There was a new psychic in town, while Patrick Jane was MIA on The Mentalist Season 7 Episode 11.

Would he come back? Was the new guy really psychic or a serial killer? Both? Neither?

Below, TV Fanatics Robin Harry and Christine Orlando are joined by The Mentalist fans Kate and @SteeleSimz from Twitter to debate whether Lisbon should have known Jane would come back, whether Wylie should be in the field and whether or not they’d like to be hypnotized by Patrick Jane...

Did you think Jane was going to come back to the FBI? Should Lisbon have known he’d be back?

Robin: I figured he would come back.  That being said, the way he left at the last episode was pretty ambiguous, and Lisbon really hasn't been reading him well lately, so I'm not sure if Lisbon knew what to expect.  Loved the arrest warrant though!

@SteeleSimz:  I think Jane would have come back to Austin but not the FBI. I firmly believe that after he worked out whatever problems he had he would have retuned to Lisbon at least to explain and apologize. I think Lisbon knew deep down that he would return but from years of being left she has a right to doubt him returning at all to her which she did. 

Kate:  I thought that Jane wouldn't return to the FBI per se other than to deal with the faux psychic and tie up loose ends. There is the Lisbon in danger issue and I don't think that Jane is a good FBI fit. While he is great at the work, he knows there is more to life than law enforcement and he values and wants that. I knew he would come back to Lisbon though. Given his disappearing, call avoiding track record, if I were Lisbon, I wouldn't have been 100% sure. At least he (sort of) told her what he was doing this time.

Christine: I hoped he would and how long he’ll be with the FBI is still in question but Lisbon had every reason to doubt him. He’s taken off for months or even years in the past with barely a word to her. She had the right to be worried. 

Is Gabriel psychic or not?

Robin: I think he's exactly what Jane thought he was - someone who knew how to play the game like he did. 

@SteeleSimz:  I believe Gabriel just notices things about people just like Jane does but this doesn't make him a psychic. He is just a person who sees what others tend to hide or think they are hiding. 

Kate:  No. I am not a believer. Gabriel was good, but Jane saw through him and nailed him on all of his sights and predictions. I can't say that warranted the James Panzer/SJK ending though. Looks like old Lazarus is as touchy as Red John.

Christine:  I think, like most psychics, Gabriel did his research and is very observant. Everything about Vega’s death and Abbott’s wife’s job in D.C. would have been in the news. The rest was just him putting context to those facts and making some educated guesses, or giving vague “clues” like the number 3. 

Should Wylie become a field agent or continue to be the tech guy?

Robin: I think Wylie is much stronger and quicker as an analyst, and that he should work with his strengths.  I don't think he's really cut out for fieldwork; he's much too softhearted.

@SteeleSimz:  I really want Wylie to become a field agent and work under Cho. Wylie is good in the office but he deserves a chance to test his abilities in other fields. With Cho as a teacher I think Wylie will make a fine agent in the field. 

Kate:  I am torn on this. I like Wylie as the super competent, confident tech guy. He's a critical part of the team. He doesn't seem cut out for the field. He's almost too nice. But if the field is his dream, then it's okay by me. It just doesn't fit with the character as written and played thus far (though he was brilliant undercover as Vega's husband/fiancé, I'll give him that).

Christine:  He’s so good at what he does and invaluable to the team in that role. If field work is his dream then he should go for it but I can’t really picture him in that role. 

Why do you think that cabin in the woods resonated with Jane?

Robin: I think it looked like a haven in the madness. It looks like a place where he and Lisbon could actually have peace, no matter what's going on in the world around them. I think Jane saw the cabin and found a way to make life with Lisbon work.

@SteeleSimz:  It is peaceful and secluded. It is away from the city that is loud and crazy and for him it is what he wants, a place that is away from the world of crime and violence. The cabin offers him this escape from the world that he is looking for. 

Kate:  Okay, so I am ill and my brain is fuzzy, but this perplexed me a bit. Jane did plan that weekend getaway to a similar place, so we know there is an appeal to him. On one level, maybe the cabin is an antidote to the ugliness he sees on the job. It is also the antithesis of the noisy, itinerant carny life he escaped and the artifice there. On another level, I imagine during his walkabout Jane was trying to face down some dark fears. Maybe stumbling on this cabin, recalling the weekend he had planned, reminded him that life offers other: light, love and all things they bring. Whatever the reason, it seemed to affirm that Lisbon is what he cherishes most and caused him to turn a corner. The right image at the right time? 

Christine:  I think Jane really needs a safe haven. Somewhere to run to that’s peaceful and the cabin seems to fit that bill. I only wish it came with that English Setter. That dog was gorgeous. 

Would you like to be hypnotized by Patrick Jane?

Robin: Would I like to close my eyes, and listen as the smooth, calm, sensual voice of Patrick Jane makes all my fears melt away? Uhh, where do I sign up?!

@SteeleSimz:  As long as he doesn't make me cluck like a chicken or do some weird musical number then yes I would so allow him to hypnotize me. Plus who could resist his voice? 

Kate:  Easy: yes. But preferably not in the course of a murder investigation.

Christine:  See Robin’s response above. Exactly. 

Was there anything about “Byzantium” that disappointed you?

Robin: I don't know if I was disappointed, but I was certainly a bit confused at the way Patrick and Teresa handled his absence. She seemed less upset than I expected about him ignoring her phone calls. Also, he's had a conversation with her before about her worries about his disappearing acts, so he should have known how she would feel, but he seemed surprised.

@SteeleSimz: I think the episode was just not long enough. The episode was fast pace, Jane is back, we have a new serial killer so I am very happy with the episode overall. 

Kate:  Something did rankle a bit: seeing Lisbon play second fiddle to Cho. Nothing against Cho, but it doesn't feel right that she has so little authority. It bugs me to see her taking orders and not giving them. Maybe this will help her decide to leave law enforcement, which is my preference. Shame her delight for the job was reiterated in this episode. I think I may be disappointed in that too! Oh, and the fact that Jane didn't answer Lisbon's calls again. What??

Christine:  Jane not answering Lisbon’s phone calls was disappointing. He could have at least texted her and said he was okay but needed more time. Ignoring her was selfish and cruel. 

What was your favorite quote or scene from The Mentalist Season 7 Episode 11?

Robin: Sooo many good scenes, but drunk Patrick (and hungover Patrick) take the win for me. I love how Simon Baker plays it - not over the top, but still pronounced enough to be obvious and hilarious.  "It's not rocket surgery."

@SteeleSimz:  "Failure to appear," is by far my favorite quote and the look on Jane's face is priceless as the officer is taking him away in cuffs. At least that is one way to get Jane to return when he has run off. 

Kate:  Always the tough question. Setting aside the Jane/Lisbon scenes, which really worked for me, I'll go with "failure to appear". Classic. And I love that it came from Lisbon. She's learned from the master and that made me smile. Honorable mention to Wylie and Lisbon in the (literal) field. I liked seeing them work together. It was nice and the actors made it real.

Christine:  “Failure to appear” was awesome. But I always like it when Jane goes toe to toe with a supposed psychic. How he pokes holes in their visions and predictions. I always feel like there’s something right in the world when ever he does that. 

Don't forget to check our photos from The Mentalist Season 7 Episode 12 and remember, you can always watch The Mentalist online here at TV Fanatic. 

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