The Mentalist (TV Series) Red John's Friends (2009) User Reviews

Does a convicted murderer hold the key to Red John's identity?

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 23 October 2017]

When a man convicted of murder contacts Jane offering information about Red John's identity in exchange for Jane proving his innocence Jane agrees. He is promptly told, by CBI director Virgil Minelli that he mustn't try to reopen the case. He then goes off and talks to the convict's family; his brother doesn't seem too keen to have the case reopened. Jane is told that if he continues investigating he will lose his position at the CBI; he resigns. Lisbon and his other former colleagues continue to help him and end up suspended… Minelli tells Lisbon that he will be away for a week; effectively giving them the go-ahead to help Jane unofficially so long as it doesn't link back to him. As well as looking for evidence that might cast doubt on the convict's guilt Jane and the team realise that if they do succeed in getting him out of prison he will likely be Red John's next victim.

I rather enjoyed this episode; it nicely combined a standalone mystery of figuring out how the convict could possibly he innocent and the ongoing mystery of Red John's identity. The central case was a classic 'closed room' case; with the convict found alone in a room, locked from the inside, with a dead woman. He claimed she was his lover but her mother had reported that he'd been stalking her. The way Jane and the team were told not to investigate then get suspended was a little cliché but didn't spoil the story… in fact it added a few laughs as Lisbon struggled to explain why people should talk to them without their CBI credentials. The ending, which isn't a huge surprise, was a bit bloodier than I expected and showed us, and Jane, that Red John is more dangerous and has greater resources than was previously suspected. Overall I found this to be a really solid episode.

There's one thing...

[taraangel-40960 · 9/10 · 11 June 2021]

Good episode. Written on the wall in blood are the words 'He is man...'. If you watch the show you come to realize what this means later. But one thing about that scene doesn't make sense. We learned, I believe in the first season, that the first thing you see is always Red John's smiley face in blood is ALWAYS the FIRST thing you see when entering the room. That it was to the side of the room, and that you saw the bodies first, is incorrect to the profile.

The Omipresent Red John

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 29 November 2021]

Patrick Jane is summoned by the wealthy prisoner Jared Renfrew, who was convicted for the rape and murder of the daughter of housekeeper of his family, Undine Kopecki. Jared tells that he know the whereabouts of Red John, and promises to inform Patrick if her proves that he is innocent. Patrick asks the support of Lisbon and the CBI team to reopen the case. Patrick and Lisbon visit the Renfrew family and learn family secrets, discovering the real killer. Will Jared keep his promise?

"Red John's Friends" is a great episode of "The Mentalist". Patrick Jane is really hunting down Red John, who seems to be omnipresent. Looking forward to see more episodes of this hunting. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Red John's Friends"

Best Episode of the series yet!

[tomlinson-dominic · 6 September 2011]

Although some critics think this episode is a too implausible and fake, I personally think this is the best episodes of one of the best shows on TV. Without a doubt the best two best things about the show are Simon Bakers character, Patrick Jane, a genius with a horrible past. He plays the role so well and is such an underrated actor. The other thing is Red John. The main antagonist of the show. A serial killer who kills people and leaves a smiley face of there blood at the crime scene. Not to mention he also killed Jnes wife and daughter. So in my opinion Episodes that have references to Red John are the best. And this does. It also has a decent story and mystery. Although the season finale is the best episode of the whole season. This episode is certainly one of the best.

I don't like faked scenes!

[barrywilliams993 · 8/10 · 9 January 2009]

Overall, I like "The Mentalist" enough to watch for a few more episodes even though it is a bit of a retread of other sleuth shows. The main character's past as a phony mentalist reformed by a tragedy is a bit pedestrian to me and the whole idea of "looking for the mysterious murderer of my wife and child" is a bit of a throwback to "The Fugitive".

That said, nothing bugs me more than having a completely fake scene.

Sometimes I see in documentaries and commercials a scene showing a fire or smokestack that is obviously a reverse of the original. A zoom out is reversed to zoom in for dramatic effect but it is obvious (at least to me) that the smoke is going down the stack or the fire is leaping toward the logs. I hate it! And, it really gets my (old) goat when the scene is static and I can see no reason (dramatic or otherwise) for it to be played backwards.

In the latest episode of "The Mentalist", the scene of the key being pulled back into the hole is actually a reverse of the key being pushed from the keyhole and lowered on the string. That means there is a hole in the plot that couldn't be resolved (they never succeeded in pulling the key back up) or the director was just too lazy (or pressed for time) to do the scene right. I think it is more likely the former meaning the whole "frame" is shot to hell.

Another point about the scene is the glaring fact that old key locks like that one can be easily picked with the key IN the lock. Therefore, it is not necessary to go to so much trouble to set the "frame".

One other scene that looks plainly wrong is the one after Jared is picked up from prison. The black SUV is shown speeding from screen left to screen right but on the wrong side of the road! For some reason, the director didn't like it going from right to left. It looks ridiculous because it gives the impression that the vehicle is in a country with right-hand drive vehicles like Great Britain.

For me, little things like this completely kill the "spell" and can collapse any suspension of disbelief on my part.

I'll keep watching "The Mentalist" for now. But, in the past, stuff like this has irritated me so much that I have stopped watching a show ("24" - which just got boring as hell after the novelty wore off) and moved on to suffer through other crud ("Lost") until the plot holes and other gaffs forced me to move on again.

Did nobody notice?

[ysaulawafatima · 7/10 · 1 August 2023]

Jane gets a chance at getting information on red John and decides it's worth risking his job in the pursuit of that information. We also see how much Jane actually needs the team to provide the evidence for him to analyze.

In this episode, a brother ends up dating his half sister inadvertently. His mother is so upset by it that she kills the girl. The problem is that the girls mother seems to have no problem with the incest. And she actually knew about the relationship. You would think she would be the one with the problem because she knows 100% who fathered her child. Major problem with the fact that this isn't acknowledged in the episode.