The Mentalist. El mentalista

'The Mentalist' is the latest American crime drama to make its way to British shores and so far, it is proving itself to be a promising show which will hopefully continue to flourish. The show revolves around Patrick Jane, a mentalist (someone with a highly developed sense of observation who can give the illusion that they have psi abilities) with a haunted past, who uses his unique skills to help the California Bureau of Investigation solve crimes.

A show of this genre is obviously going to attract comparisons to other shows like 'Medium' (which is ridiculous because Jane is steadfast in his view that he is not psychic and there are no such thing as psychics) or 'Psych'. In the case of the latter, admittedly, there are similarities to be had but 'Psych' is very much drama-lite comedy whereas this show can be dark and is a serious take on having an adviser with such abilities working with law enforcement.

Simon Baker does an excellent job depicting Patrick Jane as a man who, on the surface, is genial, charismatic and arrogant but hides his dark emotional problems that we catch glimpses of as the show progresses. Jane, for all his relaxed persona, is a man who cannot come to terms with his tragic past and is an insomniac with anti-social tendencies and a cynical view of the world around him. He is a truly fascinating character and it will be interesting to see how he continues to develop. The rest of the cast do well but for now their characters take second place to Jane. Female lead character Teresa Lisbon is the leader of the CBI team that Jane liaisons with and is starting to stand up as a character in her own right as well as someone who is beginning to understand the secrets of Jane. However, everyone else still need time to be develop, which is understandable for a show only in its infancy.

In all, 'The Mentalist' continues to excel and seeks to be yet another success from America (so, CBS, please don't cancel it!). It offers a unique insight into crime and the people involved. It also involves tantalising characters who leave the viewers desperate to uncover what makes them tick. Here's looking to a good few seasons to enjoy.

It's like addiction. Guys please come back. Simon, Robin,Kang,Rockmond. Everybody is superb. Please come up with season 8

One of the best shows I've ever seen, this series has it all: countless surprising plot twists, humor, long satisfying story arcs, well-drawn characters who change and grow, murders, action, revenge, pathos, more humor, quotable & memorable dialog, suspense, multiple romantic story lines... everything. Characters are likable but complex. Locations and plots are varied and interesting. Never a dull episode, and unlike many series, the final episodes offer a satisfying conclusion. My family and I have watched the entire series together three times, it's that good.

The Mentalist is easily one of my favorite police shows of all-time. I loved every episode of every season. It's only been off the air for a few years and I already miss it. The entire cast is fantastic but the real standout here is Simon Baker as Patrick Jane. He was born to play this role. It's about a former "psychic " who serves as a consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation. He uses his incredible smarts and observation to solve cases in unusual ways. He's also there to find a killer named Red John, who killed his wife and daughter. If you're looking for a good show that you'll have a lot of fun watching them give this a try, you won't be disappointed!

Out of the thousands of police procedural shows to choose from I have to say that The Mentalist is one of my favorite! It has everything you want in a good police show...drama, action, comedy, suspense, etc. Simon Baker is absolutely perfect as Patrick Jane as he leads an all around great cast!