My gratitude to LouiseKurylo for sharing her honest views about the chapters.
The quote tells from which part of the episode these short insights are written. If you don't have access to the videos, get the transcripts or scripts (for season 1) online.
I do not own The Mentalist and make no money from this.
"Hang on. An affair? You just made that up."
I grin. Some would note that I get easily provoked into reasoning out my statements by Lisbon's disbelief cropping up with clockwork precision. I think I know why she's so skeptical of my conclusions all the time. She has been privy to my methods of suggestion for some little time. The eternal pessimist that she is, when I explain the reasons for my spot-on comments, they're usually paper thin as far as she's concerned. But what she doesn't understand is that they only appear to be 'thin' from the 'normal' perspective… I find my reasons perfectly sane and logical because I've trained myself to see that which everyone wants to be hidden. It's always funny that the more people want to hide something, the easier it becomes to see their secrets. And this is why I never fail to win at this game.
"Jane!"
I itch to comment that this is not just some farcical act of bravery to prevent them shooting an innocent man. His eyes are red and the pupils are dilated. Steady breathing even after heaving a hundred and thirty pound body across three blocks. When I wave my hand infront of his eyes, they become transfixed rather than try to trace the movement. This is something beyond normal cop procedure because I doubt Lisbon knows anything much about the conditions of a man that has been hypnotized…
"Hypnosis is what you use - against my explicit orders - to get witnesses to tell the truth."
Rigsby sees everything in black and white which fuels his 'daddy' issues and therefore treats anything new or unknown as this, likewise.
Lisbon sees hypnosis as an illegal method to get to the truth but can't imagine its uses further than that.
Cho is a little accepting to entertain the notion that it exists but only so long as he gets to use it to wheedle out the facts while questioning Carl.
VanPelt is undecided but given more proof, she may be forced to accept that it's real.
It comes upon me to illuminate the finer points of how hypnotism works.
I don't really blame them for their reactions of doubt. It isn't every day that you see such a powerful hypnotic suggestion which is why I will get to exercise my drug without being made to feel guilty. Makes me feel liberated.
"One of the pre-eminent hypnotherapists in the country."
I say that but Lisbon can hear the sarcasm in my voice. I couldn't help but let it flow as vague dim words come back from my forgotten childhood.
Immigrants from the British carnie circuit, Royston senior made quite a name for himself pulling off scams on rich people… Unfortunately, he at that time, had also made quite an impression on my young mind. Royston junior had preferred to 'educate' himself and yet would sometimes be coerced to accompany his dear dad in one of his swindling acts. And now, here he is, decades later, a 'doctor' disguising a manipulative scam to rip people off as some fancy 'science' applicable by and to anyone. Clearly, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, except there's no discrimination based on money here. Doesn't care who he rips off, just wants them to be gullible.
He's simply begging to be looked at.
"Good afternoon. My name is Dr. Royston Daniel."
Hah, that is most definitely not Daniel Royston! I see how he's pitching this 'neuro-linguistic' bullshit- it's very like any act of con; you pitch your 'innovative' unbelievable idea, let the people feel intrigue, then as they slowly take the bait, you seal it with a punchline and they're hooked.
Makes me feel excited. This is a man clever enough to put Carl under a strong trance after committing murder. It's best to observe such an accomplished hypnotist in his element. That's how you learn his strengths and guess at his weaknesses.
Finally, someone that I can truly relish to deconstruct.
"Hmm, well. Nope. Rigs, why don't you and Carl go to the seminar while we speak with Dr. Daniel?"
Ah, disappointment can leave such a bitter after-taste… Perhaps I need Lisbon's tough cop routine to guide me after all, that has illuminated aspects unknowingly so many times in the past. It might help to see what I'm missing now.
When Lisbon tells Rigsby to go with me, I smile inward… she likes to think she's in control and sometimes I need to let her roll one over me so that I don't hurt her.
Anyway, I need to enter the interview somewhere in the middle of it so that Royston loses his footing making it easier for me to read him- so a little stroll around the place won't go amiss… Also, if I went with Rigs right now, Royston would be on the defensive from the beginning and wouldn't be willing to answer honestly.
This is a crafty bastard who knows all the ropes to the gig. Best to employ any bit of counter-measure that I can.
"Or make people like and respect them. Nothing wrong with that, right?"
Oh ho! He's very good! Very very good! Knows when to withdraw and when to deliver a vicious blow without losing tact. All his clients are people in high places and he has them wrapped around his finger… and he dares to boast about them to me! At least he doesn't know or recognise me, but then me or my old man didn't really make the rumours like him and his dad... I get distracted by Lindsay's arrival.
When Lindsay converses with Royston, both of them emanate something powerful that they're trying to hide by way of tightly controlled body-language which is distracting. Charm, charisma and scams go hand in hand but he used it to blow her off like she didn't even matter and then smooth it over so he would look remorseful…
I should warn him but I don't. Lisbon's favorite phrase of making one's bed so they can lie in it, is rather appropriate here.
"Pot? Meet kettle. Kettle? Pot."
That's amusing. 'Suggestion everywhere'… She's accusing me of being suggestible? When she's pretty suggestible herself? Or does she know me better than I do? No way. Didn't she see the way Teigler let himself get steam-rolled as Cho took control and used his words against him? Normally there can be no better interrogator than Cho but here, he couldn't handle Teigler that well… the black-out story is something that doesn't fit in with someone who murders. Teigler also lacks confidence in himself and thinks everyone's out to get him thus his defensiveness and drinking problem.
Lisbon's further insight that I'm too much of a 'control freak' and Rigsby throwing the label back at her, distracts me from forming more arguments. Hmmm, I never noticed but he's right. She tries to control the one-upmanship we play between us. She does like to control everything outside her because inside, she's pretty chaotic and tempestuous. She never lets the hurricane show, though; controls it with a cool, calm demeanor. And that's where we are different. I control mine, by showing everyone their reflections, by false smiles and averting provocations. It's all I need. It's also why our paths will always be parallel.
"All these people here have to die. That's not control. That's madness."
At least the trap worked. So Royston wasn't the murderer… doesn't really matter now. But she's pretty formidable so I try to sound off as much confidence as I can muster. I hate these quiet sneaks the most. They're the hardest to read or predict. My mistake must not cost us our lives. So I do what I am best at- I improvise.
"Oh lord, did I make a fool of myself?"
VanPelt doesn't know to be disappointed or relieved… I'm truly glad that none of us are dead… Otherwise how could I enjoy Rigsby's mortified cowardice, our shared humour at his expense and VanPelt's angry embarrassment? I'm not even disgruntled for my failure to shut down Royston's scam...
Is this the feeling of being content?
