The Slow Fall.

[rionaleonhart]

I've been reading my old reaction posts during this Mentalist rewatch, and I'm surprised to find I mention 'shipping Rigsby/Van Pelt in the first season! I don't have any recollection of being invested in it; it actually frustrates me a little, because I find it the least interesting aspect of Van Pelt's character. Although I suppose her going 'look, Rigsby, I like you, but we can't be together because there are rules against fraternisation and I will one hundred percent choose my job over you every time' is pretty interesting. Maybe I lost all interest when they got together in canon; it wouldn't be the only time that's happened (see also Will/Emma in Glee, which I dropped the absolute second they kissed).


I love the shot in the opening of 'Miss Red' where Lisbon and Jane walk up the boat side by side, him on the dock, her on the deck, and silently reach the same conclusion together. On different levels physically, but absolutely on the same level in their thoughts.


I've now finished the first season in this rewatch! Things I love about 'Red John's Footsteps':

- 'Please understand something. I have a very deep personal interest in this case. I'll do whatever it takes. I will have you framed for murder; I will torture you; I will kill you myself if I have to. Whatever it takes.'

- Jane sitting in that chair, listening to Rosalind play Bach's 'Prelude', in the knowledge that it's exactly what his family's killer used to do. Connecting with Red John across time by putting himself in the same moment. There's such a strange intimacy between Jane and Red John. They respect each other; they admire each other; they want to get under each other's skin, into each other's heads. Always locked in this close, slow dance, knowing that it ends with whoever's leading breaking his partner's neck.

- Lisbon of Jane: 'If he does anything wrong, if he jaywalks, shoot him.'

- Jane's heavy breathing when he's investigating the farmhouse, knowing he's close to Red John.

- 'What if Hardy had killed you right here?' 'Then he would have led you straight to Red John.' 'You'd be dead.' 'But you would have Red John.'

- And then, when he loathes guns, when he's firmly established that he'd throw away his own life for the sake of the case, Jane killing their best lead to save Lisbon. If you'd asked him beforehand whether he would cut off a potential line to Red John to save Lisbon's life, he'd probably have said no, but it was a spur-of-the-moment decision and he values Lisbon more than he realises. I love him standing frozen for a few seconds and then throwing the shotgun away as if it's bitten him.

The Red John episodes can be a bit frustrating because you go 'yes, well, I know very well by the end of this we won't actually have caught Red John,' but I do love what a terrifying mess Jane tends to be in them. The moment he recognises Red John's style of killing, everything about him changes; he's focused and determined and prepared to do whatever it takes, no matter how immoral, no matter how horrifying. Everything that makes him human just falls away.

Strange that I've never written fanfiction exploring that dark side of Jane, come to think of it. I don't really have any ideas. Maybe Jane and Lisbon go on a charming, playful murder roadtrip together, torturing suspects in an effort to reach Red John, and at some point Lisbon looks back on what she's been drawn into and goes 'holy shit, what am I doing? How did I end up here?'

Comments

[ruuger]

Please understand something. I have a very deep personal interest in this case. I'll do whatever it takes. I will have you framed for murder; I will torture you; I will kill you myself if I have to. Whatever it takes

And during the course of the next few seasons he actually does do all of these.

'What if Hardy had killed you right here?' 'Then he would have led you straight to Red John.' 'You'd be dead.' 'But you would have Red John.'

I love the end of this episode so much because it really hammers down just how broken Jane is. My favourite part is when she tells him to stop talking about how he'd rather be dead and he just shrugs and goes "I wish that I could, but something just can't be fixed". It's my headcanon that this was the moment when Lisbon realised just how messed up Jane was and that his deathwish wasn't just an act.

[rionaleonhart]

And during the course of the next few seasons he actually does do all of these.

That struck me when I was writing this entry! They're not just words; he is absolutely willing to do all of those things. He's such a fascinating, broken character.

(I had to edit this comment to change my icon, because I'd used my 'Jane grinning' icon and it freaked me out too much in the context.)

[wolfy_writing]

I love the strange intimacy between Jane and Red John! Jane has a whole journey of increasingly deepening his understanding of Red John, and Red John comes to see Jane like know one else does, and the victory is ultimately going to depend on which of them is better at knowing the other while avoiding being entirely known! (Because Jane both needs to know, connect with, and understand Red John and ensure he holds on to enough secrets and misdirection that Red John can be misled and won't entirely understand Jane's plans.)

If you'd asked him beforehand whether he would cut off a potential line to Red John to save Lisbon's life, he'd probably have said no

I just realizes he would totally feel conflicted and possibly a bit guilty over having chosen saving the life of the person in front of him rather than prioritizing the revenge that he feels is the last thing he can give to his family!

The moment he recognises Red John's style of killing, everything about him changes; he's focused and determined and prepared to do whatever it takes, no matter how immoral, no matter how horrifying. Everything that makes him human just falls away.

I love that about those episodes so much!

Strange that I've never written fanfiction exploring that dark side of Jane, come to think of it. I don't really have any ideas.

Ooh! Something where every step of the way makes sense, but looking back, Lisbon realizes that Jane got her to cross a line that used to be important to her, and when she starts to freak, she talks to Jane, and maybe his "Weird and creepy level of being able to persuade and manipulate people without them entirely realizing it" abilities are a factor?

[rionaleonhart]

I'd forgotten how compelling and complex the Jane-and-Red-John relationship was. Even if we don't see Red John, he's still so present; he's a part of Jane. And it's impossible to reduce Jane's feelings about Red John to hatred alone. Red John is important to Jane, he gives Jane's life purpose and meaning, and Jane is going to kill him, no matter what it costs.

Something where every step of the way makes sense, but looking back, Lisbon realizes that Jane got her to cross a line that used to be important to her

Jane definitely got Lisbon to cross a moral line or two in canon, and I'm still sad that canon never really addressed it! (Well, not to my knowledge, at least; I never watched the final season.) Maybe I need to write the fic version of the direction I hoped the show would go in. It was so dark and interesting, but it never entirely followed through.

[wolfy_writing]

Yes! We saw bits of when Jane didn't feel like he had anything to keep going for, and that had him in a mental hospital staring at the wall. Red John broke Jane, and Red John has been at times actively playing out the clues that kept Jane motivated to put himself back together. Hatred's in there, but there's also fascination, and a kind of respect for the emotional artistry of it (knowing that Red John was trying to create a very specific kind of effect with things like where he left the smiley face), and something about Red John calls to Jane's dark side which likes being able to meet him monster-to-monster.

Ooh, I'd love that! Because Lisbon doesn't seem like the kind of law enforcement officer to habitually psychologically torture suspects, or frame people, or take it anything less than completely seriously when someone working for her kills someone, but Jane keeps persuading her to bend a bit more evey time.