The Mentalist - Episode 6.20 - Il Tavolo Bianco - Review

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

With only two episodes left, The Mentalist continues its great storyline involving ordinary girls who have been abducted just to... being sold in a horrible human organs traffic. Daniella is still trying to find her younger sister, and when Cho finds out she's in the old house where the girls were found, I don't know if she's involved with the case in some way. Anyway, around this crazy sick case, the subplot remains the same: Lisbon and her decision whether to move or not to DC. There's even a back to the origin when Red John's murder is put on the table again... Right after Jane bought Lisbon her coffee, he tells her he wishes she could stay. Suddenly Lisbon's full of hope in her eyes, "You do?" but Jane covers his feeling replying she may get bored in DC. Bored? As if the boredom would be an excuse. Then, a couple of agents arrest him and tell Lisbon and Fischer to show up in court. Good line by Jane: "Thomas McAllister may have shot and strangled himself." All this mess reveals to be a fake trial, or as Jane and Abbott call it "Operation Jury Scam." Lisbon was furious with Jane, but this only increases the misunderstandings between them - so Lisbon accepts a quick lunch invite by Pike... this guy seems to follow Lisbon like a shadow more than a boyfriend.

Dennis Abbott is trying everything he can to push Jane and Lisbon together and make them have "the talk". "How long are you going to let that go?" Jane is trying to convince himself he's ok with Teresa leaving, but the truth is he keeps lying to himself. When Abbott notices how Lisbon basically became Jane's female version, he pushs her and Jane to go to dinner at "Il Tavolo Bianco", the italian restaurant where they have to investigate. By the look Kim Fischer shares with Abbott, it's obvious she knows what's going on there. In TM 2.0, Agent Fischer became a close friend to Lisbon, and if she's really thinking about moving, she's gonna miss her and her new team - Jane included, of course. When Kim got shot in the episode, I hope in the next one we'll get to see the two ladies chat, and maybe it'll be Fischer's turn to push Jane and Lisbon together. At the restaurant, Jane points out Lisbon is predictable, but be careful man because "One of these days I might surprise you." A tease for the upcoming episodes? Anyway, Jane only seems to be flirty when he's undercover (see the scene at the nightclub with Fischer) because he doesn't know what a girl wants to hear... or maybe he does, but he's still not so sure. He was married once and he only slept with a woman (Lorelei), so he may be still insure on what to say to a woman he loves.

Pike's tastes about old and classic movies make Lisbon get bored - and she hasn't even landed to DC, so Jane was right! Casablanca is a movie about two lovers who are separated from the fate and a story about a woman who has to choose between two men - ops Teresa! Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) is married now but she's never forget the love of her life, Rick (Humphrey Bogart). When they meet in Marocco, they share a last moment together before the war crushs, as Ilsa decides to stay with Rick. As long he's been in love with her, Rick tells Ilsa to go with her husband in Lisbon, because it's not safe to be there. Also that "We'll always have Paris" quote makes you think the same will happen with Jane and Lisbon. At the end of the episode, when Jane knocks at Lisbon's house, he does that because he wants to be with her and share a dinner maybe together. His smile fades when Pike opens the door. Lisbon can't believe he only came here to bring her cannoli. In fact, Jane is there to tell her how he feels about her moving to DC - as long she's happy, he's happy too because he only wants the best for her. But the tears they have in their faces are not tears of joy. Those two are not happy shine people. He's letting her go, just like in Casablanca. Like Rick Blaine, Patrick Jane chooses to let go the woman he loves just for her safety. At first, Rick is selfish and still hurt because Ilsa abbandoned him so he wants revenge for her behaviour and chooses not to let her and his fugitive husband go; then he remembers his patriotic spirit of love and sacrifice and desides to let Ilsa be with her husband. Whereas, Jane knows better how important is to leave the ones you love behind in order to get them safe: Jane killed Red John without Lisbon stopping him, most because she let him do that; he stopped being selfish, but he's still a damaged man, so he wants Lisbon to be free because be with him might not be safe. Casablanca was a movie, but life isn't a movie. So, Lisbon might change the end of the movie and surprise Jane, deciding to stay with him - just like Ilsa and Rick were supposed to be together.

Do you think Jane did the right thing by letting Lisbon go? Share your comments below.