When a man convicted of murder contacts Jane offering information about Red John's identity in exchange for Jane proving his innocence Jane agrees. He is promptly told, by CBI director Virgil Minelli that he mustn't try to reopen the case. He then goes off and talks to the convict's family; his brother doesn't seem too keen to have the case reopened. Jane is told that if he continues investigating he will lose his position at the CBI; he resigns. Lisbon and his other former colleagues continue to help him and end up suspended
Minelli tells Lisbon that he will be away for a week; effectively giving them the go-ahead to help Jane unofficially so long as it doesn't link back to him. As well as looking for evidence that might cast doubt on the convict's guilt Jane and the team realise that if they do succeed in getting him out of prison he will likely be Red John's next victim.
I rather enjoyed this episode; it nicely combined a standalone mystery of figuring out how the convict could possibly he innocent and the ongoing mystery of Red John's identity. The central case was a classic 'closed room' case; with the convict found alone in a room, locked from the inside, with a dead woman. He claimed she was his lover but her mother had reported that he'd been stalking her. The way Jane and the team were told not to investigate then get suspended was a little cliché but didn't spoil the story in fact it added a few laughs as Lisbon struggled to explain why people should talk to them without their CBI credentials. The ending, which isn't a huge surprise, was a bit bloodier than I expected and showed us, and Jane, that Red John is more dangerous and has greater resources than was previously suspected. Overall I found this to be a really solid episode.
I rather enjoyed this episode; it nicely combined a standalone mystery of figuring out how the convict could possibly he innocent and the ongoing mystery of Red John's identity. The central case was a classic 'closed room' case; with the convict found alone in a room, locked from the inside, with a dead woman. He claimed she was his lover but her mother had reported that he'd been stalking her. The way Jane and the team were told not to investigate then get suspended was a little cliché but didn't spoil the story in fact it added a few laughs as Lisbon struggled to explain why people should talk to them without their CBI credentials. The ending, which isn't a huge surprise, was a bit bloodier than I expected and showed us, and Jane, that Red John is more dangerous and has greater resources than was previously suspected. Overall I found this to be a really solid episode.