Scarlet Ribbons

In this first episode of the new season, Patrick Jane is in prison for ending the life of Red John at a busy shopping mall. The problem is, there’s no evidence the dead man was the famous serial killer. As far as the police are concerned, the victim is Timothy Carter, a respected husband and father. They found no gun and his phone had no call to agent O’Laughlin. It seems to them that Jane has killed an innocent man and, if so, he could face the death penalty. For now, his bail is set at $1million.

In addition, Lisbon and her team have been suspended. Determined to work the case, anyway, Lisbon sends Cho and Rigsby to check the mall security video and, sure enough, they see that a security guard had tampered with the body. Arriving at the guard’s home, Cho and Rigsby find him dead in his bath. Someone has silenced him.

Meanwhile, Jane manages to raise his bail through some nifty prison gambling and is soon accompanying Lisbon to Carter’s home to talk with his widow, Sally. While there, he plants a seed of distrust in her mind and, after she asks him to leave, Jane sneaks back into the house and watches as Sally heads for the basement and unlocks a door to a secret room. Jane calls Lisbon and they find the room contains a missing local girl, Debbie, who’s chained to a bed. The Carpenters have held her captive for weeks.

The girl stands witness at Jane’s murder trial and, after he valiantly defends himself, the jury eventually finds him not guilty. Jane, however, feels guilty because, as he explains to Lisbon when it’s all over and he’s released, he now knows that Carter was not Red John…