Let's go over how The Mentalist wrapped up the year 2010:

- Benjamin, dressed as Santa, falls to his death from his apartment fire escape.  Benjamin was president of the National Society of Authentic Santas and had an on-line Christmas decoration business.  He was a recovering alcoholic with a ten year sobriety chip yet he had a blood alcohol level of .45 when he died.  Handwriting experts determine the suicide note was not written by Benjamin.  He was murdered.

- Roxie, a high priced escort was seen with the victim the night before he died.  Roxie said Jack Wilder paid her to recruit alcoholics to his high end rehabilitation facility.

- Wilder uses aversion therapy at his treatment center.  He gives his patients alcohol in a controlled environment and couples it with medication to make them nauseous or mild electric shock therapy.  A nurse is always on duty to monitor the patients. Video shows Benjamin was fine at the end of his treatment but it shuts off before he leaves.

- Jane goes undercover at the rehabilitation center.  He experiences the therapy and causes his vital signs to look as though he is crashing.  Wilder leaves the room to call 911.  The nurse takes out a syringe to set Patrick free of his alcohol addiction permanently but Patrick wakes up before she can and she confesses to killing Benjamin.  Both of her parents were alcoholics and she’s seen the damage they can cause.  Patrick tells her he’s wearing a wire and the police are coming but when nothing happens she threatens to inject him anyway.  The CBI team arrives in the nick of time.

- Agent LaRoche is brought in to investigate the murder of Todd Johnson, the man who was set on fire in a holding cell after killing six police officers in a previous episode.  LaRoche considers Jane his prime suspect.  Jane avoids LaRoche’s interview until he threatens to pull Jane’s ability to consult with CBI.  Jane is so drunk after his therapy that it is hard to know if he is taking the interview seriously.  He doesn’t mention the possible Red John connection to LaRoche.

- Jane tracks down Virgil Minelli, Lisbon’s retired boss and tells him he suspects that Todd Johnson had a connection to Red John and that whoever killed Todd does as well.  He asks Virgil to go through back channels and get him a copy of LaRoche’s suspect list.  At first Virgil turns him down but later on he comes through with the list.