The Mentalist Review: Jane's Texas Twang
A Texas accent on Patrick Jane is unnatural, let's start with that. But then have him showing off weaponry and my head simply spins.
Still, "Ring Around The Rosie" highlights how things are changing at the CBI and we need to adjust to a new state of normal.
Meet Luther Wainwright, the new boss. Does anyone know what happened to Hightower after the season finale? I don't think they've mentioned her or did I miss something? With Wainwright taking over I'd like to know what happened to Madeline because I really grew to like her.
Wainwright is a bit of an odd duck, but he may turn out to be an interesting foil for Jane. I'm not sure if he admires or fears Jane. Possibly both. He seems to appreciate Jane's input until that final scene where he declares him a clinical psychopath. Perhaps that's not the best sign of things to come.
Of course, Jane did put a man with a large automatic weapon at an event full of people. I know they replaced the ammo with blanks in all of the weapons at the house... but what if he had had one in his vehicle? What if they'd missed one? The risk factor is huge. I can understand why Wainwright finds it disconcerting.
Moving on to the rest of the CBI team, I love how Grace is coping with her fiance's betrayal. She shot a pedophile last week and this week she's telling an abused wife not to quit because then she'll miss the best part: Payback. Damn, Grace Van Pelt has certainly changed since she first came to the CBI but I suppose almost marrying a murdering psychopath will do that to you.
Obviously Rigsby has noticed the change, too, since he made the comment saying at least she hadn't shot anyone this time. Ouch!
Did anyone else catch Cho's dig at Rigsby? Or at least that's the way I interpreted it. Rigsby's complaining about the new boss being so young and this exchange takes place:
Rigsby: Doesn't that bother you that the guy's barely qualified?
Cho: You get used to it. | permalink
I had to laugh at that because I do feel that Cho is a much better agent than Rigsby will ever be. And we'll follow that up with the Cho deadpan line of the night…
Your under arrest for the attempted murder of...everybody. | permalink
How can you not love Kimball Cho?
It feels a little odd that Jane and Lisbon basically worked separate cases. I missed their banter and hope for more next week. So nice of him to offer her tea before she left, though.
And I guess Wainwright's comment about being a clinical psychopath must have worried him a bit because he asked Lisbon if she thought he was an anti-social personality. I don't think a real psychopath would care. And Lisbon's response just solidified why I love this show. Yeah, sure. Who isn't? So true.
C. Orlando is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
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Jane: Good luck Teresa. Love you.
February 24th, 2012 3:22 AM
@ Naota. I noticed that a bit too. But welll...writers are human and they have their opinions like everyone else. Its the same in all cop shows. Have you noticed how black people never commit any crimes? Its always wealthy white people? Juuuuuuust like in real life....not. But I suppose they don't want the ACLU or Obama getting mad at them. These days who knows.
February 24th, 2012 3:20 AM
Actually Jane was a psychopath before Red John. He conned people with absolutely no regard for their lives or their fates. He is the first to risk peoples lives in order to clear a case, and any person with a conscience will know that finding a killer doesn't bring the dead back. Thus finding closure for the dead is definitely a second priority to not getting anyone else killed!!!! If you put a person with an automatic weapon in the midst of a croud in real life the odds that someone would get trampled to death are nearly 100 percent. Panic kills people all the time. So yes. Jane is absolutely a psycho in every way. Always has been.
I am a little put off by the writer missing the long and drawn out Hightower arc! Hightower was framed by Red John and Jane helped her escape. How long have you been watching the show? This took up like a dozen episodes!!!!!!
November 9th, 2011 9:31 AM
@ummm...
no difference between a psychopath and a sociopath. don't be a smart alec.
November 7th, 2011 7:29 AM
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November 7th, 2011 7:23 AM
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Rank: Regular Character
October 24th, 2011 8:19 PM
Great episode. Asks good questions. Wainwright will be interesting. Castle writers could learn from this.
Rank: Extra
October 23rd, 2011 1:25 AM
It's my first comment!
no need to say how much I enjoy "the mentalist" and most of all the Patrick Jane character!
Today, I was wondering I don't really like it if they want to hide the red john for 8 or 9 seasons. It would be 4 other years. Who knows if we are still alive by then or not! I know there are much more important things to thinks about when death subject comes along. Just saying...
On the other hand, do the writers know who the red john is themselves? Or they just want to go on and on to see what will happen? Are they going to kill Patrick at the end of the show or they are going to finish it like MONK? To be honest, I really don't like waiting for the next episode and waiting for the next season... are there any message boards any where so we can tell the writers not to play with our souls and nerves? Don't get me wrong, I learn a lot from The mentalist, I have learnt to look wisely and I am trying to cope. But I need a closure somehow.
Anyways, if Red John
October 19th, 2011 8:56 PM
Yeah i know some are rooting for romance between Jane and Lisbon but somehow I cant see them together. She's too straight and he's too...bend. I cud have seen her with Bosco though. I kno Jane is soft on her but i am not sure its enough. the writers wud have to add a lot more to do a romance between them and it might kill it. better she hook up with the boss, which is still not allowed, and let it eat Jane. Cause quite frankly, Jane cant handle that right now. He needs a female version of himself, someone to make him think, smarter or as smart as him but not devious like him. He might be able to take the plunge then. Lisbon is his anchor.
I really want to see someone other than Red John here. Someone who wants to challenge Jane. Something new. RJ is getting old.
October 19th, 2011 12:42 PM
Wainwright is so dull that I think he's set up to be killed very soon!
October 17th, 2011 10:51 PM
So . . the good guys were angry, screaming illegal immigrants, and the bad guy was a white southerner from Texas.
Nope, no bigoted, hate filled, liberal propaganda here.
I used to love this show.
This episode sucked.