Fans of The Mentalist can look forward to an investigation that leads Patrick Jane closer to Red John on tonight's first season finale.

But viewers should not expect the episode to end with a cliffhanger.

"Cliffhangers can be problematic," co-executive producer Ashley Gable said to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in in a phone interview last month. "They can be gimmicky. I think what [series creator] Bruno Heller has done is the right move to tantalize the audience but give the audience a little satisfaction. We're learning more things about Red John... and going deeper into that mythology."

The Mentalist has already been picked up by CBS for a second season.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.