The Mentalist Round Table: "Il Tavolo Bianco"
Christine Orlando
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As if a mob hit, jury tampering, and organ harvesting weren't enough to pack into The Mentalist Season 6 Episode 20, Lisbon was still struggling to make her big decision.
And Jane tried to help her with cannoli this week.
Below, TV Fanatics Robin Harry and Christine Orlando are joined by The Mentalist fan GraceSteph to debate if Daniella is the victim she appears to be, why Lisbon was furious and whether or not PIke realize his competition is Patrick Jane...
Is Daniella a victim or does she know more than she's saying about the smuggling ring?
Robin: I didn't get any inkling that she's anything more than a victim. I figured she was left behind so that the drug harvesting people could pick her up for her organs, while the others were taken to slavery.
GraceSteph: Good question. I can’t tell whether she is or isn’t. Her appearance at the old house felt somewhat fishy and why was she the only one found in the first place. I’m intrigued to see how this unfolds.
Christine: Robin's right. She could have been left behind for the organ harvesting but it seems odd that it was only her out of all of those girls. And her appearance at the holding house was weird. I'm really not sure but either way, nothing would surprise me on this show.
Why was Lisbon so furious at Jane for not telling her about Operation Jury Scam?
Robin: I think it was exactly what she said; Lisbon feels that their friendship should keep her from being the target of his cons. She was willing to put her job on the line - yet again - to protect him, only to find out that she was deceived. Lisbon's at a point in her life where she feels she needs honesty and stability, and Jane leaving her in the dark about the sting disappointed and infuriated her.
GraceSteph: If there’s one thing that attracts Lisbon to Pike is that he appears to (keyword “appears to”) feed into Lisbon’s insecurity on Jane: ambiguous, con, and thoughtless about her feelings. The sting was a reminder to her about this aspect; Jane has had kept her in the dark, hurt and left her many times in the past and he probably always will.
Christine: As close as Lisbon feels to Jane she's never been entirely sure how he feels about her. Leaving her in the dark made her feel like she was no different to any one else and that definitely stung.
If Jane only wants Lisbon to be happy then why does he look so darn miserable?
Robin: Jane knows there's a very real possibility that her happiness would mean his loneliness. Lisbon is the only one who truly knows Jane, the only one he's allowed to know him, and her departure would leave a giant and likely irreparable hole in his life.
GraceSteph: It is because he has come into a realization that he loves Lisbon, yet his self-loathing is the con he’s been telling himself that she may be better off with someone else. He gives her the respect to decide her own life just like what she quoted in Green Thumb (“you think you know what’s good for my life”, “it’s my life and I’ll decide what to do with it”) even though that might mean a collapse of his own world.
Christine: Remember, Lisbon was on the short list of things he needed to come back to the states, even if it was only working with her. He absolutely wants her to be happy, even if that's not with him but if he ever got the courage to ask for more he might not look so miserable.
Do you think Marcus Pike realizes that Patrick Jane is his competition?
Robin: I think he knows on some level, and it had to be a clue that Patrick showed up at Lisbon's door at odd hours of the night with cannoli. Poor guy. I really like Marcus Pike. I almost wish his character was a little less likable so I wouldn't feel as bad for him...but he truly is getting the short end of the stick.
GraceSteph: Yes, him being indirectly pushy about D.C and shadowing Lisbon everywhere are proof to me that he is feeling insecure. He tried so hard to impress Lisbon and I know it is too long to elaborate here but to me he is too manipulative to be called the “super nice guy." He obviously knows Jane’s flaws and has been subtly using it to his advantage.
Christine: I know there's a romance to the whole whirlwind affair but I do feel as though Marcus asking her to move to D.C. is pushy and his "take as much time as you need" super nice guy act is wearing thin. Lisbon isn't very open and that's got to worry him. He'd have to be blind not to see the connection between her and Jane. Nice as he may seem, Marcus Pike is no fool and he's playing this very well.
What was your favorite scene from this Mentalist Season 6 episode?
Robin: Can I pick two? First is the Jane/Lisbon restaurant scene - it was just so wonderfully awkward, and I loved the delivery of the line, "What DOES a girl want to hear?" Second is at the nightclub when Jane turned on the charm on Brandy. Good grief, I love flirting Patrick. When he told her he was gonna take her places she never been, I just about hit the floor.
GraceSteph: As much as Jane and Lisbon’s restaurant scene gave me butterflies, I’m going to choose the end scene. Simon and Robin’s phenomenal acting is the one that turn this into one painful-almost-disturbing scene to watch. They did a fantastic job portraying Jane and Lisbon’s suppressed raw emotions and pain through their body language and facial expressions. Jane’s cracking voice and Lisbon finally have tears rolled down her cheek for Jane just scattered my heart into pieces.
Christine: I don't think I can choose. I loved the restaurant scene but it ended far too soon. The final scene was wonderfully awful is there is such a thing. They were both so miserable. I don't doubt that Patrick said what he meant but it certainly wasn't what he felt. And I want to know what Lisbon told Pike when she went back inside with tears in her eyes.
C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
