Season three of The Mentalist just keeps getting better. I'd classify “The Blood on His Hands” as the best episode yet. 

This week, we bring back Red John and the abduction of Kristina Frye.  She’s been missing for four months.  Most people assume she’s dead until she mysteriously calls into a psychic radio show.  Patrick identifies her voice and police trace the call. She isn’t found, but the address leads them to an empty, pad locked room with a creepy doll on the floor and Red John’s logo painted on the wall in Kristina’s blood. 

The scene haunts Jane as he tries to work another murder case.

Our two cases overlap this week.  The murder victim, Celia, was a member of a cult-like church called Visualize.  The cult leader, Bret Stiles, is somehow connected to Red John.  Stiles tells Jane, “He wants to take away everything and everyone that you care about.  It’s a form of love you know.”  Very creepy.  How does he know what Red John is thinking?  I hope we get some answers in a future episode.

Grace and Rigsby shared some great scenes.  Rigsby is dating again and Grace is obviously a bit jealous, although she tries to cover it up.  As they drive, Grace admits her feelings to him, but says she’ll move beyond it:  “Can we be just friends?”  Rigsby agrees and it’s a nice moment between them. 

You can see how much they still care for one another. Unfortunately, it doesn’t last long.  Rigsby realizes they are being followed.  Van Pelt attempts a maneuver to lose the tail, but a cyclist gets in her way, causing the vehicle following them to slam into her driver's side door.  Rigsby’s scream as he sees the impact about to occur is frightening.  Thankfully, neither is hurt.  The tail turns out to be an FBI agent.

Agent O’Loughlin is sent to investigate CBI.  His superior is concerned that Visualize may have a mole in law enforcement.  After following Van Pelt and Rigsby, he realizes the mole isn’t within CBI.  Grace apologizes to him for her maneuver that caused the crash.  He realizes her father is a college football coach he once played against.  There are obvious sparks between these two and I won’t be surprised when they bring O’Loughlin back as a love interest for Grace.

The final scenes are my favorites.  Again, Stiles is the man with the answers.  He gives Jane an address where they find Kristina.  She is unhurt, minus a needle mark in her arm where Red John took her blood for his logo.  Unfortunately, she is basically catatonic.  She sits in the CBI conference room unblinking.  Staring at nothing.

Patrick tries to bring her back.  He jokes, “What was the worst date you ever had?”  He pleads with her to speak to him. Then he tries one of her rituals.  He lights a candle, dims the lights and calls on her spirit to speak to him.  She looks at him and smiles.  “Death is not the end," she tells him.  “You’re talking to a ghost and still you’re a skeptic.”  When he asks about Red John she only responds, “I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”  Then he blows out the candle and her eyes are lifeless again.

Jane sits on the leather sofa in CBI.  Stiles has fled the country.  Patrick is left with more questions and no answers. Lisbon and the team get a call about another murder and Jane follows them but the look in his eyes is just as vacant as Kristina’s.  It is a haunting moment and makes me wonder how much one man can take.  What will happen when he reaches his limit?

Oh, and did anyone else notice that Lisbon wore her hair up this week?  I thought it looked more professional and less distracting.  Is that just me?

C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.