Strawberries and Cream (The Mentalist)
Encyclopedia
"Strawberries and Cream" is the two-part season finale of the third season
of the The Mentalist
. Together they make up the 23rd and 24th episodes of the season and the 69th and 70th episodes of the series overall. Part one was written by executive producer Ashley Gable
and part two was written by series creator and executive producer Bruno Heller
. Both parts were directed by executive producer Chris Long
and premiered on May 19, 2011 on CBS
.
In the episode, Patrick Jane and the CBI
unit investigate a seemingly unsuccessful attempt at a gas station bombing. When it becomes clear that Jane's arch nemesis, the serial killer
Red John, is involved, Jane and Lisbon reveal that there is a mole within the CBI working for Red John and that their ex-boss Madeline Hightower, now in hiding, is innocent of a murder. While Rigsby, Cho and Van Pelt attempt to protect Hightower long enough for her to turn herself in, Jane executes an elaborate scheme that could expose Red John's mole and potentially draw-out the notorious murderer himself.
looking extremely nervous. He approaches the station's attendant, Gupta (Ravi Kapoor
), but is spotted by two police officers. The man reveals that he is strapped to a bomb
, which detonates in the ensuing standoff. The investigation by the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI) reveals the man, identified as Alan Dinkler, was coerced (with the bomb strapped onto him) into robbing his employers, a Cash In Motion store, of $50,000.
Jane
(Simon Baker
) deduces that the stolen cash was a ruse to hide the real item of interest that was stolen – CDs which contained client transaction records. When Lisbon
(Robin Tunney
) and Jane check out the gas station, the station attendant Gupta claims Dinkler was trying to get to the bathroom. They enter the bathroom, and find a code "AD-297A6 WINDSOR", which they guess is a location.
Lisbon pursues the possible locations that the code may point to. She ends up at Windsor High School. Jane follows her there, only to find her strapped to a bomb. She receives a call from a person speaking through a voice changer which instructs her to obtain the stolen CDs from the CBI headquarters and deliver it to him. Jane drives Lisbon, but they go to the gas station, and find the person behind the set-up to be Gupta. After a standoff, Jane disarms Gupta from the bomb trigger and the CBI arrives to arrest him. However, he somehow manages to get to a gun in the car which forces LaRoche (Pruitt Taylor Vince
) to shoot and kill him.
It is later revealed that Jane figured out that the code in the bathroom was a fake since the bomber could have directed the person with the bomb strapped on to his/her body by speaking on the phone. Dinkler arrived at the gas station to deliver the CDs to Gupta, but the plan went awry when the police arrived and Gupta was forced to set off the bomb. With the CDs ending up as evidence kept by the CBI, Gupta then set up a trap to get a CBI agent to retrieve the CDs for him.
One of the clients on the list in the CD, Max James, was found murdered just hours prior. While searching James' house, the agents deduce that he was tortured to death by Gupta before the Dinkler incident, who wanted information from him. They find out that James was related to Madeleine Hightower, which immediately alerts Jane that Red John
was behind everything, and is hunting Hightower.
Jane returns to his motel room where he has been staying and Hightower (Aunjanue Ellis
) seeks him out.
(Owain Yeoman
), Cho
(Tim Kang
) and Van Pelt
(Amanda Righetti
) in a scheme to find Red John's mole in the CBI.
He manages to extract the list of suspects of the Todd Johnson murder case from LaRoche through a bluff. They are: Brenda Shettrick (Rebecca Wisocky
), CBI media relations; Osvaldo 'Oscar' Ardiles (David Norona
), Assistant District Attorney; Gale Bertram (Michael Gaston
), CBI director; and Craig O'Laughlin (Eric Winter
) of the FBI. Jane also suspects LaRoche. In an elaborate scheme, the agents inform the suspects about the location of Hightower. Each suspect is led to believe Hightower is in a different room at the Pacific Palms Hotel. They install cameras in each room, and whichever room the assassin sent by Red John enters would tell them which suspect is the mole.
The plan works, they catch an assassin on camera inside the room designated to Bertram (605). As the assassin readies her kill tools, including a rope, and weights, Rigsby and Cho bust into the room, only for the assassin to jump off the building, killing herself.
The following day, Van Pelt invites O'Laughlin to accompany her to protect Hightower, taking over from Lisbon. Meanwhile, Jane invites Bertram out to the mall under the pretense of meeting Hightower to discuss turning herself in, hoping to lure out Red John. When Hightower doesn't show up, Bertram gets irritated and suggests Jane has "reached the end of his rope," which prompts Jane to realize that the assassin in the hotel was using the rope to climb down to room 505 – O'Laughlin's room.
O'Laughlin and Van Pelt arrive at Hightower's hideout. Jane tries to warn Lisbon, but it's too late. O'Laughlin enters Hightower's house and shoots Lisbon, who's wearing protective gear. Lisbon recovers and distracts O'Laughlin, who is then shot and killed by Hightower and Van Pelt.
Jane instructs Lisbon to hit redial on O'Laughlin's cellphone and tell the person who answers that O'Laughlin is dead. When Lisbon dials, the phone belonging to a person reading a newspaper (Bradley Whitford
) sitting near Jane rings and the person picks up, answering: "Never mind. You win some, you lose some, I guess." Lisbon confirms this is what she hears, and Jane realizes the man is Red John. He confronts him. The two converse, with Red John pointing a concealed gun at Jane. As he is about to leave, Red John reveals unpublished knowledge about the murder of Jane's family. Jane then kills Red John with a gun hidden in his pocket.
The episode ends with Jane casually going back to finish his tea, and then, surrendering to armed security officers who rush to the scene.
, creator Bruno Heller further added to the speculation by saying, "Jane wanted to know if this was Red John or not. And the guy gave him proof that he was. The question remains: Was that Red John? The larger question is: How does Jane get away with murder?" Heller went on to say, "What you get from that scene is what you should get. The viewer is supposed to be convinced. Patrick Jane is certain it's Red John... Thing is, Red John is a master of the mind game. If Red John wanted to die, maybe this is how he wanted to die. Or maybe he just wants Jane to think he's dead." When asked whether or not this meant the end of the Red John storyline, Heller simply said, "Well, look at it this way. If you... killed your worst enemy, would that be the end of the story? No. It would be the beginning of a whole different story."
finale. "Strawberries and Cream" was the seventh most watched program of the week.
The Mentalist (season 3)
The third season of The Mentalist premiered on September 23, 2010.- Main cast :* Simon Baker as Patrick Jane* Robin Tunney as Teresa Lisbon* Tim Kang as Kimball Cho* Owain Yeoman as Wayne Rigsby* Amanda Righetti as Grace Van Pelt- Recurring cast :...
of the The Mentalist
The Mentalist
The Mentalist is an American police procedural television series which debuted on September 23, 2008, on CBS. The show was created by Bruno Heller, who is also the show's executive producer...
. Together they make up the 23rd and 24th episodes of the season and the 69th and 70th episodes of the series overall. Part one was written by executive producer Ashley Gable
Ashley Gable
Ashley Gable is an American television writer and producer who has worked on a variety of well-known television series including Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Crossing Jordan. She is currently serving as executive producer on the CBS crime drama The Mentalist.- Career :Gable's television career...
and part two was written by series creator and executive producer Bruno Heller
Bruno Heller
Bruno Heller is an English screenwriter. His most notable works are the television series Rome and The Mentalist .-Life and career:...
. Both parts were directed by executive producer Chris Long
Chris Long (director)
Chris Long is a British director and producer. He has worked on Smallville, Supernatural, and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, among others.-Director:* Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman...
and premiered on May 19, 2011 on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
.
In the episode, Patrick Jane and the CBI
California Bureau of Investigation
California Bureau of Investigation is a fictional law enforcement organization of the U.S. state of California featured predominantly in the TV series The Mentalist....
unit investigate a seemingly unsuccessful attempt at a gas station bombing. When it becomes clear that Jane's arch nemesis, the serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
Red John, is involved, Jane and Lisbon reveal that there is a mole within the CBI working for Red John and that their ex-boss Madeline Hightower, now in hiding, is innocent of a murder. While Rigsby, Cho and Van Pelt attempt to protect Hightower long enough for her to turn herself in, Jane executes an elaborate scheme that could expose Red John's mole and potentially draw-out the notorious murderer himself.
Part one
The episode begins with a man (Jesse Lee Soffer) stopping his car at JD's Gas & Go Food Mart in SacramentoSacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
looking extremely nervous. He approaches the station's attendant, Gupta (Ravi Kapoor
Ravi Kapoor
Ravi Kapoor is an actor of Indian heritage best known for his roles on Gideon's Crossing and Crossing Jordan. Before relocating to Los Angeles, Kapoor worked for ten years as an actor in England. He trained at East 15 Acting School...
), but is spotted by two police officers. The man reveals that he is strapped to a bomb
Suicide attack
A suicide attack is a type of attack in which the attacker expects or intends to die in the process.- Historical :...
, which detonates in the ensuing standoff. The investigation by the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI) reveals the man, identified as Alan Dinkler, was coerced (with the bomb strapped onto him) into robbing his employers, a Cash In Motion store, of $50,000.
Jane
Patrick Jane
Patrick Jane is the protagonist on the CBS crime drama The Mentalist, portrayed by Simon Baker. Jane is a consultant for a fictionalized version of the California Bureau of Investigation and helps by giving advice and insight from his many years as a fake psychic medium...
(Simon Baker
Simon Baker
Simon Baker is an Australian actor. Since 2008, he has starred in the CBS television series The Mentalist.-Early life:...
) deduces that the stolen cash was a ruse to hide the real item of interest that was stolen – CDs which contained client transaction records. When Lisbon
Teresa Lisbon
Teresa Lisbon is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama The Mentalist, portrayed by Robin Tunney. Lisbon is a senior agent and leader of the "Serious Crime Unit" for the California Bureau of Investigation .-Character background:...
(Robin Tunney
Robin Tunney
Robin Jessica Tunney is an American actress. She is best known for her lead roles in the movie The Craft and the television series Prison Break and The Mentalist.-Early life:...
) and Jane check out the gas station, the station attendant Gupta claims Dinkler was trying to get to the bathroom. They enter the bathroom, and find a code "AD-297A6 WINDSOR", which they guess is a location.
Lisbon pursues the possible locations that the code may point to. She ends up at Windsor High School. Jane follows her there, only to find her strapped to a bomb. She receives a call from a person speaking through a voice changer which instructs her to obtain the stolen CDs from the CBI headquarters and deliver it to him. Jane drives Lisbon, but they go to the gas station, and find the person behind the set-up to be Gupta. After a standoff, Jane disarms Gupta from the bomb trigger and the CBI arrives to arrest him. However, he somehow manages to get to a gun in the car which forces LaRoche (Pruitt Taylor Vince
Pruitt Taylor Vince
Pruitt Taylor Vince is an American award-winning character actor who has made many appearances in film and television.-Personal life:Vince was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana...
) to shoot and kill him.
It is later revealed that Jane figured out that the code in the bathroom was a fake since the bomber could have directed the person with the bomb strapped on to his/her body by speaking on the phone. Dinkler arrived at the gas station to deliver the CDs to Gupta, but the plan went awry when the police arrived and Gupta was forced to set off the bomb. With the CDs ending up as evidence kept by the CBI, Gupta then set up a trap to get a CBI agent to retrieve the CDs for him.
One of the clients on the list in the CD, Max James, was found murdered just hours prior. While searching James' house, the agents deduce that he was tortured to death by Gupta before the Dinkler incident, who wanted information from him. They find out that James was related to Madeleine Hightower, which immediately alerts Jane that Red John
Red John
Red John is a fictional character and the leading antagonist on the CBS crime drama The Mentalist. He is a serial killer who murders many people in California, Nevada, and Mexico...
was behind everything, and is hunting Hightower.
Jane returns to his motel room where he has been staying and Hightower (Aunjanue Ellis
Aunjanue Ellis
Aunjanue L. Ellis is an American actress known for her roles in Ray, in Undercover Brother, and on The Mentalist....
) seeks him out.
Part two
Hightower reveals that James was her cousin who had been sending her money (which explains why Red John was after the transaction records). She fears for her own safety, and has decided to turn herself in. Jane asks her to give him two days. He enlists the help of Lisbon, RigsbyWayne Rigsby
Wayne Rigsby is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama The Mentalist, portrayed by Owain Yeoman. Rigsby is an agent for the fictionalized California Bureau of Investigation.-Early Life:...
(Owain Yeoman
Owain Yeoman
Owain Yeoman is a Welsh actor. His credits include The Nine, Kitchen Confidential and the HBO series, Generation Kill. He currently appears as Agent Wayne Rigsby in The Mentalist.-Biography:...
), Cho
Kimball Cho
Kimball Cho is a character portrayed by Tim Kang on the American TV crime drama The Mentalist. Cho is an agent for a fictionalized version of the California Bureau of Investigation ....
(Tim Kang
Tim Kang
Tim Kang is an American television and film actor. He is best known for his AT&T commercials and his role as Kimball Cho in the TV series The Mentalist.-Life and career:...
) and Van Pelt
Grace Van Pelt
Grace Van Pelt is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama The Mentalist, portrayed by Amanda Righetti. Van Pelt is a Special agent in the fictionalized California Bureau of Investigation.-Character Background:...
(Amanda Righetti
Amanda Righetti
Amanda Righetti is an American actress and film producer. She is best known for her roles in The Mentalist, Friday the 13th and The O.C. In 2008, Righetti was the winner of the Best Actress award at the New York International Independent Film Video Festival for the Short Film category.-Early...
) in a scheme to find Red John's mole in the CBI.
He manages to extract the list of suspects of the Todd Johnson murder case from LaRoche through a bluff. They are: Brenda Shettrick (Rebecca Wisocky
Rebecca Wisocky
Rebecca Wisocky is an American film, television and stage actress. Her last name pronounce VI-saw-tskee.- Filmography :*True Blood .... Queen Mab*90210 .... Principal Nowack*Atlas Shrugged .... Lillian Rearden...
), CBI media relations; Osvaldo 'Oscar' Ardiles (David Norona
David Norona
David Norona is a Cuban American actor.-Biography:David Norona was born in Hialeah, Florida on December 14, 1972 to Cuban parents Jorge Norona and Edith Iglesias. He began his acting career at Coral Gables High School with roles in The Sound of Music and The Fantasticks...
), Assistant District Attorney; Gale Bertram (Michael Gaston
Michael Gaston
Michael Gaston is an American film and television actor. He played agent Quinn on the show Prison Break. He appeared as Gray Anderson on the CBS drama series Jericho. He also appeared in the first season of The Sopranos as a compulsive gambler in trouble with Tony...
), CBI director; and Craig O'Laughlin (Eric Winter
Eric Winter
Eric Barrett Winter is an American actor and former fashion model. He is also ambassador for Operation Smile.-Career:Before his acting roles, Winter was a male model and had some high profile campaigns, such as one print campaign for Tommy Hilfiger...
) of the FBI. Jane also suspects LaRoche. In an elaborate scheme, the agents inform the suspects about the location of Hightower. Each suspect is led to believe Hightower is in a different room at the Pacific Palms Hotel. They install cameras in each room, and whichever room the assassin sent by Red John enters would tell them which suspect is the mole.
The plan works, they catch an assassin on camera inside the room designated to Bertram (605). As the assassin readies her kill tools, including a rope, and weights, Rigsby and Cho bust into the room, only for the assassin to jump off the building, killing herself.
The following day, Van Pelt invites O'Laughlin to accompany her to protect Hightower, taking over from Lisbon. Meanwhile, Jane invites Bertram out to the mall under the pretense of meeting Hightower to discuss turning herself in, hoping to lure out Red John. When Hightower doesn't show up, Bertram gets irritated and suggests Jane has "reached the end of his rope," which prompts Jane to realize that the assassin in the hotel was using the rope to climb down to room 505 – O'Laughlin's room.
O'Laughlin and Van Pelt arrive at Hightower's hideout. Jane tries to warn Lisbon, but it's too late. O'Laughlin enters Hightower's house and shoots Lisbon, who's wearing protective gear. Lisbon recovers and distracts O'Laughlin, who is then shot and killed by Hightower and Van Pelt.
Jane instructs Lisbon to hit redial on O'Laughlin's cellphone and tell the person who answers that O'Laughlin is dead. When Lisbon dials, the phone belonging to a person reading a newspaper (Bradley Whitford
Bradley Whitford
Bradley Whitford is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his roles as Deputy White House Chief of Staff Josh Lyman on the NBC television drama The West Wing, as Danny Tripp on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, as Dan Stark in the Fox police buddy-comedy The Good Guys, as...
) sitting near Jane rings and the person picks up, answering: "Never mind. You win some, you lose some, I guess." Lisbon confirms this is what she hears, and Jane realizes the man is Red John. He confronts him. The two converse, with Red John pointing a concealed gun at Jane. As he is about to leave, Red John reveals unpublished knowledge about the murder of Jane's family. Jane then kills Red John with a gun hidden in his pocket.
The episode ends with Jane casually going back to finish his tea, and then, surrendering to armed security officers who rush to the scene.
Production
"Strawberries and Cream (Part 1)" was written by Ashley Gable and part two was written by Bruno Heller. The first part was Gable's ninth episode for the series, while the second was Heller's twelfth. It was the also the twelfth and thirteenth episodes for director Chris Long.Speculation about the ending
Since the finale aired, fans and television critics alike have speculated as to whether or not Bradley Whitford's character really was Red John. In an interview with Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, creator Bruno Heller further added to the speculation by saying, "Jane wanted to know if this was Red John or not. And the guy gave him proof that he was. The question remains: Was that Red John? The larger question is: How does Jane get away with murder?" Heller went on to say, "What you get from that scene is what you should get. The viewer is supposed to be convinced. Patrick Jane is certain it's Red John... Thing is, Red John is a master of the mind game. If Red John wanted to die, maybe this is how he wanted to die. Or maybe he just wants Jane to think he's dead." When asked whether or not this meant the end of the Red John storyline, Heller simply said, "Well, look at it this way. If you... killed your worst enemy, would that be the end of the story? No. It would be the beginning of a whole different story."
Critical reviews
The episode was met with generally favorable reviews. C. Orlando from TV Fanatic awarded the episode 4.8 stars out of five, saying in his introduction: "Wow! The Mentalist season finale gave us some serious closure on Red John with twists, turns—and an ending I didn't see coming..." He called the opening scene "terrifying" and appreciated a scene in which Lisbon prays, saying "I liked that Lisbon's Catholicism was brought into play... it was nice to see Jane take control in those moments, letting her know she wasn't alone." In his review, Jeff Jensen from Entertainment Weekly called the final scene "game changing" and "epic", particularly praising Bradley Whitford's performance as "scary-good" and going on to say, "When Whitford put on the creepy high voice that Red John has used to speak with Patrick in the past, I was chilled. And sold."Ratings
Upon its original broadcast, "Strawberries and Cream" garnered 14.11 million viewers and a 2.8/7 ratings share in adults aged 18–49. This is down slightly from the 15.22 million viewers and the 3.2 ratings share achieved by "Red Sky in the Morning", the second seasonThe Mentalist (season 2)
The second season of The Mentalist premiered on September 24, 2009 and concluded in May 2010. It consists of 23 episodes. CBS moved the show from Tuesdays at 9/8c to Thursdays at 10/9c, after CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...
finale. "Strawberries and Cream" was the seventh most watched program of the week.