- Title: The Mentalist – Devil’s Cherry
- wiki: link
While investigating the murder of a diamond cutter Jane (Simon Baker) begins to hallucinate after making himself some of the victim’s poisoned tea. In his dreams Jane meets a young girl (Dove Cameron) who claims to be his daughter Charlotte (and is less than supportive of his never-ending obsession with Red John). After almost dying, a loopy Jane tries to use the lingering effects of the drug to solve the case.
While Lisbon (Robin Tunney) goes the hospital with her unconscious and convulsing friend, Cho (Tim Kang), Rigsby (Owain Yeoman), and Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti) continue to work the murder. After talking with the man’s assistant (Yani Gellman) and his daughter (Charlene Amoia) the team learns the diamond cutter kept millions of dollars in uncut diamonds in a shoulder pouch that wasn’t on his body when it was discovered. The also find an angry competitor (Ajay Mehta) who had threatened the man’s life shortly before his murder.
Despite the fact that he’s still feeling the effects of the drug after having his stomach pumped, Jane convinces Lisbon to take him back to the crime scene. Retracing his steps and trying to allow his subconscious to lead him to the killer, Jane is able to find the missing diamond, but the end of his hallucinations makes him question whether the CBI has the right suspect. A little more investigating, and one of Jane’s trademark ploys, proves the helpful neighbor (Lee Garlington) knows far more than she’s letting on.
The episode’s introduction of the teenage daughter Jane will never know provides both humorous and melancholy moments for the Mentalist as he works through issues in his own subconscious, the state of his life, his feelings for Lisbon, and the pain he still feels at having lost his family to Red John. The episode’s final scene also suggests Jane hasn’t finished his trip down the rabbit hole, nor is he willing to let his daughter go again just yet.
