I have basically abandoned the show and have not kept up with this site.  Even from the early episodes of this season, it was clear what was happening and how bad the show was going to be but many people were too much in denial to see it; and kept the wild tehories going.  So it is kind of satisfying that more and more people have fallen asleep out of boredom while watching the show, and that they are now finally seeing it for what it has become this season: mediocre acting, silly plots, too many characters, disconnected even within a single episode, with boring execution. 

In an effort to keep the con up until the season's end, they had to resort back to the out-of-the-blue suspense tricks, tucked into the last two minutes of the episodes.  Do you really think there is a logical explanation behind this?  Have you not learned your lesson already?  If so, answer a few basic questions:

1. All CBI members are being killed off one by one, over a long period of time.  No one has picked up on this.  Not the local cops and not the FBI.  Really?

2) In any other cop show even slightly based on reality, this will have FBI squarely focused on solving this with all of its resources available.  Here, they are like, "oh, yeah?  well, we got a tip that some illegal workers are sneaking in from Mexico.  Let's go".  Really?

3) In any other show, the remaining targets would be given protective custody and around-the-clock guards, be moved to hidden location until the case is resolved, etc.  Furthermore, they would be removed from the case.  Here, nope: the two targets are actually given the responsibility to solve the case by the FBI.  Why?  Well, because they got another gas station robbery that resulted in murder.

4) Wait, wasn't this show called the Mentalist?  Ooh, bummer, what to do?  Yes, let's have PJ solve the secret of each character's most hidden desires and have him give them their favorite toy from when they were a child.  What?  We used to show how PJ would know these things?  Well, come on.  They have barely spoken to each other.  Can't we just slowly focus the camera away and play elevator music instead?  Yes?  Great, thanks!

What will happen in tonight's episode?  Do you really think there was any thought put into this?  Do you really think RJ will make a comeback?  If so, dream on.  Better yet, wake up already.  The simple reason is the writers/producers realized that they have essentially doubled the number of characters, in two separate locations.  They got themselves into this mess, and now that they realize it, like some of us did a long time ago, they are trimming the cast down. Nothing more.