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Killer Spoiler!

It’s just another day at the office when a calm, orderly man drags the body of a woman into the CBI building thinking he is dragging a bag of potatoes.

It doesn’t take Patrick Jane long to figure out that the man was hypnotized. By who, and why they wanted the woman killed, is a mystery with a twist perfect for The Mentalist (despite the stupid episode title).

Investigators quickly discover the man was involved with a New Age-like center that makes profits by “teaching” people to get what they what by manipulating people with hypnosis. Carl Resnick had enjoyed a friendship with the dead woman, who was being stalked by another center member - and close friend to the center’s director, Dr. Royston Daniel, a man Jane instantly despises.

Jane cannot just un-hypnotize Resnick. He must first discover the trigger and to do that, he needs to know who the killer is.

The woman’s sister, Lindsay, also works at the center. She constantly gets the brush off Daniel, a man she is obviously in love with - and who likely preferred her sister.

As they investigate, it soon becomes clear that one of the suspects has hypnotized Rigsby. Who could it be? The killer? Or someone with something else to hide?

“Russet Potatoes” is the perfect fit for this dynamic freshman series from CBS - even though the title is an ultra cheesy way to interject the a form of red into the show. (Remember, there is a red theme, thanks to Red John.)

I was 90 percent certain of the whodunit, but one simple hand gesture by HRG clone Resnick was just enough of a red herring to keep me from being completely certain the mousy little sister was filled with envy and hidden hypnotic power needed to pull off the stunt.

What really gave away the killer was the super hypnotists brush off of the sister, who comes to work after identifying the dead woman’s body. You can just see the hidden anger in the actress’s expression, the disillusionment vanished at his callous treatment of her. (GREAT acting by Wynn Everett, who has been featured lately in other CBS hits Cold Case and CSI: Las Vegas.)

Intriguing was Agent Rigsby’s ease into a hypnotic state. What is it about him that makes him susceptible to suggestion? And how does that reflect on this secondary character - and how could it play a key role in the Red John mystery? More could be done with this throughout other episodes, though I have a feeling they will let it slide.

This is one of my favorite episodes of The Mentalist this season. It was quirky, fun and finally offered just enough ruse to keep me from being 100 percent certainty of the killer’s identity throughout.

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