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SpoilerTV - TV Spoilers

The Mentalist - Episode 6.08 - Red John - Review

25 Nov 2013

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NOTE: Please be advised that English is not my first language.


Last night's episode concluded the Red John saga after five and a half years.
This was Jane's episode. It's his catch, his revenge, his fight against Red John. This episode not only marked the end of an era - a sad Lisbon walks throught the empty CBI - but also the beginning of a new story - with next episode.
Agent Dennis Abbott has only appeared in two episodes but I'm already positive about his character. I liked his interaction with Lisbon. For a person who had spent some time at CBI, Abbott can feel the bond between her and Jane. "I think your boyfriend is colluding with a dangerous fugitive." That made me laugh. "He's not my boyfriend", "That's a damn shame." I'm still trying to figure this out.

Let's talk about Lisbon and her team. After ten years, they become family, they share respect (even when they got fired, they still call Lisbon "boss"), trust and unity (Jane is missing, but Lisbon warns her team they better go on their way; neverthless, Cho asks where he is). Even in that intense situation, Rigsby and Cho can make fun of each other, giving the episode a bit of humor. The CBI doesn't exist anymore, but a family can leave also without a roof above their heads.
Speaking of trust, Lisbon gives Jane her gun, just as prop. Some years ago, she wouldn't have lend it to him. Teresa Lisbon is always the good cop, trying to make things right without violence. But that behaviour came out spontaneus; she trusts Jane.

Gale Bertram had his own part in the story. He's a wanted man, but he wants to come clean with Jane, so they arrange 'a date'. What a better place of meeting like the chapel in front of the cemetery where Angela and Charlotte Jane lie? Too bad, Jane's hunt is interruped by Abbott and the FBI. In a desperate action, he kneels down, like he's begging to let him go. The man who killed is family is so close and he can't reach him. Saint Teresa helps Jane to escape, "Take my car". Another unusual gesture from Lisbon. Did you remember she never let him drive in the past?
In a thrilling race, Jane leaves behind the FBI and reaches the chapel. Bertram and his right-hand man are waiting for him, but ex former CBI chief has something to say: he's not Red John, he's a member of the Blake Association, but he doesn't know who Red John is. Apparently there's some secrecy among the members of the cult. A plot twist is coming when Bertram's man kills him, then another guy enters the chapel and kills him.

"Hello, Patrick." "Hi." Enough said. Sceriff Thomas McAllister - or should I say, Red John - appears. He seems confident and his voice doesn't deceive him... yes, that creepy voice you might heard on the phone previously. The confrontation is here, it's like they have been waiting for this moment for all their lives. He faked his death in the explosion! But someone is more smarter than the other one. While Jane gives McAllister some bread crumbs, he reveals a pigeon out of his jacket and attacks McAllister. He falls, he's lying on the ground, then he looks above the Virgin Mary statue: the pigeon stands there, watching him, observing him. Why did McAllister was looking at that pigeon on the Virgin Mary statue? Because Good has beaten Evil into God's house. Pigeons are always been there, from the very beginning of the season: like protective angels, for istance, they didn't let Lisbon to get killed by Red John (episode 6.01).

The last minutes of the episode were superb. It showed how Red John was only a myth behind a coward man. McAllister has afraid of height, he's afraid of pigeons, and he runs from Jane like a poor man. Red John is just a mask he created to protect himself. From whom? The world? The others? Or himself? Don't we do the same all day? Remember this line was supposed to be in the first episode of the season: "Hell's other people".


Jane couldn't think about a fairy confrontation. I mean, if you were him and you meet the man who killed your family, what would be the first thing you'd do? Have a little chat? Nope. Jane acts instictively. He follows his animal instinct: kill the monster. A man like Red John may be deserve death? According to Jane, he does. McAllister is injured, he can't catch a breathe; it's time for Jane to strangle him but not before he makes him say he's sorry for murdering his wife and daughter. Even a serial killer deserves riddance?
After he killed him, Jane calls Lisbon. He says it's over and he's gonna miss her. There's no answer from Lisbon because her mobile phone - and Van Pelt's, Rugsby's and Cho's - had been confiscated by the FBI. From her sad look, you can tell she knows it's Jane calling her.
In case you missed, I think there are some deep thoughts about last scene. Jane's running away from the murder scene, while in the background there are some people: a mother and her daughter holding hands (maybe they rappresent Angela and Charlotte finally happy and free, maybe heading to Heaven); a man plays with his son in the park (there's a new life after death); a married old couple walking (it's never too late to start to live and love again).

I know there are some of you who didn't like the episode, but everyone has their own opinion, so feel free to share it without judging or offending. Are you satisfied with the end of Red John? What's coming next for Patrick Jane?
Thanks to tuturros.tumblr.com and teresalisbons.tumblr.com for the gifs.

41 comments:

  1. Expecting a respecful response? On SpoilerTV? Hahahahahaha! HAHAHAHA! Be ready to be called every insult in the book. Because TV is srs bissness.

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  2. Well anyone who is not respectful on SpoilerTV gets their comment deleted and if they repeat they get banned,

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  3. If you want to talk about the episode, it's ok.
    If you're here just to criticize, well it's not the right place.

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  4. I didn't hate the part about Jane getting his revenge, but dear God, everything else was pure garbage. I don't think I've ever seen so little payoff for a story.

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  5. Where's the guy who promised to you a $100 check if the episode isn't fake?

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  6. I think a lot of the people criticizing it have missed or under-appreciated the brilliant subtleties throughout the episode, which I think is a real shame as I believe it was perfectly executed.

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  7. Thank God someone said it! I had to rewatch some parts to figure it out some.

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  8. You are talking about the fanbase I've seen planning attacks on Bruno Heller on Twitter. Attacks on his family on Twitter. You have no idea, what kind of demented insanity, this episode unleashed.

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  9. I know, people don't have any respect.

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  10. "You're Red John. I have to say it, I'm a little disappointed" said Jane, yes... me too!
    well, the first time I watched it I didn't liked it... Maybe because I was still hoping Red John was Haffner, or because I don't like McAllister as Red John, I don't know.... but after watching it again I found it a very good episode, not the best one of the show in my opinion, but it was good...

    And in the end he was even begging Jane to spare him... well, he didn't spare Jane's wife and daughter, and his other many victims... He got what he deserved!
    About my favorite couple: Lisbon gave him her gun, she trusted him when he said he wasn't going to use it, and when she said "take my car" was like she was saying "go and kill Red John"...
    After Jane killed Red John I think he even thought about killing himself (almost pointed the gun against his head!), but he stopped, and he calls Lisbon, says he's ok and he's gonna miss her! Loved that scene!
    Sorry if this is too long but I had to say it! Obviously, can't wait for the next episode!!!!

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  11. I had no problem with McAllister being Red John(Even if some things from the first seasons doesn't match)... My problem was with the really poor writing but maybe that's just 'cause of the person who did the final cut. There were a lot of moments that had no basis, some were out of character and other just simple moronic.


    They spent 7 minutes with PJ and RJ running around, when they could just had them sharing a decent dialog and not that abstract shit. The FBI guy guessing were Patrick was from nowhere and asking "for a real map"(as if it matters). Van Pelt trying to smash a glass with her head while the gang espend five wasted minutes on a truck fighting like childs. And the ninja lady at the church? How is posible that PJ didn't see that coming? I figure it out the moment she came in... And Jane didn't? That was totally out of character...

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  12. I can't understand people who do that. The episode has aired - what is mindlessly insulting the people behind the show going to do? Change the outcome? All it does is show a complete lack of respect and make those people look childish.

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  13. In my honest opinion, it wasn't Red John's identity or his execution that disgraced the episode. I love Xander Berkeley's performance and I love the scene where Jane finally gets his revenge. The thing is the moment of their confrontation deserved a much stronger and dramatic build-up! I mean, McAllister just pops up and he doesn't even adress to Patrick first. When in the season three's finale Timothy Carter picked up his phone I was trembling! THAT was a "reveal" that shook me to the core and I just feel kinda betrayed I didn't feel it here, when this is the moment I've been waiting for all these years... It's sad it turned out to be this way, and plotholes aside I think we fans deserved more answers than those we got, concerning all the previous seasons and all the clues we've been gathering and saving. And I do hate to say this.


    Dishonorable mention: what was that thing with the garbage truck blocking the FBI's way while Jane was being chased by them? That was just ridiculous, never in the series has Jane depended on sheer luck to get away of a tricky situation...

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  14. I think that he didn't expected the "ninja lady" because he was only thinking about his revenge...

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  15. Well, like I already learned a hard way, I'm obviously in a minority when I say that I really enjoyed the episode as a whole. It had its problems, like everything does, but I liked quite a lot about it. Seeing everyone on the team taking Jane's side, Patrick exploiting RJ's weakness (proving he figured it out on his own) and the fact that RJ turned out to be just an ordinary person. A clever one, sure, even charming at times, but just a man, a serial killer and a monster, but the one you can fight with and beat him. The sheriff was actually my pick for a long time, but I think it was mostly because of the actor playing him. XB is just brilliant when it comes to playing bad guys (Percy!), so I knew he could handle a role like this. And I loved seeing him with Simon Baker in the confrontation in the church. They worked really well together.
    Maybe the reason I liked the episode better than most is the fact that I never really expected to see all the mysteries discovered. Patrick clearly couldn't care less about them. I would be happy to get more answers, but I'm cool with some things remaining a secret. Guess it leaves us with plenty of possible theories to think about. I still don't know how I feel about the death scene. Maybe I would rather see RJ rotting slowly in jail, but I can't see any version of the story where Patrick would let him live after preparing to kill the guy for years.


    Anyway, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I seem to agree with you Diana on pretty much most (all?) things. But to anyone who doesn't. Sure, I get that. There's just no reason to be rude about it. Besides, I already had my share of some really disrespectful comments/messages.

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  16. I didn't enjoy the episode at all, but I still respect different opinions. Now let's talk about the episode itself.


    The episode was bad. The writing was beyond awful. The acting was mostly good (mainly because of Baker and Xander) but the actors had so little to work with it was painful to watch. Come on, that dialogue ("Where's Jane?" "I don't know" "I think you do" "I can't help what you think"). If I were to made a list of every single thing that didn't make sense during the episode, it probably wouldn't fit in one comment. So many scenes supposed to be serious ended up truly funny (Bertram's death, I'm looking at you).


    I wasn't particularly unhappy with the choice of Red John, but with the way the confrontation scene was executed. I get when people say "he's just a regular guy, he's not the evil genius you people created", but the show created that myth. He was portrayed as being always one step ahead of Patrick, who is a brilliant man and then he exposed himself to Patrick with no backup plan other than a small woman with a small knife. And that's not even talking about the moment when he actually felt for the "I want to show you something".


    I'm not even going to mention the pigeon thing. Oops.


    I don't really mind Red John being deep down just a sociopathic loser, but first you have to show me the man who was able to make people want to die for him. It wasn't the viewers who made Red John an evil genius, was the show itself, just look at all he was able to do during 5 seasons. It would be much more interesting if before McAllister was revealed the loser he really was, we could see the man who made his followers want to die for.


    And the thing that annoyed me the most, I think, was how much screen time we lost between the running around and the FBI VS CBI stuff, what was the title of this episode again?


    But that's not it. The most annoying thing was the complete and utter disrespect to the viewers and not giving any answers regarding the 5 previous seasons using "Patrick doesn't care" as an excuse. The show is about Patrick but is not made for him. And Bruno Heller said in interviews before they would explain everything because they had that as a duty to the audience who was following the show from the start.


    And if you read recent interviews, the worst part: Bruno Heller said himself he didn't know who Red John was until recently, so the clues were just made up as they went along. "He is Mar", the Visualize connection, everything. He actually said about the whole "Red John is really a psychic" thing: "Any answer can be the right one in that matter". Come on!

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  17. Thanks for the review, Diana.

    Loved the episode, personally. And um, I already left a wall of text explaining why in the reaction thread, so I'm gonna spare you by not writing another one in here. That said, I can understand why other people were disappointed. Different expectations and all that.

    Well, whether you thought it was good or bad, at least I think we can all agree that this episode was polarizing ^^

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  18. I think the only thing I didn't liked was Red John's identity, but because I was sure, or at least I wanted him to be Haffner... but for the rest was very good.. actually more I think about it, and more I like it! you can see the team helping Jane, the FBI being a little bit dumb (luckly for Patrick)... and the most important thing: Patrick finally revenged his family...
    a little note: oscar finds the gun, but not the pigeon?! not a very good cop! (better this way!)

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  19. Apparantly he said he will pay up ;)

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  20. You can give a lot of excuses, but it's just a bad writing shortcut to trigger the third act of the episode. The concept design of the episode was pretty bad.


    Just like the FBI guessing were Jane was and Rygsby just saying were he was. Really? They did all of that just to say, "F**k this! They're buried there..."


    When Timothy Carter was introduced, well that was a good build up: "She smelled like strawberryes and cream shampoo".

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  21. i have to apologize my family and friends for telling them to watch this show. I'm so disappointed that I can't describe it. And i feel sorry for the people who will start watch this show and have big expectations for conclusion of RJ story.

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  22. Does anyone else think that one of the team members gave the list to red john??

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  23. This was well said and mirrors what I felt when watching it. I would have preferred Haffner or Kirkland but its what it is and SB was fantastic as usual. Thank you for the very nice summary Diana Mack. You did a fabulous job and gave me some new insight that I had not considered before reading this. I absolutely love the pigeon being used by Jane in the manner he did. Perfect for his background. Very looking forward to next ep but nervous because I have become a Jane and Lisbon shipper this past year.

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  24. Yup. People wanted answers spelled out for them when the reality is that a lot of the answers are right there in front of them in the show. Jane didn't even want answers! When it came down to it all he wanted was his revenge and to move on.

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  25. Yes, I had the bad feeling that it might be Rigsby. Van Pelt would make more sense, though, she got a little caught up in the whole Visualize philosophy and she's more likely to keep a secret than Rigsby.
    I hope I'm wrong and the "inside man" McAllister was referring to is neither one of them. :(

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  26. help us voice our concerns to The Mentalist team by signing this petition to at least have an RJ flashback episode

    http://www.thepetitionsite.com/254/419/054/we-want-to-see-the-real-red-john-episode/

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  27. Haffner was my number one choice so I can feel you! But McAllister still looks a nice choice, because no one sees this coming.

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  28. The season 3 finale is one of my best season finale of the series.

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  29. Thanks for commenting :) I wasn't sure for the Sceriff because I didn't know much about him - then I got wrong in the end ehehehe
    Exactly. People complain for the lack of explanations, but what matter is that Jane didn't want any answers. He just wanted his revenge, and it's done, he wants to disappear for a while.

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  30. Thanks, I agree, bad or good this episode was, people are still talking about.

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  31. The best, I'd dare say. So intense, dramatic and emotional all the way through!

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  32. There is a huge amount of crap on TV, and yet much of it has nice and hard working people involved in the production teams.

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  33. yeah i think it might be rigsby to he was the one who told the FBI where the cemetery was.

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  34. I didn't love the episode, liked it but I can understand those who didn't because it's what alwayays happens with shows that are from the beginning building up to something specific, and it's logical that once it gets there it's difficult for the unwrapping to fulfill everyone's expectations. So to me it was good, I liked that they didn't leave it for the series finale and are willing to try othe paths. I'm looking forward to see what's next for them.

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  35. so what was up with brett partridges arm when cho went to see his body im still trying to figure out what it was all about

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  36. Oh so I see you have an unanswered question about the show. Wellcome....wellcome! Let me be your guide! :)

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  37. No-one could have given the list to Red john, because when the Lorelei video was made not even Patrick Jane knew the names on the list himself. That is the whole point and why this is such a big mystery - that Red John could not only know but predict the names on the list.

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  38. :) i really dont get it though because when jane saw it he knew so what the hell was it it cant be anything to do with the dots .
    bruno heller played us all and if im honest if i met him face to face and asked him about the arm i 100% brt he wouldnt know and there isnt a reason which is annoying and u can be my guide if u want

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  39. we were sooooo close!!! ahahah!

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  40. A little confused by:
    Red John was supposed to be afraid of heights and McAllister wasn't
    When PJ was searched the gun was found but not the pigeon? Hard to believe.

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  41. The truth is you are right, Bruno has no idea whatsoever, he admitted this himself by saying that he didn't know for a long time who RJ would be. Even Xander Berkeley was surprised he was picked. So yeah, the clues meant nothing. We were saying how well they were constructed so that no one had a clue who RJ was...Well if the writer doesn't know either, how in Pigeon's name could we know? There are so many unanswered questions it's stupid by now....

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