Translate

Friday 26 April 2013

The Mentalist 5.19 "Red Letter Day" Review

                                         
Knew something was up when Patrick (Simon Baker) leaves the toothpick on the door to his attic to ascertain when someone's entered.  It was timely leaving it there but not a coincidence as Cho (Tim Kang) collects him for the CS.  Patrick recognizes it's Cho from his footsteps, as Cho asks him.  Since Lisbon's (Robin Tunney) busy, yes Lisbon is busy having coffee with Kirkland (Kevin Corrigan) who's on a fact-finding mission, i.e finding out what facts Patty knows about Red John even picking Lisbon's brains about what he might know, as if she'd tell him.  Hopefully she won't fall into that trap.  He's enjoyed having coffee with her, more like thinking he's lulled her into a false sense of security that he's on the level about Homeland Security drawing a blank with any further RJ developments.  Liked the way Patrick was beavering away at his desk and didn't even let Cho enter, who didn't seem too perturbed about it.  Not sure if this is their first meeting for coffee since Kirkland first spelled it out after he introduced himself to her but he was getting awfully cosy with her, calling her Teresa. She even talks about herself in contrast to Kirkland who doesn't really say anything, except "I like to think I grew up in America" what kind of an answer was that, talk about being cagey so as not to give anything away about himself.

Later she tells Patrick about this meting and how there was "something odd" about Kirkland, she realized this since he didn't talk of himself or was rather interested in Patrick's findings.  In contrast to last episode Behind The Red Curtain where she was more defensive of Kirkland being allowed to do his job and that Patrick should follow more rules. When she returns to the office she notices it's cold in there (and not just a reaction to her coffee with Kirkland, ha).  Rigsby (Owain Yeoman) tells her the AC's off, conveniently.  Thus giving Kirkland's men a chance to break into Patty's attic and photograph everything and not notice anything was amiss with the toothpick, and you call yourselves Homeland Security!

Cho and Patrick are sent to a Wild West show where the owner, Hollis Percy (Stephen Macht) has been killed, hit over the head with the butt of a pistol.  Patrick even points to where it was stored.  He refuses to shake the coroner's hand since it has blood on it, or brain matter as she adds.  Then leads onto the usual motives for murder, love, jealousy,  money power and she concludes revenge.  Ahh that word would appeal to Patty since that's his entire reason for going after RJ.  Who has plenty of blood on his hands, blood of his family, of countless other people.

Patrick and Lisbon then question Percy's widow, Joanna (Wendy Phillips) and son, Ian (Eyal Podell) asking each of them to write down the name of the person that's just popped into their heads, that'll be Francisco Navarro (Harry Groener) who runs the show.  Patrick takes his time to trick a so-called magician (Kevin Cahoon) at the show teasing him about the nugget under the three cups trick and stealing the nugget from him, then his wallet and finally leaving the nugget in the boy's pocket.  They then head for sarsaparilla at the bar where trusty bar wench, Lily (Tamara Mello) who tells them she's from a nearby town.  Okay jumping forward a little it was no surprise when Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti) interviews Joanna and finds out he was a player, having several affairs since it was apparent Lily was his daughter!  That I ascertained without it being pointed out that she and his son both touch their ears.  Also she asks Van Pelt if she's married which she says she isn't yet and again a timely plot point since Rigsby has given her an orchid, which everyone knows was from him. Van Pelt adding "it sounds like fun."  She's changed since her failed engagement to Craig.

Patrick and Lisbon question the sheriff, Emmett Cook (Antonio Jaramillo) who wasn't at the CS since he was looking into fires in three cabins.  Patrick makes a snide comment about him not being there.  Fires he says were started by meth labs.  Cho later is sent with Rigsby to look into the cabin and Rigsby finds it strange the fire was located in the centre and didn't spread.  Then notices fire retardant gel near the window so the forest didn't catch on fire.  Lisbon sends them both back to investigate the arson and they feign getting their equipment ready into one SUV to investigate.  At the cabin they find the sheriff setting another fire by dousing gasoline.

He admits he set the fires to buy the properties on the cheap and then sell them off when the mall is developed but he didn't kill Percy.  Infact Percy was oblivious to what was going on since he was drinking again.  Patrick returns to the town, where the magician is now setting up a card trick and talks to Lily.  She likes what he does, that he can read people and she wants him to try it on her.  Asking her what she'll have for breakfast tomorrow and to write it down and seal it in an envelope.  Obviously it was another clever plot to catch the killer.  Cho later turns up since he wants to question Francisco and probably predicts there'll be trouble, even if he tells Cho he just wants to talk.  By now we know it's Patty's forte to start a fight and run off.  Which he does when he asks Percy was drinking again.

Patrick calls Lisbon to meet them at the show but first he must get rid of this unruly, two bit magician by stealing his cards and denying it.  Francisco replaces him in the Medicine Man show since he has the card numbers 2 and 3 in his pocket, proving his skills.  Just to get everyone warmed up, he picks a couple and guesses where they're from and where they're going.  There must be some knack in working this out by watching them write it down just as he did with Van Pelt in previous when she wrote down Rigsby's name.  Since he gets Lily to act as his assistant and she reads out Albuquerque and they're heading to Seattle, Washington.  Again no coincidence she turns up as he recalls his breakfast mind 'trick' with her and tells her to open the envelope.  However it contains the name of the killer, Ian, wow now was that not a big shock.  Only Ian doesn't want anyone to open the envelope which contains his motive for the killing.  SO he confesses instead, saving her face and name.

As it's revealed they were brother and sister (guessed already) and Percy revealed this to Ian after he had already fallen for her.  He accepted no responsibility for his actions in not telling him and blamed Ian for his falling for her.  Ian loses it in a moment of frenzy and hit him several times, saying he felt good for a few seconds.  Since Percy finally understood in his dying moments what he'd done.  Patrick tells Ian he must tell Lily one day.  As she opens the envelope and finds it's a blank piece of paper.

Great to see Rigsby demonstrating his arson investigating skills again, which were mentioned as far back as season 1.9 Flame Red.  Though he and Van Pelt and their awkward moment outside the lift, remember stuff happens out there all the time with Patrick, important stuff, as it did with these two.  Just as he's about to come clean about his feelings, in walks her new beau, Duncan (Brian Ames) she met at he training place.  Ugh Rigsby, too late.  I'm not one for 'shipping' and all that, but with these two, they deserve each other and make a great couple.  Was that a Freudian slip by Van Pelt when she says she "met Wayne" in California?  Even Duncan picks up on it whilst Rigsby makes a dash back to the office.  SO it's timely (again) that next ep they both go undercover as a couple!  Ahh lots can happen here!

Liked that grin Patrick had on his face when he finally returned to his precious attic and picked up the toothpick, knowing he had foiled his nemesis.  Also thought the evidence he had on his board was fake and he had  put it up for just this purpose.  After all what better way to throw Kirkland or even RJ off the scent  by planing useless evidence.  At least I'm kind of hoping he did that.  Either that or he has some other cunning plan up his sleeve.  Never can tell with Patrick and his brain working on overtime.  Kirkland naturally takes over the deciphering of the evidence from his men and finally by ep's end puts together Patrick's wall of RJ evidence.  Evil look on his face!  Quick you'd be mistaken for thinking they should have given him a twirling moustache scene here!  Oh and Kirkland drinking a Blood Mary, Jane's drink in when he was remembering his family! in Red Rover, Red Rover, also Kirkland  being stuck in his own private office with big window, like Patrick, this is all very familiar or leading up to a big twist in that Kirkland is a red herring after all and one of the good guys!!??  But the way those blinds made that imposing shadow of bars on the floor was sinister.

Only qualm bro/sister love thang already done in Red John's Friends with Undine and Jared.  Loved Cho's line about "you're still in love with her, but instead of telling her you bought her a plant."  But it wasn't any old pant, it was an orchid.  Also making him decide his feelings by use of the bagel imagery was good.  Since Rigsby picks one and then puts it back, we don't now what he picked in the end.  Van Pelt also had an orchid on her desk in My Bloody Valentine when she put Craig O'Loughlin's necklace onto it.  Oh what happened to that necklace anyway, always thought it had a bug inside?  As for orchids, mentioned in Devil's Cherry, as well as Patrick meeting Lorelei on Orchid Lane a few eps back and Patrick's comment of "well chosen Rigsby" when he's lounging on his sofa.

Patty being called an agent this ep and he doesn't correct it!

No comments: