worked in a pot farm, he didn’t smoke. It was simply an exciting research opportunity and a “good use for his skills”.

-This is kind of like Jane, who doesn’t always (if ever) believe in the law, but working at the CBI is a good way to apply his own talents.

We then learn that Jeremy had an argument with his boss but that he didn’t tell Alice what it was about, which she explains by saying “Jeremy could be secretive.”

-Baker is in top form here and makes interesting choices with his character which we’re able to witness due to director Guy Ferland’s generous direction. You see Jane’s eyes dart to Lisbon whom we are shown in the next shot. I guess it could be possible that Jane couldn’t help staring at Lisbon’s beautiful profile, but it’s more likely that Jane wanted to see her reaction at Alice’s words since secretive is (used to be?) such a perfect description of his own personality. But there’s nothing to see there. Lisbon doesn’t react to the statement.

When Lisbon asks if Jeremy had any enemies Alice says no adding “He was kind and generous to a fault.”

-Again, these words are perfect descriptions of Jane as well, although sadly it’s been a while since we’ve been treated to those traits; they’ve either been too fleeting or he’s been too busy chasing RJ.

Alice then explains her relationship with Jeremy to Jane saying that they were “pretend family” since his mother died a few years ago and her son lives in Texas.

-Here, the comparison goes further to encompass Jane’s relationships as well: His family is dead while Lisbon’s lives in another state. It’s been established since season three that she considers him family and the theme was also alluded to several times this season.

Rigsby the Green-Eyed Monster

Looks like we have a new love triangle on the show to replace the Grace-Craig -Rigsby one. And once again, poor Rigsby is the victim.

When Agent Tamsin Wade (Monique Gabriela Curnen) comes into the Serious Crimes to tell Cho (newest member of her Rapid Response team) that they’re up to bust a counterfeiting operation, Rigsby chimes in to tell her that they have work to do. The woman snarks “I’ll have him back in a few hours, dad” to which Rigsby responds: “If you’re the rapid response team, shouldn’t you be sliding down fire poles not hanging around here for thirty minutes?”

Snap!

Someone doesn’t like Wade very much. The question is why?

It could be her general playful demeanor, which by some might be taken as haughty. When she walks in she calls them “Ladies”. But we know that it was a joke and Cho didn’t seem upset, so why should Rigsby be?

I think that, as close as the CBI team is, Rigsby resents the fact that Tamsin insinuated herself so easily within them. Especially considering how reserved Cho usually is. Or it could be Rigsby fears she’s angling to have Cho join her team. Or maybe he’s just jealous she didn’t ask him to join the team. Whatever it is, as much as I thought I might like Wade in the previous episode, I don’t blame Rigsby for not being more open to her. Yes, she seems very cool. But she seems to be very aware of the fact too.  Then there’s something about the way she tells Cho “I squared it with your cute boss.”

I’m all for mentioning how adorable Lisbon is. Heck, Jane, too. It’s just not realistic to not have more people point out how attractive they are (although, writers are getting better at pointing this out i.e. If it Bleeds, it Leads). But something about the way Tamsin said that line didn’t sit right with me. I wasn’t sure what until a later scene helped me out…

Cho, Summer and Tamsin Wade

During the bust, Cho runs into his former confidential informant (and secret lover) Summer Edgecombe. Pregnant, and in town for her wedding, she tells Cho she had nothing to do with the operation; was just going on a ride with her friend.

As much as I liked Summer I always questioned if she and Cho were really good together. It’s hard to know what to make of her at times. Like in this episode. I honestly couldn’t tell if she was lying or not when she told Cho that she had no idea what her counterfeiting friend Chuck (James Jordan) was up to when he asked her to come along with him. I mean, seriously? Then there’s the fact that Summer seemed oblivious to Cho’s ambivalence (pain?) at seeing her pregnant and engaged.  Rigsby’s words to Cho, that he dodged a bullet when he let her get away, represent what some viewers might think. Tougher viewers might even agree with Tamsin’s decision to charge Summer, despite Cho insisting that she should let her go and that she’s innocent; not the accomplice of the counterfeiters.

I have to disagree at least with the last. Even if by that point I wasn’t sure that I completely bought Summer’s story (she’s lied before), I felt Wade was being unnecessarily hard on her. Simply put, there was no evidence against Summer. She was standing outside a garage where a crime was being committed? So what?

Wade telling Cho she heard Summer was a lot more than just his CI made my earlier reservation with her comment kick in again. Could it be that Tamsin was jealous? That she arrested Summer to flex her muscles against Cho’s former CI and see what his reaction would be?

Maybe. She’s obviously into Cho for reasons beyond needing him in her new unit. If that’s true then maybe her mentioning Cho’s boss was cute earlier was also meant as a test. She wants to see how available he is.

Cho knows Summer enough to fight for her freedom. When Wade refuses to listen to him, Cho takes matters into his own hands. He finds Chuck, the perpetrator who escaped the bust, and gets him to make a deal with, of all people, ADA Osvaldo Ardiles (David Norona).

Regular viewers will remember the charismatic Osvaldo and Cho’s last run in didn’t go too well. But it seems like the air got cleared completely since then. Chuck agrees to testify for Osvaldo in exchange for immunity and Summer’s freedom.

This doesn’t go over well with the over zealous Agent Wade. She admonishes Cho for going behind her back and when he apologizes and says it won’t happen again, she replies “You got that right”.

I wonder if her statement was referring to Cho’s role in her team (was she dis-inviting his services?), or if it was her way of throwing water on any sparks that might be between them, or both.  At her displeasure, you can’t help but wonder if Cho thinks he did the right thing; if Summer had been worth it.

Thankfully, he doesn’t wonder for long. While the former call-girl had been known to lie in the past, she wasn’t in this episode. Summer drives up in her wedding limousine with her fiance to introduce him to Cho, thank him, and say good bye.

It’s a very, very sweet scene that I think explains a lot of Summer’s character. The way she was able to quickly move on from Cho (So Long and Thanks for all the Red Snapper was only 12 episodes ago, and she’s eight months pregnant) isn’t so much due to lack of feeling as much as it is due to her innocent nature. I’m glad we got to meet her husband (to be) as it shows us what kind of man she needed: stable, patient, grounded. Cho’s own hidden well of passionate emotion (displayed in the altercation which led to their separation) shows that he’s perhaps not as well equipped to handle her. But her husband, whom Summer won’t kiss Cho on account that he gets “crazy-jealous” (hyperbole I believe/hope), seems to have been able to temper her somewhat, in a good way. Seeing her so happy, seeing Cho smile, obviously happy for her, just melted my old cynical heart.

Sigh. What an awesome episode.

But we get one last treat before it ended.

Lisbon Rebels

Lisbon, about to leave her office, is looking for her keys when Jane shows up and tells her they’re on her desk. Lisbon spots the puzzle box which the victim had made and only Jane knows how to open. The man gives her a barely contained grin, obviously looking forward to Lisbon’s inability to open the box and him sweeping in and “rescuing” her by opening the box for her. To Jane’s dismay, Lisbon takes a hammer from inside her desk and smashes the box open. Jane is shocked and disturbed. “You keep a hammer in your desk?!”

Lisbon then utters the best line of the entire episode:

“You only think you know everything about me.”

Seriously, how beautiful was that? You go, girl. And Jane’s reaction was awesome.

Best Scenes

This was so hard to decide this time around. The entire episode was crazy enjoyable, start to finish, but these were my favorites; please share yours in the comments.

The winner: Lisbon and Jane question Alice Burns

I chose this one because of its beautifully moving music, the riveting acting of guest star Susan Gibney (she almost made me cry when she stops to collect herself in one scene) and the reactions to her that Jane was allowed to have. One example is when Jane surmises that Alice is ill and asks her “What are you sick with?”

Simon Baker killed me with his tone here. Remember the Jane that used to care about things besides Red John? He still exists. His gentle, soft, CARING questioning (like in the pilot with Juniper) is what makes him a fantastic mentalist, and (in my humble opinion) an especially likable and special character. Cause otherwise, he’s just House. Who is a total jerk. And while Jane can be an even bigger jerk, it is not the only aspect of his personality.

It could be that Jane’s demeanor with Alice here is due to the fact that she didn’t make the mistake of pushing his buttons. Or that he was behaving himself in an attempt to get back on Lisbon’s good side. Or that Alice was already cooperating so he didn’t need to rile her up. Regardless of the reason, we desperately need more of ‘kind’ Jane as opposed to Jane the jerk. It is just not realistic for all the people Jane questions to be idiots or sleazes who deserve (in his opinion anyway) to be played. It really is okay if some, like Alice here, actually bring out the best side of him. More than okay. It’s gold.

Speaking of gold, I just want to add how much I appreciated the scene ending on Jane’s face as he strokes the trick box. Baker’s face is wonderfully expressive; you can just see him thinking about all the methods he’ll enjoy using trying to open it. Sensitive, inquisitive, amused…I love this Jane. I miss this Jane, dammit.

First Runner Up: Cho and Summer say goodbye…again. 

Again, this was such a sweet, hopeful, scene that I couldn’t help but love it. Summer looks absolutely adorable in her little white wedding dress. And Cho looks very happy for her. His dimple actually shows as he smiles at her and tells her goodbye and good luck. Then, as the couple is driven off, his smile falls, you can’t help but wonder if he doesn’t feels a tiny bit of regret too. The lovely music is wonderfully appropriate to the emotions: simultaneously uplifting and bittersweet.

Second Runner Up: Rigsby Gets High

First of all I loved the continuity of Rigsby being a great sport and going undercover. This scene was reminiscent of one of this shows best episodes, the classic Red Hair and Silver Tape. Once again, Jane and Lisbon sit in a hotel room watching Rigsby on camera. In the aforementioned episode, it was doubly amusing since he was obviously crushing on his acting partner of the time, Grace. In Panama Red, the laughs come from the fact that Rigsby has to smoke some weed to pull off his act. The results are hilarious. Yeoman was fantastic as were Tunney and Baker.

Honorable Mentions

Casting was really great in this one. From Nicole Bilderback and Jack Laufer to Micheal Whaley as Elwood and James Jordan as Chuck. They were all perfect for their roles and helped keep the interest level high in scenes that might have been boring with lesser talent.

I particular enjoyed the delivery of Micheal Whaley. He was impressive as the no-nonsense security guard and had good comedic timing as well.

Susan Gibney stood out the most, however. With an easy, beautiful, ironic smile that lights up her whole face and a wry delivery that made her character exceedingly likable, she was an absolute delight.

Samaire Armstrong (who really is pregnant!) was charming as well. She was very convincing as the misunderstood, free-spirited Summer finally settling down once she found the love of her life.

David Norona’s Osvaldo Ardiles continues to be a welcome presence on this show. I just hope he doesn’t disappear like that other ADA Nicki; Mozhan Marno’s character.

Tim Kang as the strong, mostly silent Cho never fails to impress. But he is equally riveting when he lets his character’s emotions show every once in a while; his smile is especially powerful. It’s like unleashing a secret weapon on viewers; you keep forgetting he has one.

As talented a director as Baker might be, he truly shines as an actor and this episode gave us so much Baker-candy in the form of his acting prowess. It has been so long since we saw him play something other than manipulative and/or obsessed (see….well, entire review for more details) and I was completely riveted to his every expression. It doesn’t hurt that he never looked better too.

Like Baker, Yeoman’s comedic talent has also been in hiding for a while now. I loved seeing it emerge so beautifully in this episode. I literally laughed out loud in the scene he got high.

Guy Ferland’s direction makes the most out of the fantastically talented (and beautiful) cast and catches their best moments. We were given many reaction shots, but deftly so without them being shoved in our faces. At times it almost felt like I was standing right next to team. Grace’s screen time was  understandably limited- the actress’s pregnancy is getting harder to hide but the shots she was in were very well done.

Blake Neely’s beautiful tunes are, as always, the perfect accompaniment to this show. It’s been a while since an episode made me tear up both in sadness (Jane questioning Alice), and happiness (Cho/Summer end scene) and the music had a lot to do with that. As we say on twitter: #gratitude

Last, but certainly not least, is writer Michael Weiss. If I knew his address I’d send him a basket of flowers. His interesting and fun script truly made my day.

Icings on the Cake

–  Rigsby eating is one of my favorite things in the world.

– Jane trying to get Lisbon to eat is another.

– I liked Cho pulling Lisbon from where blood was dripping; mostly cause I heart their friendship but also because it almost felt symbolic.

– Jane is on his couch again. My favorite canon pairing ever.

-Jane asks Matthew Gold how he can get weed. When Gold tells Jane he gets in their co-op if he has a condition they can help with, Lisbon nods at Gold, glancing at Jane, with an “Oh, yeah he does” expression on her face. The moment is priceless. Now I doubt Jane would dull his mind with weed, but the mere thought is hilarious.

-Like guest reviewer P said, I too find the recurring characters fascinating and love seeing them, or just hearing about them from time to time. I won’t even pretend the fact that this episode had so many of didn’t have me flailing.

-It was nice seeing Lisbon in action questioning Elwood. Her “cop to cop” line established common ground between them which allowed the man to share some information. But it’s not enough as as he later tells her she needs a court order “cop to cop”. Michael Whaley’s reading of the line was really great, as was Tunney’s “busted” expression afterwards.

-Rigsby helps Cho find and arrest Chuck, to help Summer, even if he never approved of their relationship. Bro-love anyone? Seriously, who doesn’t love Chigsby.

Best Lines

“I have what you coppers call ‘a lead’.” -Jane, to Lisbon.

“Hanging some buds.” -Lisbon repeating what Gold said, clearly unimpressed with marijuana farming. Tunney’s reading was awesome.

“Well, someone’s gotta do it.” – Jane, in reply to the above. Baker’s little hitch was fantastic too.

“Patrick Jane, a consultant. This isn’t my boss.” Jane, introducing himself and Lisbon.  I’m willing to bet Jane just said this to rile Lisbon up, and/or see if she takes the bait.

“I’m Teresa Lisbon and I am his boss.”-Lisbon, giving her own introduction in response to Jane. She does take his bait, but I’m glad of it. It’s nice to know she remembers her place.

“Wow.” -Rigsby’s repeated response to seeing Summer, pregnant and engaged.

“You said that.” -Cho, in response to the above.

“It’s not yours is it?” Rigsby, to Cho, about Summer’s fetus.

“Police brutality! I’m not resisting!” Chuck when Cho takes him down. Hilarious. Especially since moments before the guy beat up Cho with a heavy wooden stick when he tried to arrest him.

“It’s always something with you guys. I wasn’t looking forward to prosecuting a pregnant woman anyway.” – Osvaldo Ardiles, when he realized why Cho wants Summer freed. Love the continuity on Ardiles’s wariness when it comes to the SCU.

“Could you pass the cheese, this is getting good.”-Jane.

“Say what you will about hippies. They throw a good funeral.” -Alice, to Jane.

“Boss is it okay if I sit down?” Rigsby, on weed, to Lisbon.

“You are sitting down Rigsby.” -Lisbon, in response to the above.

“Thank you Kimball. I promise I won’t bug you anymore. I’m going to be good.” -Summer. Aw! :’-)

“You keep a hammer in your desk?!” Jane, to Lisbon. Baker’s reading of this line was priceless. As are his facial expressions. Seeing Jane look disappointing, flummoxed, maybe even a little scared (of Lisbon) was just such a treat to watch.

Image by Chizuruchib. Copyright Reviewbrain Dec. 2012. Not to be used without permission.

Awww!! XD

Pet Peeves

The botany/marijuana lingo was just a wee bit confusing as was the switch in the end. Also, I’d pegged Gold as the killer all along, though, for the life of me, I can’t tell why.

Conclusion

I’ve talked about how enjoyable this episode was ad-infinitum. Now it’s time to talk about how important it was.

Trust continues to prevail as a popular theme in this show. Tamsin Wade says she needs to know that she can trust Cho, which she can’t because he went behind her back to the DA. The thing is, while she trusted him enough to add him to her Rapid Response team, she still wouldn’t to take his word that Summer wasn’t involved.

Meanwhile, Cho trusts Rigsby enough to go with him and find Chuck, the guy that escaped the Rapid Response team’s raid, even though Rigsby isn’t involved in the case.

Summer loves her fiancee Marshall but doesn’t trust the knowledge that she was a call girl won’t ruin their relationship. It’s not unlike Jane who (still?) keeps things he feels might affect his relationship with Lisbon hidden from her. But while Summer changed her life, Jane has been actively trying to change Lisbon. While Jane needing someone to understand him has previously been noted as a possible reason for his “grooming” of Lisbon, we now have more information that might further support this theory

In this episode, at the victim’s service, when Jane tells Alice that he managed to open the victim’s puzzle box, she tells him, “He would have loved that you figured that out. He didn’t have a lot of people that could play at his level.” To which Jane replies, “Yeah, well it’s a curse some people live with.”

I’ve said it about Jane before: genius is a lonely place. But by grooming Lisbon, maybe it won’t be.

Jane also seems to want Lisbon to trust that everything will be all right in the end.

Lest people think this episode was a random stand alone, the writer had Jane say the following:

“You seem very obsessed with evaluating our status. Good, bad. We’re alive. The guy that made this (puzzle box) is dead. By comparison I think we’re doing very well.”

Whoa, mama! What a loaded sentence. Anyone else think that just maybe Jane is talking about more than just the case here? Lisbon sure thinks so, if her withering look to Jane is anything to go by.

Methinks Jane knows how much Lisbon is worrying about his RJ obsession, hence his use of the word, and is annoyed that this worry is manifesting itself in her being more strict with him.

Of course, Lisbon has other reasons for her changed demeanor. Season four saw Lisbon, overjoyed at Jane not being convicted, appreciating him, indulging him, and basically going along with whatever he did. But giving Jane all the leeway he wanted still didn’t get him to share his plans with Lisbon before he did his disappearing act. Nor did he tell her about his “relationship” with Lorelei, so it’s only realistic for her to revert to her no-nonsense boss-lady methods. If this is true, then it establishes a new theme for this season: Lisbon rebelling against Jane’s influence over her. This is symbolized by her breaking open the trick box instead of asking Jane to open it for her, as he obviously wanted her too. Like Jane’s earlier speech to Lisbon, it was a humorous moment but is also laced with some pretty serious subtext which reveals itself when Lisbon tells Jane he only thinks he knows everything about her.

I’ve always said Lisbon is more mysterious than Jane which is a particularly clever move on Heller’s part. If we are to remain suspenseful as to what will happen when RJ is ever found, we, like Jane, have to remain in the dark as to how she’ll act. How both of them will act, really. Either Jane will give in and let Lisbon arrest RJ, or Lisbon will help Jane get his revenge. Either way, having Lisbon, once again, be more than just Jane’s side-kick helps achieve that. The fact that genius Jane is still in the dark about aspects of Lisbon’s character keeps the show fresh and interesting.

Author’s Note: As always, thanks for reading. Please don’t forget to rate the review and share your own opinions in the comments. As we approach the end of another year I am overwhelmed with gratitude for this fantastic community of fans we’ve been blessed with. You are all fantastic and I love you. Be sure to come back on the 25th as Violet has a Christmas present for you all which I’ll post here. Or, simply “follow’ the blog to get an email the moment it is posted. Happy holidays!

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Mentalist So Long, and Thanks For All the Red Snapper Review

Synopsis

When surfer Jay Banner (Matt Flanagan) goes missing in Santa Marta his roommate Tark (Preston Jones) calls his congressman father to get the CBI on the case. Senior Agent Lisbon (Tunney) and CBI consultant Patrick Jane (Baker) arrive at the scene where Jane quickly discovers Jay’s body buried on the shore. The two go to talk to the victim’s boss and Lisbon is surprised to discover that the marine salvage yard where Jay worked is owned by her old flame Greg Tayback (Kenny Johnson) and his wife Greta Marshall (Claire Rankin).

Concise Verdict

Ashley Gable’s last episode on The Mentalist flaunts many of the reasons why she is so beloved and shall be sorely missed by Mentalist fans: she’s one of the few writers to consistently and expertly bring light to Lisbon’s character. Teresa’s encounter with ex-fiancé Greg makes for a lot of awkwardness; very entertaining. The episode is also perfectly cast, directed, and scored and has a hefty dose of continuity, allusions, and foreshadowing. Best of all, “So Long and Thanks for all the Red Snapper” doesn’t fall into the category of being “just another character episode”. That is, the spotlight isn’t just limited to our favorite Serious Crimes head. The other team members (and actors) get a fair share of attention as well in this wonderfully balanced and perfectly entertaining stand alone: 9.5/10

Detailed AKA Humongous Review (spoilers galore)

Proud Poppa Rigsby

It comes as no surprise that despite the nerves expressed in previous episodes (War of the Roses, Ruddy Cheeks) Rigsby is embracing his role as a father. Wayne takes a day off because his son is sick while his girlfriend has to go to court. And when Rigsby comes in the next day, he has spit-up on his suit jacket (a condition parents of babies have). But instead of being embarrassed at the stain, Rigsby wears it proudly like a badge of honor, happy to tell anyone who asks that it’s vomit.  He doesn’t bother washing it off even after his boss comments on it, telling her “You know what, he’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”

A comment that might be a bit untimely considering the case Lisbon has, but more on that later…

I especially loved Grace’s reaction when Rigsby tells her “It’s just vomit”. You can just see her thinking, “Well, wash it off.”

Speaking of Van Pelt…

Enduring Grace

Van Pelt had two very important scenes. The first was when the police chief Anson (Brett Rice) patted her shoulder, condescendingly turning down her offer to help his cops search for the victim’s boat.

-Righetti’s expression of veiled disdain was awesome here. It reminds me of Lisbon’s reaction when she suffered similar, though much more disgusting insult in episode Red Tide. I love both the allusion to one of my all time favorite episodes, as well as the indication that Grace is back to her strong self assured, in control, self; not unlike Lisbon.

Another indication is in her next scene when she overhears Cho call Summer “babe” on the phone after asking her to check up on a drug dealer the victim was in contact with. Grace asks him what’s up with the two of them. Unlike how Cho willfully told Rigsby of his relationship with Summer (Pink Champagne on Ice) Cho clams up at Grace’s question and tells her Summer is his CI. When she tells him Agents aren’t allowed to date CIs, Cho tells her “You’re giving me relationship advice?”

-Cho of course has a point, but it might have been nicer if he’d pointed out that Grace herself dated a co-worker, instead of making the broader jab at Grace’s dating history (which includes her more painful and tragic experiences too).

Grace bites down on her hurt to tell Cho, as a friend, that perhaps it’s not wise for him to be around someone like Summer. Cho doesn’t respond.

-Grace’s bravery here in the face of Cho’s hard stares is completely in character; prior to Craig, that is. Her readiness to voice her opinions was always one of my all-time favorite aspects of her personality and I’m glad to see it again.

But there is another issue at hand here. Grace considers Cho a friend while he obviously doesn’t. At least, not the way he does Rigsby. We’ve had a few moments of Van Pelt trying to engage the stoic agent in conversation about himself to which he usually shoots her down (Something’s Rotten in Redmund). It might be her advice to him here, “as a friend” is the reason why he didn’t attack her again and simply let the matter drop. I’ll be watching out for more Cho/Grace scenes in the future to see if their dynamic shifts any.

Cho and Summer’s Angst

Like Violet predicted in the previous review, Cho and Summer’s relationship ends in this episode. But not due to her clinginess; rather due to her addiction to danger which Cho called and tried to fire her (At First Blush). At the time I thought he was being unfair and just looking for an excuse to get rid of her (and his attraction to her), especially if, as I thought might have been the case, she had just been trying to impress him. But it turns out Kimball was right.

While following up on a lead for Cho, Summer steals drugs from Tookie (Keram Malicki-Sanches), an old acquaintance of hers. The drug dealer realizes what she did and instead of giving the cocaine back Summer accepts a beating. Worse, she lies about the cause of the bruises on her face to Cho; he only finds out the truth behind the incident after beating it out of Tookie. When Cho later calls Summer out on her lie, she tells him “I’ve been beaten far worse for a lot less,” Adding “I know I’ve been bad but I’ve been so bored and this was such a rush.”

-So much information in two sentences. They explain how damaged Summer is and why, for now at least, she and Cho can’t be together.

Cho is understandably enraged at Summer’s disregard for her own safety and probably also over the fact that he was barely able to contain himself from beat Tookie to a pulp, risking his career. And to make a bad situation worse, it appears Summer is no stranger to drugs (as had been hinted at when she takes Cho’s pain pill in Ruddy Cheeks) and wanted to keep the cocaine. The two have a heated altercation in when Cho grabs the bags and shouts out at her “I’m a cop, what did you expect!”

-One could ask Cho the same question. In fact, it almost seemed like Cho was talking to himself.  What did he expect ? Sadly, while Summer was only too eager to stop being a prostitute, her addiction to danger is still an issue. Both she and Cho recognize this and at the end of the episode part ways. She leaves for her sister’s in Seattle and he bids her a sad goodbye at the train station.

-This was a lovely bittersweet ending, especially when contrasted with Lisbon and Greg’s happy parting. Armstrong and Kang were wonderful in this tear-jerker moment, made even more so by Neely’s phenomenally moving tunes.

Heart-breaker Lisbon

VIS #1 The Reunion

Jane watches Lisbon and Greg’s interaction like a hawk from the moment it becomes apparent that they know each other. Then Greg introduces Lisbon to his wife Greta, and she balks, repeating “This is Teresa Lisbon? The Teresa Lisbon?”

-Jane’s face probably reflects most viewers here: it’s like a child’s at Christmas, knowing some juicy back story will be given regarding our closed-mouth agent.

Jane happily states “The one and only,” barely containing himself as Lisbon explains that she and Greg used to date. Greg qualifies that they were actually engaged to which Jane guesses that she called the relationship off and broke his heart. Lisbon and Greg both awkwardly dodge the issue but his wife reveals that Jane’s assumption is correct “Yeah, you did. Because Greg was still talking about you when we met.” Jane is absolutely tickled at this information, he has a good laugh before calling Lisobn “Heartbreaker” .

-Jane delight here seems to stem partly from how surprised he is at learning something unexpected about Lisbon (i.e. his smile when Lisbon hinted she wasn’t a goody two shoes like he thinks in Something’s Rotten in Redmund).

If Lisbon and Greg were seeing each since they were kids, then Jane was wrong in his guess that Lisbon never got to dance with the boy she worshipped from afar in high school (Rose Colored Glasses). In this scene Lisbon states that she was way too young (to get married). In a later scene Lisbon later tells Greg that ever since she was seventeen she could tell when he was lying to her. So it seems that they were high-school sweethearts.

Unless, it’s also possible that Lisbon and Greg were friends first, before they dated. I can imagine that scenario as well. I don’t think Lisbon would have left Greg if she loved him as much as he loved her. It might have been a friendship turned romance from his side.

VIS #2 Lisbon “seriously!” doesn’t discuss Greg with Jane

Jane tells Lisbon that “Greg seems very nice.” To which Lisbon says “I am not discussing it with you.”

Jane continues, undeterred “Nice, solid, dependable, I can see why you dumped him.”

-For some reason my thoughts went immediately to episode “A Dozen Red Roses” where Jane asked rhetorically “Why do girls like bad boys so much?” I wonder if this is true for Lisbon as well since the subtext here is that Jane thinks she’s not into good guys like Greg is.

Lisbon replies “I mean it, Jane!” she is “seriously” not discussing this. But at his “suit yourself” feels compelled to self consciously explain “I did not dump him we both decided to take a break.”

-Can I just say that Tunney was so adorable in this scene that it hurt. Utterly gorgeous and cute and….yagkkgiej!!!

Ahem. Moving on…

Jane then replies “The old let’s take a break,” showing that he has no question whatsoever in his mind on how the relationship ended. Lisbon then repeats “I did not dump him!”

VIS #3 Lisbon Interrogates Greg

When Lisbon and Jane find Greg on the victim’s boat with cleaning supplies (to wipe off prints), she launches into cop mode and interrogates him.

-Lisbon was quite tough in this scene. It’s quite impressive to see her not letting her past relationship with Greg get in the way of her job. But then (besides in Ring Around the Rosie), does it ever?

Instead of answering Lisbon’s questions, Greg tells her, “It took me a long time to get over you, Teresa. A long time. But I finally did.”

-At first, I thought he was trying to derail Lisbon by getting personal. Lisbon probably thought the same as she ignores his statement. But in hindsight, I think Greg was partly musing to himself on how unaffected he is by Lisbon here. Or perhaps, on a some level, he was hinting to Lisbon about what was really going on. That he was sticking up for the woman he now loves.

Greg finally tells Lisbon that people who look guilty can have an innocent explanation for their actions. However, he refuses to tell Lisbon what his is, saying that she won’t believe him, even after she says that she can help him.

-I think it’s only natural that Lisbon’s good cop routine didn’t work after she’d already played bad cop. But I found Greg’s refusal to confide in Lisbon very telling, especially considering their history. He knew her enough to know that she wouldn’t believe him. And he wasn’t wrong either, as becomes apparent in the next scene.

VIS#4 Lisbon talks to Greta

When Rigsby tells Lisbon that salvage equipment was found on the victim’s boat, she goes to Greta to check if any of it was from their company. Since none of Greg’s equipment was missing, Lisbon concludes that Greg isn’t Jay’s treasure-hunting partner; their possible suspect. But then she figures out that Greg was keeping silent to protect his wife, who was having an affair with the victim. Greta tells her that she and her husband had a rough patch and that “Jay was just fun. He has no responsibilities just fun.”

-Yeah, I don’t think Lisbon can relate to that. Poor woman’s had to be responsible her whole life. First mothering her brothers, and now mothering Jane.

Greta goes on to say: “I wanted to imagine a different life. Just for a while. I mean haven’t you ever wanted to do that?”

-Lisbon can probably sympathize with that line. Especially considering the wistful expression she got on her life after Rigsby left her office, radiating happiness at his newborn. It was nice seeing these two women, who live completely different lives, wanting something they can’t have. But it was so subtle, not in your face cliché grass is always greener. Good writing, good acting.

Lisbon she tells Greta that her affair gives Greg motive to kill Jay. Greta tells her: “You know him. You really think he could kill someone?”

-Greta’s question reminded me of another time Lisbon was quick to believe the worst of people she knows (Walter Mashburn in Red Hot). Given her trust issues one can hardly blame her. On the other hand, it’s perhaps unfair to attribute her behavior to personal reasons. After all, part of her job to examine all suspects. Or could it be that, as a female cop she feels she needs to push harder?

Hmm…

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Lisbon is by far the most mysterious character on this show. Personally, I think she is uncharacteristically driven by passion when a case involves people she knows and/or cares about (see Where in the World is Carmine O’Brien). Perhaps it’s this (damaged) intensity that Jane was talking about when he said that Greg wasn’t right for her; that not everyone can handle that. But more on that later.

VIS #5 Lisbon and Greg Catch Up

Lisbon tells Greg that he won’t be charged with breaking into the boat. He thanks her ironically then admits that he incriminated himself to keep the cops from suspecting his wife in Jay’s death. Lisbon tells him, sincerely: “You’re a good man. She’s lucky to have you.” Jay responds “You’re strong now, you know that, you didn’t used to be so strong.”

-Jay’s statement here makes me think that perhaps he was there for Lisbon when all the agony in her teen years was going down (dad’s alcoholism, his suicide).

He then adds that he bets Lisbon is good at her job. Lisbon replies modestly, “Yeah, yeah, I’m okay, I think.”

-Once again, Lisbon is blushing like a schoolgirl at a compliment related to her job. The woman loves what she does. And just to prove it…

Jay adds “You seem happy.” Lisbon tells him she is. Greg tells her he’s glad they met again. Lisbon then tells him: “I’m sorry for running off the way I did.”

-Wow. Lisbon didn’t just dump Greg, she totally took off without telling him! No wonder she wouldn’t tell Jane anything, poor woman was ashamed. Can you imagine what he’d do with that information?

Seriously though, how bad was Lisbon’s situation back then for her to just decide to run away from it all? Greg seems to know as he responds “Hey, no biggie.”

Lisbon gratefully kisses him on the cheek and leaves.

-SWEET! This was such a sweet scene. Kenny Johnson and Tunney had wonderful chemistry. They conveyed a deep regard and affection and I really enjoyed them together.

VIS #6  Jane and Lisbon Catch Up

After Jane returns Arkhan’s coin, he tells Lisbon not t be wistful, that Greg was never the right man for her. Lisbon denies any wistfulness, but agrees with Jane’s latter statement.

 -I’m not sure how seriously we can take Lisbon agreeing with Jane that Greg wasn’t the right man for her. She might have just done so to close the subject; she’s been known to let him draw his own conclusions on topics she’d rather not talk about. Not to mention she’s got all kinds of emotional baggage and trust issues which will make it hard for her to be in any relationship. It’s probably why she’d rather focus on her professional rather than her personal life.

Hmm. What if Jane knows this, and his comment was just his way of trying to make Lisbon feel better?  On the other hand, there’s a whole lot of shipper-teasing going on…

Jane adds that Lisbon is “Far too intense and particular for a man like that.” At Lisbon’s dismay, Jane says they are “good things”. When Lisbon demands proof, Jane asks “Whatever happened with that guy from narcotics.” Lisbon tells him “Jeff” bit his nails, which Jane says is particular of her. Lisbon then defends that “it’s a disgusting habit!” and get a “there’s intense” from Jane.

-First of all *gasp* Lisbon goes on dates! Though obviously not much, since Jane only came up with one example.

As to the teasing I mentioned, is it coincidence that Lisbon’s ex happens to be sun-baked golden and blonde like her consultant? Or that Jane’s statements flaunting how well he knows Lisbon are just begging for a snarky reply of “What, are you saying *you* are my type?”

Sigh. This is like the time the idea popped in my head (Pink Champagne on Ice) that these two have been secretly dating off-camera. Madness, really, but it’s not my fault writers insist on making J/L’s obviously platonic friendship exude such sentimental undertones.  Or are they? I can’t even tell anymore…

Best Scenes

Honestly, this whole episode was so awesome it was impossible for me to decide. Readers, please help me out and share your favorites in the comments.

Honorable Mentions

Kenny Johnson was really wonderfully cast. He and Tunney were fabulous together.

I enjoyed Keram Malicki-Sanchez’s scenes very much. Great acting.

Tim Kang and Samaire Armstrong were once again fantastic together. His quiet restraint was a great foil to her dramatic character; makes the impact when she gets Cho to lose it even greater.

Ashley Gable creates wonderfully individual and memorable characters. She also weaves an exquisite yarn giving consistent clues, like Greta mentioning the storm ( and repeated subtle allusions to it) to the landlord opening the window in the victim’s apartment. Finally, how can anyone go wrong with a treasure hunt?

Blake Neely. No surprise here.

Best Quotes

Note: these set my foreshadowing radar off.

“Why do people quit. They just quit.” Greta.

“Use them and toss em.”-Greg, on how Jay used women.

“I’m a peaceful man. I can’t explain it. I don’t know what came over me.”-perp, on killing Jay.

And these were just awesome…

“Oh, look at the little Crabbie!” Jane +nature= love. But just to be accurate, that’s not “little” Jane!

“Ah, dude, that’s seriously uncool.”-Lance Gladstone Brendan McCarthey’s reading of this line was so awesome.

“Wow. Breeder.” –Jane to Greg on having three kids. I love how spontaneous the comment was and how awkward everyone looked afterwards. Then there’s the awesome subtext. Lisbon, by dumping Greg either deprived herself from motherhood, or dodged a bullet…

Image by Chizuru-chibi. Copyright Reviewbrain May, 2012. Not to be used without permission.

Awesome…

Quotes, continued..

“There’s no tyranny like petty tyranny.”-Jane to Chief Anson (Burt Rice).

“Look sometimes stuff looks bad and there’s an innocent explanation.” Greg to Lisbon.

“I’ve been beaten far worse for a lot less.”-Summer to Cho.

I know I’ve been bad. But I’ve been so bored and this was such a rush.” Summer.

“I’m a cop. How’d you think this was gonna go?” Cho, to Summer.

“Oh my God.” Lisbon looking heavenward after Jane derails her questions and insists she get in the tow truck.

“I’m never too busy to solve a murder.” –Lisbon. Tell us something we don’t know…

“You were very busy with Greg.”- Jane on why he didn’t tell Lisbon his plan.

Speaking of which, has anyone else noticed a pattern that whenever Lisbon has personal stuff going on now, Jane always takes off?

I wonder why that is…

Pet Peeve

-The treasure! I’m dying to find out, is what will happen to the treasure now? After it’s released from evidence, that is.

-As heartbreaking and lovely as the end scene was, I think the conclusion was a bit too sudden. I mean, we don’t get an explanation as to why Summer is going to her sister’s in Seattle. It felt very awkward. Why not just end the relationship with the powerful scene between Cho and Summer, at an impasse? It would have kept viewers in suspense for the duration of the summer and given writers the opportunity to revisit the relationship should they choose to do so. And if not, I think most viewers would have been able to draw the conclusion that the relationship ended.

On the other hand, we wouldn’t have had the gorgeously bittersweet goodbye scene. Guess that answers that question…

Conclusions

A major theme in this episode was that of what could have been and goodbyes (Pink Champagne on Ice, War of the Roses). I would have assumed that the episode was a reflection of Ashley Gable’s own decision to leave the show if it wasn’t for the fact that dreams, what could have been, goodbye’s and new beginnings have been established subjects of this season, as far back as the Season three finale. But while Jane is the obvious target of these topics, Lisbon is as well. Her friendship with Jane has reached epic levels and she’s continued to stand by him one idiocy after another. Thankfully (for her character’s sake), she was kept in the dark for the duration of most of his schemes and only found out about the rest when it was too late to prevent them. The writers were very clever about this but I wonder how long they can keep it up.

As Jane, it seems like he’s taken Red John’s advice (via Timothy Carter) to forget about revenge and move on with his life. We’ve gotten plenty of clues. He bade a symbolic goodbye to his wife and child by placing a flower in the ocean (Blood and Sand). Even when he lost his identity in Fugue in Red, Jane wanted to start a new life. In War of the Roses Jane talks to Erica about not being able to have whatever he wants, but he is able to kiss her twice, showing that he is not as physically dead as he seemed before.

But the most obvious clue was Jane’s steadfast refusal to let anyone know that RJ was still alive. This, to me, was proof that Jane was willing to let sleeping dogs lie. Why else would he go through so much trouble to pin Panzer’s murder on someone else? And if that’s not enough, there’s also the fact that, apparently, Jane has no idea all the RJ evidence is missing from CBI, and has been since episode “Red is the New Black”. This was ten episodes ago, and in terms of the show’s time, Sarah’s pregnancy was only revealed the prior episode. So we’ve got RJ evidence, not in the CBI for months but not a peep out of Jane. And this was way before Darcy reveals that she suspects him in episode Cheap Burgundy so no, we don’t even have that as a justification either. So Jane, for months now, hasn’t been using RJ files/evidence to investigate RJ. Which, considering that RJ killed Panzer, he would do if he were interested in catching him. It seems that Jane has accepted RJ’s trail running cold.

Speaking of Darcy, until now Jane has been confident that Darcy will be unable to prove anything regarding his involvement with RJ. We’re sure to find out in the next two episodes. Looks like my blood pressure will spike once again.

Whatever. I lived through the season three finale, I can live through this season’s final eps. Bring it on, Heller!

Now, can anyone steer me to a physician who readily prescribes Valium?

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Mentalist Ruby Slippers Review

Guest reviewed once again by Violet the life-saver. Don’t forget to vote to tell her how wonderful she is 🙂

Synopsis

CBI Agents Lisbon (Tunney), Cho (Kang) and consultant Patrick Jane (Baker) investigate the death of a man handcuffed into a car and burnt to death in a dark alley. Jane immediately links the crime to the nearby cabaret where drag queens run a show. Meanwhile, the victim’s identity is confirmed as a very young man who happened to be gay and used to be bullied in parallel by his abusive father, a homophobic coworker and a sadistic lover.

Concise Verdict

Writer Daniel Cerone keeps throwing our way excellent storylines. ‘Ruby Slippers’ offered some enjoyable funny moments, enlivening a very intense and emotional story, written with great sensibility. All in all, a highly recommendable episode.  9.5

Detailed AKA Humungous Review (spoilers galore)

‘Ruby Slippers’ shows someone who couldn’t help but stay locked in a victim status, yet manages to get help and to become someone else, someone happier and more self-assuming. There were again plenty of nice references to previous eps: Jane is seemingly thrown off his game, just like he was after the failed attempt at robbing LaRoche near the end of S3 (‘Redacted’). That discreetly underlines that the show is approaching the end of another season. Moreover, for the third time in a row, we get an episode based on spectacle; after the low run casino where we get a glimpse on Jane’s youth, the theatre enlightening his potential for tragedy, here we have a drag queen show with a very emotional aspect. Three different stages for a growing distancing with Jane’s problems that becomes almost cathartic.

Dorothy’s ‘Ruby Slippers’

VIS #1 Jane and Van Pelt visit Archie’s father

Lisbon sends Jane and Grace inform the victim’s father of his death. Archie’s father is sad, but insists that his son was nothing like him and used to be a victim. Jane senses that something is off and begins poking at the man about him not being close to his son because the boy was gay. The man then asks if they are going to write “on their files” that Archie was gay.

-I really liked Grace’s reaction to the father’s question. She simply answered that they didn’t keep tabs on people. That calm demeanour shows once again that she has mostly recovered from her trip into anger and darkness: she’s not anymore the vindictive woman who knocked over a social worker’s coffee cup because she was irritated (‘Blood and Sand’). She can stay calm in front of a man’s latent homophobia even though she’s displeased. Moreover, there’s been some time since we got to see her investigate with the consultant. She was sitting with him on his couch in last episode, but here they are on the field, where Jane has been mostly alone or with Lisbon until recently. That detail alone hints that there is more collaboration with the team.

Both Jane and Grace soon leave the father to see the boy’s room. Jane immediately points out that it’s not a normal teenager room, since the decor was obviously done by the father; the room is not personalized, not even with posters. Van Pelt comments that hers was full of them, a personal comment that also indicates that things are alright with her. Nevertheless this room serves a greater purpose than just enlightening Grace’s teen years: the lack of homey feeling is the first glimpse we have in Archie’s life, and its sobriety bordering on austerity contrasts with the glimmer of the dressing room at the cabaret. In fact, later on, the other room (or rather bed) at the shelter where the boy slept after leaving home conveys the same painful lack of comfort and privacy.

That scene indeed presents and explicates Archie’s emotional situation before dying, the same he encountered in the other aspects of his life, at work and in his love life. He had no room for his real personality, and used to be mistreated because of his weakness and/or his sexual orientation.

VIS # 2: Jane returns to the cabaret

During the investigation, Jane learns that Glenda has seen the murderer but refuses to tell anything. He then comes back to the cabaret to convince her and gets to know better the rest of the drag queens troupe. That scene is a key moment, first, investigation wise, because Glenda finally accepts to try and identify the killer because she can relate to Archie. Indeed, she had admitted before to Jane that she’s also been a target, balancing her life as a drag and a day job as Glen, a “normal” man who became cosmetologist. We also learn more about the female impersonators and Glenda’s role among them: she’s the drag mom, that’s to say a protector and a confident for each of them, as she has taught them how to dress but above all how to accept who they are. That acceptation is made even deeper since she suffered herself because of intolerance.

Jane seems very at ease with his new friends, in a way that reminds the immediate complicity he had with the nurses at the hospital in ‘Bloodstream’. He’s so comfortable in fact that he mentions in passing that he would also like to learn how to accept who he is. And for a showman as Jane, being able to confess his insecurities is something huge and this line illustrates a change of mind in our usually iron-willed consultant.

VIS # 3: Jane’s First Revelation

The truth is progressively exposed: first Glenda is unable to choose one suspect from the pick up line. When pressed by Jane, she tells that the man was slender, eliminating all three men from the suspect list. Jane really stages every step of this scene and ends up accusing the three suspects of being responsible for Archie’s despair and suicide, from the thief of a co-worker who kept bullying him, the abusive lover who hurt and threatened him, to the father who rejected him.

-That theory is credible because it explains the lack of useful information from Jane during the investigation. If he had a hunch but no proof to assert such an audacious hypothesis, he would have indeed remained silent about it in case that he were wrong. That fits his character. Moreover, this kind of downer ending is what we’re been used to in the darker episodes of the show: usually, we get a somewhat bittersweet ending in most murder cases. Besides, that also fits the criteria of classic detective stories. Desperate characters killing themselves in a way that incriminates an enemy appear in many stories, including in Sherlock Holmes’, the literary model for Jane (‘The Problem of Thor Bridge’).

VIS #4: Jane’s Second Revelation

After the case has been officially closed, Lisbon, frustrated that she can’t arrest the suspects for Archie’s murder makes do with charging them for their other crimes. Lisbon then meets Jane in the kitchen and the intimate setting makes her speak her heart. She’s saddened by Archie’s suicide. Jane then takes her to the cabaret. He has a surprise for her: Archie is alive and has become a drag queen under the name of Fifi. He’s faked his suicide and his friends helped him with his elaborate plan. Lisbon accepts to keep the secret and both investigators end up watching Fifi on stage.

-The final scene full of optimism contrasts deeply with the heart-breaking ending of the previous episode. Back then, Jane was depressed by the birth of Rigsby’s son, while now he’s pleased by Fifi’s revival. The conflict is still here, but there is healing. Besides, those two characters coming to life in two episodes in a row hint at a possible new turn of things in the show, hopefully for the better.

Furthermore, Archie’s revival is developed by the many elements that refer in a significant way to Victor Fleming’s movie ‘The Wizard of Oz’ (1939).

1) The characters:

-the most anecdotic of them is the puppy that Summer choose for Cho. In a way, it impersonates Dorothy’s little dog Toto. Not an important hint, but a cute one!

– Glenda is obviously Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, the godmother-like character who helps Dorothy in her quest. Here, she gives Archie counselling about his new image, she helps him to accept himself and to act accordingly.

– Archie/Fifi explicitly refers to Dorothy at the very end, when she sings the song ‘Over the Rainbow’ with glistering red stilettos (the red slippers) and the same hairstyle as Judy Garland in the movie.

2) The storyline is cleverly transposed:

– there is an enemy to kill; back then it was the Wicked Witch of the West, whereas for Archie, the enemy is that disliked weak image of himself that attracts hate from others. Hence the fake suicide: he symbolically killed this part of him using fire, like Dorothy used water.

-The movie storyline was built as a path towards home, since “there is no place like home”. Archie had no real home to return to: his ordeal takes him to a new kind of family, and above all to tolerance, freedom and peace of mind.

-The ruby slippers are first present under the form of the broken high heel of a red shoe, glistering like the precious stone. It’s the symbol used for drags in the episode (Fifi wears another pair of them on stage and we get a glimpse of Glenda’s black stilettos before following her legs and skirt clad figure when she comes to see Lisbon in the bullpen). In the movie they were the means used to be get away from the land of Oz. Dorothy had to tap her heels together three times. Here, as a wink, it seems that the heel was found after our travestied Dorothy has symbolically tapped her shoes and the heel has broken. Indeed, she’s already returned home when the episode begins: she found a way to both hide herself and get a new life. Like her fictional model, Fifi has understood that she doesn’t need to run away from herself anymore.

Moreover, those slippers were also the first clue for the CBI team to found the guy that the bully at work kept referring to as a “princess”. There’s also a bit of a Cinderella reference, Given that the episode reunites a lost shoe (or part of it at least) and a situation where a good godmother helps her protégé to achieve happiness. The difference is that happiness here doesn’t mean for Archie only finding a love interest, but more learning to love who he is. And in this fairy tale, the main character has worked and earned his success, he’s taken an active part in his achievement.

Jane’s path on the yellow brick road

There is a parallel between Archie’s story and Jane’s. Like him, Jane needs to confront three adversaries. First, the father: Archie’s dad used violence and certainly psychological abuse on him, he restrained him to force him to become someone he wasn’t, someone like him. Jane’s father did the same thing, he forced his son to manipulate, lie and cheat. Hence Jane’s hate for whom he’s become. Second point, unease at work: Jane’s past career is also a problem, since he feels guilty for what he’s done to people who believed him. Last, Archie knew an abusive relationship with someone he loved. For Jane, Red John represents the failure of his private life, he stole what could have been the most positive thing for him. He’s ridden with guilt and regret. For Archie, these three threats are related to aggression from someone else, that’s what makes him a victim, while for Jane they are more different sides of his own conscience. Still, Archie’s rebirth, strategically aired after an episode where the consultant was surrounded by tragedy, is full of hope for Jane too.

The similarities go even further. In season 2, when the Red John case was given to Bosco, Minelli called out Jane’s lack of realism by telling him « you’re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy». And another analogy with “The Wizard of Oz” is developed, starring Jane as a new Dorothy on his path towards revenge, Red John as the Wicked Witch he needed to kill before getting peace, and Glinda/Lisbon as a tutelary figure who protected and helped him out. It’s interesting to note that ‘Ruby Slippers’ showed a kind of complicity between Glenda and Lisbon. They talk together with ease and Lisbon is even dragged on stage by Glenda the drag queen.

The episode resumes a dynamic that we haven’t seen in some time but that was characteristic for past seasons: Jane investigates alone, manages to hide the truth until the end. The team gets to do the leg work, while Lisbon is relegated to her boss function, she deals with angry attorneys, demands results and chastises Jane for his lack of efficiency.

Nevertheless, the analogy now is in fact more nuanced than it was in season 2. There has been a shift in Jane’s goal meanwhile, so the conflict is more interiorized.

– He helps his Glinda in this ep, he shows her what really happened backstage. Somehow he’s become a kind of tutelary figure for her too, meaning that he’s grown up.

– He’s closer to accept who he is. There’s been an insistence in showing since S2 that he has the capacity to heal. When we compare with the shameful and self-deprecating image he probably has of himself, we can notice that he’s proven he has the same three qualities looked-for in the movie. He is a coward, who flies away from danger, yet he confronted it more than once. The brain he used to manipulate as a psychic is now a tool to serve justice. His cold heart that needed « someone better than (him) » has been proven capable of empathy. All that contrasts with Paddy from ‘Fugue in Red’, who is certainly close to the representation he has of himself (except maybe for the womanizing part): manipulative, selfish and ready to play with emotions, afraid to face the truth of his own life.

– Unlike in season 2, the coming back home part is more related to the craving for a new life than to Red John’s death. Like Fifi, he wants to live, not to die. Therefore, between he lines, this episode synthesizes that longing to live again that has been fermenting this whole season. Things are crystallized before the finale.

As a conclusion, the comparison with the old movie shows at the same time that Jane’s character has evolved and how a door has been opened. There is a possibility for him to come to reconciliation with himself and to repair the deep insecurity he still feels.

Cho and Summer

Yet, hope isn’t everywhere and Cho’s love life isn’t as sunny as it could be. Is his summertime coming to an end? Either way, the usually impassive Cho begins to have problems with his bubbly girlfriend.

Troubles begin when Summer calls him to ask his advice on a cute but irrelevant question since he’s out investigating. She wants to give him a puppy that reminds her of him. This reason for disturbing him is absolutely endearing but the woman seems not to take his job very seriously, while he does. That was already hinted with the alarm clock incident in ‘Ruddy Cheeks’, when she turned it off and he got to work late. She’s thoughtful and eager to please him, but she risks also appearing a bit clingy and immature.

Later on she barges in the bullpen to bring him lunch and collect her pay check as an informant, even though he explicitly asked her to wait until the evening. He’s not very pleased by her display of affection but his mild irritation goes further when his informant/secret girlfriend casually greets his boss, with who she’s on first name basis (the girl seems very familiar with the team indeed…). He’s afraid to be discovered and takes her into an interrogation room to have a little privacy and discuss the problem at hand: they need to be discreet or she needs to quit being his informant. That only highlights how ambiguous and uncomfortable Cho’s status is in this situation. He doesn’t want Lisbon to find out, because his career or Summer’s job are somewhat at stake, but above all because he is certainly afraid to lose her respect. He’s proven so with the painkillers incident. After all, he already told Rigsby that he was seeing the former hooker, so the problem really seems related to Lisbon. Except for Jane, she’s always the person people want to hide from. She has been given this role too at first during the romance between Wayne and Grace, only for slightly different reasons. Still, both couples wanted to stay under Lisbon’s radar not to lose the chance to keep working together.

There seems to be a problem of communication in our contrasted couple. Cho needs a bit of distance and tries to be professional and thus, keeps their relationship a secret. On the other hand, Summer doesn’t respect enough his boundaries, maybe because she’s feeling insecure, since she asked him in this episode if he was ashamed of her and she has already admitted before that it unsettled her not to know what he thinks. It’s becoming obvious that they will soon need to find a solution about the mixing of their professional and personal status.

Best Scenes

The winner: the ending. That soft and delicate singing was one of the most uplifting moments of the show. Lisbon’s emotion and the gentle teasing about it were an added bonus.

1st Runner up: Jane and Lisbon in the kitchen- going backstage at the cabaret. That scene showed how the friendship between those two has progressed. First, Jane genuinely tried to keep her out of his scheme, so we can guess he decided to tell her when she admitted to being upset with Archie’s fate. He didn’t refuse her a choice in the matter like he used to do, he didn’t hide the truth to manipulate her or to test her reactions like he did in S3 ‘Blood for Blood’. And the big difference in Jane’s motive opens the possibility of redemption and a new hope. The trust between them was also quite touching: she was not afraid to tell him her inner turmoil, he trusted her to keep his secret and probably did it out of affection for her.

2nd Runner up: Lisbon and Glenda in the bullpen. The interaction between those two were very natural and non judgmental. That was very refreshing and nice.

Best Lines

– “In this dress, darling?” Glennda, clad in a form-fitting sparkly blue gown, to Lisbon asking her why she didn’t pick up her broken heel. Female bonding all the way…

– “Whenever I get dressed, I try to conceal where I’m going, who I’m going to see and who I’m going to blow on my way.” Glenda responding to Lisbon about her drag day outfit. Seductive? Yes. Witty? Definitely.

– « Ouh ! Don’t let them know that you said that » Jane to Lisbon after she states that that nothing stood out with the drag queens… when she searched their background.

– “He’s just like you Kimball. He’s so fierce on the outside and a softie on the inside. And he’s got this squished up face” Summer to Cho. About the puppy. Yes, that’s the lamest attempt ever at convincing a hardcore cop to adopt a dog.

– “Oh my. He stops my heart every time.” Glennda when Jane pops up at the rehearsal. Ooooh, seems like someone has a soft spot for Patrick…

– “Fifi Nex… Phoenix. Risen from the ashes.” Jane to Lisbon, when he explains her that Archie has become Fifi. Pay attention, people, clues may be everywhere!

– “Is that a tear I see?” Jane to a moved Lisbon while listening to Fifi’s song. The man can’t help but tease her at any time…

– “Yeah, keep watching” Lisbon to the above. Always so human and self conscious; that’s one of her most winning traits.

Honorable Mentions

– Daniel Cerone managed to give us a hopeful episode and that alone is quite rare in the show. And the fact that the storyline was also very well built was the cherry on top.

– Carlon Wilborn did a great job in impersonating Glenda as an eccentric, charming and rather admirable character. I’d also like to point out that writer, stylists and actors managed to give a real personality to each one of the drags, from the chubby and endearing dentist to the gorgeous slender brunette in that stunning green dress. That’s rather impressive, given that we get to see them a few seconds at best.

– They also managed to personalize the team’s reactions to Glenda’s appearance. Rigsby is very amusing in his awkward but polite way; he clearly doesn’t really know how to deal with her: he calls her a “nice guy” but acts gentlemanly as if she was a woman (in front of the men bathroom of all places!). Jane is very at ease and Grace simply accepts the situation in her open-minded way, while Saint Teresa shows empathy.

Pet Peeves

– As much as I enjoyed this episode, I can’t help but think the representation of the gay community is maybe a bit reductive. The characters were either targets or drag queens when they assumed their sexual orientation. That lack of perspective is explained by the fact that the episode dealt with one specific destiny. Still, the general effect would have been better balanced if they introduced another gay character from outside that glittering world. A witness or an investigator; someone who would have showed a different take on things; who had maybe a supporting family or friends (other than just two saddened female acquaintances) or who had at least encountered more than violence or a rather awkward tolerance.

Image by Chizuru-chibi. Copyright Reviewbrain May, 2012. Not to be used without permission.

 

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Mentalist At First Blush Review

Synopsis

Leaving the courthouse after testifying on a case Agent Teresa Lisbon (Tunney) and her consultant Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) see Eve Mulberry (Bonnie Somerville) before she walks inside for her own trial’s closing arguments. Lisbon tells Jane that Eve, a renowned winemaker, is being prosecuted for killing her dance teacher. Afterward observing Eve in court, Jane tells Assistant District Attorney Osvaldo Ardiles (David Norona) that she is innocent. Ardiles is unimpressed with Jane’s clues, Eve’s body language and responses, and points out the case has already been tried. Jane decides to investigate and prove Eve’s innocence before the jury comes back with what will most likely be a guilty verdict.

Concise verdict

Sigh.

I should probably explain that this is a happy, extremely satisfied sigh. Like one let out after eating a particularly delicious meal. At First Blush was a well written, well executed episode. It had a unique new premise with lovely scenery shown generously by director Roxann Dawson. The casting was impeccable and the episode also brought back a couple of enjoyable guest stars. With continuity and an attention to detail, I was riveted from beginning till end. I even momentarily forgot the events of the episode prior. Forget dessert I’ll take seconds please. 10/10.

Detailed AKA Humungous Review (spoilers galore)

Sighhhhhhhhhhh.

Sorry. Had to let another one out. I think I’m done now. But be forewarned, I’m high on happiness now. Which means I’ll be prone to giving a lots of virtual hugs. Seriously, though, how much did I love this episode? Let me count the ways. This could take a while…

First, I just want to point out that as the episode’s main strength was its format and excellent  characterization for both the main and recurring players. So I’ll be focusing on those for this review.

Format

-The plot set up was very clever; having Jane and Lisbon catch sight of Eve at the courthouse after which Jane bets Ardiles that Eve is innocent. Having the episode end at the same place, again with Jane watching Eve then Ardiles giving him his nickel for winning the bet also gave the episode a nice bookend ending.

-Having the judge at the end refuse to let Jane into her chambers allowed Lisbon to explain how Jane found out that Amy was the killer, vindicating her trust in him. It simultaneously gave her and Ardiles a chance to clear the air between them after he dropped a bomb on her in her office earlier in the episode. On the plus side, it also established continuity on Jane’s courtroom antics as set forth in episode “Blood Money” and mentioned in the beginning of this episode.

-Instead of having an A plot and a B plot, we have Cho’s subplot woven masterfully within. But it was also kept separate enough from the case (Cho and Rigsby run down a lead) in a way that allowed Cho to be a main protagonist in the episode (despite the case being Jane’s) as he dealt with his own issues.

Characterization

Wayne Rigsby (Owain Yeoman)

Yeoman’s character was wonderfully utilized in this episode, for (*gasp*) something other than comic relief. Rigsby runs interference for all his colleagues here. First he settles an argument between Jane and Lisbon by bringing them a lead. He also advises Cho to let up his pain pills. Then he apologizes to a cop Grace angers. Then he points out to Cho that they should use Summer’s help to get suspect Murphy to talk. And when Cho wants to impatiently put a stop to the operation Rigsby tells him to let it play out, allowing Summer to get more information (leverage for them) from the perp.

But what was ironically satisfying is that after being delegated the task of being the only canon lovesick agent for most of this show, Rigsby’s character is now surrounded by people with all kinds of emotional undercurrents. Thankfully, Director Dawson doesn’t waste the opportunity presented here and utilized Yeoman’s great reaction shots.

Note: It’s the details, people!! Not only do we care about the people saying the lines, we also care about how the other characters feel about them. It keeps things interesting by giving us tacit information on their personalities. Jesse Spencer spent most of his career over at House making such reactions; sometimes stealing a scene even when he didn’t have any lines.

Similarly here Yeoman also makes the most of his screen time treating us to some pretty funny and very telling facial expressions. In his scene with Jane and Lisbon, he was the innocent messenger witnessing a fight between his boss and “the missus” (i.e. Jane) where he proves Jane right. The look he gives Jane after an irate Lisbon leaves can have so many meanings, from a rueful “Women” to “Please go put out that fire” to, “Dude, you’re in the doghouse”.  I loved it.

Then there was him watching Cho and Summer together. When Cho tells Summer “I’ll wire you up” you can see practically see Yeoman biting tongue to keep himself from saying anything.  Awesome.

Summer (Samaire Armstrong)

Samaire Armstrong has really grown on me. I found her character (and her portrayal) a bit too dramatic at first. Now that Summer is no longer a working girl, not only has her style become less loud but so has the way she carries herself. It seems more quietly confident as opposed to the overdone sexy vibe she had been sporting. I’m now thinking it had been intentional to show how her career change has affected her. I really like how much she obviously enjoys and takes pride in her job. And if it’s not obvious in how zealously she carries out her surveillance tasks or boasts about being good, it was in how gutted she looked when Cho told her he wouldn’t be using her anymore, and how much she fought Cho to get her job back. Incidentally, she was fighting for more than just her job, she was also fighting for Cho.

I’m not sure if Cho’s assumption that Summer “gets off on danger” is accurate, I actually think that was a bit harsh. But it’s clear that one of the reasons Summer loves her job is the proximity it gives her to Cho, whom she’d flat out said she likes in Pink Tops. Being his confidential informant she gets to hang out with him and impress him, and yes, forget her sad life. There’s nothing wrong with that; it’s why Jane continued on at CBI even after the RJ case was taken away from him in Redemption: “I have nothing else to do.”

As to Armstrong’s performance when she went off on Cho, all I can say is wow. That slap had me literally picking my jaw off the floor. But just as affective was Summer’s palpable relief when she realized that Cho actually admitted that he did in fact, like her. It was as if she couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing, like it was too good to be true. Good stuff. Her utter happiness was shown in the fierceness of her kiss to Cho.

Kimball Cho (Tim Kang)

Speaking of the reluctant lover, having Cho’s interest in Summer increase subtly over the course of the season, only to have it virtually explode on screen was a clever move. While an elevator make out session isn’t something new to TV (in fact, one could argue it’s highly overused) it was very surprising to see in this show, done by its most stoic character. It was so unbelievable, that it is believable (if that makes any sense). Mostly though, it makes sense because something had to give. Cho has been so tightly wound this season, by his growing attraction to Summer, no doubt, but also by the lingering back pain from his accident. Despite Rigsby’s gentle hint that Cho should let up on the pain pills, it may be that Cho still doesn’t realize he’s becoming addicted to them. Now with regards to Summer, no offense to Cho but he’s not exactly by the book himself; he’s gone rogue a few times (Blood in Blood Out, Rhapsody in Red”. The fact he made such a big deal out of Summer doing so just shows how much he was worried about her. Now that his attraction has been consummated I’m interested to see how he deals with his other problem.

Kang gets to bring out his characters deep intensity out for the world to see. First he raises his voice at Summer when he justifies his reasons for firing her. But when she calls him out on liking her, demanding he own up to liking her, Cho reverts back to his stoic self. He admits that he does so quietly Summer only realizes it after she slaps him. He then asks “Can I go now?” Awesome.

If the effect of Summer’s violence on Cho is anything to by, then it’s pretty safe to assume that Summer’s not the only one who gets high on excitement. It may not be the worst thing for Cho if he replaces one addiction for another. Drugs, for love…

Grace Van Pelt (Amanda Rightetti)

Grace didn’t have a lot of scenes but I really liked the one she did have. She and Rigsby go to ask a detective Silva who had worked Mulberry’s case on if he had run down a particular lead. First, he tries to sneak his way out of admitting he hadn’t. She calls him out on the oversight and he does the same on why they’re interested in the case; that it is because of their psychic “Janet, Jane” before adding that Jane is showboating “again” and that “I feel sorry for you guys you’re like stooges in a comedy act.”

Rigsby is quick to utter Jane’s mantra in his stead, that he is not a psychic while Grace sticks to asking about the case. Silva is unhelpful and as they leave Grace trips him, showing that she was upset by Silva’s demeaning demeanor of their team.

Not only does this scene show how protective she is of her friends but it also shows how others in law enforcement may view CBI and Lisbon’s team in particular. Which brings me to…

Osvaldo Ardiles (David Norona), Jane, and Lisbon

We first met this character in episode Rhapsody in Red when he butted heads with Agent Cho for getting involved in one of his cases. At the time guest commenter Violet stated:

Ardiles asks Lisbon if he needs to “take this upstairs” to which she answers no. In a rare occurrence, she stands against her team member and tells Cho that they shouldn’t get involved since it’s not their case. The scene hints that they know Ardiles quite well. They probably are used to such meetings about Jane. That’s suggested by how hastily the consultant left when the ADA came. It’s also shown by how Lisbon called the him by his first name.

Then in the Strawberries and Cream review I had stated:

The fact that Assistant District Attorney Ardiles was introduced at the end of season three makes me wonder if he will be the prosecuting attorney at Jane’s trial. I hope so. For some reason, and despite his telling Cho in Rhapsody in Red (RIR) that the team won’t be getting any more help from him at the DA’s office, I really like this character. I have no concrete explanation for why other than the fact that when he, Lisbon and Cho were talking together in RIR, he didn’t lose his patience with Cho’s attitude as quickly as other people might have. He also seems to be (or at least was) on good terms both with Lisbon and with Jane. When he first came to talk to Lisbon, Jane was in her office and gestured for him to wait. After Jane was finished he tells Ardiles “she’s all yours”…. It all just seems to hint that he’s a good guy. Plus there’s the fact that David Norona manages to makes him likable in spite of going head to head with Cho (a very popular main character).

In this episode I was just as overjoyed to see Ardiles as I was when he appeared in Scarlett Ribbons; perhaps even more so here because my fear that the only reason he’d been created was to have him prosecute Jane’s trial turned out to be wrong.

Ardiles/Jane at the courthouse-teaser

When Jane approaches Osvaldo and asks him if he has a minute, the ADA says, “For you Jane, I got two.”

-Perfectly nice and civil. Like real professional adults in real life would act. I think Jane’s humble demeanor here was him being practical. He knows Osvaldo has no reason to listen to him so he’ll have to be polite and on point. Jane even goes to the trouble of explaining to Osvaldo his methods in an effort to convince him that Eve is innocent. But it still makes no impression on the ADA. When he asks Jane if “that’s it” Jane replies, “Well of course there’s my gut too but I didn’t think you’d take that very seriously.”

-This hints that guest reviewer Violet was right. Jane knew Ardiles, has probably testified on his cases prior to Ardiles’s introduction in episode Rhapsody in Red. But Ardiles does not yet know Jane well enough to trust his instincts. This is proven both by Jane’s above statement and the ADA’s reply of “That’s the first correct statement you’ve made”.  Ardiles also adds  “Unlike you Eve Mulberry won’t get away with murder” before telling Jane not ruin his case. The psychic cheerfully replies that he’s just going to fix it.

– It seems that while Ardiles has forgiven Jane having gotten away with murder, he hadn’t forgotten. To be honest, I like him even more for this statement. It makes him human. Another thing that makes him human and therefore a more interesting/ likable character was the bomb he dropped on Teresa Lisbon when he visited her office.

Ardiles Complains to Lisbon

Unlike in Rhapsody in Red when Ardiles’s visit had been professionally courteous, like one between two work friends, this one was laced with umbrage. It is not unjustified. Ardiles is not vindictive, he doesn’t have an agenda against Lisbon’s team. He’s just trying to do his job and the SCU has a history of making that difficult for him.

This is clear by the first thing he tells Lisbon when she enters and finds him sitting in her office:

“Do you realize every single time I deal with your people things go to hell?”

Lisbon dryly tells him “Osvaldo. Come in, sit down.”

-Again, the first name basis hints that Lisbon and Ardiles have known each for quite a while. Probably they’ve worked together on many cases. As head of the SCU I expect he’d had more contact with her than he has with any other member of her team, including Jane.

Ardiles asks Lisbon: “Is there something in the water here?  I need to know why your team is interfering with a state murder trial.”

When Lisbon defends the SCU’s interest in the case, citing that Eve shouldn’t even be facing a trial if she was innocent the ADA tells her “You know I thought that there was something in the water here but I can see the problem now. It’s you.”

Snap!

I absolutely adored this line. Simply because sooner or later someone had to call Lisbon out on the way she manages her team (i.e.Jane). It just had to happen because Jane is Jane. He ticks people off and Lisbon is left dealing with that. Usually it’s her boss who calls her to task but as that no longer seems an option the show needed someone else to pick up the slack. In the last review I wondered if Craig’s visit to Grace might have been foreshadowing that Grace will be the one to tell Lisbon that her judgment was getting compromised; that she’d gotten too close to Jane.

But I think Ardiles is a much better alternative. Notwithstanding whether her judgment is compromised or not (see Red is the New Black for analysis and comments on this topic) I found it interesting that while Lisbon was at least a little upset by Osvaldo’s words, she didn’t let them affect the way she did her job in any way. Perhaps this is because, at this point, Lisbon truly believed Eve might be innocent; that Jane was right. I wonder what her reaction would have been if Ardiles had dished out this abuse on an issue she were less certain about, like Red John. Is it too much to hope for that future episodes answer this question?

Jane/Lisbon-sibling banter, flirting, or competitiveness?

Robin Tunney and Simon Baker owe me a cuteness radar seeing as they broke my old one in this episode. Seriously these two are more adorable than an Anne Geddes photo, especially Tunney. From the “Ooh,” she let out before filling Jane in on Eve’s case, (two of them gossiping like teenage girls) to her “Give it!” sprint when Jane stole her sandwich. Then there was their whole argument over whether to keep working the case and her petulant (always a favorite) behavior after they get a suspect which means Jane might be right about Eve being innocent:

Lisbon: “You’re the boss on this one.”

Jane: “Okay, don’t be like that.”

“Like what?! It’s what you want.”

“What I want is a little smile.”

“Well you can’t have everything!”

No words for how much I love this woman.

Image by Chizuru-chibi. Copyright Reviewbrain January, 2012. Not to be used without permission.

Then there was Lisbon asking Jane to fill her in on what’s going on, and her saying “No” ruefully to herself when he doesn’t, eyes wide in disbelief. Absolutely adorable.

It could be that Lisbon’s annoyance is a reaction to Jane’s increasingly obvious need to be in charge (as opposed to Lisbon’s decreasing compulsion to be a control freak).  Or she might just have been angry that she was wrong. Then there’s Windsparrow’s interpretation of a similar scene in the last episode’s review when she said that Jane and Lisbon arguments are like the pointless ones old married couples have. For the sake of objectivity I’ll add that it could be interpreted as a fight between competing siblings and/or best friends.

I wonder what readers think…

Icings on the Cake

-I love how nice Jane was in this episode: his gentle questioning of Eve, his courteousness to Ardiles, his asking Lisbon for a smile. I’ve missed this Jane so much. We’ve seen negative aspects of his character plenty of times. We know he’s an arrogant jerk, a control freak, careless with people’s lives, callous, etc.  But he also has a lot of good in him and can be very caring and compassionate. More scripts need to focus on his positive attributes. They keep him from turning into Hugh Laurie’s Gregory House and are vital to his intriguing multi-faceted personality; this show’s greatest asset.

-Jane and Lisbon seem to both be quite the wine connoisseurs. It’s nice to learn more about them.

-Seeing how satisfied Jane was at looking at the happy ending for the couple Eve and Peter. It’s nice continuity that Jane is actually quite the romantic and likes bringing people together.

Best Lines

“Think about what you wanna eat.” Lisbon to Jane. How much do I love David Appelbaum for this line? I think it’s pretty self-explanatory why.

“For you Jane, I got two.” Ardiles to Jane. And how much do I love him for this line? I loved Ardiles’s not holding a grudge against losing his prosecution of Jane.

“I’d bet you a million dollars she’s innocent.”-Jane to Ardiles. I know it’s probably just a figure of speech but I I’ll bet that Jane does have a lot of money. He’s got that seaside mansion and a vintage car, he probably has a few millions left over from his psychic days.

“Justice isn’t our problem?” -Jane to Lisbon. It’s nice to be reminded that while Jane has his own views on justice, they don’t necessarily have to be different than the laws. Not all the time anyway.

“Jury has heard arguments for three months they are perfectly equipped to determining the truth.” Lisbon’s initial refusal to get involved in Eve’s case was great. It shows that old habits die hard (her sticking with protocol) and created tension between her and Jane. Also, it’s nice to see her relent on an issue that’s actually comprehensible as opposed to Jane’s more outrageous schemes.

“What if they don’t? An innocent woman gets punished before you were too busy eating.”-Jane to Lisbon on jury being able to determine the truth.

-Nice role reversal here. Since when does Jane push Lisbon to work while she’s the one eating? Also, it makes sense that Jane doesn’t trust the justice system. Notwithstanding how long Red John has eluded it (and him) Patrick himself was able to convince a jury to find him innocent despite knowing full well that he was guilty of murder. He’s seen the evidence against Eve and probably sensed how easily justice can go wrong with her. The scene also recalls one from episode 18-5-4 where Jane insisted he and Lisbon go the extra mile on a case to find a code-breaking device and destroy it to keep it from falling into the wrong hands.

“Let’s just say to whom much is given much is expected.” –Jane’s explanation to Eve on why he wants to help her.

“I know you feel guilt and shame. I know what this might do to your marriage. But the way I see it we’re your last hope. You have to trust us. You weren’t hanging out with your sexy dance teacher for the stimulating chit-chat. You were attracted to him. I mean you danced tango with the man for God’s sake.”

-Jane to Eve-I love Baker’s reading of these lines.  Again, I’ve so missed seeing “nice” Jane in action that I almost forgot he existed. Is it really so hard to bring out this side of him?

“It’s like a band aid Eve. Best is to tear it off quickly.”-Jane. See above comment.

“I thought you said these people were here to help.” Amy to Gretchen after Jane says he suspects her. I love Dianne Far and her reading here was great.

“What are you still doing here? Besides brooding?” Jane to Eve’s husband.

“I know this isn’t an official case so thank you.”-Lisbon to team.

“No I wasn’t.”Gloria flat out lying to Jane when he asked if she was watching him.

“Step away from the door, blondie.” –Gloria to Jane. This had me in stitches.

“What makes you think I want a consultant in my house?”-Gloria to Jane

“How about a real cop, I got a real cop across the street.”-Jane, in response to the above. Then whistling before calling Lisbon over to Gloria’s home.

“Is it just me or do you look impressed?”-Summer, to Cho.

“No, it’s just you.”-Cho in response to the above.

“Your shoes are wrong, you don’t see me complaining about it.” Gretchen to Amy.

“Oh come on we know you have all sorts of hidden talents.”-Jane trying to cajole Cho into faking an Irish accent.

“My name is Wayne Rigsby. Why I’m talking with an Irish accent I don’t really know.” Rigsby is such a trooper. I love the continuity that he’s usually willing, if not eager, to play along with Jane, provided no law are broken, that is.

“Testing, testing one two. Kimball Cho is a wallaby.”-Summer speaking into her wire.

Honorable Mentions

-Baker, Tunney, Kang, Armstrong, Yeoman. See above for why.

-Director Roxann Dawson did a wonderful job with the direction. The scene where Lisbon and Jane visit Eve’s home was particularly lovely; showing off the land and the grand mansion during the interview and continuing to do so while getting both Gretchen and Amy into the shot. Very smooth work.

-Kathrynn Joosten who plays the nosy neighbor Gloria was absolutely delightful. She had awesome lines and read them all perfectly. Hers was perhaps the funniest scenes in this lighthearted episode.

-I really enjoyed Carrie Wiita performance as Eve’s sister Gretchen.

-David Norona is as likable and believable as ADA Ardiles as ever.

-Special kudos to David Appelbaum. The care he took writing this episode is obvious, from the research to the clever format, and how every single line was vital to this episode.

 

Teach me please

This is a category I’d recently come up to take care of the interesting facts the show provides us as we are impressed with Jane’s knowledge. This episode gave us a few. When someone is looking to the left they are tapping into their visual memories, to the right means they’re using the creative side of the brain; most likely lying. Now I first  learned this fact first from CSI’s Catherine Willows. Seeing as how this shows main character makes his living using such observations it was nice seeing them mentioned here. Another was that truth tellers usually use contractions.

Best Scenes

This was so hard. Really the entire episode was fantastic from beginning to end so I’m letting readers choose their favorite scenes. Please share in the comments.

Conclusion

Despite him being at odds with Lisbon and a bit unnecessarily rude to both her and Jane, I still really, really like Ardiles. I think this is simply because how realistically he’s been written and Norona’s great portrayal of him. I definitely hope to see him again.

Now while there was no obvious reference in this episode to the events in the one prior to it, I realized that there might be a very small clue. It seems that Darcy’s suspicions that RJ is still alive have not yet become public. If they have I suspect Ardiles would have had more to say to Jane than just tell him that he’d gotten away with murder.

Perhaps this is why it was important for Ardiles to witness Jane’s talents in this episode? Could it be to set him up as a future ally to Jane should things get hairy with Darcy? Maybe. He and Jane are certainly on better terms now. We’ll see..

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Mentalist Always Bet on Red Review

Synopsis

Rich divorce attorney Alton Creek demands CBI’s help when he receives death threats. Apparently, he’d heard of the Serious Crimes unit from one of his friends, Summer (Samaire Armstrong) a working girl who was recently recruited by Agent Cho (Kang) as a confidential informant (Pink Tops). The case becomes a homicide when Creek’s speedboat explodes, killing him at Gold Harbor Yacht Club in San Francisco where Senior Agent Lisbon (Tunney) and Consultant Patrick Jane (Baker) were meeting him. While the Serious Crimes unit tries to solve the case, FBI Agent Susan Darcy (Catherine Dent) requires Jane’s help on another matter: the death of investigative crime reporter James Panzer (Blinking Red Light).

Concise Verdict

Clarity thy name is Ashley Gable. Enough said. 9.5/10

Detailed (AKA humongous) review (spoilers galore)

There was a very lively discussion via comments on the Blinking Red Light Review on what Jane’s purpose was in going on Karen Cross’s show with Panzer. That is, if he hoped to get Panzer to confess on screen or if he had known he’d set him up to get killed by Red John. More discussion was on whether Jane felt compelled to use RJ or if he had been glad to do so to bring RJ back into the open so can start overtly hunting him again. The latter possibility had left me equally broken hearted and frustrated as I felt it nullified Jane’s character development and clashed with the clues we were given that he had wanted to move on from his revenge. Thankfully, Always Bet on Red addresses these musings in a way that reassured me where Jane’s intentions are concerned, if not his actions.

As a bonus, we also got much needed screen time for Agent Cho much via his new CI in the B plot.

B-plot: Cho and Summer

Kang and Armstrong were great together and depicted their characters burgeoning friendship and attraction in a very natural manner. Summer’s interest in Cho is just as prevalent as ever. She sells him information not just for money, but in exchange for dinner as well. Cho manages to talk her down from a nice restaurant to a pizza; no mushrooms. It’s very cute seeing the unflappable Cho being persuaded by the tiny bleached blonde. He obviously likes her and she seems to be helping him ease up on his hard-edged demeanor even around others. We’ve gotten more facial expressions from Cho in this episode than possibly all last season combined. And while Kang’s deadpan is an iconic and beloved aspect of his character, it’s nice to see his character let loose a bit.

On another note, we’ve also gotten more continuity that Cho’s back is still hurting him via his continuous pill-popping and Summer’s concern. More and more I’m starting to think that the writers will definitely be going somewhere with this storyline. Perhaps an addiction to painkillers?

VIS #1: FBI Agent Susan Darcy questions Jane/ Jane and Lisbon talk about Red John

Darcy shows up in Lisbon’s office to tell Jane that she had taken over the Panzer case since the San Francisco PD had gotten nowhere with it.

-Panzer’s case being previously handled by the SF PD was a clever move by the writers. It justifies the lack of follow up on the case (until now) in a very realistic and believable manner.

When Darcy asks to speak to Jane about the case Lisbon starts declining, citing work, but Jane asks Darcy to sit down in Lisbon’s office and goes to make tea.

– Jane treating Lisbon’s office as his, and Lisbon letting him isn’t just a sign of how comfortable these two are around each other now. It was his way of telling Lisbon that he wants her to be there during his questioning. By having his boss listen in, Jane is tacitly showing Darcy that he has nothing to hide and neither does Lisbon.

Jane asks Darcy what it matters who killed Panzer, since he was the SJK. Susan tells him that there is no proof. When Lisbon backs up Jane’s suspicions Darcy points out that even if it that were true Panzer’s killer still needs to be apprehended. At Jane’s why Darcy states: “Because killing someone without government permission is wrong.” Lisbon interjects to ask Darcy what she wanted to ask.

-I suspect Lisbon’s intervention here was to keep Jane’s blatant disregard of the law from placing him under suspicion; and/or from putting herself in an awkward position from any questions which might arise regarding how she’s able to work with such a loose canon (i.e. Bosco’s concerns that Jane hurts Lisbon’s career…among other things). Thankfully, Darcy’s train of thought doesn’t seem to have gone there. But it’s nonetheless dangerous:

“Are you sure the man you killed was Red John?”

Awkward! Lisbon buries her face into her mug while Jane states “Yes I’m sure.” Darcy’s body language doesn’t exactly suggest that she believes Jane but she goes along and says then they are dealing with a copycat. She asks Jane if he can think of anyone who would want to do this.  Jane forgoes the obvious conclusion that the killer was an RJ fan and puts the motive as being Panzer himself; that the killer is “Someone who would want to avenge Panzer’s crimes, I’d imagine.”

I found Jane’s statement very interesting. Why would he make such a far-fetched conclusion and leave the more believable and perhaps even real one that Panzer was done in by one of RJ’s own? It’s not like RJ hadn’t had people kill for him before.

Susan Darcy seems to be just as confused. First she shrewdly points out:  “Well who else thought that he was the SJ killer, aside from you?” Jane tells her whoever did is the killer. Darcy then states:  “But surely the motive is to avenge the insult to Red John, right. I mean look at the cutting patterns. Clearly our suspect is someone who studied Red John obsessively.” Jane chalks it up to being a killer who liked RJ’s style enough to want to copy him.

-Okay…so Jane’s (fake) theory is that Panzer’s killer is someone who wanted revenge on Panzer for all the girls he killed, who also liked RJ enough to copy his style, but not enough to want to avenge the insult to him? As Lisbon would say, that’s a stretch even for Jane.

Darcy doesn’t seem entirely convinced either. She gives Jane her card and tells him to call if he thinks of anything else.

As to Lisbon, she seemed displeased with Jane’s lies. Once Susan leaves, she confronts him. And for once, it’s on screen!

Note: There was blessedly little to analyze here. Their discussion is very straightforward and I’m taking it as fact, word for word..

Lisbon: “Don’t you think it’s time to tell the truth about Red John?”

Jane: “The truth is I killed Red John. You can ask anyone. It was on the news Lisbon.”

-I love this: apparent “reality” versus hidden truth.

Lisbon: “But you think he’s alive.”

Jane: “I told you that. You Lisbon, nobody else. And it’s better that way.”

-What a loaded line. It implies trust, expectations, and intimacy. Should Lisbon tell anyone of Jane’s suspicions, I have no doubt he’d treat it as an abject betrayal. But Jane is probably assured on that point; he’d told Lisbon he’d kill Red John then flat out lied to Hightower that he was over his revenge (Red Moon) in front of Lisbon, knowing that she wouldn’t oust him.

Lisbon: “Then why make him re-emerge? You manipulated Panzer into insulting Red John so that Red John would kill him.”

-Thank you Ms. Gable for making Lisbon ask the very question that has been haunting me since Blinking Red Light. Lisbon’s question conveys her concern that Jane isn’t over his revenge; that she considered the possibility that Jane intentionally brought out RJ to openly hunt him again.

Jane: I didn’t know how else to stop Panzer. He would have just kept on killing.

So Jane’s motives were altruistic? He didn’t want to restart the game with Red John?! Really?!! REALLY?!!

What a relief!!!

I believe that Jane was being honest here. That he genuinely thought that this was the only way Panzer would have been stopped.  I don’t agree with him though. Panzer could have been watched, tailed, traced until he was caught in the act of trying to commit another murder. That’s not unheard of. I think it’s what Lisbon calls solid police work.

Now it’s not clear (at this moment) whether Lisbon believed Jane’s statement or not (we are given a hint in a later scene though). She doesn’t give an opinion probably as there are more pressing matters to discuss..

Lisbon: “Now you’ve got the FBI asking awkward sorts of questions. You’ve kept this from the team, it’s not good.”

Jane: “Well, it’s lucky they don’t know. Cause if they did then they’d have to lie to the FBI wouldn’t they. In this way they can tell what they think is the truth.”

Lisbon: Do you know how messed up that sounds? What is wrong with the simple truth, telling people that he’s alive?

Jane: “I told a jury that I shot him dead. Where does that leave me?”

-I’m not sure if this concern is valid. Jane was acquitted of killing Carter, not Red John. But seeing as Jane’s defense was that he killed Carter in self defense; that Carter was RJ…. I guess if it turns out that RJ is still alive then zealous ADA Ardiles could accuse Jane of perjury, of lying that Carter was RJ to free himself. If any lawyers are reading this please feel free to comment.

There was just one question I wished Lisbon could have asked Jane:

Why not let think Darcy think Panzer’s killer was an RJ fan/copycat? It’s more feasible and closer to the truth.  Why did Jane insist on the fact that Panzer was killed by someone who knew he was the killer, despite the probability that no such person existed? At this point in the episode Jane had no way of knowing that Tom Maier, the father of Panzer’s first victim would kill himself and thus provide a convenient scapegoat for Jane (that Jane would blame him for Panzer’s death).

In searching for the answer I recalled what commenter Zee said on the Red Shirt review in relation to Jane’s views on being remembered after death.

Maybe, Jane considered being remembered after death as “childish vanity” was probably because if the real Red John’s died, people will still remember him.

I suppose the same principle could apply here. Jane doesn’t like the idea that RJ has followers, people willing to work for him probably even after his death. So he adamantly brushes away the possibility that Panzer was killed out of revenge despite it being convenient to him

Note: Convenient, because should RJ kill again Jane can chalk it up to being the work of a copycat and keep people from thinking that he killed the wrong man.

There are other possibilities as well…I listed all the ones I could think of in the following poll. Please choose the one you think most likely…

If the last possibility is true, then Jane’s attempts didn’t work because RJ later does become interested in the case. He sends Jane a video showing someone stalking Darcy…

VIS#2 Jane warns Darcy in her Hotel Room.

Jane shows Darcy the video and tells her that Panzer’s killer has taken an interest in her. He adds that she’s in danger and should drop the case. Susan tells Jane the video just makes her more determined to find the killer. She thanks him for trying to save her and politely kicks him out of her hotel room.

-Seeing Darcy shut the door in Jane’s face, it occurred to me that Jane may not realize how suspicious he might seem. First he tells Darcy that finding Panzers killer isn’t important as Panzer himself was a killer. Then he tries to set Susan on a wild goose chase looking for who else might have known Panzer was guilty; other than Jane that is. Then he shows her a video of someone stalking her and asks her to drop the case, warning her that it’s dangerous. If I was Darcy, Jane would be my number one suspect at this point. Like she said, either Panzer’s killer is Red John, or someone who studied Red John obsessively (i.e. Jane). Since Jane testified that he killed Red John, it wouldn’t be strange for Darcy to think that he’d once again gone vigilante on another serial killer. By the end of the episode Darcy’s suspicions towards Jane (if she had any) were probably laid to rest. But more on that later…

VIS #3: Lisbon/Jane discuss RJ’s threat to Darcy-attic scene

Remember how I stated that it wasn’t clear if Lisbon believed Jane when he said he only manipulated RJ to stop Panzer, thus implying that he hadn’t wanted to restart the game with RJ? We get a hint here that maybe Lisbon didn’t believe him…

When Lisbon asks Jane if he’s crazy for not telling Darcy that RJ is stalking her, Jane defends himself saying that she would have just pursued him more earnestly if she knew. Lisbon then demands:

“Is this about helping Darcy or keeping Red John to yourself?

Lisbon’s statement shows she doesn’t believe Jane’s motives are entirely selfless.

Jane is outraged at the implication: “This is not about me of course I’m worried about her!”

-Jane, I love you to bits, but you can’t really blame Lisbon her suspicions. I suspect this is her “not %100 percent” trust of Jane at work here.

Lisbon and Jane agree that Red John’s text “She is cute. This is going to be fun” was a message meant for Jane. She adds “Red John is trying to form a closer relationship” with Jane. Jane is quick to deny “There’s no relationship” to which Lisbon points out: “What if RJ took murdering Panzer as some kind of invitation? You manipulated a serial killer there’s gonna be consequences”.  Jane is defensive: “I didn’t have a choice. I had to stop Panzer.”

-I’m glad Lisbon has thought enough about the situation to point out to Jane (albeit indirectly) that he’d gone from hunting Red John to working with him. As to Jane’s repeated statement that he didn’t have a choice…again, I’m sure in his mind, at the time, Jane thought he didn’t. But then, Jane isn’t good at thinking though the consequences of his actions, this isn’t anything new. That’s where Lisbon’s “moderating influence” is needed. Unfortunately Jane’s split second decision when he set up Panzer during the interview left no room for discussion, for thought. But the situation now is different. Lisbon is discussing the matter with him but Jane won’t listen to her.

Note: I can’t help but wonder if seeing how doggedly Susan Darcy is chasing Panzer’s killer, Jane might now think that, with his help, Susan might have been able to catch Panzer before he killed again…that him taking the law into his own hands might not have been necessary.

Jane tells Lisbon that he’ll try to get Darcy off the Panzer case before RJ hurts her. As it turns out, he is given a very convenient opportunity to do so when Tom Maier (father of Panzer’s first victim) kills himself. Jane fabricates evidence and a suicide note to set up Tom as having killed Panzer as revenge for his daughter. Case closed.

VIS #4: Tom Maier’s funeral

Terry, Tom’s wife tells the funeral attendees that the FBI found a suicide note written by her husband.

-I loved Jane and Lisbon’s body language here as Terry spoke.  Lisbon’s has a resigned slightly sour look on her face, arms crossed while Jane holds his hands clasped in front of him in an almost repentant gesture. Meanwhile, their eyes continuously drift towards each other’s general vicinity, without ever landing; always pulling away just in time. That is, until Terry breaks down, unable to continue reading Tom (fake) note confessing that he killed his daughter’s killer. She asks Jane to finish reading it for her:

Jane: “Killing the man who murdered our daughter is the best thing I will ever do.”

Here, Lisbon finally looks at Jane. Similarly, his eyes rest on where she is standing when he says the following words: “I hope you will forgive me”.

This show needs a disclaimer. Baker, Tunney, Heller and company are bound to break something if they keep tugging on my heartstrings like this… ;_;

Jane and Lisbon catch up with Darcy at the funeral. She tells them that the case was a slam dunk. They found the evidence Jane fabricated; Tom Maier’s fingerprints on the murder weapon, Panzer’s blood on one of Maier’s shirts hidden with the murder weapon in a bag. But Darcy wonders why he was stalking her “Why the video?”  Jane answers “Hunting monsters changes you.” When Susan asks if this applies to him as well, Jane concurs.

-Susan’s question to Jane, if hunting monsters changed him, may or may not convey that she suspects (or suspected) Jane of killing Panzer (that is, again, if she ever did). Until now, there is nothing to suggest she ever did. But it might be something the writers are working towards..

As they leave, Lisbon tells Jane that he has changed Jane and the subtext implies that it hasn’t been for the better.

-This statement really vindicated me. I’ve been saying all along that I miss season one’s Jane and a lot of people have told me that he’s better now that he used to be. I agree on some levels, but not all. Yes, Jane is now closer to Lisbon, he’s more open. But he’s more ruthless than he ever was and not as compassionate. Although we’ve gotten glimpses of season one Jane this year, but it seems like one step forward, two steps back. The guy just can’t catch a break and is being bombarded with angst and drama, most, sadly, of his own creation.

Jane doesn’t respond to Lisbon’s contention that he’s changed. Instead, he tells her: “Darcy is off the case Lisbon, she’s safe.”

-Seriously, does Jane honestly think it is that simple? I’m going to draw from the episode’s title to explain Jane’s reasoning here. I think Jane is betting on the message RJ sent him via Timothy Carter (Strawberries and Cream):  that RJ truly had wanted to retire; that he was sick of killing and wanted to move on. But then RJ got Jane’s inadvertent message that he wants to “play” again when Jane manipulated Panzer into angering Red John. Jane tried to diffuse RJ’s excitement (as depicted by him killing Panzer, plus the movie and message he sent to Jane) by using Maier as a scapegoat for Panzer’s murder. Perhaps Red John will take Jane’s fabrication as a message that Jane got cold feet, that he doesn’t want RJ to re-emerge. Jane’s fear and the pains he took to keep the truth of RJ’s existence secret might stroke RJ’s ego enough to make him let things be. After all, as far as RJ knows, only he and Jane know RJ is still alive. After Red John avenged the slight Panzer made on his character, he might give up on Darcy and take the opportunity Jane presented him to keep RJ dead to the world; to move on with his new life.

At least, I think that’s what Jane hopes will happen.

Lisbon however, has another concern:

“What about you? How is Red John going to feel when he finds out you spoiled his fun with Agent Darcy?”

-I doubt Jane is concerned RJ will ever kill him. He had the opportunity before but didn’t. He’s too obsessed with him to kill him. My concern is how both Jane and Lisbon are taking it for granted that RJ will just let Darcy be now… and that Lisbon is taking Jane’s statement that Darcy is safe for granted as well and is more concerned with what RJ might do to Jane. It’s great that she cares about him, but never to the point where she just takes his statements as facts. He’s been wrong before and Lisbon needs to remember that if she’s to keep them both from getting into trouble due to his schemes.

Best Lines

“At least he was dead, you know, when the shark ate him.”-Lisbon. Tunney’s reading of this line, plus Cho and Grace’s reaction to her statement was so funny.

“You’re stranded on an island with Attila the Hun, Joseph Stalin and a lawyer. You got two bullets What do you do?” –Rigsby, attempting to tell Cho a lawyer joke.

“No.”-Cho’s response to Rigsby’s above attempt. Kang rocks.

“Panzer. The gift that keeps on giving.”-Lisbon’s, referring to the newest thorn in her and Jane’s sides.

“No in house dating Larry, rules.” Colette-often, guest characters make significant statements which reflect the main characters as well. This might be one of them.

“Jane. Is there something you want to tell me?”-Lisbon, when Jane has Terry Maier show up at CBI.

“Deniability Lisbon, deniability. Your best friend.” –Jane, in response to the above. For once, I agree. If Jane isn’t going to take Lisbon’s advice, then she’s better off not knowing anything about his schemes.

“I got a lot to do so have a nice day.”-Jane, to Lisbon. Aw!

“I’m not a hooker, bitch!” –Summer to Colette. Armstrong’s reading of this line was funny.

Honorable Mentions

Ashley Gable delivered a strong script in which every word was obviously carefully measured. I doubt it was easy giving so much information in a single episode.

Catherine Dent performance as Susan Darcy. It was hard guessing what the FBI Agent was thinking and I’m still not sure I know.

Simon Baker and Robin Tunney

Tim Kang and Samaire Armstrong: I liked their chemistry in this episode.

Icings on the Cake

-Thank you Simon Baker for running away, for running far far away when the bomb exploded at the beginning of the episode. It’s nice to see that some things never change. Jane’s life preservation instinct (oh the irony) is one of my favorite aspects of his character. UPDATE:  @Chiziruchibi seems to agree as to its importance 🙂

Image by Chizuru-chibi. Copyright Reviewbrain January, 2012. Not to be used without permission.

More Icings on the cake

-I liked how Grace was the one who saw the video and message RJ sent to Jane. First, her presence in the office is a reminder that she’s got her own angst to deal with and is burying it in her work. Second, I wonder if perhaps she will be able to figure out that the video was sent by RJ. It’s an exciting idea. Jane could contend that Maier, fearful of being exposed by Darcy tried to scare her off the case, then decided to just kill himself. But it is still a loose end and I’m interested in how it will be explained.

Pet Peeves

We never got an explanation on how Collette the lawyer knew how to make a bomb. It’s not exactly something she’d learn at her job is it?

There was something weird with the background behind Jane when he was talking to Darcy in her motel room. Almost as if it the skyline wasn’t real. I have no idea what that was..

Conclusion

I find myself strangely at peace with this episode, despite my entire being protesting over both Jane and Lisbon’s actions. I think it’s because Jane’s motives have finally been explained. He’s not prolonging the game, he doesn’t want to overtly seek Red John. His intentions had been pure however misguided. It’s nice to be clarified as to the former. Continuity on the latter (i.e. Jane’s idiocy) is a nice bonus.

Jane’s statement that he had to use RJ to stop Panzer also suggests that Jane’s previous placing of a flower in the ocean , plus all the other clues we got that he wanted to move on could have been genuine. Jane had wanted to move on. The question is does he still want to? I guess the letter Jane wrote as Tom Maier and the meaningful glances to Lisbon were meant to show that no, he isn’t yet over his revenge, perhaps in spite of himself.

But where does that leave Lisbon?

Now this may or may not have anything to do with the Jane/Lisbon relationship, but I found the Colette the perp’s words, her screaming about how long she waited for the victim, that he had promised to marry her equally stirring and depressing:

“I’ve waited for him for years. I put my career on hold to be with him. I wanted a family and now it is too late. He took away my life!”

The above spiel reminded me of Jane’s speech to Dublin’s secretary (Red Sky at Night): “unrequited love is a terrible thing, you need to find someone who will love you back. You deserve it” and again made me wonder if this is why Jane was pushing Lisbon to go out with Mashburn (Red Hot). Perhaps he worried that Lisbon would waste away her years waiting for him? Not that I think she is, mind you, but Jane probably cares enough about her for it to be a concern for him.

The possibility also made me think that despite how many viewers may be rooting for a Jane/Lisbon romance it may not be the best thing for the characters. We have Jane’s indirect contention that killing the man who killed his family will be the best thing he ever does; and the subtext that that is the only thing that will ever make him happy. But more and more I’m starting to wonder about what makes Lisbon happy. Jane’s friendship seems to have become ever more important to her and that’s nice to see. I’ve always stated that her detachment stood in the way of real intimacy with Jane and her other co-workers (Bloodstream, Every Rose Has its Thorn). Thankfully this issue has been addressed and her character has been wonderfully developed.

But now I’m starting to wonder if it might have been better for her to remain detached.

Lisbon went along with Jane despite not knowing what he was up to. I got the distinct sense that she only truly realized what he’d done (fabricated evidence) at Tom’s funeral; hence her unhappy expression. But then, listening to Jane/Tom’s statement that killing his daughter’s killer brought him peace can only make her more lenient, more understanding, and I honestly can’t blame her.

Basically, Lisbon is in a lose-lose situation. She’s got a co-worker who is also a friend who blames himself for his family’s death. It seems that he can’t live without revenge (at least that’s what he believes) and I fear Lisbon has gotten too close to Jane to be able to stop him. His recent brush with death can only make her more vulnerable to his affections (Fugue in Red). She’s just had another grieving father commit suicide (Tom Maier). I suspect this is something Lisbon subconsciously worries about. Her own father killed himself years after her mother died (presumably out of grief) and she knows Jane once spent time in a mental institution (presumably because he was suicidal)

Can she really stand up to Jane when he needs her to? I truly hope so but I fear she thinks her hands are tied. We see her disapprove of Jane’s actions , and I realize that she wouldn’t want to undercut his innocence. She would also definitely not want to betray Jane’s confidence. But I don’t understand what is keeping Lisbon from disclosing to Darcy that she suspects RJ is still alive. It’s a logical enough conclusion that any reasonable person might come to. After all, it was the first thing Darcy suspected. And Lisbon is her own person, why can’t she agree with Darcy regardless of what she knows? Especially since no one (besides Minelli) ever took her opinions more seriously than they did Jane’s (sad but true).

Disagreeing with Jane may or may not hurt him, but Lisbon’s silence here is bound to come back and haunt her should anything happen to Darcy. Jane attempted to protect Lisbon (i.e. keeping her in her office during Darcy’s questioning to show her innocence. Conversely, trying to get her to leave when he used her office to question Terry Maier; not wanting Lisbon involved in his scheme to fabricate evidence, telling her that deniability was her best friend) but when the truth comes out, her complicity in the cover up will undoubtedly emerge.

I just want to end the review with the priest’s final words before the body was buried, which I found very telling considering all the laws Jane broke, and his and Lisbon’s shared secrets and collusion…

“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me so love, and where there is darkness, light. Amen.”

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Mentalist Pink Tops Review

Synopsis

Lisbon (Robin Tunney) and her team are called to South Sacramento where a Yoli Concepcion (guest star Natalia Castellanos) has been shot to death. To local Sergeant Henderson’s (guest star Dean Norris) dismay, Consultant Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) quickly figures out that the woman was an undercover cop. Henderson reveals that Yoli was part of his Undercover Narcotics task force and was tailing a major dealer name Omar Vega (Kamar De Los Reyes) at the nearby club Luxure. Henderson adds that Yoli’s identity must be kept secret to ensure the safety of the other officers. Later, during the course of the investigation, Agent Kimball Cho (Tim Kang) runs into a prostitute named Summer Edgecombe (Samaire Armstrong) who reveals that she has inside knowledge on Vega.

Concise Verdict

Pink Tops paid homage to many of this show’s excellent qualities: character continuity, humor, many excellent one liners, and character moments (including what fans have lovingly dubbed “Chigsby”, or Cho-Rigsby interaction).  But something felt off to me the entire episode (and no, I’m not talking about that which everyone complained about which I’ll discuss below in the spoiler zone). It took me a while to figure it out but there were a number of small factors which combined to keep Pink Tops from fulfilling its potential. That being said, 8.0 is pretty darn good.

Detailed AKA (Humungous Review) (spoilers galore):

A while back I was chatting with @CJDavey on twitter where he mentioned that the reason a certain mentalist episode wasn’t amongst his favorite was because it didn’t feel like a mentalist episode to him. As soon as I read that tweet, I realized this was exactly how I felt about Pink Tops, though I was still having trouble figuring out why I felt that way. So I enlisted my good friend and guest reviewer Violet’s help. Now anyone who has read her reviews knows that she’s not shy about expressing her opinions, which is exactly what I needed here. But before we get into what may not have worked in Pink Tops, let’s talk about all that did. This might take a while…

Continuity on the Red John case

A lot of fans expressed disappointment that this episode didn’t reveal more about the Red John case but I actually found enough hints, enough subtext to leave me quite satisfied and happy.

Jane and Lisbon in the teaser

When Jane arrives at the crime scene he remarks, somewhat cautiously to Lisbon that she looks “marginally rested”.  Lisbon tells him she was actually hoping to get some sleep to which Jane replies that she could go back to bed. As expected, Lisbon refuses, saying that their assistance is needed.

-I found this exchange, the questions it raises, and Jane and Lisbon’s demeanor to be very interesting.  Why are Lisbon and Jane tired? Have they been working the Red John case? Have they been busy dealing with the fall out Red John’s re-emergence must have had on their unit? Were they being investigated to the point of exhaustion by Professional Standards and/or FBI?

Or has the serious crimes unit simply been overwhelmed with other cases?

Violet: The atmosphere reminded me somehow of the beginning of S3 after Kristina went missing, with a sleep deprived and uncontrollable Jane. This could suggest that he isn’t dealing very well with what he’s done (since RJ being alive isn’t really new for him). If that’s the case, we can also spot a hint at character development, since unlike in S3 he didn’t take it out on others (well he tries at first, with the Sergeant, but only once).

Reviewbrain: Actually, Jane behaving after misbehaving is his usual MO (i.e. Red Gold after Blood For Blood, and Every Rose has its Thorn after The Red Mile). But Violet’s point that he doesn’t take out his frustrations on others is quite true, especially compared with his vindictiveness in Season three. This is possibly more evidence that he’s gained some of Lisbon’s professionalism. Or it could be more that he’s becoming more humble (my inner Cynic is laughing again) and/or, like Violet states, Jane feels uneasy with himself. Because while in Season three Jane’s antics came across as a result of a frustrated and self-righteous victim, his demeanor in this episode, this season really…well, he’s not a victim anymore is he? At least not of any external source.

I’ve already raised the issue that the writers might be planning on making Jane into a killer (as they’ve been making perps this season more sympathetic and uncannily similar to Jane). I even explored the possibility that Jane has become a serial killer even (see rant in Blinking Red Light review). That being the case, I found Jane’s demeanor in this episode, wary and unsure, very reassuring to say the least.

The end scene of the episode made me even happier.

Jane/Lisbon end scene

After the case is wrapped up, Lisbon comes across Jane and makes small talk with him (asking him how he figured out who the killer was, etc.) before she comes right out and states:

“It’s time.”

When Jane asks her for what, Lisbon tells him that they need to talk about Red John. Jane then points out that the victim’s widower has arrived, distracting Lisbon and taking off to avoid the discussion.

Whatever Jane’s reasons may be to take off, this exchange lets viewers in on the fact that he and Lisbon have not yet talked about Red John’s re-emergence. Either they hadn’t had a good chance to do so (due to how busy they’ve been as hinted at in the episode’s teaser) or they have been avoiding doing so (hinted by Lisbon’s “It’s time”, and their cautious body language throughout the episode).

Both possibilities could be true; the serious crimes unit might have had an influx of cases which conveniently allowed Jane and Lisbon to skirt the issue of Red John. It could also be that they have avoided the topic until the dust (suspicion) of the higher-ups (and/or FBI) has settled.

Violet: The fact that Lisbon waited for the right moment to discuss the situation is a nice realistic touch: she let him some days to recompose and gave herself the time to assimilate it all. Now why Jane didn’t want to talk about it? Was the talk only about the consequences of RJ resurfacing or about the way Panser died? Did she want to ask how he felt while he didn’t want to share? Or does he want to keep his plans secret like he used to do, maybe because he was disappointed in her for trying to meddle with Carter’s wife?

Reviewbrain: That last is a very interesting possibility. Jane certainly sounded angry when he found Lisbon at Sally Carter’s jail cell. His “What are you doing here” when Lisbon called him to the scene after Sally died sounded pretty accusatory.

Violet: The aspect of the talk Jane is avoiding couldn’t be only about RJ as in “OMG! He’s back!” because Lisbon already knew about the possibility even if she didn’t believe it. So Jane is trying to be sneaky one way or another, especially since he left Lisbon in charge of dealing with the grieving widower. In another setting, it would be Jane who’d relate with him.  But here he was trying to isolate himself.

Reviewbrain: My favorite possibility for the furtiveness is one I had explored in Season three and am evermore convinced of now: Jane, feeling uncomfortable with his hidden dark side (“Red Moon”) fears talking to Lisbon about Red John (and how he lured him into the open via Panser) because he’s afraid of Lisbon’s reaction; that she may not like him anymore afterwards (canon since “Every Rose has its Thorn).  Just as likely, however is the possibility that Jane doesn’t want to talk to Lisbon because he himself is unsure of what he’ll do when/if he catches Red John this time around, and Jane isn’t exactly the type of man who likes appearing unsure. Some support for this theory is Jane’s calmer state this season. Alternatively, I suppose it could be that Jane has already decided on what he wants to do and wants to keep whatever conclusion he’s come to from Lisbon. But I don’t think so.

Wishful thinking aside, Jane’s tendency to behave quite well after he’s misbehaved (reprised in this episode) hints that Jane fears he’ll one day push his luck too far. Now Lisbon has accepted a lot of things from Jane, and he seems pretty in awe of her for that. Perhaps that’s why Jane fears that one day he’ll do something she simply cannot accept, so he’d rather keep things hidden from her to lessen the chances of himself negatively tipping the balance.

Note: In a related theme, it’s beginning to seem to me that perhaps Jane can only be straight after he’s veered a bit; like he can only be good after he’s been bad. I wonder if there’s any truth to that. And if so, I wonder if that’s an addiction, a compulsion or habit.

Cho’s Storyline

The subplot revolves around the prostitute Summer (Samaire Armstrong) and Cho. Summer takes an instant liking to Cho and spends her time alternately coming on to him, trying to find out things about him, and impressing him. I loved how Tim Kang a chance to show off his subtle acting (and the fact that Cho can have more than an impassive expression on his face). Armstrong played off him pretty well too, despite my wishing that she’d choose between either moving her head or her eyebrows, instead of both simultaneously as she said her lines; a few of her scenes almost gave me vertigo. But she conveyed Summer’s youthful exuberance and contrasting blasé attitude pretty well. I think I’ll agree with Lisbon and say I like her too.

And I think Cho does too 🙂

Image by Chizuru-chibi. Copyright Reviewbrain November, 2011. Not to be used without permission.

Cho/Summer Final Scene

During the case, Jane goes undercover as a dirty law enforcer, wanting to make a deal Vega. It’s part of his plan to find Yoli’s killer (who he suspected was another cop who turned sides). When Cho and Rigsby lose Jane’s signal, Cho finds Summer and demands she tell him where she knows Vega’s location is. The scene is quite heated and Cho, impatient and fearful for Jane cuffs Summer. Hurt, Summer tells Cho that all she wanted was a bit of civility. She tells him what he wants to know, and demands he release her and leave her alone.

Later, once the perps are all caught, Cho goes to Summer. She assumes (accurately I think) that he feels bad for the way he treated her. Cho states that he wants her to sign on as his informant.

– Cho looked like he felt pretty bad (as much as his can anyway) over what he’d done; especially coupled with Summers hurt (yet stubbornly prideful) facade. Cho offering summer a job is meant to validate Summer’s usefulness, make her feel better about herself. It also gives Cho a convenient excuse to see her and issue an indirect apology; probably the only kind Summer can hope to get considering Cho’s personality.

Note: Cho’s pride is one of the reasons why seeing him break down in remorse, apologizing to his friends grandmother (Blood in Blood out) was such an effective scene.

Summer (and viewers) can’t possibly expect the same reaction from Cho here, but it’s a good start. Especially when coupled with the scene’s punchline.

When Summer tells Cho “For cash money, I’d snitch on my mom”, Cho leans in close and asks Summer, in a perfect deadpan “What did she do?”

And for once during most of their interactions this episode, it is Summer who is left momentarily speechless. Cho is awesome 🙂

Violet: The part about Cho and Summer was the funniest! There’s such a contrast between the lively and bold woman and the usually impassive Cho! While Rigsby’s date shows a physical disparity, here the difference in character makes it even more humorous! Now, I wonder: why every team member feels the need to have complicated relationships? Rigsby and Van Pelt, all the same together and separately (the cougar; Van Pelt’s disastrous bad luck with guys), even clipped Lisbon and her playboy Mash… I guess Elise was too boring and normal for the show: I feel now that she was only a plot device for explaining Cho’s rage in ‘Blood In, Blood Out’ and now that it’s over, she lacked drama. Too bad, I liked her!

Some new questions arise about Summer, since there will be without any doubt more of her very soon: will the attraction have consequences of Cho’s career? It would be certainly frown upon given her source of income, so will Cho go against the rules for her as he did for the kid in “Rhapsody in Red”? Anyway, he was in dire need of a private life, so Summer is more than welcome!

Reviewbrain: I liked Elise too and thought that having at least one normal couple would have been good for the show. While the plot of a call girl befriending a cop isn’t anything new, it promises to be dramatic. I just wish that it was saved for a later season. It seems that there is way too much drama going on already, I feel exhausted merely thinking about it. But a major perk will be getting to see how Kang handles the material; we’ve seen enough of him to know that it’ll be a real treat.

Best Scenes

The winner: Cho and Rigsby in the Car

Rigsby remarks to Cho “So that Pro seemed like a piece of work huh?”  When Cho responds “Summer?” Wayne answers “Oh, so she’s Summer now?”

-I like this exchange for the subtext it suggests. The fact that Summer knew Cho’s name is Kimball when he came to let her go hints that she asked Wayne about him. Wayne bringing her up in this scene shows that he picked up Summer’s interest in Cho and wants to see if the woman made as big of an impression on his partner as he had on her.

Of course, it doesn’t take long for Cho to turn the conversation on his Rigsby.

Cho then states “She is Summer, that’s her name. Just like she knows your name is Wayne. Wayne is immediately (adorably) defensive “It’s was just some potato chips” to which Cho shoots back “you emptied an entire vending machine.” Rigsby, flustered, explains, “Yeah, she was hungry.”

-To be fair, Rigsby is a man with a big appetite, though why he thought Summer is capable of ingesting the same amount as himself is not very believable. Methinks he had fun chatting with her.

But more than the revelations of the scene, it was so much fun watching Rigsby and Cho interact. I’ve missed these tiny moments between the two especially as this season has been mostly about Jane/Lisbon and Grace/Wayne. It’s nice to see these buddies get some quality time too.

1st runner up:Cho and Summer’s end scene. It was both touching and funny and Armstrong and Kang did very well in it.

2nd runner up: Jane and Lisbon’s interaction in the opening scene. From Jane’s concern that Lisbon isn’t getting enough sleep, to Henderson shoving Jane up against the wall, his adorable “I’m here”, Lisbon’s anger, and then Jane pouting that Lisbon didn’t push back when Henderson called him a circus act; this was all very familiar and made me so happy especially considering the darkness of the episode prior.

Best Lines

“Okay, I’m here.” Jane to Henderson when he pushed him into the wall.

“You’re not known for your management skills are you?” Jane, to Henderson.

“I like your swagger”-Vega to Jane.

“Keep guessing, pinstripes.”- Vega to Jane. The great moment was afterwards when Jane mouths “pinstripes” to Lisbon, in amusement. I missed this playful Jane, the one who’s amused even as he’s being insulted. It reminded me of his huge grin when a suspect assumed he was gay in season one. I  miss season one Jane..

“Was he in a boy band?”-Summer to Cho about Rigsby. Love the reference to Rigsby’s good looks, and beautiful voice. But more than that, this line was plain hilarious. Again, Ms. Swafford gives me one of my favorite lines in this show.

“Bad back, huh?” Summer to Cho. Love the continuity on Cho’s car accident a few episodes back.

“I bet you just doodle on that thing don’t you?” Summer to Cho as he takes notes.

“I like her”-Lisbon on Summer. I love the subtext here; that Lisbon enjoyed watching her unflappable senior agent be teased.

“Another Robocop. Where do they find you people?” Lalo, victim’s husband to Grace. Its’ interesting that Grace kept her cool here. Perhaps she’s recovering from her PTSD.

“Must be difficult living two lives.”- Jane to undercover agent Trey. Looking for advice Jane?

“Pinky swear?” –Summer to Cho.

“I’ll bet.” Cho to Summer’s  contention that she can make him cry like a baby.

“There may be hope for you yet.” Summer to Cho, in response to the above.

“Mind turning the bass down a little? Makes me want to go to the bathroom.”-Jane to mobsters.

“I’m really disappointed about my shoes.” – I adored this line! I think Jane’s been wearing the same shoes for the last four years and this statement is continuity on how much he loves them.

Icings on the cake

-Jane sampling spaghetti sauce at the victim’s home; another favorite character moment Jane’s love of food.

-Rigsby finding Jane’s jacket and shoes. As Rigsby has been used mostly for comic relief this season, I applaud Ms. Swafford for reminding viewers that he is a very observant investigator who is very good at finding evidence (he noticed two types of cigarettes in The Scarlet Letter, he also found the camera lens in Red Sky in the morning).

-I liked the little details we got into the drug ring; the impromptu method of water-proofing drugs was one I hadn’t come across before.

-I appreciated that Dwayne from Perry’s gang was playing a loud video game when he was killed. Explains how he didn’t hear how the rest of the gang was shot.

-I don’t usual comment on this but the children who played the victim’s kids were absolutely gorgeous.

Honorable Mentions

Stephen Bishop (Trey), Gina Rodriguez (Elvira) and Wilmer Calderone (Lalo) were very well cast. I wished Trey especially had been given a bigger role. Couldn’t he have he been sent undercover to Vega instead of Jane? It wouldn’t have been the first time the Serious Crime’s unit worked with the local cops, although (unfortunately) that has become a rare occurrence. I’ll be watching out for this actor.

Not so Pet peeves (AKA What might have gone wrong )

Violet: While the writing didn’t show downright outrageous flaws, it definitely lacked something. Sincerely I didn’t feel all that interested in knowing who the killer was: the victim was simply tagged as an “undercover cop/maybe cheating wife”, although they could easily have added some more personality to liven things up a little. Same with the others characters: the victim’s boss’s anger and grief at the crime scene only gave an occasion for Jane to act harshly, as for the charismatic drug lord who almost only served as a counterpart for the consultant. And the final revelation that the killer was a colleague and friend? Well, they missed a golden occasion for character analysis and drama, in a intense scene the interrogation room as they usually do! It’s almost as if the plot only added one cliché of a standard TV cop show to another: bad corrupted cop? Check. A bunch of drug dealers shot in a house? Check. Cops tailing their agent-with-the-bug and losing him? Check. And so on…

Reviewbrain: Personally, I didn’t mind the classic plot. The drug cartel thing hasn’t been done before on the Mentalist (although a possible storyline had been raised last season in Rhapsody in Red with Terrence Rome).  And while the “call-girl falling in love with a cop” plot is a bit cliché I’m interested to see where it goes. But I do agree that the execution of this episode left something to be desired…

The casting/wardrobe of the victim felt off. I find it strange that Jane noticed the victim’s bra type (which, incidentally, I doubt was a sports bra; I think the purpose of those is to hold the cleavage in during exercise, and hers was close to spilling out simply from walking fast) but didn’t comment on the possibility that the victim may have had surgery to accentuate her assets (if I’m wrong about this, then I truly apologize and I hope the actress takes the mistaken assumption as a compliment on her physique). But the dialogue and the casting/wardrobe simply didn’t feel like it matched. Another example is how Jane commented on Yoli’s muscular arms, but she was wearing flowing sleeves that didn’t really reveal those arms. Either cast/dress the actress in a manner that fits the dialogue, or change the dialogue (for example, having Jane comment on her muscular legs; which were in plain sight.

The music

I’m sorry to say that I felt the ball was really dropped here. Is there a rule which states only Jane gets the funny soundtrack? Why did Cho’s first questioning of Summer have to be in silence? What happened to all of Blake Neely’s lovely whimsical tunes? They were sorely missed and would have made a humorous scene even funnier.

Also the songs chosen at the club didn’t seem to fit the Latino demographic shown in the episode; especially considering that Omar Vega was the “behind the scenes” owner. Nor did they serve to give the club a “jammin” aura.  Music chosen for other episodes (Crimson Cassanova, Rose-Colored Glasses,) packed a much bigger punch.

As to the characterization, Violet had a point especially when it came to the club owner, Vega. We’ve been told by multiple characters how dangerous this man is. But when he learns that Yoli was a cop, all he says is “Damn”. This reaction seems downright mellow considering this is a man we’ve been led to think is terrifying.

Violet: Even Jane was good, but not flamboyant, and they could have him play more with the situation. Jane introducing Lisbon in the night club was funny, but it could have been so much better! Although this lifeless attitude was probably intentional to show how tired he was. At least Lisbon got a chance to show she can still keep Jane in check.

Setting/Sets

Violet: The major disappointment was the dry representation of the undercover universe. I mean, when the murder happens in a specific profession, like the haute gastronomy or an orchestra, we got a bit of a picturesque atmosphere… Here? A noisy club, some warehouses, one or two shootings and a bullpen  some more-or-less disguised cops strand across without interacting with each other, at least on screen… What a shame, the situation had potential for so much more!

Reviewbrain: I’ll have to agree with Violet that the sets in this episode were woefully simple. Even when Jane goes to Vega’s bookkeeper, all we get is a depressing looking little wooden sign with Luxure written on it to let us know that this warehouse or facility or whatever is part of the club.

Even the caption at the beginning of the episode which is usually tells us where exactly California we are was missing; and location is a major part of this show. Yes, we were told by the local cop, but it was just another missing aspect that left me wondering “What’s wrong with this picture” rather than concentrate on the unfolding events.

Mostly Pet Peeves

-If I had five bucks for every character called Yolanda on this show I’d be able to donate a lot more to Indie movies. At least this time the victim’s nickname “Yoli” set her apart.

-It feels almost blasphemous to be saying this, but I felt that Simon Baker overdid Jane’s act in the scene where he pocketed drugs from Trey. He was a bit too effusive in his apologies, especially since we were shown that he stole the drugs from property; didn’t need any further hints. I’m surprised Trey didn’t suspect him.

Conclusion

I’d been worried that viewers will become desensitized to the show’s awesomeness due to all the dramatic plots and increasing number of Red John episodes. But I never thought that the show’s quality might drop because the more dramatic episodes have it running out of steam (as seems to be the case here).

I know this isn’t a Red John episode and that it wasn’t written by one of the shows big guns, but an equal effort in production must be made for all the episodes if the show is to retain its quality.  Pink Tops is a perfect example of how even a well written script can have less than stellar results. And considering how most of the episodes this season  have been so amazing (and Blinking Red Light, prior to this one was arguably the most dramatic and phenomenally executed) a large amount of effort needed here to ensure that Pink Tops doesn’t come off feeling like a filler. I didn’t feel that effort and it doesn’t seem fair.

Personally, I prefer the non-RJ episodes (it’s no secret I wished we’d seen the last of him). But the one-shot episodes need to be evermore perfect now that he’s going to be sticking around.

I think the powers that be need to go back to season’s one and two and study those fabulous stand alone episodes which earned this show its watchable reputation; episodes like The Scarlett Letter, Ladies in Red, The Red Line, Russet Potatoes, Red Herring , Rose Colored Glasses, Red Badge, Code Red and a Price above Rubies were wonderfully produced, had intriguing settings and characters, and were sharp.

Finally, we’ve had the fact that Jane is “just a consultant” ingrained for three seasons now but more and more he is acting like an agent. While it is not the first time Jane has gone undercover, I can’t help but think that, in a show that’s almost entirely devoted to Simon Baker’s character, the spotlight needs to be passed around as much as possible. And I don’t mean have episodes devoted solely to individual characters (I actually find those awkward); rather, give characters as equal share as possible within a single episode. Episodes Redline, Red Alert, Rhapsody in Red, Ring Around the Rosie, Bloodstream, and Every Rose Has its Thorn are all good examples of how this was done effectively. I love Simon Baker and Patrick Jane, but once in a while I want someone else to be in danger, to save the day. And that shouldn’t be too hard to pull off as he’s just the consultant.

 

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