(2012-04-30 23:44:51)

Another Crime Drama with a Twist!

Okay, there are just way too many crime dramas on television thesedays. I prefer sitcoms. I think the partnership of Simon Baker andRobin Tunney is interesting. They have a lot of chemistry on screen.Apart from the actual crime solving on the shows, Simon's character isa mentalist or a fake psychic or fraud charlatan before he became aninvestigator and working on the right side instead of the wrong side.The mentalists are not exactly psychics but people who are very intuned with details almost obsessively. While there are people out therewho are skeptics about psychics and paranormal, there are legitimatepsychics who don't exactly make a living from their gift but share withothers. The mentalist doesn't believe in psychics exist but I disagree.I think there are some things that are just beyond explanation. I wishwell for the Mentalist but it has too much competition already.

penciler

(2012-04-30 18:09:31)

Not a great show, but a good one

Patrick Jane is an unusually contradictory character, and despite theloss of his wife and kid, not very sympathetic. After all, he isn'thelping the police in order to atone for his past chicanery; he wantsrevenge and has said as much a few times (yet still keeps his job!).Before this show and House, it would have been almost unthinkable tohave a lead character be so manipulative, deceitful, closed-off,show-offy, selectively charming and arrogant. He's a sociopath ornearly.In most whodunit shows--the various, vacuous CSIs, Criminal Minds,etc.--the team members are less interesting than Jane and cohorts. Theyfunction as proxies for the audience, getting disgusted and darned madabout what the bad guys have done, and just itching to get into thatinterrogation room and fire off a contemptuous zinger or two! As ifmurder cases were made by sharp-tongued schoolmarms.The individual characters on such shows have, I suppose, theirbiographies, abilities, and quirks. But dialog can reveal character,and reveals that these teams are composed of people who all haveexactly the same Dwight Schultzy personality. Not one is blase, orcynical or burned out or coy or indirect --they're all seething,mouthy, self-righteous scolds. All the more-so when there are childvictims and they must channel the millions of agitated moms watching.By contrast, the interrogation scenes with Cho in the Mentalistactually follow the real-world practice of the officer's establishing afeeling of sympathy with the suspects' way of thinking. Tim Kang'sdeadpan says a lot with very, very little. He can be really funny too. I wish the show didn't play it so fast and loose with suggesting how itis Jane accomplishes the innumerable seemingly impossible things hedoes well. I certainly am not asking that the show to be allexplanation and exposition, like in Criminal Minds and CSI, whereteammates are always telling each other things they both already know.But just a few more hints here and there!This is in the end, a normal network series, albeit with a unique spin,well-worked out character dynamics and an intriguing, difficult leadcharacter. It isn't TV art on the level of Mad Men, The Sopranos, oreven the original Law and Order. But like all those shows, there ishigh percentage of vivid performances by guest actors. Some showy andpungent, some understated and non-actory--victories of naturalism andtonal control. Semi-regular Gregory Itzin is profoundly entertaining inthe first couple seasons. Great actor.

Hugh Sullivan

(2012-04-28 09:27:20)

Imagine

Imagine there was a show out there that sucked. Rhymes with Psych. Ithas a good premise, but it sucked. The lead actor was channeling TomCruise, and wasn't much of the sharing type. Would you mind if someother show with better actors took the premise and actually didsomething with it? Of course not.OK, Simon Baker is not doing all that much sharing right now, but he'strying to show that he, the character, is also selfish. And just a bitof an egomaniac.If the show starts to go the way of 'The Closer', with its insistenceon having Kyra in every single possible scene, then you may feel freeto stop watching it. I do still watch and enjoy 'The Closer', but ithas more to do with the rest of the amazing cast. They do so much withso little screen time.Edit - 3 months laterOK. I don't watch the show anymore because the show is just about him,and how clever and wonderful and whimsical he is. The writers don'teven bother dealing with plot anymore. He isn't in every scene, butsomehow you can picture him somewhere off screen strolling among thedaisies, and always being the smartest one in the room.I do like character based shows, but even Monk wore thin after a fewseasons. Monk has such a successful formula that they seem afraid ofhaving any character development. I thought 'The Mentalist' could have been a good show. Whoever createdthe show is probably a big fan of Derren Brown. I have seen at least 4or 5 of his routines on the show. What a shame.

copperncherrio

(2012-04-27 15:00:03)

Watch it for the characters

The show takes place in Sacramento, California and follows PatrickJane, a former "psychic", who is an consultant for CBI, a bureaufocuses on crimes in California. Jane joins them to solve crimes basedon his observations and his smart guesses while pushing the bureau'sethical boundaries. Jane's main motivation is to catch Red John, whomurdered his wife and daughter.Review after Season 2: Like Fox's show Bones and House, one onlywatches the show for the love of the character, not love of the plot.The major life changing drama only happens in the last 2-3 episodes ofthe season and the crimes are not that interesting neither is thebanter. However, the relationship between the key characters are quitesolid and charming. The plot of this show is very similar to USA'sPsych, however, the crimes in The Mentalist actually makes sense butwith less humor. It's easy to miss a few episodes and not care.But you come back to visit your friends for their personality not theirstory. *Side note. I LOVE SIMON BAKER (Patrick Jane)… His not verypopular but good comedy is Sex and Death 101 with Naomi Watts. He justhas so much charm and charisma. It kills. Also he's from Australia… thereal life accent is a plus.

tommywahlman

(2012-04-22 18:58:24)

It took me 8 episodes to start to like this show, now i love it

This show really grows on you, the characters and the actors. I lovethe childish ways of Patrick Jane or as he has turned out to be, in thebeginning he were to much of an unbelievable genius to me, but now heis simply fantastic and Simon Baker a guy i never really liked everbefore is born to play this role, he does it fantastic.I could write tons of superlatives about Simon Baker here, but hisperformance speaks for itself, the whole unit and the tensions andinteractions are great.The episodes are original and not to spaced out, Americans have atendency to go to far and make it to spaced out but this one stayswithin the borders witch makes it watchable for just about anyone.The hunt for Red John are so far exciting and thrilling, butdangerously close to get to spaced, i really hope it wont, and i alsohope it wont take 8 seasons to catch him cause then one might havegotten bored already. 2 things that makes the Red John story sofascinating is his encounters-and interactions with Jane the other isthat everyone is guessing who he is and have a few choices, not to manyand not to few, it could be Mashburn as some may think, it could alsobe Hightowers boss, who wants Jane on every case even when Jane himselfdoesn't want to and red John wiped out a unit just to have Jane workingon his case. its fascinating. One thing that can ruins it is if redjohn has 50 helpers to puzzle the mystery, then it would get to spaced,hope they do as now hold it within the borders.

penciler

(2012-04-22 14:22:30)

Not a great show, but a good one

Jane is an unusually contradictory character, and despite the killingof his wife and kid, not very sympathetic. After all, he isn't helpingthe police to atone for his past chicanery; he wants revenge and hassaid as much a few times (yet still keeps his job! Interesting.).Before this show and House, it would have been almost unthinkable tohave a lead character be so manipulative, deceitful, closed-off,show-offy, selectively charming and arrogant. He is nearly a sociopath.But in most whodunit shows--the various, vacuous CSIs, Criminal Minds,etc.--the team members are not so interesting. They function as proxiesfor the audience, getting disgusted and darned mad about what the badguys have done, and just itching to get into that interrogation roomand fire off a contemptuous zinger or two! As if murder cases were madeby sharp-tongued schoolmarms.The individual characters on such shows may have, I suppose, theirlittle obligatory biographies, abilities, and quirks, but dialog canreveal character, and reveals that these teams are composed of peoplewho ALL have exactly the same Dwight Schultzy personality. No one'sblase, or cynical or burned out or coy or indirect --they're all mouthyself-righteous scolds. All the more-so when there are child victims andthey must channel the millions of agitated moms watching.By contrast, the interrogation scenes with Cho in the Mentalistactually follow the real-world practice of the officer establishing afeeling of semi-sympathy with the suspects' way of thinking. Tim Kang'sdeadpan works for this and--to attentive viewers--says a lot with very,very little. He can be really funny. I wish the show didn't play it so fast and loose with suggesting how itis Jane accomplishes the innumerable seemingly impossible things hedoes well. I certainly am not asking that the show to be allexplanation and exposition, like in Criminal Minds and CSI whereteammates are always telling each other things they both already know.But just a few more hints here and there!Side note: This is in the end, a normal network series, albeit with aunique spin, well-worked out character dynamics and an intriguing,difficult lead character. It isn't TV art on the level of Mad Men,Sopranos, or maybe even the original Law and Order. But like all thoseshows, there is high percentage of great performances by guest actors!Some showy and pungent, some understated and blessedlynon-actory--triumphs of naturalism andtonal control. And semi-regularGregory Itzin is profoundly entertaining. Great actor.

tianxiafengyung

(2012-04-21 08:23:27)

Great show with a lot of potential

The lead character Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) aka the 'Mentalist' playsa '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 acuteobservation 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, smoothbut 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 officersare often at odds with Patrick's eccentric and often risquГѓВ© way ofgoing about solving crimes. The show plays up to this. The humour andtension between the characters do not appear to be contrived. And ofcourse 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 toaudiences, the Mentalist brings us back to the good old 'detective'shunch' style of crime-busting. It is a breathe of fresh air in a genresaturated with technical jargon and outlandish plot.The way each case is solved is complex, yet very believable, and themagic comes from the sense of wonder at Patrick's mind tricks.The show however still follows much of the conventional approach to tothe crime genre, with the clichГѓВ© of red-herrings, incompetent officersand a detective on a personal mission, but the charisma of Simon Bakeras the lead detective Patrick Jane pulls the show together.Another drawback is the seemingly lack of character depth in the minorcast members. Lisbon, Cho, Rigby and Van Pelt all play second fiddle toPatrick and look like sidekicks rather than team members. But the showis 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 yetvulnerable. He's warm and cold at the same time, full of contradictionsand full of flaws. Simon Baker portrays these subtle shades ofPatrick's personality with an ease, and has made this so accessible tothe audience.The Mentalist is one of those tortured anti-heroes the strikes a cordwith the audience and we can not wait to unravel Patrick's full story.

scottmannen1

(2012-04-20 10:19:25)

Mentalist is fantastic!

I don't imagine that Patricia Arquette is too pleased with this series!Her series titled Medium is basically the same premise as this show,but I found it to be aimed directly at women. Thats where the Mentalistshines because it is aimed at all demographics really. Not only thatbut the show is witty, funny, and mysterious all at the same time.Basically it is a bunch of episodes that each of murder investigationswhere the Mentalist comes in to predict who did it. There is also amain storyline with a murderer called Red John who murdered theprotagonists family. The episodes with Red John in them are the bestones so far, and I think the viewers are looking forward to seeing thefinal showdown between Red John and the protagonist!

Angelus2

(2012-04-20 07:13:15)

My weekly dose of Patrick Jane...

Patrick Jane helps the CBI, led by Lisbon to find the guilty using hisspecial talent to read people. At the same time he searches for thekiller known as 'Red John', whose responsible for the murder of Jane'swife and child.I watch this show on a Friday after a long hard day of college, I laughand laugh at Jane's exploits, his mannerisms, his quirky nature and hischarming nature. More importantly, Jane is supported by the double actthat is Kimbal Cho and Wayne Rigsby, they are just plain out funny,having their little banter between drives from crime scenes, Van Peltadds the awkwardness that is simply hilarious, when she is aroundRigsby.For me the hook was the end of the pilot, when we realise Red Johnhistory with Jane, simply stunning....One of the finest scenes I'veever seen.The one thing that does concern me, is the length of the Red Johnmystery, viewers may grow bored of the endless clues and near-misses tocatch the serial killer....But, I'll always keep watching....

djmc-3

(2012-04-19 10:10:02)

Excellent TV Series with obvious flaws......

Simon Baker is the main character, and he is someone you either love orhate (or love to hate). Robin Tunney is great as the skeptical boss, &the supporting players are great (including Gregory Itzin from "24" asthe head of CBI (California Bureau of Investigation).However, I would like to point out some obvious GOOFS in this show, aswe live in Sacramento, CA (where the fictional show takes place):1) There is no such thing as CBI in California! We do not have a statepolice, but the California Highway Patrol (CHP, depicted in "Chips"), astate police agency that are basically glorified traffic cops whopatrol the freeways and arrest people for speeding tickets....California DOES NOT HAVE a detective agency based in Sacramento,although a small department of CHP are assigned to guard the StateCapitol & governor Arnold Schwartzenneger.2) The show supposedly takes place in Sacramento, but fails to use reallocation shots! Its basically a Hollywood-ized version of theCalifornia State Capitol. Some of the episodes use city names of nearbytowns and one episode was in the Napa Valley.3) One episode involved a murder in San Francisco (2 hours fromSacramento)....it made us laugh every time they were able to go fromthe CBI headquarters to the Crime Scene in only 5 minutes. (In a laterepisode, they mention that they have a Helicopter available---obviously inserted by the writers to "cover" their continuity gaffe!)4) Yet another episode took place in Davis, CA (a small town only 20miles from Sacramento). Yet the location shots were from SouthernCalifornia: News flash, the city of Davis does NOT have palm trees(palm trees would freeze dead in the Northern California winters). theDavis police department has only ONE part-time detective, yet the"Mentalist" made it look like they had a huge squad of detectives. (Asa former University of Davis CA student, having lived in the town ofDavis, it was very laughable!)I'm sure the folks who live in Miami scream out "CSI investigatorsdon't drive Hummers" and the Vegas residents probably howl that "thereis nobody who looks like Helgenberger working in the LVPD."Hopefully, if the Mentalist makes it to a Second Season, they willcorrect some of the goofs and gaffes, and PLEASE do some real locationshots in the Central Valley!

willist1

(2012-04-17 19:11:46)

Light-hearted entertainment

For those that seek reality on crime shows, they will never find it.The Mentalist does not "work" because it is realistic, it works becausethe characters have been developed and are fun to watch interact.This show is about entertainment. It is that simple, so seek not tofind realism on The Mentalist (or on any of the myriad of crime showson TV—none of them are realistic)."LaRoche" has suddenly appeared, and it is easy for me to dislike him.Maybe that's the point? NOTE TO THE MENTALIST PRODUCERS: Pay Aunjanue L. Ellis whatever ittakes to bring her back. "Hightower" was superb in her role. AunjanueL. Ellis ("Hightower") is an accomplished actress that will be missed.I wish her well. Frankly, I wish she could come back to the programsomehow.The Mentalist is hilarious. The characters are great. This program isabout being entertained, and it does that for me.

Mel J

(2012-04-17 01:31:00)

So far, so good...

'The Mentalist' is the latest American crime drama to make its way toBritish shores and so far, it is proving itself to be a promising showwhich will hopefully continue to flourish. The show revolves aroundPatrick Jane, a mentalist (someone with a highly developed sense ofobservation who can give the illusion that they have psi abilities)with a haunted past, who uses his unique skills to help the CaliforniaBureau of Investigation solve crimes.A show of this genre is obviously going to attract comparisons to othershows like 'Medium' (which is ridiculous because Jane is steadfast inhis view that he is not psychic and there are no such thing aspsychics) or 'Psych'. In the case of the latter, admittedly, there aresimilarities to be had but 'Psych' is very much drama-lite comedywhereas this show can be dark and is a serious take on having anadviser 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 darkemotional problems that we catch glimpses of as the show progresses.Jane, for all his relaxed persona, is a man who cannot come to termswith his tragic past and is an insomniac with anti-social tendenciesand a cynical view of the world around him. He is a truly fascinatingcharacter and it will be interesting to see how he continues todevelop. The rest of the cast do well but for now their characters takesecond place to Jane. Female lead character Teresa Lisbon is the leaderof the CBI team that Jane liaisons with and is starting to stand up asa character in her own right as well as someone who is beginning tounderstand the secrets of Jane. However, everyone else still need timeto be develop, which is understandable for a show only in its infancy.In all, 'The Mentalist' continues to excel and seeks to be yet anothersuccess from America (so, CBS, please don't cancel it!). It offers aunique insight into crime and the people involved. It also involvestantalising characters who leave the viewers desperate to uncover whatmakes them tick. Here's looking to a good few seasons to enjoy.

donptrebor

(2012-04-15 09:57:42)

Dull

The acting is as sub-par as a high school rendition of Hamlet. The setsare mediocre and the score is absent throughout and when it is there itseems flat. I do not understand how this show gets good ratings. Thepremise of the show is so recycled I'm surprised that it is stillexistent. I do not know why CBS seems to think Americans want 25 CSIclones. The acting as I preciously stated is far below that of CSI asit is full of people who don't know what they are doing, and so clearlyare acting. their tears when they are supposed to be crying seem forcedand the main actors seem stiff and mediocre. I will always scratch myhead wondering how this show gets such high ratings. it frankly makesno sense to me.

reshadul

(2012-04-14 23:51:13)

Good show, great acting by Simon Baker

Just started watching the show on DVD. So far, its been relaxing andfun. The mysteries are not complex but how the team untangle them hasbeen fun. The chemistry between the main character and the CBI has beendeveloping at a good pace. Have not finished the first season yet but Ihave high hopes. Highly recommended for anyone who likes good mysteriesespecially the fans of Agatha Christie. Patrick Jane is like the modernday Hercule Poirot with a dark past. He brings a lot of baggage unlikePoirot and the insight he has into daily lives of women are like MissMarple. Additionally, the psychological torture he faces are similar toSherlock Homes even though not self-inflicted. I always loved mysteriesthat puts less emphasis on physical evidence and deals with humanemotions and the complexity of the criminal mind. The Mentalistcertainly does not disappoint on those categories.

emerson-9

(2012-04-08 05:01:21)

Nothing new....maybe...

And,, I don't like the lead actor. And, the story doesn't feel thatnew.And, still something made me enjoy it, something tells me that I willdo watch coming episodes, something also tells me that, me not likingthe lead is intentional, still I can live with that also.The show somehow managed to feel fresh despite it's similarities withothers. It will be interesting to see how they can keep the theme upwithout going to the "extreme" or the to obvious.As always, the people around the lead is probably were the show willmake or break.

Ramnath Viswanathan

(2012-04-07 14:37:42)

classy act!

I really love the show and it's characters. Jane is the soul of thisshow and Simon does the right justice to the character. When any of thecharacters reminds of him of the brutality that happened with hisfamily, the emotion he puts forward is awesome. He character is witty,sarcastic, funny and makes one glued to the seat. In season 3 whenconfronts Red John, you can notice the pain, agony in his face and thatI call "a wonderful act". Lisbon's character is an interesting one butmost often restricted to controlling her team. The chemistry betweenRigsby and Vanpelt is entertaining and nice. The Cho character isinteresting because he is cold, to the point and no non-sense guy. Iliked his character portrayal very much and you notice it gettingunleashed in on one of the episodes where he finds out reason for hisfriends death.Kudos, to Simon and Bruno Heller, for great presentation. 9/10.

specialist2008

(2012-04-06 04:59:27)

Quality entertainment...

This is an awesome television show. It combines all my favoriteelements together. It is a crime show with an interesting premise,unique characters, good acting, smart writing, and plenty of characterdevelopment and interaction. It is as funny as it is clever. And itnever goes for needlessly shocking story lines or images which is sucha difficult quality to find these days in television. It is classy. Itis a series I can enjoy, and often do, with my family. In fact, I amproud to say I've gotten several family members hooked on PatrickJane's antics. Another good aspect is the creation of side characters and casting. Thecharacters are usually memorable and the casting is obviously donecarefully; not something all TV series bother with. But with all this praise, there is one problem I noticed. There aresome inconsistencies in the editing; like an actor would be standingone place in one scene then disappears in the next. Also, some wardrobemalfunctions. A suit in one scene, an entirely different one in thenext for no reason, etc. But I'm just nitpicking. Mr. Heller, thank you for proving that good television does exist. Isalute you from Kuwait.

someofusarebrave

(2012-04-05 18:04:53)

simply amazing. a blissful television experience, no doubts about it.

I wish deeply that all television shows were this easy to watch.By that I mean, I don't cringe every episode of this television showexpecting the gaffs, downright silly lines, formulaic plots, andirritatingly predictable lines that haunt so many crime dramas of late.This show is entertaining, enjoyable, and a fun experience every singletime I tune it. The characters are witty, the actors and actressesright on cue, and everyone seems to be enjoying the experience ofworking on the show. I think perhaps the actresses could stand to eat alittle more--every so often the dizziness that accompanies extremehunger seems to mar their acting abilities. I would also very much liketo see more backstory on and development of the women on this show. Theepisode where Lisbon faked a perp into believing her entire departmentbelieved she was crazy was AMAZING. It was also my favorite episodethus far.I think the angle of using a fairly ordinary person's perspectivethrough which to approach the process of detective- and crime-workprovides a keen, fresh view into the criminal justice system. Jayne'sreactions to the ways in which the Bureau handles crime work are one ofmy favorite parts of the show. His clear awareness of the absurdity ofprotocol matches the view by which any ordinary person without yearsstudying to be a bureau investigator would approach theseinvestigations. He is right; procedurs ARE ridiculous. It's nice to beoffered the opportunity to laugh at that fact, rather than to swallowdown the annoyance of being forced to see through the eyes ofcharacters who buy every bit of the manual, who live and die by thatsame protocol that strikes Jayne as being so ridiculous.Of course, Jayne is not a "normal" man by any means, but he is anoutsider entering a complex world outside his normal purview. Thatfish-out-of-water effect is rarely carried off well, and even morerarely features a man rather than a woman designed so that others havesomeone to laugh at. This show thoroughly overturns typical plots andassumptions about what writing on television shows is allowed to do.Even more shockingly, it got POPULAR super fast. Thank God for that.It's also nice to see a man doing the oft-considered "feminine" work ofreading people's body language, breaking the rules, and turning a blindeye to the justice system in pursuit of ACTUAL justice. It is equallynice to see a woman being the enforcer of those same rules, doing herjob very effectively and without complaint, being respected by herpeers. She is professional, he is not, and the whole thing bothoverturns gender norms and plays off together quite nicely.The two leads play off each other miraculously well.I wouldn't want this one to be going away anytime soon. I'm going to gobuy more dvds so y'all will have even MORE reason not to cancel thisshow.I'm trying to think of something to criticize about this show. All Ican think of is that I want MORE of everything--more plot, morecharacter development, more scripts, more scenes, more money beingrerouted into this plucky show. That says it all right there.Watching is unfailingly an educational experience.

telex1-1

(2012-04-04 09:42:30)

The Mentalist is a flashback to Sleuth Shows of old

The Mentalist uses all the skills of some of the best Sleuths inhistory. He uses all the tools of Sherlock like deduction. Or HerculePoirot's observation. and a dash of Ellery Queen's charm andinquisitive nature. What's original is the choice of an former conartist for the role. Changed into a crusader of justice by the death ofhis wife and daughter by a serial killer. Patrick Jane is such a breathof fresh air. The way he speaks his mind to the rich and powerful.Calling them jerks for the way they act. His bunt nature is similar toDr. House with out that venom he spews. Its a great show without all ofthe gory murders of CSI or NCIS.

Gamer-FV

(2012-04-03 12:16:44)

Fantastic! Genius!

It is one of the best shows ever I mean I don't like investigationprogrammes like "Law and Order" or "CSI". But I am glued to this allthe time! I love the plots and I always love the ones when they try tofind Red John it is so interesting and it is funny as well! Like whenJane was temporarlly blind and he asked for a cup of coffee and theyall rushed out and Rigsby was left.I was rolling on the floor at hisbad luck.I rated it a 10 because it deserved it and it is Just brilliant and thefact that he cando all that just by paying attention is excellent.Simon Baker is brilliant in this and so is Robin Tunney.This show isabsolutely one of the best shows I have ever seen in my life.