Somewhere in the second season, The Mentalist lost track of what it is and supposed to be. Jane became a stream of condescension and mockery, albeit a funny one. Absent, however, was the idea that Jane has a past of deep sadness and regret. Sure, one could argue that Jane's antics were a result of repressing his innermost feelings, but there wasn't even a glimmer of angst in a majority of episodes.
After the second season finale, things appear to be headed in the right direction. Enough of "Red Sky at Night" is devoted to Jane reflecting--which Simon Baker does with ease--and even a lack of motivation to solve cases. Though he's still doing the usual tricks, there's something different about him, and if Red John was the instigator to bring back all those bad memories, then the job was accomplished.
Also, it's fun to see Lisbon engage Jane more readily, perhaps to pull him back to the CBI and prevent him from drifting away. Whatever her motives, Lisbon is much more enjoyable when she's not providing constant opposition.
Score: 8.8/10
