(S02E09) "This is a murder investigation, I can be as hard ass as I want to be." - Jane

Jane has played with fire before and crossed the line a few times. This week was no different and he was very upfront about it, repeating at least two times that he could be hard ass as he wanted to be during an investigation.

When you are cocky and push the envelope a bit too much, karma will more than likely ensure that you pay your dues. It wouldn't surprise me that one of the bad guys introduced in this episode comes back to seek revenge on Jane for being a hard ass.

"You should be more careful about how you talk to people," Culpepper told Jane before they parted ways. Jane doesn't seem to have a built-in sensor and it's making him, to our viewing pleasure, ask awkward and direct questions to potential suspects or witnesses.

As far as I understood it, Culpepper is still a free man, which means that he could easily return to seek revenge on Jane. This could lead to a very interesting episode, especially since Culpepper seems to have connections that could help him with his master plan to take down Jane for talking too much. Culpepper surely has people who could get their hands dirty so he stays a free man until Jane and the team figures who's pulling the strings. I hope this episode happens and that the writers have fun making this episode as twisted as can be.

I really enjoyed Jane's antics this week. When he started his speech at the fundraiser, I was sure the crowd would boo him or throw things at him for telling them they don't care about starving children, etc. Yet, thanks to his charm and tricks, he wowed the crowd and had them write checks to help the needy.

I also loved his interactions with Esther throughout the episode. Especially when he said she was lying when Lisbon told Esther who Carl really is. Jane's non verbal cues were priceless and spoke as much as his words did.

Of course, the best Jane scenes for us regular viewers were those involving Van Pelt and Rigsby and the one where, while at the rehab center, Jane pretended that Lisbon was his wife. The latter was a gift to Jane/Lisbon shippers ... too bad there wasn't mistletoe for them to kiss under!

As for the Van Pelt/Rigsby/Jane scenes, Jane was able to tell the lovebirds he knew they were a couple without clearly stating it. It was about time someone at CBI found out. Jane even found a way to push the relationship a tad further by having Van Pelt think Rigsby put the diamond in her pocket. Even if I would like for Van Pelt and Rigsby to tell the other team members that they are dating, I enjoy seeing the duo be secretive about their relationship. Plus if they tell their bosses that they are dating, it's very possible that one of them will be moved to another team. What do you think about their relationship? Should they tell their superiors about it?

Tune in next week for the last new The Mentalist episode before the shows goes on a holiday break. If you've seen the previews, you know we are in for a flashback treat!

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