| "Strawberries and Cream" | |
|---|---|
| The Mentalist episodes | |
| Episode nos. | Season 3 Episodes 23/24 |
| Directed by | Chris Long |
| Written by | Ashley Gable (Part I) Bruno Heller (Part II) |
| Production code | 3X6423/3X6424 |
| Original air date | May 19, 2011 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Strawberries and Cream" is the two-part season finale of the third season of The Mentalist. It is the 23rd and 24th episode of the season and the 69th and 70th episode of the series overall. Part one was written by executive producer Ashley Gable and part two was written by series creator and executive producer Bruno Heller. Both parts were directed by executive producer Chris Long and premiered on May 19, 2011 on CBS.[1]
In the episode, Patrick Jane and the CBI unit investigate a seemingly unsuccessful attempt at a gas station bombing. When it becomes clear that Jane's nemesis, the serial killer Red John, is involved, Jane and Lisbon reveal that there is a mole within the CBI working for Red John and that their ex-boss Madeline Hightower, now in hiding, is innocent of a murder. While Rigsby, Cho and Van Pelt attempt to protect Hightower long enough for her to turn herself in, Jane executes an elaborate scheme that could expose Red John's mole and potentially draw out the notorious murderer himself.