The Mentalist

The lead character Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) aka the 'Mentalist' plays a 'psychic' consultant for a serious crime unit headed by Lisbon (played Robin Tunney, "Prison Break") along with the rest of the cast, Cho (Tim Kang "Rambo"), Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti, "OC") and Rigby (Owain Yeoman "Nine"). But Patrick is no psychic, he relies upon acute observation and a penchant for playing mind games with the 'suspects' (and other members of the unit)to solve the case.

The character of Patrick is full of intrigue; he's sexy, funny, smooth but at the same time is tormented by a dark secret of his own doing. The dynamic between him and the rest of the unit is one of great 'hooks' of this show. The conventional law abiding enforcement officers are often at odds with Patrick's eccentric and often risqué way of going about solving crimes. The show plays up to this. The humour and tension between the characters do not appear to be contrived. And of course its always Patrick that comes out on top.

Unlike other crime TV series such as CSI, that depend on sophisticated, often over-the top 'scientific' methodology (CGI effects) to appeal to audiences, the Mentalist brings us back to the good old 'detective's hunch' style of crime-busting. It is a breathe of fresh air in a genre saturated with technical jargon and outlandish plot.

The way each case is solved is complex, yet very believable, and the magic comes from the sense of wonder at Patrick's mind tricks.

The show however still follows much of the conventional approach to to the crime genre, with the cliché of red-herrings, incompetent officers and a detective on a personal mission, but the charisma of Simon Baker as the lead detective Patrick Jane pulls the show together.

Another drawback is the seemingly lack of character depth in the minor cast members. Lisbon, Cho, Rigby and Van Pelt all play second fiddle to Patrick and look like sidekicks rather than team members. But the show is slowly providing space for their development.

The show is named after the lead protagonist, and he promptly delivers. He is charming yet gritty, nonchalant yet brilliant, careless yet vulnerable. He's warm and cold at the same time, full of contradictions and full of flaws. Simon Baker portrays these subtle shades of Patrick's personality with an ease, and has made this so accessible to the audience.

The Mentalist is one of those tortured anti-heroes the strikes a cord with the audience and we can not wait to unravel Patrick's full story.

I've only seen about four of five episodes of this show and I liked it, but as others have said, it follows a rather familiar vein. Trying not to compare it to anything else though, I found it to be enjoyable at face value. The lead character is likable and keeps the interrogations and methods of discovery light and conversational which is nice. I like that his part isn't really dark and sinister, which was an avenue obviously available to the writers given the main character's back story.

I liked the charisma between Baker and Robin Tunney and I like that his character doesn't take himself to seriously. Yes, the writers do ask you to suspend your belief occasionally and to get viewership the writers have had to make the stories bizarre and convoluted, which isn't necessarily a problem, it just makes it look like they've got heat from network people to make it edgy when it could be more mind-bending instead.

It's a fun show that can be watched at leisure and enjoyed without a serious dedication to it, which can be nice in an age of shows with year-long story arcs. If you miss one, you're not totally out of loop. If you've got an hour to spare, give it a shot. It's enjoyable.

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!

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.

I honestly say that the first I heard of this show I thought the premise was too simple and too recurrent. However I seem to find myself waiting impatiently for each week's episode and what is Patrick going to pull this time!

Also, I'm sick and tired of all the comparisons with Psych and House and whatever you may come up with! This show is NOT House, it's NOT Psych, it has a clear identity and is surely not a copycat. Sure it has similar elements: the House-like vibe of the background music and types of situations, or the Psych-like fact that the main character can spot details with one look; but what show these days doesn't? I mean, all CSI variants are the same! Come on...

So I tell you: this is a very good show, it can still pick up some pace (at least I can see that they're taking advantage of the Anime-style fillers) but every episode is fun to watch and grips you to the last minute.

The main character was what surprised me the most though. Despite the fact that being Portuguese I enjoy that the lead detective is called Lisbon, Mr Patrick Jane seemed just another pretty face on TV. However I can now see that I was terribly wrong: it is a great character and is portrayed by a very good actor; the changes between whimsical smiles and disturbing stares are... well disturbingly good!

So watch it, it's worth it and you might learn a thing or two!