"The Mentalist" season six (1 Viewer)

[todd s]

I am still not convinced Bertram is Red John.

 

[Walter Kittel]

A few random observations...

Nearly every thing transpired after Jane was unconscious and awoke in the hospital. I think it is extremely unlikely that they are going to play the 'dream' card with tonight's episode, but whenever someone enters a state of sleep / unconsciousness I become paranoid about the veracity of what follows.

Based on the preview for next week, I tend to agree that Bertram is not Red John. Previews can lie, but it left me with the impression that something else is going on. (Kirkland's brother, Brett Partridge back from the dead? I have no idea.)

If it does prove to be Bertram, did Jane help facilitate his escape - to enable Jane to kill Red John later without the police presence? Seems unlikely given Jane's reaction, but I don't trust this show.

I will miss Brett Stiles, not because I particularly liked the character but because he had an interesting rapport with Jane.

Perhaps the main story line after Red John will be dismantling the Blake Association. (?) If so, maybe C-Note (from Prison Break) is joining the cast, or at least will appear in a recurring role. Is the coded document a list of members of the organization?

Looking forward to next week. Checked the CBS local schedule for my area and there is not a late NFL game, so no frickin' over-run next Sunday night.

- Walter.

 

[David Weicker]

Of course, we only think that the other three (Stiles, Haffner, and McAllister) are actually dead. Yes, they said that they found DNA at the scene, but Red John (if it isn't Bertram) could have faked his death and sacrificed something (a finger, blood, etc.) to make it look like he was a victim).

Something to think about.

Next week should be fun.

 

[FoxyMulder]

I saw an earlier episode, the one where they find the Red John smiley on a barn which used to belong to Visualize, Lisbon asks Haffner if he was ever there, mentioning to him that Haffner would have been 21 at the time, Haffner walks out of the room, i think Haffner is Red John.

 

[Walter Kittel]

I saw an earlier episode, the one where they find the Red John smiley on a barn which used to belong to Visualize, Lisbon asks Haffner if he was ever there, mentioning to him that Haffner would have been 21 at the time, Haffner walks out of the room, i think Haffner is Red John.

As I posted earlier in this thread (I believe), Haffner has always been my 'goto' choice for Red John, since I find the character so unlikeable. For what it is worth, that episode (Season 5, episode 13 The Red Barn) made me strongly suspicious of Haffner. I think this was the episode that caused Jane to add Haffner to his list of Red John suspects.

In the highlights from previous episodes at the start of Sunday night's episode, they did show the dialog where Haffner, with a sense of indignation, asked Lisbon that if he cooperated with Jane, would this end the suspicions that he was Red John. (paraphrasing)

- Walter.

 

[todd s]

A few random observations... Based on the preview for next week, I tend to agree that Bertram is not Red John. Perhaps the main story line after Red John will be dismantling the Blake Association. (?) If so, maybe C-Note (from Prison Break) is joining the cast, or at least will appear in a recurring role. Is the coded document a list of members of the organization? - Walter.

It was announced that the FBI guy was going to be a new full time cast member. I wonder if they will fold CBI into the FBI.

 

[Steve_Pannell]

It was announced that the FBI guy was going to be a new full time cast member. I wonder if they will fold CBI into the FBI.

I'd like to fold that FBI guy a few times.

 

[Matt Hough]

Yes, if we've learned anything over the years, it's never trust your eyes on this show. I do not believe Bertram is Red John either. It's just too simple for a show that lives on twists and turns. Next week should be something.

 

[NeilO]

We do know that Bertram is a murderer who should be put away. I was suspicious of him since a few seasons back when he first said "Tiger, Tiger" near the end of an episode. Of course, we didn't know what that meant back then.

After all this time, though, I still can't believe he really is Red John. I think Kirkland's brother is a better choice. I really don't think it was Kirkland who killed that guy in the hospital. That guy had information on Red John and there is no way that Kirkland would have just killed him without getting information out him. Therefore it had to be his twin brother. At the very least the twin has to still be around and still a follower of Red John.

Will we really find out next episode? I hope so.

 

[Walter Kittel]

After all this time, though, I still can't believe he really is Red John. I think Kirkland's brother is a better choice. I really don't think it was Kirkland who killed that guy in the hospital. That guy had information on Red John and there is no way that Kirkland would have just killed him without getting information out him. Therefore it had to be his twin brother. At the very least the twin has to still be around and still a follower of Red John.

That certainly seems logical. I know that when Bob Kirkland revealed to Jane that he was hunting Red John I had a bit of a cognitive disconnect between that statement and his/his twins? actions in the hospital.

- Walter.

 

[Mark_B]

Spoiler

I read on nbcnews.com yesterday in an interview with Bruno Heller that Bertran is definately Red John and the conclusion to the whole story arc will be this week. The next show on Dec 1st will jump 2 years will have new sets and a "new direction" for Jane.http://www.today.com/entertainment/final-showdown-looms-mentalist-red-john-2d11632772

 

[Walter Kittel]

Well, it wouldn't be The Mentalist without another twist. Nice resolution with some gamesmanship on both sides during the confrontation at the chapel. At first I thought Jane feeding the pigeons was just a reference to the prior episodes, but it played out rather nicely both as a reference to Red John, and also to the concept of stagecraft and showmanship which is part and parcel of Jane's bag of tricks.

Pretty damn good wrap-up. Really curious where they are going with the time jump and what follows.

- Walter.

 

[David_B_K]

I have to give CBS credit for pulling the switcheroo on Red John and keeping it under wraps as they did with last week's episode of Person of Interest.

 

[Matt Hough]

I couldn't believe Jane was taken in for a minute by that suspicious woman walking down the aisle; I certainly wasn't. But the twist was great and the resolution satisfying. Will make me want to revisit earlier seasons to see the real Red John hiding behind his mask in his episodes.

 

[Walter Kittel]

I couldn't believe Jane was taken in for a minute by that suspicious woman walking down the aisle; I certainly wasn't. But the twist was great and the resolution satisfying. Will make me want to revisit earlier seasons to see the real Red John hiding behind his mask in his episodes.

I'm not certain how much you will see in the earlier seasons since I believe it was only decided within the last year or so which suspect would turn out to be Red John, as per this article (first paragraph)...

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Mentalist-Red-John-1073838.aspx

The article also mentions Berkeley's frequent portrayal of heavies in film and television (Percy from Nikita is one that stands out for me).


The first year of The Mentalist, I was pretty certain that Virgil Minelli was Red John, especially after episode 11 "Red John's Friends". Virgil opposed Jane's efforts to defend a convicted criminal who had information on Red John, and was on vacation when the man was killed before Jane could contact him.

- Walter.

 

[Patrick_S]

And of course it certainly did sound like Gregory Itzan's voice on the phone call Patrick received from Red John.I liked the end of the Red John story. I will be interested to see how the reset is handled.

 

[David Weicker]

Don't forget that Bradley Whitford was Red John (until he wasn't).

 

[Johnny Angell]

I wearied of RJ and haven't watched the show for about a year. I've got some questions:
1) I've read the articles linked to above. Did RJ only appear in season 1 as the sheriff? We never saw him again?
2) Are they really going in a new direction? Are they really going to dump the CBI cast?
3) Have the creators of the show promised that RJ is really dead?

I found it interesting that RJ turned out to be a sniveling coward, begging for his life. I would have thought he would have had more substance.

How long has it been ok for the hero to kill in cold-blood? There was a day when a baddie could not die at the intentional efforts of the hero. It had to be an accident or at least unintended. Anyone remember the first show to do this? Jane has now done this twice. When he killed Bradley and he wasn't RJ, that's when I really started to get tired of RJ.

The Mentalist did fall into the old saw of the villain allowing the victim to approach him closely, to actually hand him something. If I ever become an arch-villian I ain't allowing no hero to get close to me.

Is Rigsby still married to the prosecutor? I recall they had a kid.

When Bertram was shot I almost laughed the way he played it. It was like a kid who was poked in the ribs, "heeyyy, why'd you do that?"

 

[Steve_Pannell]

Interesting article containing information about Red John's voice (I cut-and-pasted the relevant part):

http://www.seattlepi.com/entertainment/tv/tvguide/article/Simon-Baker-Breaks-Down-the-End-of-Red-John-and-5008745.php#page-2

TV Guide Magazine: Hell, yeah!Baker: All those times we heard the voice of Red John? That was me.
TV Guide Magazine: Seriously?Baker: Yes! In the Season 2 finale, when Jane was captured and Red John did that "Tyger, Tyger" thing with the mask on? That was me. I played both characters in that scene.
TV Guide Magazine: Wow. That's especially trippy considering there was a major theory going around that Jane was Red John. So in a way that turned out to be true!Baker: That was the reason I did that. There was a point where Bruno was saying, "We don't know who we're going to cast to play [the masked Red John]." I said, "Don't cast anyone! I'll do it." Bruno was, like, "I love it! I love it!" So I put on a mask and did that funny, wispy little voice. And for seasons after, whenever Red John spoke, I had to go record the voice.

 

[Steve_Pannell]

I wearied of RJ and haven't watched the show for about a year. I've got some questions:
1) I've read the articles linked to above. Did RJ only appear in season 1 as the sheriff? We never saw him again?
2) Are they really going in a new direction? Are they really going to dump the CBI cast?
3) Have the creators of the show promised that RJ is really dead?

I found it interesting that RJ turned out to be a sniveling coward, begging for his life. I would have thought he would have had more substance.

How long has it been ok for the hero to kill in cold-blood? There was a day when a baddie could not die at the intentional efforts of the hero. It had to be an accident or at least unintended. Anyone remember the first show to do this? Jane has now done this twice. When he killed Bradley and he wasn't RJ, that's when I really started to get tired of RJ.

The Mentalist did fall into the old saw of the villain allowing the victim to approach him closely, to actually hand him something. If I ever become an arch-villian I ain't allowing no hero to get close to me.

Is Rigsby still married to the prosecutor? I recall they had a kid.

When Bertram was shot I almost laughed the way he played it. It was like a kid who was poked in the ribs, "heeyyy, why'd you do that?"

1. Sheriff McAlister was first seen in episode 2 of season 1 (the first episode after the pilot).
2. From next week's extended promo that I saw on YouTube it seems that Lisbon is a sheriff or something (maybe she took McAlister's place). Don't know about the rest.
3. I certainly hope so. I don't mind extended arcs but we've been fooled too many times.

A lot of "TV" serial killers turn out to be cowards once they're caught. They usually find out they're not as smart as they thought.

In this case, (IMO) it was not only OK but it was imperative that Jane kill Red John. I wouldn't have been satisfied with anything less.

Rigsby is married to Van Pelt now.

Agreed about Bertram.