After a long two-week hiatus, college basketball was kind enough to allow The Mentalist to resume its regularly scheduled programming. The show comes back with a casino heist. It’s just like Ocean’s Eleven, only without George Clooney smirking the whole time!
End of the Road
The CBI team arrives at the murder of Ryan DeStefano, who has been found shot at close range in the middle of a highway. Jane looks inside the car and sees two different sodas in the cup holder and boldly declares that there was someone else in the car with him. Geez, I could’ve figured that out, and I’m not “The Mentalist.” Cho finds a casino chip, which gives them their first real clue.
They go to talk to the casino’s head of security, Holmes, who says that DeStefano was an employee under him, but was fired for his past criminal history. As Lisbon continues questioning Holmes, Jane slinks off to see a two-bit magician named Jack Helion. Yes, his facial hair matches his ridiculous name. Jane starts heckling Jack about fifty dollars, and messes up one of his tricks. It turns out the two have a history together, and Jack reacquainted himself by punching Jack in the face. That’s how magicians say hello. Backstage, Jack explains that he is making a slow come back after some drug trouble, but says he has no idea who DeStefano is.
Bar Brawl
Back in the office, the CBI team finds out that DeStefano was recently in a bar fight. Van Pelt goes to talk to the bar keep and learns he was in a fight with Holmes from the casino over getting fired. Jane goes back to the casino and meets with Holmes and the casino’s owner, Mickey Shaw. Shaw, a shady mobster type (it’s just like Casino, only not interesting) claims that he has nothing to do with his murder.
Cho and Rigsby find out that the other passenger was a woman named Holly Danvers, and head out looking for her. They go to her trailer and are told she was last seen leaving the park with DeStefano a few days earlier. Inside of her trailer they find her roommate dead.
Mystery Woman
The team starts looking into Holly’s background and find out that she was involved in drugs and has a list of convictions. Although she was once a dirty, vile drug user, she has since cleaned up her act and seems to have her life back on track. In fact, she has a job at the bar where DeStefano had his fight. Van Pelt makes another trip to the bar and finds out that Holly called into work and said she needed a few personal days. It’s weird that she gets personal days from a dive bar, I don’t even get those!
Back at the casino, Jane goes backstage and finds Jack talking to two shady looking guys, who he calls “aspiring magicians.” Jane leaves and watches the three go into the garage. There the two guys tell Jack that they won’t be able to rob the casino and leave. Jane then confronts Jack about the plot and says that it is because he is dating Holly. How he came to that conclusion, I honestly don’t know, but it is correct. Someone kidnapped Holly and is holding her ransom until Jack robs the casino. Jane does the logical thing and decides to help Jack rob the casino.
The Blueprint
Jack meets all of the players, Jack, the two guys, and his assistant Trish, in Jack’s dressing room. He tells them the plan, which is overly complex so I won’t even try to describe it. Afterwards, he goes to the CBI office and tells them that he can solve the murder, but he needs their help. After dragging their feet, the team finally agrees, and the plan is in motion.
That night, Jack starts his magic show with a bunch of smoke and flair, and I can’t help but think about the song “The Final Countdown.” The CBI team is watching, and Rigsby is called up as a volunteer for a trick. The trick involves checking a mask that Jack will wear. Jack puts the mask on and then he and one of the other men switch roles. Jack and the other man put on maintenance uniforms and start the real work.
Pay Day
Jane introduces Holmes to Van Pelt and takes his vault key. He meets Jack and the other guy at the vault door and lets them in. Jack starts working on the safe while the other guy turns the table into a trick table with mirrors to make it look like no one is in the room. Jack starts to have second thoughts, but Jane is there to hypnotize him with some confidence. Just like that Jack is ready to go and pops the safe. They put the money in a “magic” set piece and put it in the van to meet at the drop off for Holly. As Jack and Jane head out, Cho arrests the other two guys, who in turn could easily get Jane arrested as an accessory, but that would make too much sense.
Jack and Jane meet to drop off the money and find out that Trish is behind the whole scam. She pulls a gun, and before she shoots, Lisbon comically pops out of the money box and arrests her. I may have missed it, but no one really explains where the money went. Could anyone fill me in? Trish later confesses, and says she killed DeStefano for killing Holly’s roommate when he took her. Another case is nicely closed.
What can I say about this episode? It was The Mentalist, so you pretty much know what you are getting before it even starts. It looks like we’ll have to wait for a few more episodes to see if/when the Red John storyline is ever picked up again.
Chase Gamradt
Contributing Writer
(Image courtesy of CBS)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
