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The CBI team must track the killer of a mobster in the Witness Protection in a good - but not great - episode of The Mentalist.

It is Agent Teresa Lisbon’s birthday. While the team razzes Patrick Jane for not bringing a gift - which he says is on its way - they get a murder call.

This time, a former mobster-turned-informant is shot dead, his body found in a drainage ditch. Ed Didrikson - aka Eddie Russo - never gave up the con, and continued dealing drugs and having affairs in his new location. WIT SEC - the Witness Protection Program - covered up his dealings with the help of one agent who had a steamy affair with the Italian.

While the CBI team follows their own hunches, Jane decides to pay a visit to mob boss Santino Batagglia. He nearly gets killed by the trigger-happy body guard, but his charm and ability to help Batagglia improve his golf game save him.

Jane uses Batagglia to catch the killer, who, to me, was obvious. The case wraps up in time for Jane to present Lisbon with her gift - a pony, like the one her father refused to get her as a kid.

The poorly-titled “Red Sauce” is a pretty decent watch, but it certainly isn’t the best episode of The Mentalist. The whodunit was pretty obvious - as was the “secret” affair between the dead guy and the female agent.

How do I know this wasn’t a great episode? Because I forgot to write the review right away, and when I sat down to do it today, I realized I couldn’t remember a thing about it - except the trick pony.

If an episode of any show is worth its salt, I remember it clearly - or at least parts of it clearly - and I remember what made me like it. This time around, I needed some healthy nudges to jog my brain about what happened - and why I should care as a fan of the show. (I certainly didn’t have that problem with Harper’s Island this week!)

I kind of wish the mobster had shot Jane - just a flesh wound, nothing more. It would have been fun to see him experience the bad side of his techniques - which should not ALWAYS work. (Although it is still fun to see how the writers will work the behind-the-scenes Jane thinking into the ending.)

One thing I did appreciate: We dealt with the Italian mob this time. Not the Russian Mob. Not the Chinese mob. Good ol’ Italian boys, who tickled the void left by The Sopranos. Other shows have done to death mobs from other countries. It was nice to go back to the mafioso - even if they did play a bad golf game. I also “get” that the title reflects the Italian mob connection - and Jane’s cooking pursuit with the widow Russo - but it is just too stupid for me to take seriously. It seems like there would have been a better way to continue the red theme with a title other than “Red Sauce.” Seriously, someone must have been drinking the sauce to think this title worked.

With each episode, I wonder if the writers will develop the chemistry between Lisbon and Jane. I’m not sure if it would work or not, but they keep adding little layers to the characters and their interactions that make me suspect writers are thinking of playing up a slight romantic angle. I’m also waiting for another juicy Red John tidbit.

You won’t miss much if you don’t see “Red Sauce,” but it is still a decent watch if you want to keep up with the show.

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