The Mentalist Review: For the Love of Socks
Christine Orlando
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One of the things that I noticed right from the beginning of The Mentalist Season 6 Episode 10 was that Jane still wasn't wearing any socks.
Perhaps he simply doesn't own a pair after his time on the beach. Watching him hang out in his detention suite without them made me wonder if he was boycotting that piece of apparel or if the FBI refused to provide them.
Apparently I wasn't the only one who noticed... but we'll get back to the socks in a bit.
I was surprised that the story picked up three months later but maybe I shouldn't have been. Goodness knows Patrick Jane can hold a stalemate with the very best and he wasn't about to back down from his list of demands. And at the top of Jane's Terms was Teresa Lisbon.
Lisbon was oddly still back in Washington state dealing with important police emergencies…like a missing stapler. When she walked into Jane's detention suite, I wondered if it was the first genuine smile he's had in those three months. He seemed thrilled to have her ordering him around once more.
The case highlighted the best of Jane's talents. I loved that he immediately spotted that the wife was a gypsy when no one else did. And his psychic schtick was so good he almost had me believing him, even though I knew it was a scam. Jane is just that good at reading people and selling the con and that's what makes it so much fun to watch.
As was some of his interaction with Agent Fischer. She's trying so hard to get the upper hand on Jane that it makes it even easier for him to play games with her as when he told Fischer in this The Mentalist quote…
I understand you Kim. I understand you very well. Better than you do yourself.
Jane
It may very well be true…or it could just be Jane messing with her head. Either way, Patrick Jane is nothing she expected.
Fischer: I was so certain I had him figured out.
Lisbon: Welcome to my life.
For a moment, I wondered if she was trying to play Lisbon but I honestly think Fischer was looking for advice. And when she asked if Lisbon and Jane had been involved I found it telling that Teresa didn't answer the question with a resounding no.
Maybe it's because although they were never officially a couple; there's certainly more between them than a strictly professional relationship.
Making a run for it in Brooklyn was typical Jane. It was as though he did it just to prove he could. And Cho's amusement was priceless, as was him calling out Fischer after she berates one of her agents for losing him. Cho's had Jane play him far too often not to revel in watching him do it to someone else.
Fischer: He made fools of us.
Cho: It won't be the last time.
The best moment was Teresa finally telling Jane off. He's left her time and time again without a word. Yes, he sent her letters from the island but she never knew if she'd ever see him again.
Patrick was focused on the fact that he always came back to her but Teresa had a different perspective. He can disappear at any moment and she never knows if this time it's forever. How do you trust someone who continually blind sides you?
Even now, he hasn't asked her what she wants. Never consulted her in his decisions or in drafting his terms.
You were difficult and exhausting and maybe I don't want to put the rest of my life on hold to be your sidekick.
Lisbon
Not that Teresa isn't bored and wasting her talents as a small town police chief but I can see how Jane's actions can make her fell taken for granted.
Thankfully, she's put that aside.
I loved when Jane went toe to toe with Abbott and won. That man is not an easy mark. It took Jane time to figure out what leverage to play to get what he wanted but as we saw in his hunt for Red John, Patrick Jane can be relentless.
Of course I can only imagine what Abbott's reaction will be when he realizes he's been played.
I was also elated that Jane didn't hesitate to share his scam with Lisbon and how he practically bounced from the bed when he realized she'd taken the FBI job. The two of them are now in this together and he can't wait to see what kind of trouble they can find.
His reaction to her gift of socks was just the icing on the cake.
I wasn't sure how this show would pull off the demise of Red John but so far, I'm thrilled with the continuation of Jane's story in The Mentalist Season 6. Now I just wish I didn't have to wait until January 5 for more!
C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
