#tm thoughts

HI! Yes me and @laufire have actually thought about this. Here are the conclusions we came to:

1. Patrick Jane - Double Snake, no question asked. I mean, his secondary is obvious and while I could have seen a different primary even with the all revenge story the way he only stayed around in the begining of season 2 because he had grown fond of the team not because he liked helping people/solving mysteries etc. sold me on his primary.

2. Teresa Lisbon - Bird Badger. She's clearly an Idealist, but way too chill to be a Lion. She also has an open-mindness I usually associate with Birds. Badger secondary because she likes and is good at following the rules, showing up and doing the world, relying on her people when needed.

3. Kimball Cho -Double Bird. I mostly got Bird primary by elimination so I am glad you also thought of it. Bird secondary because he seems to do best when he has time to prepare and plan. Not to mention all his undercover moments look like Actor Bird to me.

4. Grace Van Pelt- Lion Badger. The way she left home and joined CBI to prove herself looks Lion primary to me. Same with her internal conflict after killing her corrupt fiance. Badger secondary as she is a hard worker -the way she cultivates her hacker skills looks more Badger than Bird to me- and is also a people's person the way a lot of Fluid Secondaries are.

5. Wayne Rigsby -Badger Lion. I admit his is the sorting I am most unsure of but I think it fits him. He is the one on the team most dedicated to helping people (Badger) and has an impulsive, combative side (Lion).

Bonus:

1. Like you, I ship him with his quest for Revenge first and foremost xDD

2. Theresa Lisbon - They have an interesting relationship and they make a good team. Altough, I do enjoy them even more if you add a third party -romantic or not romantic-Hightower, Fisher, Lorelai, Red John himself lol

3. Lorelai Martins - Now for the short time I had them, they had some pretty OTP-ish scenes. Sadly, not only wasn't Jane ready for such a relationship, their time was cut short :((

4. Erica Flynn - They were so cold together!! But their antagonistic dynamic was fun.

5. Krystal Markham - Like with Erica, seeing Jane play with other Snake secondaries is always fun.

Patrick Jane, obviously. There may be other characters that shine from time to time, but this show is entirely Jane's story from start to finish*. It's a good thing I love this manipulative asshole as I am pretty sure the show would be undearable otherwise. But the way he solves problems by creating chaos? A++ to watch. Not to mention his soft spot for the team and various other one off characters plus his outlook towards life make me love him.

I think I will say that one good episode redeems Erica Flynn for my least fav. episode back in season 4. I cannot comprehend why exactly did I hate the episode so much.

I think this episode was great in terms of character development and plot-wise. After all, Erica Flynn escaped from jail was probably (and forgive my memory) one of the few unfinished business in the mentalist, second to the unknown identity of the rest of the Blake Association members (speaking of which, do they ever thought of solving that or just leaving to the evaporate?). Seeing the police force finally catching Erica Flynn was satisfying, alongside the beauty and talent of Miss Morena Baccarin.

My favourite scene was J/L in the restaurant. It was one of the most interesting scene I have seen on the mentalist because it was opened to interpretations. Lisbon was nervous and insecure to ask Jane about Erica Flynn. Flashback to previous episodes, Lisbon did not understand why Erica Flynn was the queen bee of all. It might be hurtful for Lisbon to know that Jane kissed Erica despite she thought he was always loyal to his wife. Jane was also much more honest to Lisbon than anyone therefore to withhold this information from Lisbon would suggest that Jane might had blinding but transient attraction towards Erica. Lisbon is, and will remain "at lost" in the relationship simply because she can't read minds like Jane. Similarly, how many times does Jane have to apologize for not disclosing some information to Lisbon?? We have at least heard it twice (?) this season. Jane apologized to Lisbon for not giving her the heads up, however, refuted further inquiries along the line. The past is the past: Walter Mashburn, Lorelei; no matter it's a kiss, one night stand or what. Besides, Lisbon was beginning to question Jane like a criminal. Jane's question brought up the importance of sharing over questioning. Interestingly, the way Jane phrased the question also reflected how he was seriously irritated by Lisbon sleeping with Mashburn (mind you, it probably was not a one time fling). It would only matter if Jane loved Lisbon all along, confirming the suspicion of many fans that Jane has fallen in love for awhile.

In contrast to Pike/Lisbon, Jane/Lisbon felt real in the sense that they had shown more obstacles in romantic relationships that a couple had to deal with.

p.s. I was stupid enough to almost believe that Lisbon was really jealous and chose to talk about Erica Flynn right outside the office. I am glad that I was wrong.

I think the mentalist has done the episode the right way in terms of how truthful they are in Jane and Lisbon's relationship. It's not smoothing sailing from the start. For two people who have been friends forever, it still takes time for them to get familiar with the subtle changes in status. I like how they brought back Pike (hurt, but more bitter about how Jane who has very little to offer end up "winning" Lisbon) and Jane's keep-it-to-himself character, reminding us how it takes time to develop a real relationship. I can see how this may not be what most fans are expecting, but it stays in the tone that the mentalist has always been. Besides, seeing these two being a couple does take time for viewers to digest, even for a fan like me. (I was like woa when they start looking at each other and always smiling....)

The case was on average but the addition of Vega is interesting.

p.s. I knew how they were going to send-off Fisher. I am satisfied with it mostly because I think that's the one logical reason I can think of. I hope Emily will show up some time in the future because in tv, people can reunite :)

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