
I’m considering this a pretty twisted Moment of Goodness because the results of Patrick Jane’s dastardly plan not only exposed a notorious serial killer, but also resulted in said serial killer being murdered. Since the Season 4 premiere, we have known Jane didn’t really kill Red John. Oh he killed a sadistic psychopath, just not the one he had been tracking for such a long time.
“Blinking Red Light” unfolded very slowly. Very early on we are introduced to Panzer played so well by character actor, David Paymer, as a blogger who has emotional ties to a string of murders of young women. Then we are thrown the red herring of William Mapother. The Lost alum plays a creepy photographer who is definitely a perv but not our killer. Jane begins to hang out more with Panzer and it slowly dawns on him that the blogger is the serial killer masquerading as a concerned citizen.
Jane agrees to go on Karen Cross’ television show opposite Panzer so he can make him confess to the murder. But Patrick Jane does one better. He seems to recognize that the serial killer shares the same arrogance as he had exhibited when he was first tracking Red John. This arrogance resulted in his family being killed. Jane baits Panzer into denigrating Red John knowing the awful consequences. It was riveting to watch.
Jane knew exactly what he was doing by encouraging Panzer to make Red John look the fool on television. And sure enough, the next morning Jane has the answer he has been searching for. Panzer’s found dead with the Red John smiley face near his body. And you know what that means. Red John lives!! Jane’s twisted ways killed two birds with one stone. A serial killer is dead. And he’s proven that another continues to exist. What a powerful ending to a great episode.
The Mentalist airs Thursdays at 10/9c on CBS.
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