The Mentalist put Red John on ice nearly a year ago, and the cast is now speaking out about the demise of Patrick Jane's mortal enemy.

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Simon Baker, Robin Tunney, and series creator Bruno Heller opened up about the drama's decision to reboot its storyline as season 7 heralds the end of the Patrick Jane saga.

"You can't keep tricking audience or vamping on the audience with that kind of critical plot point," Heller explained in a new featurette (see below). "So rather than play games anymore, it felt like the audience was ready for a definitive statement."

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After five and a half years of hunting the man who murdered his wife and child, Jane had to find closure in order for writers to send the faux psychic down other paths.

"At some point, the pursuit of Red John might in fact be keeping us from going places with the character of Jane that we would like to go otherwise," said executive producer Tom Szentgyorgyi.

As season 6 proved, one of these potentially storylines included a canon relationship between Jane and Lisbon; a story arc that proved to be a fan favorite.

Now that The Mentalist is moving into its final 13-episode run, fans can expect Jane to continue branching out in his personal and professional life now that Red John is in the past. Find out more when The Mentalist returns to CBS in 2015.

Tags: The Mentalist television CBS