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The Mentalist Season 4 Episode 4

Ring Around the Rosie

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7.8

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 10/13/11

While Lisbon looks into the death of a photographer at a political rally, Jane has his sights set on proving a man carrying a gun at the same rally is a psychopath with murder on his mind.

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (6)

Unnecessarily political episode

3.5

By cassandradew7, Jan 05, 2013

Have you ever noticed that while in real life illegal immigrants account for the deaths of 25 Americans a day, shows like this one portray the illegal immigrant positively and makes the bad guy a white Texan with guns.

The bad guy is supposedly after the mayor and while the writer (the acclaimed Daniel Cerone) showed a mayor's schedule that included public appearances at a garden party, a ribbon cutting and a chamber of commerce meeting, he chose a pro illegal immigration rally to push an agenda.

How do I know this? Look at the positive portrayal of the rally where no one was angry, no one was carrying Mexican flags and the signs were neatly written in English with very positive messages such as:

No human being is illegal

Full rights for all Immigrants

Immigration reform now

Stop deportations

Stop Targeting Immigrants

We are not thugs, We are Americans

Love the immigrant as yourself

Legalize aliens

In reality, the similar rallies we have seen have shown very angry, entitled people shouting, carrying Mexican flags and signs (many in Spanish only) with negative messages such as (and these are real signs from similar rallies):

Borders are lines drawn by racist Imperialists

Republicans breed ignorance

New blood for the USA

We will not go silently into the night

We will not comply

Undocumented and Unafraid

WE are America

End the rise of the Fourth Reich

Return land to Mexico

America is a Continent Not a Country

Say no to racism

This land is for everyone NO BORDERS

In addition, the quote on the bad man's computer, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" is often used by dastardly conservatives and was wrongly attributed to Edmund Burke who actually said - when bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.

The heavy-handed politics of this episode (pro illegal immigration, anti-conservative and anti-guns) to a great extent overshadowed the story and a good introduction of the new, young boss. Political correctness should not keep us from having episodes drawn from real life where illegal immigrants are sometimes the bad guys and not victims of a racist, greedy America. I guess it's a lot easier to beat up on Texans and conservative white guys with guns.moreless
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7.0

By thefanof, Nov 27, 2011

"Ring Around the Rosie" proved to be a fun singular episode of The Mentalist tonight, but for the most part this was an hour of TV extraordinarily similar to a lot of recent episodes. Not a lot of funny Patrick Jane moments, not a lot of creative culprits and suspects, while it was not a bad storyline, tonight's episode of The Mentalist was rife with mediocrity as a whole.
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Great episode, the way it should be.

9.0

By Lynn005, Nov 25, 2011

(spoilers) I believe this episode is one of the better ones i have seen so far. The pacing of the episode is great. The story wasn't as predictable as some of the other episodes.

The new addition to the cast is also very believable. I like his character and the way he interacts with Jane.The Red John story arc wasn't present this episode. Which I found refreshing for once. Usually I like that story arc and hate the 'separate' episodes. This time it worked for me because the new boss was introduced. Therefore we get some story development, especially the conversation at the end.That conversation gave us some kind of a 'set up', where later this season some sort of 'pay off' will follow. I believe it isn't a coincidence that he depicts Jane as a psychopath. Moreover he makes it clear to Jane that he is as smart as he is.

I think this episode is worth watching.

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Excellent episode with a promising new addition to the cast.

9.0

By GreyMinerva, Nov 25, 2011

I was fairly sceptical when I realized the gang had landed yet another new boss, the second in only four episodes and the fourth in less than a season. But I soon became intrigued by the latest "stepfather" to the CBI family, and am now hopeful for the rest of the season. Special agent Luther Wainwright is an earnest young man that reminds me slightly of Dr. Sweets from Bones, but Luther appears not to suffer from the good doctor's awkward social skills, instead inhabiting his space with a quiet confidence that he's going to need if he plans on actually being the boss of "Team Jane".

The plot/storyline was twofold: A petty criminal with a tragic past who confesses to a crime he didn't commit, and an average Joe with a clean record who is apparently on the verge of becoming a mass murderer. While Lisbon has a soft spot for the first, and takes it upon herself to see him cleared, Jane sets his sights on the second, advocating stopping the crime before it's actually committed, as opposed to coming in to clean up the mess afterwards - as law enforcement is often forced to do.The parallells to Jane's history are quite apparent - he was a ticking bomb, waiting to go off, and while Lisbon and the rest of the team were aware of the problem, they were unable to stop him from committing murder when he felt it was justified in his quest for vengeance.Drawing on tonight's episode, we can assume that SA Wainwright would have done his utmost to help/stop Jane before it came to that - and it will be interesting to see how he reacts if he realises that Jane believes Red John is still out there...

The plot and pacing of the episode is nice, the way the suspected future killer is slowly revealed to be something very different from the unassuming exterior he displays to the world is believable and chilling.But the best part of the episode - to me - was the interplay between Jane and the new boss. While the last couple of agents to hold that position have been authoritarian types, hoping to "rein" Jane in and routinely threatening him with termination and "consequences", Wainwright seems a very different type - a boss for the new millenium, as it were.He comes across as SMART, something I have a BIG weak spot for, and has a healthy respect for Jane's abilities while not being blind to the danger he represents.

I like smart, and I like the idea of someone smart in charge of Jane. Especially at the end, where they have a little "heart to heart"- Jane claims to find his new boss' "youthful brand of earnestness" refreshing, while Wainwright reveals that Jane, according to a standard psychopathy test, is a clinical psychopath, and promises to "adjust accordingly" now that he knows what he's dealing with. All done with quiet smiles and understanding.As I said - I am very pleased with this development, and hope we will get a lot more scenes and powerstruggles like this! I have the feeling Luther Wainwright can become Jane's strongest supporter and opponent - both at the same time.And on a final note, I do not believe that Jane is a full-blown psychopath. Borderline, sure, deeply disturbed and damaged, yes. But he is capable of great compassion and empathy, and he absolutely takes responsibility for the death of his wife and daughter, although he rarely speaks of it. Hopefully, the new boss will come to see this as well.moreless
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The Mentalist at its best!

10

By Ahhhhhhh, Nov 25, 2011

This episode had all the elements, and in the right place. I guess that after a strong but predictable (not necessarily in a bad way tho) season opening and two decent, but not great following episodes, Patric Jane and the gang are back on the right track again. The story is good and somewhat different, providing a touch of freshness, while not deviating from "The Mentalist folklore" too much, with great directing, and with just the right amount of an intelligent humor. It also, and quite subtly, added a few layers to characters' development, like Van Pelt rationally using her earlier traumatic event as an anecdote to get someone to cooperate in the investigation, or Lisbon doing her own charity project for her youth musical hero, who is now homeless. But the most important aspect in this regard is a dynamic between Jane and the team's young new boss, who finally added a clinical term for Jane's manipulative behavior. If the writers play this card right, this can add a whole new dimension to the show, with the two of them trying to outwit / manipulate each other in the future. All in all, this is a strong, different but familiar episode, which most of the fans should really enjoy - I know that I did.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Simon Baker	Patrick Jane
Robin Tunney	Teresa Lisbon
Tim Kang	Kimball Cho
Owain Yeoman	Wayne Rigsby
Amanda Righetti	Grace Van Pelt

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Christian Camargo	Henry Tibbs	Guest Star
Henry G. Sanders	Willie Shubert	Guest Star
Dorie Barton	Linda Tibbs	Guest Star
Michael Rady	Luther Wainwright	Recurring Role

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Episode Photos

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Simon Baker in The Mentalist from the ep...

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Simon Baker, Robin Tunney, and Michael R...

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (0)
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QUOTES (11)
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- Cho: Hey, how ya doin'? You're under arrest for the attempted murder of... everybody.
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- Lisbon: Are you close to us?
  Jane: Well, that depends. Are you still on crowd patrol?
  Lisbon: No. We got a homicide now.
  Jane: Then I'm close.
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- Wainwright: You set me up today. You knew I would be the stressor that pushed Tibbs over the edge.
  Jane: Well, one can never really know these things. To be honest, I was rooting for you.
  Wainwright: Really?
  Jane: Yes, I find your youthful brand of earnestness quite refreshing.
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- Lisbon: I wonder if our new boss is in a little over his head.
  Jane: Really? I don't.
  Lisbon: Tibbs could kill him.
  Jane: Or he could save Tibbs.
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- Wainwright: Well, the trouble is, I mean, even if you are right, we can't arrest an offender before he's offended.
  Jane: It's better than after, don't you think?
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- Lisbon: You think this murder is a decoy?
  Jane: No clue, but there's a suspicious-looking man on "J" Street and 56th, haunted eyes, nervous energy, an overcoat on a hot day.
  Lisbon: That's thin, even for you.
  Jane: Yeah, you're probably right. It's only the mayor's life at stake. Forget I spoke.
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- Wainwright: You two want me to believe that a man who confessed to a murder did nothing, and a man who did nothing is a murderer?
  Jane: You may even be smarter than you look.
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- Lisbon: I think that his confession was a cry for help. Willie didn't hurt anyone.
  Wainwright: How do you know that?
  Lisbon: Well, you kind of have to hear him play the saxophone.
  Jane : I love it, Lisbon. The beautiful soul defense.
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- Wainwright: Glibness and superficial charm? Check.
  Jane: You flatter me.
  Wainwright: Grandiose sense of self-worth? You betcha. Cunning and manipulative, poor behavioral controls, failure to accept responsibility for own actions. So, I, uh, I cross-referenced all of my observations with your history as a thief and a con artist, and congratulations, Jane. According to the score, you are a clinical psychopath.
  Jane: Wow. Well... certainly explains a lot.
  Wainwright: Now I know what I'm dealing with, so I'll adjust accordingly.
  Jane: As you should.
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- Jane: You think I'm an antisocial personality?
  Lisbon: Yeah. Sure. Who isn't.
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- Jane: Strange time for murder, isn't it- in the middle of a protest march?
  Lisbon: Leave it to a killer to do something crazy.
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NOTES (4)
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- International Episode Titles:
  Germany: Der Mann aus Texas (The man from Texas)
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- This episode had 12.39 million viewers when it originally aired.
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- Special billing was given to Christian Camargo (and) for this episode.
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- Original International Air Dates:
  Canada: October 13, 2011 on CTV
  Australia: October 24, 2011 on Nine
  Portugal: October 31, 2011 on RTP2
  Sweden: November 2, 2011 on TV3
  United Kingdom: December 1, 2011 on Channel 5/Channel 5 HD
  Germany: February 26, 2012 on Sat.1
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