Like many of you, I am watching these recent episodes as one who watches a train wreck. The show has been so bad since the end of S5 and all though E6 and 7 that I'm left wondering how a typical 'cop show' went from very smart and emotionally impacting to the drivel that is has become.

I want to remind you all of this scene:
http://youtu.be/cjpsp36svcA?t=1m52s
The music, the emotion, the sadness. The soft tones that make us feel the pain that Patrick feels. The atmosphere that brings us into the Mentalist and makes us forget about how outrageous and unrealistic Patrick is and makes us pine for his soul, so broken, so tormented, that it torments us.

I used to love this show for these reasons. Red John arc and Patrick's pain was what made it different from all the other police procedurals we have on TV. It had a dark side and was very sad for the most part.

Now, it couldn't be more cliched or boring or bankrupt than any of the standard CSI or Criminal Minds shows you see these days.

I believe I will try to block out seasons 6 and 7 if and when I decide to watch the Mentalist again. I want to say it ended with Tim in season 3, but there were so many good episodes in 4 and 5 that I don't want it to be that way. Such a shame about how they resolved it... such a shame...