The season premiere of "The Mentalist" knocked down the number of Red John suspects from eight to seven.
The serial killer Red John will finally be caught this season after a relentless six-season pursuit. Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) is narrowing down the suspects on his list until he finally pins down the man who killed his wife and daughter. On the sixth season opener, the number of potential suspects dwindled as Partridge was murdered by the very killer who he was suspected to be.
In the episode, Lisbon (Robin Tunney) went to Partridge's house (after betraying Jane's trust and sharing the list's existence with their co-workers), and ran into the house after hearing a scream. Lisbon found Partridge on the floor dying. But before Partridge closed his eyes for good, he whispered, "tiger, tiger."
Suddenly, Lisbon was yanked off screen into another room.
Jane got a call back at the station from Lisbon's phone. But it wasn't Lisbon at the other end.
"Sorry, Patrick - Teresa can't come to the phone right now," the eerie voice says on the other end, as he draws a bloody smile across Lisbon's face. "Can I take a message...?"
Bruno Heller told Entertainment Weekly why a suspect was killed in the first episode, and about the "dastardly plan" that will play out over the rest of the season.
As for why Partridge was killed off, Heller said: "It wasn't my decision; it was Red John's decision. And it's part of a much larger, dastardly plan that will reveal itself over the next few episodes. This is a good question. This is the first time I've been asked this question, but it's a very good point. Why DID he kill Partridge? What possible reason could he have for that? A very good reason will be revealed down the line. So it's both a fun way to start the season and embedded in that scene is a big clue to the identity of Red John that will pay off big time later."
Partridge whispered "tiger" before dying, which is the big clue that will have "big ramifications later on," according to Heller. The first few episodes will contain a plethora of clues that will move the mystery along. The mysterious "tiger" clue will not be addressed until episode four, in which viewers will get answers to what the clue means.
Heller said that some fans have interesting theories as to the true identity of Red John. "I know that are a lot of people out there who think Jane is Red John still," Heller said, although that notion was explicitly denied in the show.
Yet, Heller added, "I've never denied that it was Lisbon. So I suppose it could be Lisbon."
Heller said that Partridge's death was methodical and deliberate in terms of the Red John story development. "So things might seem mysterious or too complicated to work out what the hell is going on, but as these episodes unfold, the story will unfold itself in a clean and clear fashion," Heller explained. "It was very important that Partridge die at this point in the story. It's not just - he didn't just kill him as an act-out."
It was confirmed by Heller that more suspects will die in ensuing episodes. "It's not a Seven Little Indians thing, where one drops dead every week," Heller said, but Red John has some baleful plans for some of the other suspects.
The opener also saw Jane and Lisbon in conflict. Jane's insistence upon secrecy clashed with Lisbon's desire to keep everything out in the open.
"Jane's obsessive secrecy is very much in conflict with Lisbon's professional and personal desire to keep things above board and honest. She needs and wants the help and support of the team because she feels uncomfortable freelancing - because she's not a freelancer, she's a cop. And Jane has the freedom to do whatever he wants but she has to think about the law," Heller said.
Now that Jane has realized that Red John got his hands on the suspect list, he is beginning to realize that Red John may be more powerful than he previously thought. Jane is considering the possibility that Red John is actually a psychic, which turns his steadfast set of beliefs on its head. Seeing that Jane is in a state of turmoil, Lisbon steps in, although it proves to be the wrong decision by episode's end.
On the next episode, how will Lisbon be rescued? Will we find out if Red John was her captor? Heller didn't reveal these juicy details, but he did say that the mystery will be solved as to how Red John knew about the young woman who died during Jane's childhood.
"How did he do that? That question is going to be answered," Heller said. "But at the same time, every week we're still telling a closed whodunit story which is solved every week. So it's as much that story as the other story."
"The Mentalist" airs on Sundays at 10 p.m. on CBS. The upcoming episode is titled "Black-Winged Redbird."