The Mentalist Round Table: Oncoming Trains
Christine Orlando
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A major character’s death rocked all involved in “Nothing Gold Can Stay” - and the ripple effects may end up changing the future path for one of our favorite couples.
Below, TV Fanatics Robin Harry and Christine Orlando are joined by The Mentalist fans @MISSCRAZY91 and @Donnamour1969 from Twitter to debate whether last week’s promo shared too much, if Patrick Jane is overreacting and what they expect to happen after The Mentalist Season 7 Episode 10...
After last week’s teaser promo we all knew that someone was going to die in this episode. Would you have preferred it if they’d kept it a secret?
Robin: I really wish they had kept it a secret. Knowing someone was going to die - and having a week to let it sink in - really deflated my emotional reaction. I think the impact of her death would have been heavier and stronger if we hadn't seen it coming.
@MISSCRAZY91: Personally, I wish I hadn't known. Promoting a show is not about giving away major spoilers but just teasing. When you watch a show, you expect to be surprised. Not to mention the promo was not only giving away that someone would die, they also revealed who would die as we immediately knew it would be either Vega or Wylie.
@Donnamour1969: Yes, they really are giving too much away in the promos lately. The episode was good, but it would have been awesome if Vega's death had been a complete surprise. And they have done it again for next week's promo. It is very frustrating.
Christine: The promo gave far too much away. Between knowing someone was going to die and seeing who was in the funeral scenes it was easy to figure out that Vega was a goner. The entire episode would have had much more of a dramatic punch if they’d hadn’t have given so much away.
Who did you have the most sympathy for when it came to Vega’s death?
Robin: I have to go with Cho. It was his first time taking lead and his rookie died on his watch. He practically watched Vega die in his arms, had her blood all over him. Seeing the ever-stoic Kimball Cho crack in Abbott's office was seriously hard to watch.
@MISSCRAZY91: I hesitate between Cho, Wylie and Abbott. Cho was probably the most affected since Vega died in his arms and he felt responsible for her. It sort of changed him because he wanted to avenge Vega's death, which can remind us of Jane's behavior...Wylie had feelings for her and he didn't even have the time to let her know. As for Abbott, one sentence he said hit me: "I didn't talk to her, not even a "Good morning"".I guess this would happen often and you can see Abbott's guilt as he realizes that he should have paid more attention to her, appreciated her presence when she was alive. But in the end, if I had to choose, I'd say I have more sympathy for Cho.
@Donnamour1969: I felt the most for Cho. He was there with her at the end, and Abbott had just given him the reins of the operation, so the guilt must be terrible. And his crying scene was incredible. Kudos to Tim Kang!
Christine: For me it was Wylie. He’d finally found the courage to ask her out. He was so nervous and excited as he planned their first date and instead he had to get dressed up for her funeral. It was simply heartbreaking.
Was Lisbon right? Does Jane have to stop pulling her out of the path of oncoming trains?
Robin: This is tough. I understand that Lisbon needs the freedom to do her job. However, she can't keep ignoring or dismissing the trauma that Jane's been through. I don't think she's really grasping the depth of his need to protect her and to protect himself from the pain of losing another love to a violent death.
@MISSCRAZY91: I totally understand his feeling but Lisbon has been in lots of dangerous situations before - having a bomb strapped around her chest, being shot by O'Laughlin, sometimes protecting Jane - yet, Jane wouldn't feel so scared afterwards. His fear grew along with his love for Lisbon. One can say Lisbon is not specifically more in danger than before. Also, life is unpredictable, you just can't always prevent someone's death no matter how hard you try.
@Donnamour1969: Yes. Jane really needs to let go of the past to the extent that he opens himself up to life, and all that that implies. He is letting fear stand in the way of true happiness. He could lose Lisbon anyway because of this, and not just on the job.
Christine: She is…and she isn’t. Jane has been through such trauma that it took him over a decade to allow himself to love again. The thought of losing her is too much for him to take. I don’t see how they can continue working together unless something changes.
Is Patrick overreacting to Vega’s death or is he right to want to leave the FBI?
Robin: He's not overreacting at all. He had a somewhat paternal relationship with Vega, and her death undoubtedly awoke all kinds of terrors within him from losing his daughter and wife. I don't blame him for wanting to be far away from all of that.
@MISSCRAZY91: To me, it's not a matter of being wrong or right. At that moment, the only thing he wants is to leave and it's understandable after what he went through, although it's not rational. Plus, he mentioned the possibility of leaving while talking to Lisbon way before Vega's death. I actually think this death was the last straw that broke the camel's back.
@Donnamour1969: I understand Jane's fears, but leaving Lisbon (again!) is totally selfish and unfair. He's in a relationship. He needs to commit to that and consider her needs as well as his own.
Christine: It’s almost as though Jane is reliving his trauma every time Lisbon’s life is in danger. His fear is visceral and he can’t seem to control it. I’d love to see him try and get some help but I don’t think that’s going to happen. Walking out on Teresa isn’t right but Jane may have to do just that to hold onto his sanity.
If Patrick is able to leave the FBI, should Teresa follow?
Robin: That's really hard. Patrick's reasons for wanting them to leave and wanting to protect Teresa are all absolutely legitimate. However, law enforcement is all she's ever known. I guess the question is whether Teresa sees more to herself than her job. If she doesn't and she leaves just to be with him, they'll both be miserable. But if she can find fulfillment outside of her job or in Patrick, they should be on the next train out.
@MISSCRAZY91: I absolutely don't know....Either way, she has to do what makes her happy and choosing between her job and Jane definitely sounds like a tough decision.
@Donnamour1969: Only if it is what she really wants, and not out of fear of losing him. Otherwise, she might resent him later. A cop is who she is, and I think it is completely unfair of him to ask her to leave what she loves so much because of a hypothetical situation born of fear.
Christine: Lisbon has been in law enforcement her entire adult life. It seems to be something she loves and her entire identity is wrapped up in it. As much as she loves Jane, I’d be very surprised if she chose to walk away from her career to be with him.
Was there anything in “Nothing Gold Can Stay” that disappointed you?
Robin: I was really disappointed in the last scene. Teresa's lack of understanding of Patrick's pain is astounding. First, she tells him "places like this must be hard for you" - the place?! The place was just the icing on the trauma cake, Teresa. Also, while I'm content with the physicality of their relationship on screen thus far, some physical gesture of compassion would have been more than appropriate here. Even a touch to his shoulder. Also, given the circumstances and knowing where he's been in life - that was absolutely not the time to tell him he'll never be able to protect her. Awful timing.
@MISSCRAZY91: I can't think of anything. Vega's death and Jane's decision sadden me but the episode was great and never disappointed me.
@Donnamour1969: Jane shouldn't have left her, not even for a minute when obviously they were BOTH hurting. Also, a little slow-motion photography goes a long way.
Christine: I agree with Robin. Lisbon’s line about “places like this must be hard for you” and her analogy about oncoming trains came across as callous. I don’t think she truly understands the depths of Jane’s terror.
What was your favorite quote or scene in The Mentalist Season 7 Episode 10?
Robin: The funeral. It was powerful and devastating, and the song they picked for that scene was perfectly sad, haunting and stoic all at once. There was so much: watching Abbott and Cho carry the casket, watching Wiley keep his head up, seeing Cho walk past Vega's picture to put the flag in her family's hand, and watching Jane struggle to keep it together as that happened. That's a funeral scene I'll remember for a long time.
@MISSCRAZY91: Don't get me wrong but the funeral scene was brilliant. And the song fitted it perfectly.
@Donnamour1969: My favorite scene was when Cho held Vega and tried to keep her alive until the paramedics came. It was a touching and very real scene, and I could feel the pain of both characters. The fact that this scene was all done without any music made it all the more powerful.
Christine: Vega asking Cho if she’d messed up as she bled out in his arms. Even as she was dying she was still looking for his approval. It was absolutely heartbreaking.
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C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
