Directed by David Nutter
Written by Bruno Heller
A double murder seems to be the work of a notorious serial killer named Red John, but CBI consultant Patrick Jane thinks it's the work of a copycat.
- Batman Gambit: The first one of the series pulled by Jane to stop the real killer, Dr. Wagner. He started by telling him he had insomnia, then proceeded to write a fake diary of Tannin all night, making Lisbon take an appointment with Dr. Wagner for him. Jane hid the diary in Tannin's office, and during the meeting with Wagner, hinted Tannin had a diary. It made him search his office for the diary, thus revealing to Jane he was the killer and Jane had Rigsby come in time to arrest him.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Dr. Wagner seems like a friendly doctor who's distraught over the deaths of Alison and Tannin. He's actually the one who killed them both.
- Brutal Honesty: Cho telling Price his own brother slept with his wife with the most deadpan face:"Whenever you weren't around, he was banging your wife like a big bass drum."
- Dark and Troubled Past: Jane's wife and child were murdered by Red John after Jane had the mistake to insult him live on TV during his show as a fake psychic.
- Decoy Antagonist: Jane immediately realized that Red John didn't murder Alison and Tannin, since the placement of the killer's bloody trademark was wrong. It makes sense when you realize Jane did walk in on the murder of his family by the hands of the real Red John, and that because of this, he recognizes that the placement is deliberate because he understands the feelings it's meant to evoke. As it's revealed, it was Dr. Wagner who killed them.
- Establishing Character Moment:
- Jane is seen entering the house of a couple whose daughter got murdered, making himself a sandwich and tea as if he was home, and analyzing and reading through the mother as if he knew her his entire life. He then instals the belief her husband killed their daughter, which is most likely true as he tells the father an innocent would've punched him in the face instead of denying it and threatening him. Right away, you know he's a cunning mind to be messed with.
- A secondary one for Jane is when he comes home and we see that his house is completely empty, with no furniture except for a mattress on the floor — positioned directly below the smiley-face Red John had painted on the wall in the blood of Jane's wife and child. Jane will not let anything distract him from his hunt for revenge, will not let himself heal and move on, and punishes himself with spartan quarters and a constant reminder of his loss.
- Parental Incest: Jane tells Lisbon that the reason Morgan Tolliver killed his daughter is because he sexually abused her and she refused to put up with it anymore.
- Mama Bear: When Jane insinuates the idea that Juniper would feel if Morgan lied about killing their daughter, she'd feel it. And when Morgan angrily denies it to Jane, Juniper, who knew at this instant her husband killed her daughter, left the room, grabbed a gun and proceeded to shoot her husband until he died.
- Oh, Crap!: Jane pulls this face when Juniper pulls a gun on her husband and proceeds to shoot him until he's well dead.
- The Reveal: We learn right away in the pilot that a serial killer named Red John murdered Jane's wife and kid, explaining why the case is important to him.
- Serial Killer: Red John is mentioned to be a known one who's still researched by the police after more than five years.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Dr. Wagner killed Dr. Tannin so he wouldn't tell on him about the frauds he did to rescue people in Africa. He killed Alison as a decoy.
