Monday, May 6, 2013

|SPOILER| Exclusive Mentalist Postmortem: Robin Tunney Breaks Down the Big Red John Reveal

And then there were seven.

As promised, The Mentalist's Season 5 finale found Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) narrowing down the list of people who could possibly be his serial killer nemesis Red John to just seven names. But in a final twist and display of power, Red John "changed the game" by predicting — in the form of a video message from the now-dead Lorelei Martins (Emmanuelle Chriqui) no less! — which seven names Jane was going to end with. He also shared this parting threat: "I'm going to start killing again, often. Until you catch me, or I catch you."

Creator Bruno Heller insists that one of these suspects is indeed Red John. "The cards are up on the table and they're the real cards," Heller says. "There is no sort of double twist. There's no more messing around. ... Only the truth gets revealed from now on in." So, without further ado, the suspects are:

1. Bret Stiles (Malcolm McDowell), the leader of the cult-like religion Visualize.

2. Gale Bertram (Michael Gaston), the director of the CBI.

3. Bob Kirkland (Kevin Corrigan), a shady homeland security agent who recently raided Jane's personal files on the Red John case.

4. Raymond Haffner (Reed Diamond), a CBI agent (and Visualize member) who was briefly Jane's boss at the beginning of Season 4.

5. Reede Smith (Drew Powell), an FBI agent who worked on the Red John case after Lorelei's arrest.

6. Thomas McAllister (Xander Berkeley), a Napa Valley sheriff who helped Jane solve a murder on the series' second episode.

7. Brett Partridge (Jack Plotnick), a forensic analyst for the CBI who clashes with Jane and shows great interest in Red John's killings.

So, what's next for Jane and the CBI? TVGuide.com chatted with series star Robin Tunney to get her reaction to the big reveal and to find out how Lisbon and Jane will investigate the list of suspects. Plus: Are things heating up between the two partners in their personal lives?

When you learned where the finale was going, were you surprised that Jane and Lisbon would be this close to catching Red John?
Robin Tunney: I was really surprised. I was also really shocked at some of the names on the list! They weren't revealed to me until we shot the scene. I assumed Bret Stiles and Michael Gaston's character would be on the list. But Xander Berkeley, who was in our second episode and Jack Plotnick — I was pretty shocked. It'll make for a really exciting sixth season.

Why was now the time to narrow the field?
Tunney: I think the fans were waiting for something like this. They wanted more concrete boundaries. Red John sort of became larger than a person in the last few seasons. He became this looming, all-powerful myth. So, I think the idea that we're [saying] they're human beings that are specific will satiate the audience.

Then again, the episode suggests that Red John may have psychic or otherwise superhuman abilities.
Tunney: Well, to be totally honest, I feel like Patrick Jane is so astute and so bright that for [Red John] to sort of escape his grasp for so long, he would need to have some sort of omniscient qualities

So what's Lisbon's next step?
Tunney: Well, I gave him my word I wouldn't tell anybody. We can't have the full weight of the CBI behind us because our boss is one of the suspects. I think it'll be interesting to see how the information is shared with the team — and if it is. To be honest, I don't know if that's going to happen.

With Lisbon chasing her own nemesis earlier in the season, do you think she has better understanding of Jane's drive to catch Red John?
Tunney: Yeah. But for me, the more important aspect of that story line is that Jane showed up for her. I feel like [Lisbon] has been bending over backwards for him, and there's a very low percentage of return. The way he stuck his neck out to find Volker and the lengths he went to and the way he sort of stuck up for her, it was kind of selfless on his part. It was really important for the relationship.

I suppose it's a good thing their partnership remains strong if Jane and Lisbon are going after Red John alone. Do you think that will continue?
Tunney: I think she's completely committed. But I still think [the idea] of her wanting to try Red John in a court of law and taking him alive [instead of] Jane's idea of revenge... is an important one. My character sort of represents somebody who believes in the law and believes in the system and the way it works. So, I think it's an intrinsic conflict that's sort of important to the structure of the show.

Do you think the hunt for Red John might ever change her views?
Tunney: I think it's how she's hard-wired. I think something really devastating that was really personal would have to happen to change those beliefs.

You've said you view Jane and Lisbon's personal relationship as a brother-sister pairing. But psychic Sean Barlow (Michael Hogan) accused Lisbon of being in love with Jane in the finale. Thoughts?
Tunney: It's funny, as an actor you have to sort of play things in a specific manner. I feel like she's certainly in love with him. But the idea of whether it's romantic love, I'm not even sure if she's sure. It'll be interesting to see how that unfolds next season. I think, like the Red John thing, how long can you keep that going?

It does seem that the show is moving toward ending the Red John story. How long do you see the show running?
Robin Tunney: I'm on board for however long we can make a show that the fans still like. I think the show could go on after they find Red John. It could go on based on Jane solving crimes. His reason for staying [at the CBI] is different and doesn't have the same emotional pull, but I do think people like to watch him just solve things. I don't know that people just watch the show for the Red John story line.

Given that Jane was so hesitant to give Lisbon the list of names because of her bad poker face, do you think she will have trouble keeping it secret?
Tunney: I think she's going to need to. I really hope I don't screw that up. I think there's some comedy to be played in that. She's pretty certain she's a great liar, so it might go back and forth for a while. I think everybody thinks they're a good liar.

Do you know which of the seven men is Red John at this point?
Tunney: No. Maybe it's because they think I'm a bad liar. They don't trust me with that information. [Laughs]

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Source: TV Guide.

|SPOILER| 'Mentalist' creator teases season 6: Is the Red John list legit?


The seven Red John suspects were revealed on Sunday night’s The Mentalist finale. Or were they? With Red John seemingly knowing everything that’s in Patrick Jane’s head — including his list — how much can we trust that the elusive serial killer is really among those seven names? And what can we expect from The Mentalist in season 6? Below, creator Bruno Heller answers our burning questions about the finale and beyond.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: So after all that craftiness on Patrick Jane’s part, Red John is still a step ahead of him. So can we trust that the list is accurate if Red John is so willing to confirm it?
Bruno Heller: Yes, we can trust that list. As much as much as Red John has been one step ahead with ahead, Lorelei Martins’ intervention changed the game. So as much as Red John is trying to play from a position of strength in reality Jane has gotten a lot closer. This last episode of the season really sets us up for next season: The hunt is on, no messing about.

Once again, you’re making moves that make me wonder if Patrick Jane is Red John — after all, how else could he know that memory from inside his head? But by saying Red John is definitely on the list, can we rule out the theory held by some fans that Jane is actually Red John?
Heller: I would say that definitively: Jane is not Red John.

Sunday’s guest star (Michael Hogan) made a comment about Lisbon having romantic feelings for Jane. Will that get explored at all next season?
Heller: Certainly. To a degree, it’s always been explored. It’s an undercurrent there. As the next season goes on, yes, as the search for Red John culminates, those underlying feelings will come out.

And can you talk about the decision for Wayne and Grace to get back together?
Heller: They’ve always been in love with each other. As we get closer to Red John, all of the team members will start thinking about their major life decisions. That applies to both applies to Lisbon and Grace. They haven’t been able to look to their own feelings. As the show rolls on, those feelings will come to the fore.

When you learned that The Mentalist was renewed, did part of you hope it would be final season order so you plan your end game?
Heller: That’s a good question. To the degree that certainty is always a nice thing, yes. But, no — in the sense that the show and the people involved in it are kind of a family and you never want to break up a family that’s happy and doing well. In that sense, we still have everything to play for. We try to make every episode as fun as we can.

Would Red John being caught necessarily mean the end of the show?
Heller: Let me put it this way: If and when Red John is caught, there’s an interesting life dilemma for Patrick Jane and the rest. I think it would be very odd if Red John falls dead and the show stops right there. Because the natural question is: What happens next? It’s either a big story or smaller story, depending. I mean, I know. But I would be cheating on the narrative if I told you all I had planned.

Overall, what can we expect next season?
Heller: Up until now if you’re comparing it to Moby Dick, which is one of the analogies I used to describe the length of the chase, next season the whale has been sighted and they’re in the small boats and chasing the whale. It’s much faster paced, more thrilling, more action, more surprises. We’ll still be delivering those mysteries every week. But just as you see with the last epiosde of the season, there’s no more tracking and more chasing.

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Source: EW.com.

|POLL| Who the hell is Red John?


Now we have the names we were waiting for, the famous seven suspects list. But still, which one of them is Red John? We want to know what do you, Mentalista, think. But first, let's see who are they:

Bret Stiles (Malcown McDowell)
Appeared in 4 episodes.

- Red All Over (Season 2, episode 20. Written by Carolyn Ingber)
- The Blood on His Hands (Season 3, episode 3. Written by Tom Szentgyorgyi)
- His Thoughts Were Red Thoughts (Season 4, episode 16. Written by Jordan Harper)
- Red Sails in the Sunset (Season 5, episode 8. Written by Daniel Cerone)

Gale Bertram (Michael Gaston)
Appeared in 12 episodes.

- Red Sky at Night (Season 3, episode 1. Written by Bruno Heller)
- Red Carpet Treatment (Season 3, episode 4. Written by Daniel Cerone)
- Red Alert (Season 3, episode 13. Written by Jordan Harper)
- Red Queen (Season 3, episode 16. Written by Daniel Cerone)
- Strawberries and Cream: Part 1 (Season 3, episode 23. Written by Ashley Gable)
- Strawberries and Cream: Part 1 (Season 3, episode 24. Written by Bruno Heller)
- Scarlet Ribbons (Season 4, episode 1. Written by Bruno Heller)
- Little Red Book (Season 4, episode 2. Writen by Tom Szentgyorgyi)
- The Crimson Ticket (Season 5, episode 1. Written by Bruno Heller)
- Not One Red Cent (Season 5, episode 3. Written by Ken Woodruff)
- Red in Tooth and Claw (Season 5, episode 14. Written by Jordan Harper)
- There Will Be Blood (Season 5, episode 16. Written by Ken Woodruff)

Raymond Haffner (Reed Diamond)
Appeared in 2 episodes.

- Little Red Book (Season 4, episode 2. Writen by Tom Szentgyorgyi)
- The Red Barn (Season 5, episode 13. Written by Tom Szentgyorgyi)

Reede Smith (Drew Powell)
Appeared in 1 episode.

- The Crimson Ticket (Season 5, episode 1. Written by Bruno Heller)

Bob Kirkland (Kevin Corrigan)
Appeared in 6 episodes.

- Red Dawn (Season 5, episode 5. Written by Tom Szentgyorgyi)
- If It Bleeds, It Leads (Season 5, episode 7. Written by Eoghan Mahony)
- Red Sails in the Sunset (Season 5, episode 8. Written by Daniel Cerone)
- There Will Be Blood (Season 5, episode 16. Written by Ken Woodruff)
- Behind the Red Curtain (Season 5, episode 18. Written by Erika Green)
- Red Letter Day (Season 5, episode 19. Written by Mike Weiss)

Sheriff Thomas McAllister (Xander Berkeley)
Appeared in 1 episode.

- Red Hair and Silver Tape (Season 1, episode 2. Written by Bruno Heller)

Brett Partridge (Jack Plotnick)
Appeared in 4 episodes.

- Pilot (Season 1, episode 1. Written by Bruno Heller)
- Red Sky in The Morning (Season 2, episode 23. Written by Bruno Heller)
- Red Lacquer Nail Polish (Season 5, episode 15. Written by Eoghan Mahony)
- Red John's Rules (Season 5, episode 22. Written by Bruno Heller)

Sunday, May 5, 2013

|SPOILER| 'The Mentalist' season finale: 4 things to watch for in 'Red John's Rules'

The season finale of "The Mentalist" promises to reveal a list of seven suspects Jane believes could be Red John.

And you'll read nothing about who they are right now, other than the show isn't teasing: Sunday's (May 5) finale does name names. You can see the suspect pool here, but to say anything more would seriously spoil the fun.

Here are a few things we can tell you about "Red John's Rules," though:

An old friend returns. M.C. Gainey (Tom Friendly from "Lost"), last seen here back in Season 3, is back as Jane's (Simon Baker) carny friend Pete. Jane and Lisbon's (Robin Tunney) latest case takes Jane back to his old stomping grounds, and Pete may have some information for him.

Stop teasing. Jane reveals to Lisbon that he's narrowed his list down to seven people, but to her great frustration he refuses to say anything else. His impression of her "putting up a front" is not to be missed.

Head games. As you might guess by the title, Red John is front and center in the episode. He and Jane are playing a pretty high-level game of cat and mouse, and John goes all out to get the upper hand.

Pad your DVR by a minute or two. Just in case. You really don't want to miss the last few minutes.

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Source: ZAP2it.

Saturday, May 4, 2013

|SPOILER| The Mentalist Finale: Who Is Red John?

By the end of The Mentalist's Season 5 finale, viewers will finally know Red John's real name.

On Sunday's episode (10/9c, CBS), Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) narrows down his list of suspects to seven people. And despite the twists and tricks of the past (remember Bradley Whitford as Red John?), creator and executive producer Bruno Heller insists that one of the names on Jane's list is indeed his serial-killing nemesis.

"The cards are up on the table and they're the real cards," Heller tells TVGuide.com. "There is no sort of double twist. There's no more messing around.We've been through all the twists and turns of plot, and we're now getting to the truth. Only the truth gets revealed from now on in."

So, how well do we know the seven possible suspects? "You will recognize some of the names," Heller says. "Some will be obscure, some will be very well-known. But they're all legitimate suspects, and next season we will have to work out which one is the real guy. But under a great deal of pressure, that will be revealed at the end of this episode."

Indeed, just as Jane thinks he's closing in, Red John strikes out against someone from Jane's past. And the move is baffling to Jane. "It's someone Red John couldn't possibly know is connected to Jane," Heller says. "So, just when Jane thinks he is finally one step ahead, Red John is still on top. He doesn't turn things around to make Jane realize what he's learned is wrong, but it appears almost magical."

Speaking of magic, Emmanuelle Chriqui will reprise her role as Lorelei Martins, who was last seen dead at the hands of Red John. "It's not a flashback, a typo or a mystical thing," Heller says with a laugh. "You'll have to work out what other alternatives are left. It's a surprise, and it's a good one."

Also surprising: the shocking way in which the list of seven names is ultimately revealed. And while Red John won't be caught in the finale, Heller promises that the story is growing much closer to its conclusion.

"This is the final chase," Heller says. "We will know who Red John is and we will catch him next season. Everything that has happened over ther past five years will come to a head, and things will change drastically. This is the biggest finale in terms of game-changing and setting up for the last act of the Red John saga. This is as definitive and revolutionary as you can get."

The Mentalist's Season 5 finale airs Sunday at 10/9c on CBS.

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Source: TV Guide.

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