At this point in the season, and especially for a winter premiere, I'm realizing more and more that the reason I'm not enjoying this show as much anymore is that there's so little of Jane. I mean, she's there, but she's playing something of a supportive role. Last year she was the heart and soul of the show. Now... again, she's just kind of there. Kicking ass, I guess. But the drama has all gone elsewhere - at least as far as the show seems to give a damn. Jane's been through such hell and horror, and she's living in a situation no one else in the world ever has (essentially, anyway), and if this season was more like last season, we'd be getting some insight into her state of mind. We used to get to see her dealing with everything she was going through. But the closest we ever really get this season is seeing her feelings about Roman.
This season, it's all about Reade, and Weller, and Patterson, and Roman. I've read interviews with the show runner about this season, and the vast majority of what he has to say has nothing to do with Jane. He's so interested in playing the hell out of Reade's I-may-have-been-abused storyline, and Weller's stories with both Allie and Sandstorm, and Patterson's recovery from this whole situation, and Roman's ongoing arc. And you know, fine. I love pretty well all the characters on this show (yes, even Weller). I know I've complained about Zapata (she really IS a massive hypocrite) but I actually kind of adore her - I'm just waiting for her to get her head on straight. It's not that I don't want to spend some real time with all of these characters - it's just that I feel, in a weird way, like I miss Jane. It's like they spent a season getting me invested in one thing and then said "Let me show you something else".
On another note, the method of torture for Patterson was so weird that I agree with the people who think there may have been something planted - I would guess they put a bug in her ear. I suspect we'll spend several episodes getting deep into Patterson's trauma and betrayal - I beg of this show to find some way to spend some real time with Jane, too. Is bonding over torture a thing? I'd take it.