Last week, a commenter declared my review "the worst review ever" because I didn't like Jane's antics. Now I don't know how the mind of a delusion person works, but that's the conclusion this person came to. The basis argument for my argument is that Jane no longer has any visible inhibition. He chooses to do what he wants, in any situation, at any time. Law does not stop him, common morality does not stop him, threats do not stop him. He is a charismatic character, which is why viewers like him, but his actions should not be viewed under the singular lens of "fun," as if it is the only qualifier for a good show. Don't get me wrong, I like fun procedurals. Almost all procedurals I watch are skewed towards humor.
However, there are boundaries to how far someone can go. In Jane's case, he has gone way to far this season. Season 1 had a way of showing Jane's outwardly jubilant personality and tamping it down with the darkness of his past. Very successfully, the writers were able to show a flawed human being, capable of being perfectly normal, but losing his judgment after the Red John attack. Season 2 has had few of the those moments, choosing to cast Red John and those quiet reveals aside.
The crime and crime solving of "Red All Over" was average as have most episodes of the season, and had a perplexing ending out of nowhere. What it did do was to bring back Jane's pain in the form of a cult leader, poking at Jane in all the right places. As we head towards the season finale and another confrontation with Red John, the show needs those reminders that Jane isn't just someone who has fun and plays mind games.
Score: 8.6/10
