the mentalist

Where there’s smoke…

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Dear Readers and Guests:

You may have noticed that lately the updates to this site have been, well, nonexistent. Not to get all “dog ate my homework” on you, but I do have a pretty decent excuse for neglecting ATHF. Actually, it’s a really GOOD excuse: during the recent violent weather in the US, my home was struck by lightning and subsequently caught fire. The blaze was so bad, it took numerous fire crews almost three hours to douse the flames. No one – human or animal – was injured, but the damage to the structure was substantial. In the weeks since then, my whole family has been grasping for some sense of normalcy as we struggle to make arrangements for the near future and plans for the distant one. While I would never include my recent experiences on my top ten list of “favorite life moments,” in some ways the fire really was a gift, because it certainly showed me the very best that humanity has to offer:

As a woman I’d never met before ran over to take each cat from my arms as I carried them, one by one, out of the burning building, I marveled at the kindness of strangers. As a firefighter made trip after trip upstairs to rescue my birds, I couldn’t help but be amazed at the bravery of those who put their lives on the line every day. As my brother and his family sheltered and fed us, without question or hesitation, I knew that even though my home had just burned down and many of my possessions were lost, I was still the luckiest girl on the planet.

Right now, things are in upheaval. Very soon, that should change. And I just want folks to know that although the updates to this site might be sporadic for the next month or so, there WILL be updates. Whether I have home access to the Internet or not, I have no intention of abadoning this website. In fact, here’s a little sample of what I have planned for the next few entries:

Fan Stuff:

-Long overdue reviews of The Mentalist and Supernatural season finales (The Mentalist one is already 98% written!)
-Reviews of Iron Man 3 and The Man of Steel

Writer Stuff:
-Tips and resources for self-editing and taking critiques from others
-Rejection Letter Revisited (I’ll be posting one of my old rejection letters and discussing what I learned, and what YOU can learn from my mistakes!)

I want to thank everyone who has stopped by ATHF, both the one-time visitors and most especially the regular readers and followers. When I see that little “like” message, I know someone’s reading, and that makes it all worth it. 🙂 I appreciate your patience and support during this difficult time. The writer in me misses writing, reading, and submitting. The fan in me misses fan fiction and TELEVISION! (I don’t care if it’s reruns, I still need to see my shows!) Hopefully soon there will be time for all of these things. In the meantime, thanks for hanging in there.

Sincerely,
Gretchen

Mentalist Review: Episode 5×21 “Red and Itchy”

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Review of Episode 5×21: “Red and Itchy” (AKA “Animal, Vegetable or Ewwwwwwwwww!”)
by castiello

Overall: It was the one episode I never saw coming. The one place I was sure they’d never, ever go. The one plotline that I thought would remain a dangly, loose thread, always and forever. But, no – in a burst of great continuity and bold storytelling, The Mentalist not only revisited the topic of LaRoche’s mysterious Tupperware, but did so in a thrilling and ultimately satisfying way. Well done, Show!

Jane: Okay, I take back what I said last time about him being kind of jerkish and making Lisbon come upstairs to get him all the time. Seems he genuinely was working on the Red John case, and was actually very close to a breakthrough. In hindsight, that little book he was reading must have been his list of names. It just looked different, somehow. Then again, the last time they showed Jane’s house and his bedroom, those looked different to me, too. And there’s no reason they would change those sets. So…weird angles, maybe? Unusual lighting? In any case, Jane is on the verge and I can’t really fault him for needing some alone time. The only thing I can fault him for is trying to find his alone time in a bustling government office building. Dude, just take some personal time and go hole up somewhere! A motel room, your house, an abandoned warehouse – almost anywhere would be an improvement.

Anyway, before Jane went into full seclusion, we got to watch him skillfully tap-dance his way around the topic of JJ’s Tupperware. I swear, if BSing is an artform, then Jane is Picasso. It was like seeing him do his psychic act all over again. LaRoche: “Do you think me a monstrosity?” Jane: “No…Not a monstrosity. I think you’re a very complex person…” LOL. Brilliant stuff. I kept waiting for Jane to screw up and say something that didn’t fit, but he pulled off the con brilliantly, letting LaRoche guide the discussion, keeping things just vague enough to be open for interpretation.

Where Jane impressed me the most, though, was his decision not to look in the Tupperware. I mean, he must have been dying to look. We all were. But in a rare move, Jane chose to respect JJ’s privacy and let some secrets remain secret. Part of Jane probably thought that the reality of what was in the box would never live up to what he’d been imagining. And, maybe a part of him was just testing his own willpower. But most of all, I think he does have some weird form of respect for LaRoche, some strange kinship that actually grew stronger during this case, and while Jane was conning and scheming JJ the whole episode long, I think at the end Jane decided to act as a true friend should. One small step for man, one giant leap for Jane. 🙂

Lisbon: “For once, don’t be the voice of reason – be the voice of wrath.” When Jane said that to her, I got shivers. And when she came back with, “Okay, how do we get the b!tch?” I actually hissed the word “yesssssss” under my breath. Right on, Lisbon. Right on. I’m so glad she followed her gut on this one. Jane’s plan wasn’t even as dangerous or half-cocked as usual, so there would have been no real harm done if he was wrong about Brenda. (Just some departmental embarrassment, but what else is new?)

If anyone discovered the secret of the box, I would have expected it to be Jane. If not him, then Van Pelt or Rigsby, who were openly making bets about the box’s contents. But in the end, it was Lisbon who showed that her passion for justice is only part of the reason she decided to become a cop. Apparently, she can’t resist the thrill of a good mystery – and she can’t stand not knowing the solution. It was Lisbon who broke down and scratched the itch for us, tracking down the rapist who had assaulted JJ’s mother and at long last digging up the truth.

I have to wonder, though, if she’s glad she made that trip. Now, Lisbon has to face a big decision about what to do with her newfound knowledge. Jane would tell her to just let it go. I mean, technically, she doesn’t know anything for sure. She just has a very strong hunch. Revealing her suspicions would be like opening up a can of worms and dumping them out to crawl all over the ground. LaRoche would find out the extent of Jane’s betrayal. LaRoche would be disgraced and probably wind up in prison. His mother’s memory would be tarnished. So, Lisbon will likely hold her tongue (LOL) and keep this secret buried, just as she has in the past with Bosco’s crime and the numerous illegal actions Jane has taken over the years. But how much of this stuff she can cover up before she starts feeling like a dirty cop? There’s gotta be a breaking point somewhere, because Lisbon believes in the law. Like, really believes. And I would so hate to see Lisbon hand over her badge because she just didn’t feel like she was honoring it anymore…

Cho/Rigs/Van Pelt: No overt mentions of the Rigspelt reunion – just a subtle shift in Rigsby’s demeanor when he talks about Van Pelt to Cho. No more whining and moping or endlessly obsessing. Rigbsy simply talked about the bet he and VP had going, but there was this lightness in the way he talked. This gentle happiness in the way both of them acted. I’m sure it took Cho all of two seconds to figure out they were back together. Never mind Jane, who knew it was going to happen before Rigsby and VP even did. The bullpen had a nice, relaxed feeling to it. Tension-free. Relieved. Meant-to-be. I was happy to just sit there and soak in the new group dynamic. And for the record, Cho’s wisdom and his ability to read people is starting to rival Jane’s. Cho didn’t hesitate when he said the contents of the box were “animal.” He’s not half as damaged as Jane, but Cho has still seen way more of humanity’s dark side than anyone should…

LaRoche: Speaking of dark sides – whoa! This dude is pitch black. I never thought of him as being particularly similar to Jane…I always thought LaRoche cherished the law above all else. But now that I’ve seen what he’s capable of…the coldness of it, the calculation that the act required…Yikes. JJ’s darker than Jane, if you ask me! When Jane shot Not-Red John in the mall, at least it was a heat-of-the-moment kind of thing. There were tears streaming down Jane’s face – he was pushed over the edge. But JJ’s crime took so much planning…to break into someone’s house, inject the person, and do that in the dead of night. Wow. And how could he possibly have gotten away with it? Given the circumstances, wouldn’t he be like, the one and only suspect? The only thing I can figure, is that someone let it slide. The police didn’t want to catch him, because they didn’t really blame him. The kind of corruption and rule-breaking JJ openly detests is probably the only reason he’s a free man today.

Brenda: Man, was I glad to see this chick go down! I mean, after what she did to Lisbon? After what she did to that kid? Brenda’s fall was long overdue. The fact that it happened on camera was just a bonus. The real joy was seeing her sitting there in the interrogation room with Lisbon and Jane. Seeing her smug expression and then seeing Jane smear it right off her face. His little “baaaa” said it all: You are not nearly as special or as smart as you think you are. You are a common criminal, just like all the rest. Right on, Jane. Right on.

The Box: After all that teasing, I actually thought they might not reveal the contents. After all the hype and the build-up, I actually thought maybe they shouldn’t reveal the contents. They could’ve easily done a cop-out ending and left us guessing for the remainder of our natural lives. But they didn’t – The Mentalist delivered a satisfying pay-off in a creepy and disturbing way, and I give them major points for tying up a mystery that’s been niggling for two long years. In the end, I was only left wondering about one thing: Seriously, why didn’t he just freeze it?

Final Thoughts: Jane is about 24 hours away from figuring out who Red John is. Lisbon just found out an icky secret. Rigsby and Van Pelt are together and it feels so good. What will happen next? Guess we’ll have to tune in to the SEASON FINALE TONIGHT!!!

Mentalist Review: Episode 5×20 “Red Velvet Cupcakes”

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Review of Episode 5×20: “Red Velvet Cupcakes” (AKA “Best Rigspelt Episode EVER!!”)
by castiello

Overall: A refreshingly unique case, some nice character moments, and about twenty gazillion reasons for Rigsby/Van Pelt shippers to grin like maniacs – what’s not to love? 🙂

Jane: Once again, Jane is being a hermit, unwilling to participate in the investigation. Well, technically he did agree to participate by phone – he just refused to grace the team with his actual, physical presence. And although Jane’s long-distance method of investigating does make for some funny scenes (“Rigsby – put the cupcake back…”), part of me couldn’t help but hate him a little bit, for making Lisbon personally come upstairs and tell him she needs him. I mean, I couldn’t see the title of the book he was reading, but he sure didn’t look like he was doing anything Red John-related, or even particularly urgent. It looked like he was just being a difficult, manipulative jerk, trying to see what lengths Lisbon would go to, to get him to come out.

That said, another part of me softened at how quickly he got up when she said she needed him, how gentle his voice was when he said, “It’s nice to be needed.” Maybe he wasn’t trying to be manipulative after all. Maybe he was just in a gloomy, non-social mental place, and he did need someone to come bring him out of it. Honestly, with his character, it could be either one of those possibilities, or both. Good writing, complex characters and nuanced performances make for great, thought-provoking television.

Another thing the episode made me wonder about: Did Jane know that going on the radio show would help reunite Rigsby and Van Pelt? Could he tell that they were right on the brink and just needed the right push? Something tells me the Mentalist knew exactly what he was doing when he set up that undercover assignment for “Dwayne” and “Stace,” and that solving the case was only a small part of his intent.

Lisbon: She’s been busy a lot this season. Busy, like not able to go to the initial crime scene. She’s either been in court, or having lunch with Kirkland, or at her own anniversary party. Though the reasons vary, this is the third time in recent memory that the team has started an investigation without her. Not saying it means anything – just saying it’s interesting.

Also interesting: Lisbon is a fan of the Love Doctor! And not too proud of it, either, lol! Very in keeping with her character, that she would keep something like that a secret – Lisbon raised three brothers and she’s established a career in a tough, male-dominated field. She’s trained herself to deny and squash down her feminine side, to the point where you put her in a pink bridesmaid’s dress and she looks like she wants to smash someone’s face in. It’s always neat when these little glimpses of Lisbon’s girly side come out.

And when glimpses of her womanly side come out – well, then we get some true revelations: I mean, turtlenecks? Really, Lisbon? Suddenly the attraction to Mashburn has layers…:)

In this episode, yet again, Lisbon was stuck with the task of dragging Jane out into the light and making him interact with his fellow humans. She seemed a little tired, and I don’t blame her. In truth, I’m sure she and the team are perfectly capable of solving the case without Jane. They wouldn’t solve it with nearly the speed or flare that he does, but they’d get the job done in a totally legal, slow-and-steady-wins-the-race kind of way. So, when Lisbon says she needs Jane, I think she means that she needs him to be okay. She needs him to be with her, so she doesn’t have to worry about him obsessing about serial killers in a dark attic 24/7. As we saw earlier this season, in “Red Dawn,” Lisbon has been about keeping Jane sane, engaged, and active right from Day One. She is a great friend…I just wish I knew if Jane deserved her.

On a lighter note, it was fun to see Lisbon squirm when Van Pelt and Rigsby were spilling the all-too-true details of their romance live on the radio. Lisbon gets uncomfortable so easily, especially when it comes to her personal life and the lives of her team members. You could just tell she hated every second of what she viewed as an intrusion into Van Pelt and Rigsby’s private lives – a total contrast to Jane, who was eating the whole thing up like a syrupy pile of Belgian waffles. More great character stuff.

And, speaking of:

Van Pelt/Rigsby: Wow. Just…wow. I mean, when Jane set them up to go on that radio show, I had no idea. None. I thought we were in for some humor. A little bickering, maybe. Some uncomfortable silences. Truly, nothing could have prepared me for the raw, naked, painful discussion that took place between these two characters. Years of bitterness, bad timing, and unresolved issues, all washed clean in a ten-minute radio broadcast. They talked about their break-up. They talked about Sarah and Ben. They talked about Craig (AKA, the homicidal maniac!). Van Pelt and Rigsby talked about everything that has been building up since Season One, and Owain and Amanda KILLED IT. I could not have been happier with that scene if you gave me a million dollars afterward. It was perfect, and I hope all the hard-core Rigspelt shippers are floating around on happy clouds right now. It was a long time coming.

Cho: You have to love how Rigsby can’t tell an attractive gold sandal from a loaf of bread, but my man Cho can spot what a sexy shoe is – or isn’t – with one look. 🙂 Footwear issues aside, though, it’s interesting to me that Cho made no attempt to coax Jane into the investigation. When Lisbon’s not present, that makes Cho temporarily the leader of the team. Therefore, wouldn’t it fall to him to make sure their consultant got with the program? I kind of looked forward to how Cho might handle this problem, and whether his methods for getting Jane out of the attic would be successful. It was mildly disappointing to see Cho back down from that challenge. (I forgive him, though, because he’s Cho.)

Randomness: Strong, emotional guest performances made some weird entanglements and strange fetishes seem relatable and realistic. From the S&M-enamored husband of the murdered woman, to the Love Doctor with a thing for feet, to the wife who couldn’t take that obsession with arches any longer, I thought the issues were explored somewhat sensitively and believably, rather than the whole thing getting turned into a joke. Plus, it was a plotline the show has never used before, so bonus points for that.

Final Thoughts: Without the beautiful, emotional and redemptive scenes between Rigsby and Van Pelt, this would have been a good episode. With those scenes included, the episode became great. I was blown away. I loved it. I wanted more. Good thing there’s another new episode tonight. 🙂

Mentalist Review: Episode 5×19 “Red Letter Day”

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Review of Episode 5×19: “Red Letter Day”
by castiello

Overall: The Red John storyline is heating up – big time – but that doesn’t mean we can’t stop and take a few minutes to enjoy the sheer pleasure of seeing Jane and Co. strolling around an Old West tourist town. The visuals of this ep – horses and dust and cowboy hats and saloons – (not to mention the fun factor) made it easy to overlook a slightly predictable plot. Despite the fact that “Red Letter Day” started at almost 11:00pm, I was wide awake and I had a rootin’, tootin’ good time.

Jane: Always a joy to see Jane’s street magician skills at work – swiping gold nuggets, picking cards, predicting the future in sealed white envelopes. These are the things that make Jane such a unique character, and they’re part of the reason this show stands out from other police procedurals. My only minor complaint about some of the mind-reading is that I like to know Jane’s secrets. I want him to tell me the clues he uses to guess where those tourists just came from. I want him to show me how he got the cards into that guy’s pocket, and how he knew what the guy’s favorite number would be. Sometimes, the tricks Jane pulls off are almost unreal – without the explanation of how he does things, it’s more like true magic than mentalism.

On the one hand, this lack of explanation is frustrating. On the other hand, it adds a healthy squirt of gasoline to the fiery debate that has long burned between two groups of Mentalist fans: those who take Jane at his word that he’s just a well-trained trickster, and those of us who like to hold onto that teensy bit of hope that somewhere deep down in the recesses of Jane’s uber-brilliant mind, there lies a modicum of true psychic ability.

The “genuine psychic” vs. “conman” question aside, Jane’s cleverness was in full force as he wedged a toothpick in his door to alert him of unwanted visitors. Personally, I thought he should have placed it a little lower down, because it seemed a bit too visible. Especially if Red John himself might be breaking in. But Jane’s low-tech security system worked better than a Guardian Alarm. In fact, he seemed so pleased with the results, I had to wonder if that was the only security measure he put in place.

On Elementary, Sherlock Holmes has surveillance cameras hidden all over his flat. If Jane really felt sure someone was going to break in, maybe he hid some bugs or mini webcams around to catch the snoops in the act. And maybe, just maybe, Jane was sharp enough to put up fake evidence to throw Red John’s spies off the scent. I’ve always thought the attic – or anyplace at work – was simply too public of a location to keep such sensitive files. I was almost positive that the photo wall in Jane’s loft was a decoy, and that at the end of the ep we’d see the real one – the one he was smart enough to keep hidden in some rented room that no one even knows about. Alas, the reveal didn’t happen, but that doesn’t mean it won’t. The knowing way Jane smiled at that security breach tells me he has more up his sleeve than just a broken toothpick.

Lisbon: When Cho said Lisbon was “busy,” my mind said, “Red Alert.” And for good reason: turns out she was lunching with Kirkland, whom she has correctly classified as a very strange individual. “Everything about Bob Kirkland is weird.” Trust me, Lisbon, you don’t know the half of it. She played it cool, though – did everything she should have done. Lisbon denied any knowledge of Jane’s list, and confirmed Kirkland’s notion that if Jane did know anything, he’d share it with Lisbon. Then, she told Jane everything that Kirkland had asked about. Unfortunately, though Lisbon remained loyal to Jane, and lied pretty darn convincingly, the Kirk-dude didn’t buy it. I’m not abandoning the possibility of Lisbon being compromised, but in this ep she didn’t do anything to warrant suspicion. Also, her expression as she sat in the audience at the Wild West Show was so endearingly long-suffering, I would probably forgive her even if she did turn out to be a Red John mole.

Cho: Cho and Jane partnered up in this episode. Not once, but twice. Sheer. Awesomeness. Have I died and gone to the place with the fluffy white clouds? Maybe not, but from the moment Cho approached the attic and Jane identified him by the sound of his footsteps, I felt like I was in heaven. (Cho: “How do you do that?”) And later, when Jane called Cho to the bar, and Cho was all, “I hate it when you call me for backup and nothing’s happened yet…” Love. It. These two have such great chemistry as partners; they play off of each other with fresh, funny energy. Cho’s deadpan comments and mildly exasperated looks ricochet like ping-pong balls against Jane’s sparkly, merry wit. Jane brings Cho alive in a way that the other characters don’t. And despite the minor annoyances of working with Jane, you can really feel the underlying bond between our favorite Mentalist and one of the very few people he actually refers to as his good friend. Hand me a petition to get more screen time between Jane and Cho, and I’ll sign it faster than Jane can pick your pocket. You can never go wrong when you pair up this odd couple.

Rigsby/Van Pelt: Rigsby the Arson Inspector is back on the scene! Yay! I love it when he shows off his special skills. The writers have shown great continuity on this front, going all the way back to Season One. In less exciting news, Grace apparently “met” someone at the White Hat training program. And of course it happened right before Rigsby was about to man up and be honest with her. It’s a bummer for sure, and would have felt like a rather pointless wrench thrown into the Van Pelt/Rigs romance, if not for Grace’s little slip of the tongue. This new guy – seriously, I already forgot his name – isn’t another fiancé-in-the-making. He’s just a distraction, because clearly Grace’s mind – and heart – are focused on someone else :).

Kirkland: Dun, dun, dun! He tried to get Lisbon to cough up Jane’s secrets. When that didn’t work, Kirkland paid some goons to break into Jane’s attic and steal evidence. At the end of the ep, Kirkland stood over a replica of Jane’s Red John Map, looking Mighty Evil. But don’t cue the maniacal laughter just yet – the more they paint this guy as a Big Bad, the more convinced I become that he’s the exact opposite. Having Kirkland be an ally to Jane and Co, a real partner to help them bring down Red John, would be a great twist, and I’m all about great twists. I’m going on record saying that I think Kirkland, in spite of being a murderer and a thief, really is trying to capture Red John, rather than help him. Now, I could be publicly wiping egg off my face as early as tomorrow night, but for right now, I’m having too much fun imagining wild and crazy scenarios where Kirkland is actually a good guy.

Randomness: Rigbsy’s discomfort as he sat in the audience, hoping not to get called on: Perfect. Jane walking out to do his act without putting on a black cowboy hat: Criminal. Shame on you, wardrobe department. SHAME. The case: Interesting because of the cowboy element and the fake meth lab fires, but they’ve done that brother/sister incestuous romance thing before – remember Jared and Undine back in “Red John’s Friends”?

Last Thoughts: Jane’s joy and stimulation at being in an Old West setting was contagious. His secret satisfaction about the toothpick piqued my interest, and I can’t wait to find out more. I’ll be riding onward to the next episode as a very satisfied, dusty-but-grinning cowgirl. Yee-haw!

Mentalist Review: Episode 5×18 “Behind the Red Curtain”

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Review of Episode 5×18: “Behind the Red Curtain” (AKA “Forty-eight minutes of adequately-interesting investigation followed by four minutes of HOLY CRAP!”)
by castiello

Overall: Anyone else getting the whole Jane = Wile E. Coyote, Red John = Roadrunner vibe? Though Jane put in an honest effort, I’m not sure he really made any progress in identifying Red John. While “The Red Barn” had a definite feeling of forward motion, this episode once again had poor Jane running in circles…:( On the plus side, we had not one but two very happy reunions, plus a well-constructed case. And, although Jane may not have gotten much new info, the audience got a truckload dumped on us, so all in all, not a bad hour of TV.

Jane: Can I just say that I love how he can solve a case using roughly two percent of his brain, while the rest of his mind is busy at work on other problems? Also, I gotta have some respect for his unwillingness to give up: even though all signs pointed to the fact that Coma Guy, aka Jason Lennon, would not survive to talk to Jane, Jane still super-glued himself to that hospital hallway anyway, hoping against hope. I wasn’t sure if he could trust the nurse he’d befriended, but it turned out she was the only one at that hospital he could trust, and her instincts regarding Kirkland and Co. (“like monsters about to rip off their masks and show their gross, alien faces underneath”) were dead on. I also kinda loved how she was all, “I know you’re using me, and yet I don’t care.” I feel the same way. If Jane smiled at me and took me out for lunch every day, I’d probably tell him anything he wanted to know. Just goes to show how powerful that glow around him really is. When he turns up the charm, 99% of the female population is helpless to resist.

Lisbon: Hmmmmmm. A rare part of the 1% who can resist the Master of Charm…sometimes. In this episode she was gloomy. She did not want Jane at that hospital, and I had to ask myself why:

Option One: She was just trying to keep Jane from obsessing, because it’s unhealthy and all that jazz.

Maybe, but this was a unique situation – a living Red John accomplice within reach. Surely, Lisbon could see that this was a little different than Jane sitting in his attic, rereading his notebook for the one thousandth time. This was a real lead, and a good one. So, why was she so keen on keeping him away?

Option Two: Lisbon predicted the outcome – that RJ would somehow get to Lennon first and kill him – and was trying to spare Jane the pain of yet another anvil falling on his head.

Possible, but it kind of goes against Lisbon’s typical positive and hopeful attitude. She is usually the one saying “We’ll get him,” “Hardy will talk,” “This is a good clue.” To think that she was expecting Red John to win again is a bad sign. Almost like she’s giving up, and I hate that idea, so, moving on:

Option Three: Lisbon didn’t want Jane to get in trouble with the FBI/Homeland Security for hanging around a restricted-access prisoner.

A more likely option, because she does really care about Jane keeping his job. However, when Jane got caught skulking around the hospital, the punishment was minimal. Basically, he was told to leave and escorted out. I didn’t feel that he was in any danger of getting sacked, so why would Lisbon be so concerned?

Option Four: Thinking back to April Grey’s comments a few months ago, I couldn’t help but consider one last option: That maybe, just maybe, Lisbon has been compromised. That somehow, against her will, she has been hypnotized or brainwashed into doing Red John’s bidding, and that the only reason she wanted Jane out of that hospital is so that he wouldn’t be able to talk to Lennon.

A scary option, but that’s what makes it fun! I would totally freak the heck out if Lisbon had been turned, and the storyline following that revelation would be a rollercoaster of must-see, hate-it-but-love-it TV. Of course, I say this secure in the knowledge that any such hypnosis or brainwashing would be reversible, and our beloved Lisbon would be as unaccountable for her actions as Rigsby was in “Russet Potatoes.”

Cho/Rigs/Van Pelt (!!!!!): She’s baaaaaaaaaaaack! YAY! That moment when VP was just standing in the background, all glowy and happy to be back home – I think my soul fluttered its wings. Beautiful, wonderful reunion scene with her and Rigsby. True, Rigs, Cho and VP didn’t have a huge amount of screen time in this one, but just the fact that she’s back, the fact that she was so warmly and wonderfully received, totally made up for it. I am officially a pile of goo.

LaRoche: Always, always a pleasure to have him onscreen. The actor has a presence, and I can’t help but be enthralled. I love him for his fierce competence at his job, his reluctant affection for Jane and Co, and his complete awkwardness in any situation outside of his comfort zone. Jane was right to bring him in on this investigation, forcing LaRoche to breathe some fresh air and interact with some human beings. Jane learned the importance of that from Lisbon, and it’s lovely to see him passing on the lesson.

Kirkland: What the heck? No, seriously, what the HECK? If anyone can make sense of the last four minutes of this episode, I’m all ears. I mean, I’ve got plenty of theories, but most of them are about as likely as Jane giving up his pursuit of Red John and joining the Ice Capades.

Theory One: Kirkland is Red John, but he had never interacted with Lennon personally. Kirkland decided to make sure his identity was still a secret before killing Lennon either out of mercy, or because Lennon was a loose end who possessed damaging info on Red John’s organization.

Theory Two: Kirkland is Red John, but he uses some form of hypnosis/mind control/disguise to prevent his minions from clearly seeing his face. He checked to make sure that Lennon’s coma had not jarred loose any memories of Red John’s actual appearance, then killed him either out of mercy, because he possessed dangerous info, or because Jane would have eventually been able to undo the mind control/hypnosis protecting Red John’s identity. (Special Note: The idea behind this theory came from a wonderful fanfic called “Reverie by Cho” (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5424258/1/Reverie-by-Cho) which everyone should read for the sheer awesomeness of getting to imagine Jane and Co. as superheroes).

Theory Three: Kirkland is a Red John minion. He wanted to make sure his identity as a RJ disciple had not been revealed to lower members of the group. Once secure in this knowledge, he killed Lennon on Red John’s orders.

Theory Four: Kirkland is a good guy. He is either a mole in the Red John organization, trying to bring the serial killer down, or simply a DHS Agent with lots of insider knowledge. He killed Lennon to stop Jane from identifying and going after Red John prematurely.

Although all of these are total straw-reachers, my favorites are Two and Four. I am totally open to hearing any less-insane theories, though, if anybody has some of those for sale.

Randomness: The case was good. Unpredictable, with a side of real emotion. The motive for the killing seemed a little weak, but I guess desperate psycho people will do desperate psycho things. I loved the mother-daughter angle, even though they’ve used similar storylines in the past. One thing I did roll my eyes at: why did the soon-to-be murder victim tell the murderer she was going to expose him? Don’t any of these characters watch TV? You never tell the murderer you’re going to call the police. You never announce to your lover that you’re going to tell his wife about the affair. Think, people. Think.

Overall: Despite the general and frustrating lack of progress on the Red John front, we do know one thing for certain: Kirkland is a killer. And it shouldn’t take Jane long to arrive at this same conclusion. The nurse will know Kirkland was alone with Lennon. Jane himself saw Kirkland leaving the room after Lennon coded. It’s not rocket science, and surely Kirkland must realize this. Does he want Jane to know he’s a killer? Does he want Jane to know he’s the Killer, the infamous and long-sought Red John Himself? I guess we’ll have to tune in to find out… 🙂

Mentalist Review: Episode 5×17 “Red, White and Blue”

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Review of Episode 5×17: “Red, White and Blue”
by castiello

Overall: There are some episodes that make you proud to be a fan. Episodes that take your breath away with a whirlwind of great writing, excellent directing, and stellar performances. Episodes that you actually want to show to other people – people who don’t ordinarily watch The Mentalist – just to give them a taste of the phenomenal series they are missing. This episode fell into that category. “Red, White and Blue” was a shining example of network television at its finest.

Jane: How much do I love it when Jane is kind to vulnerable people? How much do I love it when he uses his impressive skills for something that is purely good, rather than deceptive and morally questionable? Thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis much! He was awesome in this episode. Just plain awesome. Every moment he spent with Pete, from helping the young soldier remember Lucy’s murder to teaching him how to create his own memory palace, was sweet and wonderful. I ate it up like a pigeon in a parking lot, chowing on a dropped hot dog bun. Even Jane’s apology sounded unusually sincere. And sincerity, from Jane, is a rare and beautiful thing. My absolute favorite Jane moment in this episode, though, was when he said a simple and heartfelt thank you to all the soldiers who were suffering from traumatic brain injuries. His voice was so soft and rough with true emotion. Simon outdid himself. That big puddle on the floor over there used to be my heart.

Lisbon: Okay somebody needs to make an “Army of Two” banner or wallpaper featuring Jane and Lisbon, because that scene was just too funny. The way they kept on singing the song together made me laugh. And of course, it took all of two seconds for Jane and Lisbon to prove that their team deserved the case. No surprises there. I liked that Lisbon contributed to the sleuthing, so it wasn’t just Jane showing off. Still, I did wonder why Jane couldn’t read the music himself – doesn’t he play the string bass?

Lisbon’s sensitivity and respect toward Pete was a highlight of this episode, just like Jane’s was. You could see it in the gentle way she told Rigsby, “You might have to remind him who you are and what you’re doing…” And when Lisbon tried half-heartedly to insist that Pete was still a suspect in Lucy’s murder, I love how all it took was a look from Jane to make her say, “Okay, fine, he’s not a suspect!” Another great Lisbon moment: she was the one who figured out that it didn’t fit Lucy’s character to file an anonymous complaint. The plot was well-developed enough that I came to this realization right in tandem with Lisbon, feeling like I was investigating the case alongside her.

Cho: Fantastic B-plot, perfectly suited to his character. It was so nice to see him doing something other than talking to Rigsby about Van Pelt. I love great partner moments at least as much as the next person, but Cho was overdue for a solo storyline, and the one he got in this episode was better than I could have hoped for. You could just feel the contempt he had for the irresponsible unit leader. Allowing unit members to get harassed? Not carefully investigating a sexual harassment claim? When soldiers are relying on each other in life-or-death situations, this crap can’t be going on in the background, and Cho knows it. He urged the unit leader to reinvestigate Rose’s claim, essentially telling the guy to “Be someone your unit can respect. Be someone I can respect.” Cho’s salute at the end of the episode said more than words ever could.

Rigsby: Not too much for him to do in this episode, although I did like his line about finding dates in prison. Rigsby’s disgust for the murderer in this episode matched the audience’s. As the doctor went on and on, complaining about his alimony payments and then emotionlessly describing Lucy’s death, you couldn’t help but hate him. Lucy had done so much good, from protecting a fellow soldier who’d been sexually harassed to devoting herself to aiding veterans with brain trauma. The world needed someone like her. To see her robbed of her life by someone so self-involved and generally worthless as the doctor made me a little sick, and I could see that emotion on Rigsby’s face as well. What a waste.

Randomness: Great red herring, showing that one soldier with the box cutter – I thought for sure he was guilty of the murder. The casting and writing in general were superb. I got to know and care about the guest characters, which isn’t something that happens in every episode. Normally when I write reviews, I either have to look up the names of the minor characters, or I simply write, “guy with the leather jacket,” “the victim’s sister,” “the killer,” etc. But in this case, I found that I remembered their names on my own. Pete, Rose and Lucy became as real to me as Lisbon, Jane, Risgby and Cho. My only (very minor) complaints for this episode were: A.) No mention of Van Pelt, and B.) No mention of the events in the previous episode. And honestly, I’m not even sure those are true complaints, because although part of me wanted some continuity, some way to place this episode in the order of the season, another part of me thought it was absolute perfection as an isolated, completely stand-alone story.

Final Thoughts: I’ve said before that I live for the episodes centered on Jane, Lisbon and Co, and am generally not that interested in the stand-alone, “crime of the week” eps. This episode, however, was the rare exception to that rule. Once in a while, when the writing and the directing and the performances all align, we get something incredible, like “The Red Mile” or “Ruby Slippers.” Episodes where I cried for characters I’d only just met, because their stories moved me so deeply. “Red, White and Blue” is another one to add to that list. One of the best eps of the season, and one of the best stand-alones of the whole series.

Mentalist Review: Episode 5×16 “There Will be Blood”

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Review of Episode 5×16: “There Will be Blood”
by castiello

Overall: Raw and gruesome, just like any good Red John episode should be. There was torture, there was murder, there were answers given and even more questions raised. Loyalties were tested. Friendships were tested. Emotions ran high in this exciting and action-packed installment of the Red John Saga.

Jane: For the most part, he made me proud. He’s been doing that a lot lately. In this episode he was truly, visibly upset that Lorelei had killed someone. He felt responsible for her actions, since he was the one who set her free. As Lorelei pointed out, Jane is not as cold-hearted as he would like everyone to believe. This gives me hope for his future. Buckets and buckets full of hope.

Some other things that give me hope: Jane was honest with Lisbon about meeting with Lorelei. Jane said “thank you” to Lisbon for covering his butt (even though he most certainly didn’t deserve it). Jane called Rigsby immediately after figuring out who the Red John minion was. Jane also called Lisbon right away to let her know Rigsby was in trouble, and checked on Rigsby before entering the suspect’s house. As badly as Jane wanted to get inside that house, he put the needs and safety of others above his own personal vendetta. The softer side of our favorite consultant is in full view this season, and I could not be more ecstatic. I know he’ll always be an egomaniac, and I would never want that part of him to change, but his capacity for kindness and empathy gives him balance. Without it, he’s just an annoyingly brilliant detective with a great smile.

Considering how nice Jane was in this episode, it was pretty awful to see him get betrayed like that. It hurt when Lorelei wouldn’t give up Red John. If killing Red John was her goal, why not tell Jane the name and they could hunt him together? It was foolish, going after Red John alone, and Jane told her as much. Of course Red John was watching Lorelei’s every move. He’s always twenty steps ahead. She never even had a chance.

And then, on top of the betrayal, Lorelei shot Jane’s one remaining lead. Watching Jane perform CPR on that guy, hearing Jane’s voice break as he said he couldn’t find a pulse, seeing him yelling and screaming when the paramedics took the guy away…brutal stuff. I can’t even blame Jane for being that paranoid, because he has a right to be. Red John has minions everywhere. Ten bucks says Jane never sees that guy again.

Despite all the hopeful signs regarding Jane’s character, there was one unsettling note. One line that gave me a little shudder – the last line of the episode. After seeing Lorelei’s bloody corpse, complete with the trademark smiley face on the wall, Jane said something to the effect of “She had it coming.” And then he just walked away. Any way you look at that last scene, it’s pretty cold – especially as he had admitted to having some unspecified feelings for Lorelei earlier in the episode. Some interpretations of Jane’s line are more disturbing than others, though. He may have simply meant “Lorelei had it coming because she was torturing and killing people herself.” What goes around comes around, right? Karmic justice and all that. I think Lorelei even said the same thing after she killed Julia in the beginning of the episode: “She had it coming. She helped murder my sister.” Or, maybe Jane simply meant that Lorelei was a fool for taking on Red John alone. She wouldn’t heed Jane’s warning, and ended up dead because of it. She had it coming. But what if Jane actually meant “After stringing me along and betraying me, after denying me what she promised and then shooting my only lead, she deserved what she got”? That one gives me the most chills. I don’t think Lorelei deserved to die just for betraying Jane (if the situation were reversed, don’t tell me Jane wouldn’t have done the same thing), but maybe Jane does think this. And as warm as he was for the whole rest of the episode, he was stone-friggin-cold at the end…

Lisbon: All I can say is, I really hope there was nothing extremely flammable in the vicinity during her scenes with Jane, because I saw some serious sparks. When these two really dig deep, when they peel things right down to the nerve, it’s absolutely electric. Lisbon gave Jane an ultimatum: if you’re going to continue operating outside of the law, you’re going to have to leave the team. Jane countered with the truth: I will do whatever it takes to catch Red John, and you have known this from Day One.

In the end, Lisbon sided with Jane, covering up his meeting with Lorelei and lying about the circumstances of Lorelei’s escape. I honestly can’t blame Lisbon for hiding the truth from the likes of Bertram and Kirkland. Considering all of the inside jobs Red John has pulled off, Lisbon would be a fool to trust her slippery, politics-oriented boss. She would be a complete idiot to trust Kirkland, some guy she barely knows who won’t even explain what he’s doing on the case. Lisbon is smart to put her trust in her team, and her team alone.

I did feel bad about Jane making her an accessory to murder, though. Not just bad – like, really crappy. I believe his claim that he didn’t think Lorelei would kill anyone, but still. It’s a nasty position he’s put Lisbon in, having to choose between her love of the law and her loyalty to her friend. She was in this same exact position with Bosco years ago, and loyalty won back then, too. In this case, I don’t really think Lisbon had enough evidence to turn Jane in, even if she wanted to. But she certainly could have changed the focus of the investigation, and eventually some evidence of Jane’s involvement would have turned up.

At least Jane had the decency to say “thank you.” I get why Lisbon didn’t want to accept his thanks, though – it made her feel dirty. She knows what she did was wrong, even if she had good reasons (Jane is a friend, the person Lorelei killed was a freakish murderer, and Kirkland can be trusted about as far as you can throw a piano). Lisbon is the last person who’d ever want to dress up a crime as a good deed. She was disgusted with herself, and it showed.

As angry as she was, though, we got to see at least as much of Lisbon’s gentle side as we did Jane’s. The tenderness in her voice when she wanted to take over CPR, and that devastated expression on her face as she came up to the attic to tell Jane about Lorelei. Some phenomenal acting on that last bit, especially – I mean, Lisbon didn’t even have to say anything, because I already knew. And the whole scene gave me some major X-Files déjà vu: remember the scene where Scully comes to tell Mulder that Diana Fowley’s been murdered? Same emotion. You could just see it written all over Scully’s face.

Rigsby/Cho: In a dark and twisty episode, at least these guys got some light moments, talking about what “computer stuff” Van Pelt might be up to. And even after Rigsby got hurt, there was still a bit of comedy: Cho “You all right?” Rigs: “Not really…” Cho (to Lisbon): “He’ll be fine.” Of course, Rigsby did not look the least bit “fine” at that moment, but I think the fact that he was talking and saying he wasn’t fine made Cho believe that his partner was okay. With some people, guys especially, they’ll say they’re okay when they’re at death’s door, but moan over a paper cut. If Rigsby was seriously injured, he likely would’ve been more stoic about it.

Bertram: Bertram, you slippery, sly dog, secretly reporting to Kirkland like that. Bertram is one of those characters that I’ll never be able to trust. He’ll always have an ulterior, self-serving motive. Now, whether that motive is to boost his career by catching Red John or boost his career by serving Red John, we may never know. But if I had to leave my life in the hands of Bertram or some random dude on the street, Street Dude’s got it.

Kirkland: Oooh, he’s creeping it up again. I like it! He engaged me whenever he was onscreen, and even seemed to have a weirder look and vibe to him than in his previous appearances. He used to have facial hair…didn’t he? The clean-shaven look is doing wonders for his “ick” factor. I still don’t know if he’s Red John, but at least in this episode I felt like he would do the character some justice.

Lorelei: I’ll miss her. Yeah, I know, I’m one of about two fans who actually liked this character, but I’ll miss her, nonetheless. I’m glad we got to see so many sides of her in this episode – we saw someone who’s a ruthless murderer, someone who is comfortable torturing others, someone who does actually care about Jane’s feelings (to an extent), someone who does care about innocent lives (she wouldn’t shoot the children in the way of her target, and only wounded the cop), someone who deeply loved her sister, and, in the end, someone who is as self-serving as Jane himself. Though most of the fandom is probably still singing “Ding Dong, the Witch is Dead,” I will take a moment to mourn this character who was complex, well-cast (hey, she was cute enough that I still liked her, even when she was zapping people with a stun-gun), and made every episode in which she appeared a topsy-turvy, unpredictable ride.

Randomness: Speaking of unpredictable, whoever cast this ep did a great job. By including at least two “big name” actors in the group of board members, the casting director made it that much harder for the audience to guess who the Red John minion would turn out to be. My money was actually on Emmanuelle Vaugier. She was definitely dialing up the weird, just to throw people off :). Also, Jane’s line about “I only tell you what I’m doing about thirty percent of the time” was priceless. And so true. One of the most interesting things in this whole episode, for me, was the location where Lorelei’s body was found. Was that carnival/funhouse stuff lying around that storage facility? Carnival, as in how Jane grew up? Hmmm…

Final thoughts: Intensity. Unpredictability. High emotion, high stakes, high risk. When our characters are faced with a tough situation, we get to see who’s really trustworthy…and who’s not. Who’s willing to bend the law, and who isn’t. We get to see who puts friendship first, and who puts revenge above all else. In “There Will Be Blood,” we got to see a lot – and I liked what I saw. 🙂

 

 

 

 

Mentalist Fan Fiction and Fan Art Awards: Call for Nominations

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Paint It Red, my favorite Mentalist Fan Forum, is holding its second annual “Paint It Red Awards”! This is an incredibly exciting time of year for me, as these awards are the biggest and best chance I have to really give back to the fandom and show the authors and artists how much I enjoy and appreciate their work.

But it’s more than just an opportunity to give some well-deserved kudos. These awards can – and do – make a real difference in the lives of the people who get nominated. Most fan fiction authors and fan artists are folks with stressful day-jobs, hectic pick-the-kids-up-by-5:30-or-else schedules, and barely any time to breathe, much less create. They are folks who stay up past midnight, just to finish the last few paragraphs of the next chapter…and not because they have to meet a publisher’s deadline. No, they are doing it for that one fan who said to them, “Please post again soon – I can’t wait to find out what happens next!” or that one reviewer who commented, “Great job. Your work is really beautiful.” They are doing it for love of character, love of plot, and for the pure enjoyment of their fellow fans.

When you nominate a story or a piece of artwork for a Paint It Red Award, you are telling that author or artist that their efforts matter. That those lost hours of sleep were not in vain. That even though they will never make a single cent of profit from what they created, their story or their banner or their icon was worth something to you.

If you have ever read a piece of great Mentalist fan fiction, or enjoyed a really awesome piece of Mentalist fan art, please consider making a nomination in the 2013 Paint It Red Awards:

http://z13.invisionfree.com/Paint_It_Red/index.php?showtopic=1127

It’s easy, it’s free, and – believe me – it’s worth it. 🙂

Mentalist Review: Episode 5×15 “Red Lacquer Nail Polish”

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Review of Episode 5×15: “Red Lacquer Nail Polish”
by castiello

People have lots of different reasons for watching The Mentalist. Some fans love the humor of Jane’s antics as he cleverly solves cases. Others enjoy the cases themselves, taking pleasure in a well-written police procedural. And then there are people like me. Sure, I get a kick out of the humor. Sure, I dig a good mystery. But those aren’t the reasons I watch the show. I watch for five very simple reasons: Jane, Lisbon, Cho, Rigsby and Van Pelt. I am a character girl, through and through.  So, even in a stand-alone episode, where the bulk of the focus is on a case I’m only mildly interested in, what I’m looking for – what I’m waiting for – are those little character moments that will hold me over until the next epic, character-driven storyline arrives.

This episode’s moments:

Jane: I was struck by his powerful aversion to the crime scene – I think that was the most disgusted I’ve ever seen him, and that includes the time they found ants crawling all over that body in the alley (“The Red Badge of Courage”). Another thing Jane had an unusually strong reaction to: our favorite ghoul, Brett Partridge. I mean, Brett’s always gotten under Jane’s skin, but it never got in the way of Jane’s job before. This time, however, Jane’s discomfort actually caused him to leave the crime scene without fully taking in all the details. I couldn’t help but wonder if it had to do with the Red John suspect list, and whether Brett has a prominent place on it. (Have we ever seen Jane and Brett shake hands onscreen? I can’t imagine Jane shaking hands with someone so icky, but I’ll have to re-watch the Pilot just to double-check.)

Lisbon: Is it just me, or is she acting a bit more girlish lately? First she faints at the sight of a creepy-crawly corpse, and now she’s afraid to go in a spooky mansion? I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, I’m just saying it’s interesting. I’ve always viewed her character as very tough and fierce and masculine in many ways (growing up in an all-male household, raising and rough-housing with her brothers). It’s weird to suddenly be viewing her as…well, a girl :).

I love that she told Jane not to jump out and yell “boo!” when they went back to the mansion. (Jane: “What do you take me for?” FYI Jane: she takes you for a grown-up with the mentality of a five-year-old). Considering the fact that he has actually said “boo!” in a supposedly-haunted mansion once before (“Red Scare”), I think Lisbon’s concerns were justified. I also like how open she was about her emotions throughout the whole case, from her nervousness about the creepy crime scene, to her disgust about the kind of person Elise turned out to be, to that final “uh-oh” look that crossed Lisbon’s face when Jane went trotting back upstairs to hunt Red John. She was wonderfully expressive and unguarded during this whole episode.

Cho: A little rough on Rigsby, wasn’t he? In the previous episode, Cho was telling Rigsby to man up and confess his feelings for Van Pelt. In this ep, Cho sang an entirely different tune, advising Rigs to move on – because Grace already has. Cho encouraged Rigsby’s online dating endeavor, knowing all the while that Rigsby was not actually going to go through with the dates. Rigs knows he’s still hung up on Van Pelt. Cho knows Rigs is still hung up on Van Pelt. Half the CBI building probably knows that Rigs is still hung up on Van Pelt, so I’m not sure we needed a hallway full of angry redheads to drive the point home. Seemed a little heavy-handed and unnecessary. Not to mention I wondered how those women could possibly have gotten past security – this is a building that has had a mass shooting in one of their offices and a bombing in the parking lot. I don’t think a bunch of angry, ditched!dates with no security clearance could have gotten inside. I suppose Cho could have helped them get in, but still, I wasn’t fond of the storyline.

One bit of Cho storyline I did love, though: his connection to the girl on the boat, Cayce. Man, it is so rare to see him really show some emotion and sympathize with someone that way. He seemed as though he really liked her and believed her story, which was cool, because I felt the same way. She was a good person who got duped, and probably would have gotten murdered, too, once Elise didn’t need her anymore. It’s always very disturbing to see a cold-blooded killer manipulating a trusting, innocent person like that. Makes me feel like it could happen to anyone…

Rigsby: Filling out his dating profile while at work? Not entirely out of character – especially as he was trying desperately to prove something to Cho – but still a little unprofessional. Though I didn’t like the computer dating subplot, I did ache for Rigsby when he was bumming about Van Pelt’s postcard. I wondered the same thing he did – why did she change the way she addresses her letters to the team? That was just plain sad. Hearing Rigs talk about his upbringing was a rare treat, though. When he was reminiscing about how his mother followed all of Elise’s trials and tribulations in the tabloids, I was enthralled. Even the tiniest glimpse into his past is intriguing, and in this case it also served the dual purpose of fleshing out Elise’s character a little more, so kudos to the writers on that.

Van Pelt: She may not be onscreen, but she’s still in our hearts (and Rigsby’s!)! I like that she was present in this episode via her postcard, and the continued exploration of Rigsby’s romantic feelings towards her. I would even argue that, despite how the postcard was addressed, Van Pelt is not as “over” Rigsby as Cho claims: She showed clear signs of jealousy when Rigsby started dating Sarah, as well as when Sarah got pregnant. True, Van Pelt was engaged to Craig (whom I still not-so-lovingly refer to as “O’Something”), but once that rather spectacularly blew up in her face, I think she realized for the first time exactly what she gave up when she called it quits with Rigsby.

Brett Patridge: Just as ghoulish as ever in his first appearance at a non-Red John-copycat crime scene! Honestly, just seeing this guy makes me squeamish – his unbridled enthusiasm for things like caved-in skulls and blobs of human fat are certainly enough to land him a spot on the Red John suspect list. Factor in Jane’s very obvious discomfort around him, and I’d say we have one of our prime suspects. But is Brett maybe a bit too eager? A bit too enthusiastic? I picture Red John as someone very controlled, very disciplined, and very sophisticated. I can see Brett as a Red John disciple, happily following the Master around like a loyal puppy dog…but I don’t quite see Brett as the Master himself. I’m definitely interested to hear what other fans are thinking about this long-time suspect’s latest appearance…

Randomness: The case was decent – I didn’t guess what happened, so that was good. There were a lot of characters involved in the mystery, though, and it did get a little confusing at times. I wanted to know more about the nurse who was murdered – I wanted to get a better sense of her character, who she was and what she’d been through. There was a valuable and intriguing storyline in there that didn’t really get tapped. Another thing I wanted: some explanation at the end as to why Van Pelt only addressed her postcard to “The Bullpen.” I really felt like it was coming, like maybe she had actually sent a separate one specifically to Wayne, but it didn’t get delivered in time. So, I was bummed not to get that closure. Oh, well…maybe next time?

Final thoughts: Case stuff: 6/10. Interesting character stuff: 5/10. My excitement for tonight’s episode: 10/10, as always! 🙂

Mentalist Review: Episode 5×14 “Red in Tooth and Claw”

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Review of Episode 5×14: “Red in Tooth and Claw” (AKA “Ultimate Death-Match: T-Rex vs. Triceratops!”)
by castiello

Overall: Cho and Rigsby duked it out over their favorite dinos, Lisbon went to bat for her youngest team member, Van Pelt got all geeky about a computer class, and Jane danced mental circles around a group of over-stressed grad students. Despite a predictable case, this episode had just enough humor, sweetness, and team involvement to make it memorable.

Lisbon: She fainted at the sight of a worm-festooned corpse…What’s up with that? It seemed highly out of character for this normally-unflappable and non-squeamish agent. I can’t ever remember Lisbon being “icked out” by a body before. Jane, yes – but not Lisbon. Usually when a woman faints on television, it means her character’s either pregnant, or seriously ill. However, the moment seemed to be played purely for comedy, with no follow-up mentions that would typically come after illness- or pregnancy-induced swooning. Therefore, I took it as a weird, not-quite-in-character moment that most likely doesn’t have any further significance in the series (other than letting the audience know that Lisbon has an issue with crawly things).

One of the things I loved about this episode: the way Lisbon talked about Van Pelt. There was clear affection in Lisbon’s voice as she told Bertram how much Van Pelt had been gushing over White Hat. And in a way, I’m kind of glad Lisbon didn’t send Jane to help Bertram with his poker face. Bertram told Lisbon there was no money for the training program, and she took him at his word. It didn’t occur to her that if she got Bertram in a better mood, the funds might magically appear. I like that she still has enough integrity not to think of manipulation as a solution for every problem. That said, I also like that Bertram gave her credit for a plan she didn’t come up with. She has out-maneuvered him in the past, and it’s good that he sees her as someone who can go toe-to-toe with him and come out on top.

Jane: Sometimes, I feel like Jane is my kid. Sometimes, he acts so selfish, spoiled or immature that I just want to cringe. Sometimes, when he gets out of his car at a crime scene, I want to say, “Please, please don’t embarrass me…” In this episode, however, he did the exact opposite: he made me proud. Here, we enjoyed the return of gift-bearing Jane (it’s been a long time since those fancy watches and necklaces…) and helpful Jane, a guy who – without being asked – goes out of his way to do something kind for his friends. In teaching Bertram how to win at poker, Jane helped both Van Pelt and Lisbon. It didn’t risk anyone’s life or cost anyone anything (except that one judge), and was possibly one of the nicest things Jane’s done in a good long time. Any time that Jane is thinking of others, rather than himself, is a time to celebrate!

I did feel his hurt, though, that no one said “thank you” for the gifts. That was kind of rude. Sure, the presents weren’t as expensive as the ugly watches, but in a way the dinosaurs were much more thoughtful – he picked out something he thought each team member would appreciate. If Van Pelt had been there, I have no doubt she would’ve said “Thanks, Jane!” with a big grin on her face. One thing I did question, however: Where was Lisbon’s gift? Or, maybe poker lessons with Bertram were the gift. Getting to tell Van Pelt they’d secured the funding for White Hat was probably the best present Lisbon could’ve received.

Van Pelt: Her excitement about White Hat made me excited for her! I could feel her gloom when she thought she wouldn’t get to go, but I knew it would work out in the end. I think the writers found a good explanation for her character’s absence – it fits with her expertise, and could make for some really cool storylines when she gets back. She’ll be able to help solve cases even faster with her super-awesome hacking skills – hey, maybe she can even hack the Visualize database and get Jane the info about the Ellison farm! The only thing that bothered me about VP’s storyline in this episode is that maybe the writers could have thrown in a mention or two about White Hat earlier in the season, so it didn’t just pop up out of nowhere.

Cho/Rigs: These guys were at it again with their hilarious banter, arguing over whose dinosaur was better. They gave the ep a healthy injection of humor (Cho: “I stopped asking questions a long time ago…” Rigs: “Don’t play with spiders, kids!”) but also balanced it out with the first serious mention of Rigsby’s feelings for Van Pelt in a couple years. I was one of the people who actually didn’t mind how quickly Rigs and VP got together romantically – or how quickly they broke up. In the seasons since then, we’ve gotten to see both of these characters in other relationships – we saw Grace engaged to a man who tried to kill her. We saw Rigsby propose to the mother of his child. We’ve seen both of them change and grow through their experiences, and all the while Amanda and Owain have skillfully played that underlying connection – a connection that gives me no doubt that when these characters finally do get back together, it’ll be better than ever before.

Bertram: What a baby! And a sore loser! Jeez Louise! I do love that we’re continuing to see the poker games, though, and that Lisbon continues to use these opportunities to gain information and make allies. Season Five has done a good job on the card game continuity front, but not such a good job on the FBI rivalry – what happened to that FBI Agent who wanted to go out with Lisbon? Do we still see him at the games? Have we even heard the FBI mentioned lately? I thought they were going to be the big “enemies” this year. Of course, with the new episodes spaced so far apart, it’s harder to view the episodes as a continuum. If I’m ever lucky enough to own this season on DVD, I’ll see if the episodes hang together better when viewed right in a row.

Random Notes: I knew the killer was the Moth Kid pretty much right away. I actually thought he’d faked the new moth somehow and the other girl found out, which didn’t turn out to be the case, but nonetheless I did know it was him. And that it involved the moth. Having the killer revealed so soon didn’t bother me, though, as I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Jane’s brain in action (Memory Palace, I *heart* you!!!) and the scene with Rigsby and the spider was priceless. Also fun: Jane’s version of “bingo” (featuring the word “bad-ass”!). I thought the show did a good job portraying just how much stress the students were under – the lengths they were driven to spoke volumes. I did wish someone would have told that poor cop ex-boyfriend that his girl wasn’t cheating on him – they usually have more of that type of resolution in the show’s final minutes. Having the moth named after the dead girl was a sweet touch, though – another example of how kind-hearted Jane was being in this ep. Oh, and one final note about Jane: he used his wedding ring to deflect a romantic advance. Haven’t seen him fall back on that in a long time. What does it mean?

Final Thoughts: Not a big, mind-blowing episode, here, but lots of little treasures. The team seemed like a family – bickering, teasing, and helping each other. Hope it’s not too long before the next episode, and I really hope it’s not too long before Van Pelt rejoins her colleagues. We’re all gonna miss her so much!!!