The Mentalist Ending Explained: What Happens To Patrick Jane And Teresa Lisbon

It's been over a decade since the final episode of "The Mentalist" aired and fans of the show are still talking about the fate of crime consultant Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) and love interest Teresa Lisbon (Robin Tunney). Jane and Lisbon got their happily ever after, tying the knot in the series finale "White Orchids." The cherry on top? Lisbon was also revealed to be pregnant with the couple's first child. 

It was a long time coming, as Jane was primarily focused on getting revenge for the murders of his wife and daughter by the serial killer known as Red John for the majority of the series. The couple finally established their relationship at the end of Season 6 with a dramatic confession from Jane. "The Mentalist" ended after Season 7, but not before tying up a bunch of different plot threads.

After many years of searching for him, Jane narrows down the identity of Red John to seven final suspects. The infamous serial killer is ultimately revealed to be Sheriff Thomas McAllister (Xander Berkeley) in Season 6, Episode 8. Their confrontation is a huge moment considering Jane's long journey of revenge, and it subverts genre expectations: Unlike many crime dramas, the protagonist doesn't take the high road with his quarry, instead choking a wounded Red John to death on the ground.

The nature of Red John's death is important. After so many seasons of him being presented as an almost mythical figure, he's reduced to a whimpering man begging for his life. The fact that Jane kills him next to the cemetery where his wife and child are buried is fitting, but it's the way the scene is shot that makes it interesting: The camera stays on Jane's face as he chokes the life out of the murderer, reminding us that it's not Red John's death that's important, but the impact it has on Jane. His face is a rollercoaster of emotions as he finally avenges his family.

Of course, Jane is very much aware that he's taken the law into his own hands by killing Red John, so he flees to a remote South American island after the deed is done. He spends two years in hiding before he's approached by the FBI to do consultant work for them like he'd been doing with the CBI in California. He agrees, but on the condition that Lisbon is also brought on board — by that point she's working as a small-town police chief in Washington state, a role she quits to join up with Jane.

The final case in "The Mentalist" involves a serial killer known as Lazarus (Aubrey Deeker). Jane is forced to pose as a fake psychic again to lure Lazarus out of hiding. The plan works, but things go south when Jane is kidnapped by Lazarus. His real name is revealed to be Joe Keller Jr., and he is targeting psychics so they can communicate with the spirit of his dead serial killer father. Jane manages to outsmart Lazarus by luring him into a room where he has rigged up a bomb using gum and a lightbulb. After the explosion, Lisbon rescues Jane from the rubble. Lazarus miraculously survives but is later captured at Lisbon and Jane's wedding.

This serial killer's arc offers a poetic ending for Jane in more ways than one. It was posing as a psychic and goading Red John that led to his family being targeted, but Jane fakes psychic abilities for a good reason this time, and he achieves his goal without a loved one getting hurt. Lazarus can be read as a dark mirrored version of Jane: He too is obsessed with dead relatives and is living only for them. The name of this serial killer is also symbolic, with the biblical Lazarus representing resurrection. That's exactly what solving this case is for Jane: He faces his original sin by once again pretending to be psychic and is reborn when it's all done. Killing Red John closed that chapter of his life, and catching Lazarus allowed him to start a new one.

After much will-they-wont-they, the chemistry between Jane and Lisbon finally comes to a head in Season 6, Episode 22. Lisbon is preparing to move to Washington D.C. when Jane finally realizes that he has feelings for her. In a dramatic gesture, he breaches airport security to confess his love to Lisbon aboard an airplane. He's arrested before Lisbon can respond, but she later admits that she loves him too in the confession room he's being held in for his airport shenanigans.

Jane and Lisbon get married in the final episode of "The Mentalist," with plenty of dramatics caused by Lazarus showing up on a rampage. All's well that ends well, though, as Lazarus is handily apprehended — most of the guests are law enforcement, after all. After their nuptials are complete, Lisbon reveals to Jane that she is pregnant. This offers a true fresh start for Jane, considering how the series began with the loss of his wife and daughter.

What's noteworthy is that he proposed to Lisbon using his old wedding ring. This tells us that while he's made peace with his past, he doesn't want to forget about it. This shows maturity and real growth for a character who was defined by his guilt and thirst for revenge for so long that it almost consumed him entirely. By the end of "The Mentalist," Jane has learned what is truly important in life and how to use his abilities in a more discerning manner.

The CBI gets disbanded in Season 6 due to the corruption scandal surrounding The Blake Association. Red John, the mastermind behind The Blake Association, organized a secret criminal conspiracy group across California's law enforcement, judicial system, and state government. CBI director Gale Bertram (Michael Gaston) was exposed as a senior member of the shadowy group, leading to the downfall of the entire agency.

After the CBI is dissolved, fan favorite couple Wayne Rigsby (Owain Yeoman) and Grace Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti), who tied the knot earlier in Season 6, decide to set up a private forensics and security firm. Jane and Lisbon, meanwhile, join the FBI team in Austin, Texas along with Kimball Cho (Tim Kang), who is named the new head of the team.

It's really not surprising that Jane and Lisbon end up working together, as this was one of Jane's conditions when approached by the FBI about a consulting gig in the first place. In fact, this request can be seen as the first step in Jane finally being able to let go of his past and open himself up to a possible future with Lisbon, one that has become a reality by the time the credits roll on the final episode.