A Man. And His Blog.

Season 4, Episode 10 (80)
Date of airing: Dec 15, 2011 (CBS)
Watched for review: Jan 30, 2012
Number of review in February/2012: 19/142

Oh no, memory-loss episode. After the sight-loss episode I expected for this to come sometime in the future. But can’t Lisbon lose her memory, or Grace, or Cho, or Rigsby? Why does it always have to be Patrick (Simon Baker), who loses his senses and his mind? Though the episode was amusing, sometimes funny, and at the end actually emotional, it was mostly ridiculous. I bet Simon Baker had fun shooting this hour though.

It’s probably fun for an actor to play his character differently for once. And despite it being a good idea to show the early Patrick Jane and depict that he was even more of an asshole than he said about himself, I don’t like how it happened. Just because he almost drowned, he loses his memory and shuts out the emotional events of his life, remembering his “new” self? I find that very much horrifically written. As if the writers didn’t find another idea for Patrick to lose his memory. Like with a punch in the head. It wasn’t necessary for Tom (Kenneth Mitchell) have been more logical of why Patrick would lose his memory.

In addition, the murder case was so fucking predictable again. All the surprises and unpredictability left the room after the cold open, as it seemed. When Tom appeared in front of his burned house, I knew he was the killer. Because you don’t cast well-known TV faces for roles like the firemen characters. And the fact that the affair storyline was the first hunch for the agents, it was also obvious it wouldn’t be part of the conclusion of the murder case. In addition, Patrick’s way of figuring out all the plot points sounded horrendous. He didn’t find the mask, he couldn’t open the safe. At the end Patrick was running a pretty wild guess, and only because the writers have chosen to have the AMT robbery as a very tiny back plot running around. How idiotic… Not even the most clever detective or agent would have span such a story like Patrick did right there. That was typical Hollywood-TV investigation crap, which was more than illogical. I also don’t believe the agents haven’t noticed that Patrick took some of the money, when they were coming to arrest Tom seconds after. I thought somebody was watching them, or Patrick wore a wire. But nothing. Instead a disappointing “You took it” scene near the end, which led to Lisbon (Robin Tunney) driving Patrick home.

That brings me to say that the episode was terrible in using their plot points to connect every scene. They didn’t make sense. The only funny thing was Patrick uptight behavior, and how his colleagues were annoyed by it, as well as the (non-funny, because emotional) ending. Where I asked myself if Patrick just got back his memory. Ending in an open fashion is definitely not wrong, but the writers better show the aftermath of this episode in the next. Otherwise this hour is even more ridiculous than it already is. And it started so good and surprising with the attack against Patrick… 5.5/10

Patrick is delivering one of his shows

Lisbon is not amused though

Season 4, Episode 9 (79)
Date of airing: Dec 8, 2011 (CBS)
Watched for review: Jan 29, 2012
Number of review in February/2012: 15/138

Boring episode. I like that the murder case had a twist this time, and that the story wasn’t twisted around to make this episode shine even more “awesome”, but I didn’t care about most parts of the investigation. And it took almost the whole episode too. Not a big B arc, no real character development. Despite that one surprise I have finally gotten in my brain.

Meaning Cho’s (Tim Kang) back pains. It seems to be an ongoing storyline, which also means that his car accident three episodes ago had a purpose. I just hope it’s not becoming a pain medication related storyline, or something similar to John Cooper in SOUTHLAND. I would be surprised when it would just be a simple storyline, where Cho’s back pain is getting worse and he only has to have a surgery to fix himself. But since the car accident was three episodes ago, and I notice it now that the back pain is an ongoing storyline, who knows when the next step is gonna be done.

Also, Rigsby’s (Owain Yeoman) B plot was boring. It’s nice that the audience is remembered once again how Sarah (Jillian Bach) looks like, and that she is still a defense attorney, dating Rigsby. But somehow I believe there was more to the San Francisco plot than the writers wanted me to see. Was it all just preparing for court, and letting them have their first fight of the show, or is there really more behind it? I really would wish to have an answer for that, because the three minutes wasted with this story were more of a waste of time than most ridiculous THE MENTALIST episodes. Or RELIC HUNTER without Tia Carrere.

The murder investigation was only partly interesting, because Doc (Craig Bierko) was still alive, and because Patrick (Simon Baker) saw the opportunity for a big trick. I was laughing during the “seance” session, but other than that the story wasn’t given anything else. Not much in the victim’s department, and when Lisbon (Robin Tunney) asked Jake’s mother (Valerie Wildman), if he could have been the intended target, I was waiting for the twist to reveal that fact, not much in the investigation (there really wasn’t much, most of the episode was living with Doc not being dead while everyone else thought he was). I was also deeply (…) disappointed with the conclusion. That Steve (John Eric Bentley) was the bomber didn’t do anything for the story, because … Dog was still alive and Steve knew all along. If the killer would have been somebody else, who didn’t know, just to see the face of the revealed killer, who suddenly sees the dead guy come back to life.

And again, not one single mention of Red John. I’m not surprised. But I wonder when the next mention will come. 4.5/10

Live-tweeting the investigation

And because it's so hard to tweet, Cho needs a break

Season 4, Episode 8 (78)
Date of airing: Nov 17, 2011 (CBS)
Watched for review: Jan 29, 2012
Number of review in February/2012: 9/132

The episode was okay. Even though the murder case was boring, and could have had a better (and more logical) conclusion, I liked the side plot of Summer (Samaire Armstrong) and her little relationship with Cho (Tim Kang). The ending also makes it look like as if Summer will be used on a regular basis (or jus for another episode, or two), when it comes to the writers trying to think of a story for Cho. I wouldn’t mind, because the show definitely needs more serialized plots. Even when it means the return of at least some guest stars.

So, the undercover narc operation was bullshit at the end. I didn’t even understand why Bianca (Victoria Gabrielle Platt) killed Yolanda (Natalia Castellanos), even though she was her best friend. I didn’t even understand how Patrick (Simon Baker) was realizing that Bianca was the killer. The conclusion seemed so random, I’m still thinking about how logical the motive was, and hoe easy it obviously was for Patrick to figure out the real killer so fast. I really don’t know if it was the clever way, or if there was more in the script than meets the eye. Because it really seems that something is missing. Or the writers didn’t make clear that Bianca was working for the bad guys here. In addition, the whole scene with Bianca and Patrick in front of Omar (Kamar De Los Reyes) seemed ridiculous. First I didn’t know that Bianca’s cover was blown, and then she totally plays with the information that Patrick is a consultant for the police, and that Yolanda was undercover? Did the writers really think about the plot here, or is it just me who’s confused?

The only likable plot was, like I said, Summer’s. I love Samaire Armstrong, even though she had a few shitty appearances in a few shitty TV shows. But here she was so sunny and warm (as a hooker no less), I want her to return. Just so she can masseuse Cho’s back (I was surprised it got mentioned again) and make him happy. I saw him smile again during the first interview with her, which probably comes up to three smiles by Cho in the complete run of the series so far. In addition, Samaire finally got a role she can play with, she can make out with or something. And who knows, maybe even the writers plan to give Cho something of an emotional storyline. With Summer being a confidential informant now, who knows when she’s going to be killed, and Cho is crying for his loss. Who knows if Summer actually becomes a love interest for Cho. Who knows if Summer is actually coming back as a character to the show?

And last episode’s cliffhanger. “We have to talk about Red John”, and that was it. Nothing more. I knew it would happen, and Patrick and Lisbon (Robin Tunney) probably won’t talk about that topic until the next Red John themed story, but it’s still lazy writing. I’d wish for Damon Lindelof to write an episode… 5.5/10

Anybody can take a wild guess why she was cast for this episode

Also: Samaire showed what she has under her clothes

Season 4, Episode 7 (77)
Date of airing: Nov 3, 2011 (CBS)
Watched for review: Jan 29, 2012
Number of review in January/2012: 118/128

Very exciting episode. The case was a bit uninteresting in the beginning, but as soon as Patrick (Simon Baker) established James (David Paymer) as the serial killer, the episode grew interesting, and I just knew it would be connected to Red John near or at the end. That made the ending terribly predictable though. Especially during the interview scenes, when I was just thinking about the possibility that Patrick was thinking “Hopefully Red John watches, and will strike”. It’s kinda interesting to see it this way: James was the serial killer, and in front of the camera, he was driven to Red John by Patrick himself, who just wanted it to happen. I don’t know if that’s gonna be a good thing for the story though. Now that Red John is back in the open, I wonder if something is gonna happen with the story in the third season finale. Everyone thinks Red John was killed by Patrick. And is Red John really that stupid to come back to the living, just because Patrick was ballsy enough to ride another serial killer to death?

That will be the question until the next Red John episode. Other than that, it was a good one, thanks to the story of James, and how Patrick wanted to arrest him “in the morning”. I was pretty excited during the scene in the factory, the supposed killing room. Not just a little thrilling scene, but also surprising when Karen Cross (Missi Pyle) was standing there with her camera team. Nice that even the writers can surprise me here sometimes, letting James shine as the intelligent serial killer, who knows what he is doing. The episode could have ended before the Red John cliffhanger though. Like, establishing James as the actual serial killer, and make an ongoing story out of it. Ending the episode during the interview, when it was clear James is the killer, and Patrick knows all about it (and that James knows Patrick knows). But noooo, the writers have to ruin this fun for me, killed off James and brought back Red John. If that’s clever… we’ll see.

The first half of the episode was lame because of one reason: The story with Richard (William Mapother) went nowhere. First he’s delivered the main suspect of the serial killing, just because Patrick made Lisbon (Robin Tunney) have a hunch, and in the middle of the episode his case is gone, because “he’s a photographer”? Sorry, but I wanted a better resolution to this one. Who knows, maybe something is still coming (I’ll doubt it), but spending too much time in the whole hunch thing at the beginning, and abandoning it for Red John in the middle of the episode is just lame writing.

That didn’t kill the fun I had in the second half though. I wonder how many episodes like this will be in the rest of the season. 7.5/10

Ethan Rom is actually crying for once

Interview with Patrick and a serial killer. How exciting!

Season 4, Episode 6 (76)
Date of airing: Oct 27, 2011 (CBS)
Watched for review: Jan 29, 2012
Number of review in January/2012: 112/122

It was a pretty solid episode, but mostly thanks to Tommy (Henry Thomas) and Annabeth (Madison McLaughlin). Interesting that Lisbon (Robin Tunney) has a family (duh…), which was never mentioned before, and also interesting that Tommy seemed to have all kinds of problems as a “single” father with a crazy ex-wife and a pretty cool daughter, who loves her aunt. Yeah, all clichés and everything, but at least it was nicely done, since it gave Lisbon some nice moments. Not as a cop, but as a family member.

That made the case mostly uninteresting (as always), but this time I didn’t care. Not many twists turning the story around like a tornado, instead pretty much straight-forward. When you keep the Zubov (Carlo Rota) plot out of it. But even this story was kinda funny with Grace’s (Amanda Righetti) little undercover stint, and the fun she probably had in arresting Zubov. I wonder why those kind of cases can’t be the A plot of the season, and why it always has to be a murder plot.

Anyway, the investigation didn’t wow me. The writers kept it easy this time with the drugs as a reason (and before that with a simple DUI and assault), but the story should have gotten rid of Officer Price (Malcolm Barrett) early on. I just don’t believe he wanted to be involved in the case, just because he missed the clue with the trunk. That almost made me think about the possibility that he might have been the killer at the end. But that wasn’t the case, and now I don’t know what the meaning of is character was in this episode. There really is no reason why he should have stayed with the investigation.

Annabeth was cool. I hope she’s gonna be a returner, especially since she mentioned to be a cop, like her auntie. When THE MENTALIST should still be on the air in five years or so, let her return to the show, and have her investigate her own case. Also, bring Tommy back. For a brother of a major character, he wasn’t annoying, and it was fun to see him lie and cheat, while his daughter is holding a shotgun, being kick-ass. Also: Get the whole Grace/Rigsby thing out of my way. Now they are talking about Sarah (seems like it was for the first time), and Rigsby (Owain Yeoman) not knowing what love means and all. Sounds kinda ridiculous, especially when you plan to bring them back together again. 7/10

The teenager flirts with the cop who has a girlfriend

Patrick takes some rest. Oh wait, he's still working...

The episode seemed alright. I love when the show goes into the little moments more and more, but as long as the murder cases of the week stay as uninteresting as usual, I can’t have much fun with the show. Even when most of the case scenes are rescued by Jane’s talking and way of saving the day once again.

There isn’t much to talk about the case. The setting was wonderful though, but the episode needed more island scenes. At the end, more than most of the investigation scenes happened indoor again, and I couldn’t get to love the beach scenes and the island motives in general. THE MENTALIST is known for shooting on such exotic places, but the producers never make something out of it. This episode reminds me that they should. Anyway, the murder case was boring. The girl was dead, Jane (Simon Baker) had his two suspects, and at the end with a little gaming and tricking, he had them both. Though I found it ridiculous that Gardner (Jonathan Schmock) was running away from the town meeting, even though he didn’t kill Talia. Sure, he killed her father, but Jane was always talking about catching Talia’s killer, not her father’s killer. That just seemed like a moment, where the writers pack out one of their “unexpected” twists, with the Postal dude being the real killer, which I saw coming by the way: Zack Ward is one of the TV faces I know (and not just from the POSTAL movie), and I was expecting him to play a bigger role, after I saw his name popping up in the credits.

Grace’s (Amanda Righetti) story was okay. Finally she’s getting violent, after being the brave and innocent girl these past three years. And even though this change in her character comes a bit late after Craig, but at least the change came. Hopefully it holds on for a couple of episodes. Not that Grace’s little violent tour takes an and after this episode, because the team needs somebody crazy besides Cho. Only Sarah’s (Jillian Bach) return is a bit … I don’t know. First off, I can’t even remember her anymore, so it would have been nice to mention here and there that Rigsby (Owain Yeoman) has a girlfriend. But what I didn’t like was the forced “process of thinking” between Grace and Rigsby, after he saw her kicking ass, and she saw his girlfriend. And second: How forced the introduction of Sarah as Rigsby’s girlfriend is, after the writers established another shot of a romance last episode. Yaaawn.

All in all, average episode. I’d wish for the murder cases to come out strong. Not that they ever did with exceptions, but in a weekly rhythm I’m bored. Seems like I can give myself THE MENTALIST only in marathons – so I only get bored during a couple of days in a row and not weeks. 6/10

What a nice view

Grace is a harsh woman now

Interesting episode. The second episode in a row without remembering at Red John, and THE MENTALIST is back to where it always was. Not that it’s bad and all, but it shows that the writers haven’t developed the show at all. At least they try to get some new stories into the mix. Maybe when it would happen a lot more, the show would maybe be a lot more interesting.

The story surrounding Henry (Christian Camargo) was interesting though. I liked how the first minutes of a murder investigation became the action of the government to catch a murderer, before he does the act. Basically MINORITY REPORT by Bruno Heller, with Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) as the precog, because he reads people so well. Sure, the scene at the beginning felt so random that it hurt, but fortunately the story became something better. The actual murder investigation was just a small B story to entertain Lisbon (Robin Tunney) and let her help an old guy for once, and delivered probably the first episode of THE MENTALIST, which had two different storylines, At least I can’t remember another episode with two different storylines.

Also nice was the new boss Luther (Michael Rady). Though it seems ridiculous that there is a new boss again (in fact, the fourth boss the series has seen so far), and not somebody we have seen already (maybe somebody from the CBI offices), and though I doubt that such a young guy, who just exited from a The CW soap one and a half years ago, I like that he was open to Jane’s method of working, and that he rewarded Jane’s passion was a nice move. Especially with the closing scene, when he told Jane he was a clinical psychopath. Now the working relationship between the two is not that easy anymore, and this after 42 minutes. Respect!

By the way: The term “clinical psychopath” reminded me of all the theories out there that Jane is Red John. Almost everybody is saying that Jane is the serial killer, because he needed somebody to blame for the death of his wife and daughter. Now that he is “officially” been brandmarked as a psychopath by somebody he is working with, the writers could actually prepare on that twist in the series finale. I sure as hell hope that’s not gonna happen, and Red John is somebody from within the team (Grace, because her hair is red – but whatever). Otherwise THE MENTALIST would become seriously horrendous. I can say for sure now that the first three seasons wouldn’t make sense at all. But hey, we could talk about LOST here as well… 7.5/10

Cho goes undercover - would you have noticed?

The new boss is on the ground already

This was a solid episode for THE MENTALIST standards. As long as the writers don’t mention Red John anymore (this could be considered one of the worst plots of this year’s TV at the moment, considering the last season finale), I’m fine with the procedural storylines, and the unimportance of all of it. And hey, at least the show went back to the (already usual) duel of one psychic against another psychic. Something we’ve already had with Kristina Frye, whose fate is still unclear by the way (remember her being “crazy” in the beginning of S3?)

Well, the child abduction was not the burner, and some twists were predictable. Like Brady Walton (David Bowe). When he was first seen during the first interrogations, I knew something was up with him. In the fantasy of television writers, that’s how child abductors look like. So, that was a cliché, but it was nice that the writers at least play somehow with those twists and let me remember again that the writers obviously have learned. So, Walton might have kidnapped and killed the other two kids, but with the actual case he had nothing to do. At least it gave me the nice shootout scene in the middle of the episode, as well as a kick-ass Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti), who shot somebody in the back and had fun to do so.

Nate Glass (J.D. Walsh) was a cool character though. Okay, he was also a cliché, but I loved how he pretended to be a real psychic in front of Patrick (Simon Baker), and how Patrick tried first (in a very serious manner) to convince Elizabeth (Kelli Williams) that there are no psychics in this world. I quite liked Patrick’s conflict here and how the writers try to get back to Patrick’s past, before the murder of his family and before his involvement with the CBI. It wouldn’t have hurt to have a bit more drama though, to show that Patrick is actually “hurting” to still pretend being a psychic in front of Elizabeth. But the “real” psychic read in the CBI headquarters was hilarious. I was laughing, when Patrick did his show and Lisbon (Robin Tunney) was somewhat playing along, while the rest was seriously wondering what was going on with Patrick. That’s why those scenes are fun in THE MENTALIST: You know it’s only a trick, but it’s fun to see the other’s faces, who don’t know it’s a trick.

And a few words about Rigsby (Owain Yeoman) and Van Pelt: Looks like the story is leading us to where it already was in the second season. Could be tiring after a while (I kinda see the season ending in a wedding… which will hopefully not happen), but since the characters are charming, I will go through that story again. 7/10

Grace is happy, because...

A funny thing happened just now

Didn’t the writers just established in the season premiere that Red John is still alive? Though I liked the aspect of Jane (Simon Baker) asking somebody from Red John’s past to ID him, I find the information dump at the end … unnecessary. We already knew Red John is still alive, and the repeating fact that he still is makes that exact fact more annoying. Yeah, I still can’t think of a reason, why the stunt at the end of the third season was pulled.

The murder investigation was okay. It was only used for Jane to put the team back together and Lisbon (Robin Tunney) back at her desk, and it was used to introduce a new team to the viewers – which is already history again, which is kind of a shame. I liked Ray (Reed Diamond) in that accepting, yet cold-blooded role, and I liked the funny bullying between Rick (Joshua Biton) and the Anthony (Omar J. Dorsey). When Rick was pulling out the 70s Saturday Night Fever shoes, I had to laugh as well. Other than that, there was a bit too much time spent on the case, and not on Jane’s efforts on getting the team back together. One secret meeting, one hallucination, one trick against  Ray and that’s it? Kinda lame. But I liked that LaRoche (Pruitt Taylor Vince) was back for this episode. If he really should be gone after this, I will miss him. His hug with Lisbon was kinda cute.

I haven’t expected that the Sally Carter thing would come back. Though when her name was mentioned again I knew she would end up dead. Just make life even more harder for Jane, and try to cut all connections with the still living Red John. That is story stalling at its best, and I don’t know if I can ever like it. At least the counseling part from Van Pelt’s (Amanda Righetti) story was up ands running. Here I could imagine that the writers will continue with the storyline, to give her something to do character-wise. And the counseling would be a good opportunity to bring the couple Van Pelt/Rigsby back together.

All in all, not a rememberable episode (except the shoes), If I would write for this show, I would take a couple of steps back from the Red John story. Especially since it will probably be a part of the season finale again… 5.5/10

New shoes for Rick

Let's look at the dead guy, shall we?

It could have been such a great season premiere with a great story, which could have brought Patrick (Simon Baker) to a complete different direction as a character, as well as the whole story of the series. But at the end Bruno Heller chickens out. This is what I feared the most after the season finale, and my fear became true. This is one of the worst writings I have seen in recent years.

So, Patrick thinks Red John is still alive? That means that Timothy Carter was a nobody, his stunt casting was nothing but making the viewers fear for the story, and last season’s finale was basically for nothing… I’m seriously disappointed in Heller and whoever had the idea. I can understand why the Red John story can’t be killed off the show, because it is the heart and soul of THE MENTALIST, but why wasting my whole summer in thinking that Patrick killed Red John, when he didn’t kill Red John and Red John is still alive? That brings the whole final episode of the third season ad absurdum, which also could mean that Heller didn’t really think about the plot, when he wrote the season finale. Did he really think about killing off Red John, or did he always have the idea of killing off a wrong, evil man, just so the third season finale can have this cliffhanger? I’m still disappointed.

But that was only the last couple of minutes of this season premiere. The rest was actually good. I loved the story of doubts that Patrick has killed the wrong man, and I loved how the team was illegally investigating the case, when they went through shit just a couple of days ago. Especially Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti), who is able to get some real characteristics now, after she shot her lover, and after it was her second lover, who was a bad guy. So I really hope the writers are going to work on that one. But THE MENTALIST isn’t really good, when it comes to developing the characters, which is why I believe that everything will be forgotten in five, six episodes.

Sally (Kate Norby) was a nice character. I was believing her innocence during the first half, and she had some nice scenes with Patrick. Count me in with the surprised people, when Debbie (Catherine Combs) was in the basement, and Sally was one of the crazy people. Nice little twist, though it had to come to close the story in this episode. But it wouldn’t have been wrong to continue this story over parts of the season, making Patrick and his friends ask themselves, if he really killed the wrong man. Now we know he did (and he didn’t), the case around Sally is closed, and the series is back to normal. The whole courtroom drama could have been continued for a couple more episodes, at least a two-parter, but the story had to be closed here.

That’s why the whole last act was a complete disaster. I liked the closing argument of Patrick, because it was strong acting by Simon Baker. But I really can’t understand why he was pleaded not guilty. I mean, that was a clear 2nd degree murder, if not 1st degree murder. I can’t understand why Heller invested some time in the court case, making Patrick suffer through the whole situation. But no, the story had to be closed in this episode, Patrick had to be not guilty, and Red John had to be alive. Those last three minutes sucked big time, and this after pretty good 39 minutes before… 5/10

One of those "sad random wife of the victim" moment

One of those "sad Patrick Jane" moments