(S01E16) "My other senses are heightened. They're super-heightened. I'm like Daredevil." -- Jane on his blindness
Now, this was an interesting episode of The Mentalist. We veered from the formula a bit, and I liked it. We got to find out a lot more about Jane's past, albeit Red John-free. Sadly, this episode was fairly Cho-free, as well, but we did get a lot of Rigsby / Van Pelt payoff.
Mostly what this episode was about, though, was Jane's questionable past: the lies he told to people, the money he unabashedly took, and the lives he ruined with his greed and his false representation of his psychic abilities. Jane is clearly carrying around a lot more guilt than just his family being killed, although that was obviously the defining moment for Jane.
It was interesting that the whole Carol Gentry piece was shown. It wasn't even really a red herring; it was solely there to show us the damage that Jane had done when he was John Edwards-ing. His lies caused a woman to commit suicide. Hmmm... so maybe in retrospect, this scene did tie into the bigger picture, showing us that if Jane can drive a woman to suicide, he can drive a man to murder.
But really, because you had to stop playing soccer with the movie stars' kids? Get a life, Dan. But that anger sure kicked Rigsby's derriere! He went from geeky to creepy in a split second. Either way, it got us a blind guy driving and a near-kiss with Van Pelt and Rigsby, so it wasn't all bad.
I really enjoyed stepping out of the formula this week -- what did you think?
Other things worth mentioning:
- That first scene was so hard to watch. Can you imagine, knowing you were about to blow up and no one could save you in time? And how about the feelings of helplessness on the part of Jane and Lisbon? Yikes.
I almost wonder if Jane's blindness was emotional. - Lisbon was pretty badass with the taser on Terence Andrews. I love seeing that side of her; she's so straight most of the time.
- OK, we get that you're blind, Jane, but what's with the Stevie Wonder head-bob?
- I'm wondering about the lemon thing. Jane knew that Andrews was innocent because he smelled lemony, and "clean, righteous anger is lemony." So then we see Jane drinking the lemon water and throwing it out. I'm not quite making the connection, but I think there's something there. Anyone?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-18-2009 @ 7:57AM
mj said...
When I was in nursing school, we had to 'be blind,' by wearing eyepatches. Part of learning how others function. I know I did the head bob, and so did others. We were trying to hear more.
So Jane was a weinie and lied to people in his past. Everyone lies.
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3-18-2009 @ 8:40AM
tabernacle said...
Did anyone catch what Rigsby said to Van Pelt at the end in the bathroom, after they almost kissed, that made her laugh? Try as I might, I couldn't make it out.
3-18-2009 @ 8:58AM
hub said...
He said he had to fill out a H746B form.
3-18-2009 @ 9:55AM
Dan Chichian said...
I think the whole water scene was to show that at that point Jane was not clean much less righteous. It set up the reveal that the woman killed herself.
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3-18-2009 @ 11:03AM
Rob Walley said...
Although I have enjoyed this show all season, I never really felt like it was a well written show. Simon Pegg has brilliantly raised this show from mediocrity. But this weeks episode was just plain great! Here's hoping that the series setup is over and really good stories continue from here.
Oh...and more Cho!!!
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3-18-2009 @ 12:00PM
Maureen said...
The Carol Gentry scene was a real teaser and my husband and I disagree as to what the message was. He thinks that it was designed to show that when Jane was a con-man he hurt people with complete disregard. I'm not so sure. The writers continually stress that Jane is not a psychic but that he uses observation and intuition. He continuously surprises us with what he sees and gets that no one else does. To be a successful con-man those same skill must already have been honed to a razor sharpness. To me it seemed that when Jane said that Carol Gentry committed suicide 8 years before he did so in a very matter of fact manner and without any real regret. A different reaction to when he was thinking back to the time he told the wife that her husband was cheating. There he felt responsible. I think that Jane picked up that Carol Gentry DID do something to her mother that she required forgiveness for -Neglect ? Murder? - and that that is why she committed suicide.
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3-18-2009 @ 1:06PM
tabernacle said...
Thanks, hub. I guess my question now is what's a H746B form... Something to do with losing his gun or dating at work?
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3-18-2009 @ 4:07PM
zetta said...
love this episode..!!
this is the best epicode that i`ve ever seen..!!
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3-19-2009 @ 12:41AM
csttar63 said...
the actress who plays van pelt is TOTALLY HOT!!!!!!!
she is not the plastic hot like gossip girls, but i think she has that everygirl hotness.
Lisbon is not as hot as she was in that witches movie. i know it was some 10 years ago, but she is not aging well.
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