‘The Mentalist’ Boss Previews What’s Next After Red John Reveal

'The Mentalist' fans were given quite a shock when Red John, the serial killer responsible for killing Patrick Jane's wife and daughter, was finally revealed during the Nov. 24 episode. Since so much of the show has always revolved around finding Red John, what could possibly be next? Red John has been The Mentalist's main baddie for over five seasons, so now that he's finally out of the picture, what will our hero Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) do next? Read below to find out what series boss Bruno Heller and Simon himself had to say about what's coming after the two-year time jump!

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November 26, 2013 10:28AM EST
Image Credit: Courtesy of CBS

‘The Mentalist’: About That Final Scene…

Even though the Red John reveal itself (ICYMI, it was Sheriff Thomas McAllister) was a bit underwhelming after five years of buildup, his death scene was almost shockingly powerful, thanks largely in part to Simon’s phenomenal acting. The Mentalist EP Bruno Heller said in a conference call that much of that scene’s emotional punch came from Simon himself, who organically figured out how he wanted Red John to go.

“I should say that how that last scene between the two of them went was very much written and directed by Simon,” Heller said. “The emotion that he brought to that, and the feeling — with all that pressure and with all the story that’s gone by, and all the baggage…it’s hard but good to watch, I think.”

Yeah, watching our beloved Patrick kill a man with his bare hands was a bit hard to watch, even if that man was Red John. “The character had made a decision that he was going to kill Red John from the first time we ever saw him,  so he made that decision and in his head that was going to happen,” Simon continued. “What we didn’t know was how he was going to react, whether or not he could go through with it, and in what fashion.”

‘The Mentalist’: What’s Next?

When The Mentalist returns with “My Blue Heaven”on Dec. 1, it will be like watching a whole new show. Two years will have passed since Patrick murdered a guy with his bare hands, but even though no one was around when it all went down, Heller said Patrick will face some consequences for his actions.

“You can’t go around killing people willy-nilly without some sort of ramification,” Heller said. Basically, even without the CBI, “Jane is going to be in a position where his personal desires are not the point…. What he does in the future is not going to be entirely up to himself.”

Looks like Patrick is going to have to find something new to live for! Luckily, we still have the rest of Season 6 to find out what that key “something” is. With Red John finally out of the picture, the sky’s the limit.

“What this fresh version of the show is about is what happens after [Red John’s murder] in a very real sense,” Heller said. “Jane is a happier person. A weight has been taken off his shoulders and, in that, a weight has been taken off the show. It’s going to be the same show to some degree, but it’s going to be a show with less darkness at the edges and more freedom to roam. Jane has more freedom and more sense of possibility and liberty.”

We can’t wait! What do you want to see next, HollywoodLifers?

— Shaunna Murphy

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