Leave it to Patrick Jane to get under the matriarch of a crime family's skin or deduce the identity of a killer by using his love of pastries. "The Whites of His Eyes" had all that and left us hanging with a serious conflict between Jane and Lisbon.

Our TV Fanatics Robin Harry and Christine Orlando are joined by The Mentalist fans from Twitter, @Nerwen_Aldarion and  @emilynthephoto to talk beignets, Jane's trickery and whether this new couple can work things out after The Mentalist Season 7 Episode 8. 

Were you surprised that Agent Spackman called in Abbott's team after the last time?

Robin: Yes and no. Spackman and Jane definitely weren't fans of each other from their last encounter, but Patrick Jane does have a particular set of skills that he needed. 

@Nerwen_Aldarion:  Not really, Jane is a big asset even if he is a pain to work with hehehe.

@emilynthephoto:  Judging by the wideness of his gape the last time we saw Spackle, I'm not surprised he came back around. He probably won't admit it, but he was impressed with their brand of crime solving. It got the job done, after all. 

Christine:  He might not like Jane, but apparently he respects his abilities. This was a huge case with several lives on the line. He must have really believed in Abbott's team to get the job done. 

Have you ever had a beignet? 

Robin: I had never even heard of them before this, I don't think. They sound divine. I'm now on a mission to find them in my city. 

@Nerwen_Aldarion:  You are talking to someone whose entire family LIVES in Louisiana. I've MADE beignets!

@emilynthephoto:  Yes I have, in New Orleans in fact. What Jane said about not many people know what they are was really funny to me. But, I'm from the South, so. 

Christine:  I'd never heard of them until my trip to New Orleans. Then I spent every morning at Cafe Du Monde enjoying their beignets. They are amazing.

Who got under Belinda Bittaker's skin more, Abbott, Cho, or Jane?

Robin: I think Jane did. She didn't seem too intimidated by Abbott since she called his bluff. However, when Jane mentioned her antidepressants and that she wasn't happy, she was definitely thrown. 

@Nerwen_Aldarion:  Can I say all three? Jane called her a liar but Abbott and Cho really got under that mama bear instincts. Both ways it was fun to watch.

@emilynthephoto:  I would say Jane. He called her out on her lies. Nothing stings more than the truth. 

Christine:  I agree with Robin. Jane's comment about her anti-depressants really did seem to unnerve her. 

On a scale of 1 (least) to 10 (most) - how wrong was Jane to send Lisbon off on a wild goose chase at the hotel.

Robin: I'll say 5, because Jane was absolutely all kinds of wrong, but I understand why he would do that. He lost the last woman he loved to violence, and that took him years to get over, years which included committal to a psychiatric facility AND multiple homicides. It's completely understandable why Jane would go through extreme measures to keep that from happening to his current love and not go through that again. Though he's still wrong - Lisbon needs the freedom to do her job.  

@Nerwen_Aldarion:  8. Jane had real pure motives but he did trick her into not doing her job right, but is it so wrong to want to protect someone?

@emilynthephoto:  You pose a very hard question and may require more space and time than I'm allowed to figure this out. It seemed on the surface that he was falling back into his old ways and tricking her, but his intentions were somewhat honorable. However, with how much progression they've made as a couple and as partners, I would have preferred more in depth discussion about his fears earlier in the episode. I understand wanting to put him at ease, but Lisbon is also at fault here for letting it get brushed under the rug to the point it escalated to. If that makes any sense at all, I give it 5.

Christine:  7. I understand and sympathize with his motivation but it was wrong. Someone else could have gotten killed because the team was down a man while he sent Lisbon off on a bogus lead. Plus, I agree with @emilynthephoto that it felt like Jane falling back into old habits by tricking her, or at least that's how Lisbon may see it. 

Jane wants to "work it out" with Lisbon but she was livid. Do you think they can?

Robin: I saw that as a conversation between a man who knows the work it takes to make a relationship work, and a woman who doesn't.  Lisbon hasn't really stuck through any stable, committed relationships, so the fights and the tough times are going to make her question everything.  Jane, on the other hand, has been happily married.  He knows that hurdles in a relationship will come, and he doesn't see them as catastrophic, but as challenges for them both. They can work it out with some give and take.  

@Nerwen_Aldarion:  Oh yes, they can and will work through this. They've had 12 years of leading up to this, they won't let it all go because of one fight. Jane has to recognize that he can't smother Lisbon and Lisbon has to see that Jane is simply terrified that he'll lose the woman he loves again. 

@emilynthephoto:  They've been working it out together beautifully thus far. This is just a larger issue to overcome and they will definitely need to talk it all out fairly. It's going to take some time, but they will find a plan and a compromise.

Christine:  Good insight Robin. I'd say it was a triple whammy for Lisbon as 1. She's never had a truly long-term relationship where she was all in. 2. This is concerning Jane interfering in her career which is central to who she is, and 3. She's got to be worried about Jane slipping back into old patterns with lies and tricks. All of that said, I do think they can work this out if they're honest with one another about what they want.

What We're Watching: Week of January 19 - January 25

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Did anything disappoint you about this episode?

Robin: I was disappointed that Patrick went back to his old subversive ways to protect Lisbon, rather than just telling her about his fears. They were doing so well with the honesty and openness!  This felt like a step backward.  

@Nerwen_Aldarion:  No "I don't want to lose you" that was in the promo!

@emilynthephoto:  I would say the last scene, but it really just fits so well with the progression of their story. I think for me it's more about coming from an episode that seemed to scream a happy future, to be hit with such an emotionally heavy one and an almost impassable roadblock was a bit of a hard one to swallow. I'm a hard one to disappoint, so everything in the episode still stands up for me. 

Christine:  I was disappointed that they didn't talk more openly about Jane's concerns for Lisbon's safety. The Bon Jovi sing-a-long was cute but I would have preferred a more open conversation. 

What was your favorite scene in The Mentalist Season 7 Episode 8?

Robin: It's a definite tie. Lisbon "singing" her Bon Jovi lullaby to help relax Jane, and his response of "oh dear God, the pain" was just absolute gold.   Then there was the sheer annoyance on Jane's face with "I'm not your dog!....Jackass." Loved it. 

@Nerwen_Aldarion:  The bedtime renditions of Bon Jovi of course! Wow they were SO cute in that scene!

@emilynthephoto:  I really enjoyed the scene with Jane poking at the Bittaker family. The back and forth he played with all of them was hilarious. It was really the only time you see Jane truly enjoying himself while investigating the case and that's what made it special for me. 

Christine:  Oddly enough, the final scene simply because Jane was so determined that they would work this out. There's no question he is all in. Now it's just a question of overcoming some big hurdles and getting Lisbon to go over them with him. 

Don't miss a minute of this final season. Watch The Mentalist online here at TV Fanatic. 

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