Romance Rewind
Look Back at ‘The Mentalist’: Do Jane & Lisbon End Up Together?
Can you believe it’s been 10 years since The Mentalist series finale? Someone is messing with our minds! The CBS procedural premiered in 2008 and bid farewell on February 18, 2015, after seven seasons.
The series follows Patrick Jane (Simon Baker), a suave independent consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation who previously conned people as a pretend psychic. He suffered a tragic loss when the serial killer Red John (Xander Berkeley) murdered his wife and daughter. In the years since the tragedy, Jane uses his role with the CBI to hunt down Red John while helping his co-workers solve crimes with his mind games.
At the CBI is where he meets Teresa Lisbon (Robin Tunney) and a partnership forms. Jane and Lisbon work closely together on cases for years and develop a deep bond. While viewers were quick to spot the chemistry between them, did it ever turn romantic? In honor of The Mentalist finale’s 10th anniversary, we’re doing a refresh of what happened with Jane and Lisbon. Spoilers ahead!
Do Lisbon and Jane end up together?
Yes, Lisbon and Jane get together by the end of the show, but their relationship is the definition of a slow burn. In the Season 1 finale Jane saves Lisbon and kills his only lead into Red John. Jane tells Lisbon that he loves her just before shooting her in the Season 4 finale. “Good luck, Teresa. Love you,” he says. When Lisbon brings up the declaration later, Jane pretends not to remember he said it.
Jane and Lisbon solve the Red John case in Season 6, but Jane has to go into hiding for two years after killing Red John. During this time away, he writes letters to Lisbon. He later strikes a deal to avoid prison by agreeing to work for the FBI in Texas. Part of this deal involves Lisbon joining him as an FBI agent.
That’s not exactly when things turn romantic for the pair. Lisbon begins dating a fellow FBI agent named Marcus Pike (Pedro Pascal). When Lisbon and Pike get engaged, this forces Jane to realize the feelings he’s had all along for Lisbon.
Sonja Flemming / CBS
As Lisbon heads to Washington D.C. to be with Pike, Jane knows this is his now or never moment. He races to the airport to catch Lisbon before she takes off. When he can’t get through security because he forgot his ID, Jane literally runs onto the tarmac to board the plane.
Once he finds Lisbon, he confesses his love to her. “You’re right. I have forgotten how to act like a normal human being. And I play games and I lie, and I trick people to avoid the truth of how I feel,” he begins. “And the idea of letting anyone close to me is… is terrifying for obvious reasons. But the truth, Teresa, is that I can’t imagine waking up knowing that I won’t see you.”
In one of the most romantic TV moments ever, a tearful Jane says, “The truth is, I love you.” Lisbon tells Jane that his confession is too late, and Jane is willing to let her go if that’s what she wants.
When the police arrest him, Jane says on his way out, “I love you, Teresa. And it makes me happy to be able to say that to you.” Because you can’t leave a man like that hanging, Lisbon gets off the plane. She finds Jane in the holding room, and they exchange some of their typical small talk. After some light-hearted joking on Jane’s end, he answers Lisbon’s question, “Did you mean what you said?”
Colleen Hayes / CBS
He responds, “Yes. I meant what I said. Every word of it.” Lisbon tells him that she feels the same way. They share a sweet kiss and end Season 6 finally together.
When do Lisbon and Jane get married?
The characters get married in the show’s series finale, titled “White Orchids.” Jane surprises Lisbon with his proposal, and they get married in front of their loved ones on the property Jane bought for them.
In a 2014 interview, The Mentalist creator Bruno Heller opened about about the Jane and Lisbon relationship. “It’s a love story – but it’s not a very conventional love story,” he told Spoiler TV. “It’s a love story that is consonant with the relationship they’ve had, which is the interesting thing about it. When we started, it was very much… brother/sister is the wrong way to describe it, but it’s that kind of familial affection that over time has turned into something more. That, to a degree, makes the romance harder for both characters to negotiate because they’re not fiery, passionate, crazy people. They’re people who need to work their way towards seeing how this will play out in the future.”
He continued, “It’s a very sort of Jane Austen type of romance – the good ones in Jane Austen. The ones you devoutly wish to be consummated [are] between two people who have known each other for years, and you can see that they’re made for each other – not in a fiery, kind of crazy way. But just in a human, gentle, correct way.”
What happened to Marcus Pike?
Pike presumably stays in D.C. after Lisbon breaks off their engagement. When Jane brings up Pike to Lisbon, she says that Pike will “understand” the situation. Let’s hope he found love!
Do Lisbon and Jane have a baby?
Yes, Lisbon and Jane do have a baby together. Lisbon reveals to Jane that she’s pregnant in the series finale. During a quiet moment at their wedding, Lisbon announces the exciting news to her now-husband. The series finale ends before we meet their baby.
Could The Mentalist get a revival?
It’s not likely. When asked about a revival, Baker told KTLA in 2024, “No… I’m just the kind of guy who looks forward.”
Did you love the evolution of Lisbon and Jane’s relationship on The Mentalist? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The Mentalist, All Seasons, Streaming Now, Hulu
