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The Mentalist 3X21: Like a Redheaded Stepchild
🕑 Added 2025-09-22 21:52:06 +0000 UTCIn Hangtree, California, corrections officer Walton Parsell is found dead, stabbed in the back multiple times, near a jewelry store, killed with a prison shank leading the team to suspect an ex-convict.
At CBI, Van Pelt hands out wedding invitations.
Lisbon and Jane question Parsell's girlfriend of two weeks, Shelley.
Rigsby speaks with ex-cons including his father, Steve, who despises his cop son. Steve still sells stolen cigarettes and meth but denies involvement in the murder.
Corrections Officer Earls tells Jane and Lisbon that Parsell had been studying criminology at a local college, working with a professor on transferring an inmate to a supermax prison.
Jane determines it to be white supremacist Marcus Lansdale and deduces from facial similarities that Shelley is Lansdale's sister.
Shelley admits she met Parsell to spy on him for her brother but later stopped as she genuinely fell in love with Parsell.
Rigsby and Van Pelt visit Steve for help who leads them to a woman named Rocket. Rocket implicates meth cook and dealer Butch Carwin but later Rigsby realises his father set them up to get rid of his (Steve's) competition. Rigsby burns Steve's stolen cigarettes and the pair call a truce after a fist fight.
After watching prison surveillance cameras, Jane has two trusties brought to CBI for interviews: Jorge Valasquez and Nick Monaco, both near the end of their sentences and tries to get them to snitch.
In the prison refectory Jane has Earls bust a drug dealer and his stash angering Lansdale. Jane ensures Valasquez overhears him telling Lisbon that Monaco is the snitch. Valasquez tells Lansdale who readies to kill Monaco but is apprehended and sent to max security prison.
Jane and Lisbon intercept the laundry truck and find Monaco. He confesses that he had been sneaking out to rob jewelry stores to build a nest egg for when he got out but got caught by Parsell so he had to kill him. Jane reveals he figured it out having seen Monaco's freshly manicured nails.
Rigsby tells Van Pelt he is still in love with her and won't attend her wedding.
*****Maybe unpopular opinion? I do not care about Rigsby and Grace's relationship at all. None. Nada. Zero. I don't know if it's because I don't see any chemistry between them, or this is just a show where romance takes a back seat to everything else going on (you guys know I love a good ship, but this isn't really a ship-worthy show) but I really don't care. 😳 All that said, when Jane and Lisbon get together, I will 100% be on board with it. 🤣
Comments
Sabrina
Even though it's a "procedural cop show" and not a relationship show, I'm so invested in Jane. He's one of my fav characters on any type of show. After all his trauma, I want nothing but good things for him. Lisbon is good for him, so that's what I want. I like Rigsby and Van Pelt as part of the team, but they are kinda boring on their own and really dull together.
Dana Licciardello
Oh, I think I misspoke. I do not think Hightower is guilty of anything. Nor do I think she's in league with Red John. She just got stuck in the middle of all this bullshit. Yay! I love when my scared 'hot takes' are actually common in the fandom. As much as I agree, this is not a shippy show, I would not be upset if Jane and Lisbon ended up together. But, I just don't care about Grace and Rigsby (or Grace and Craig, for that matter). It's often not front and center, so that helps, but when they have scenes together (Grace with either guy) I'm just hoping we hurry up and get back to Jane. Lol.
Heather
Just for clarification, Hightower is innocent and is being framed by Red John to cover up the real mole. She's not working for him or being forced by him to do anything. Jane was taken hostage as part of his plan. I agree with everything you said about Rigsby and Van Pelt and Jane and Lisbon, lol. With Rigsby and Van Pelt, I think it's a combination of the things that you mentioned. It's not a shippy show, but sometimes they are a focal point and their "drama" is forced on us. They have zero chemistry with dull interactions. Jane and Lisbon by comparison have great banter with low-key subtle moments. Like Lisbon getting suspended to help Jane.
