Fans of "The Mentalist" are waiting with bated breath for the reveal of Red John. The reveal this season will usher the show into a new era, although showrunner Bruno Heller is reluctant to give details about the game-changing developments. However, we can be sure that there will be a new arc introduced after the reveal that will give the characters--and storyline--more freedom.
"As soon as you shoot an arrow in the air it's going to land somewhere, and I don't want to shoot that arrow quite yet," he explained to TVLine. "I would say that one of the luxuries if we do indeed catch and get rid of Red John... is that it's a huge weight and burden off the shoulders of Jane and Lisbon and everybody else, so it's a good life change, it gives them freedom and a sense of being able to breathe again. So while there will be gripping arcs of the kind that the audience is used to, we're going to take this opportunity to open it up a bit."
Next season will see the exit of series regulars Amanda Righetti and Owain Yeoman. While it is known that Van Pelt and Rigsby will head to the altar at one point in the season, it is not known exactly why they are leaving. But it is known that their departure will definitely have something to do with the reveal of Red John.
"The hunt for Red John is reaching its climax," said Heller. Because of that, "the CBI is thrown into turmoil... so Rigsby and Van Pelt - and Cho - are forced to find new ways to be in the world."
As for Jane (Simon Baker) and Lisbon (Robin Tunney), the unveiling of the serial killer will let them reevaluate their relationship. The result will allow the characters to reflect and grow in a way that viewers may not have seen before.
"They haven't been thinking about [their growing closeness] while it's been happening, so all this accumulated emotion and feeling has been building up, essentially, behind them," Heller shared.
"It's only when they step away from that and can turn around and look back that they will really start to see how they feel about each other, and it's great fun to explore that on the page. I think it's going to be a whole different look at these two characters," he added.
The sixth season premieres on September 29 at 10 p.m. on CBS.
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