CBS

For anyone who loves The Mentalist, last season’s finale was the most satisfying ending on a TV show, possibly ever. But, that didn’t mean we weren’t eagerly anticipating the return of this show.  Would Jane be in Jail?  What now? Some of those questions are answered, but one thing happened that I didn’t expect.  As cliché as it sounds, the show jumped the shark.

Don’t get me wrong, the fourth season premiere was captivating from start to finish, but what began as a satisfying episode, finished poorly enough to taint the entire thing. Last time we saw Jane, he had just killed Red John and calmly placed his gun on the table and sat sipping his tea. It was a sinister image, incredibly cold, yet deeply gratifying.

Now, Jane is being questioned because the gun we all saw in the finale was not found.  The cell phone that we all saw ring, gone.  So, instead of ending the Red John storyline and having Jane exonerated for his murder, the episode led the now-suspended CBI to try to solve this unending mystery.

As usual, Jane uses his mental games to win his $1 million bail while in jail.  And, once released, manages to trap the wife of “Red John” by confusing her with an extra key on her dead husband’s key chain.  All of this leads to Jane rescuing a missing girl who Red John and his wife were holding captive.

This led to Jane’s acquittal, despite the fact that he clearly murdered the man.  It’s happened on TV before, but let’s call it what it is. A cop-out.  But, fine, we knew Jane had to get out of jail.  I would have enjoyed him in jail for a while, but that’s not really a big deal.  Lisbon asks him the question we all wanted to ask.  What now? What’s next now that Red John is dead?  What does Jane do with his life? Can he finally move on?

No. What really annoyed me, and I’m sure many others, was Jane announcing that he didn’t kill Red John.  Yes, watch that shark jump, as Jane says that Red John is alive.

Let’s hope he was just joking.

Spoonfuls (Thoughts in Smaller Portions):

1. Jane is the only one in Jail wearing blue

Why blue when everyone else is in orange?

2. The Tale of Scarlet Ribbons

The famous song recorded by everyone tells the story of a little girl who wishes for scarlet ribbons. Her father cannot find them anywhere and is distraught until the next morning when scarlet ribbons are everywhere. He says he’ll never know where they came from.