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The Mentalist
File:The Mentalist 2008 Intertitle.png
GenrePolice procedural
Drama
Created byBruno Heller
Directed byChris Long
David Nutter
StarringSimon Baker
Robin Tunney
Tim Kang
Owain Yeoman
Amanda Righetti
Opening theme"Theme from The Mentalist"
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes94 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersBruno Heller
David Nutter
ProducerCharles Goldstein
Production locationCalifornia
Running time40-43 minutes
Production companiesPrimrose Hill Productions
Warner Bros. Television
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseSeptember 23, 2008 (2008-09-23) –
present

The Mentalist is an American police procedural television series that debuted on September 23, 2008, on CBS.[1] The show was created by Bruno Heller, who is also its Executive Producer. The show follows former "psychic" Patrick Jane (Simon Baker), who is now a consultant to the fictional California Bureau of Investigation (CBI), using the highly developed observational skills he previously employed to "read" peoples' minds.

On March 14, 2012, CBS announced that The Mentalist had been renewed for a fifth season.[2]

Synopsis

The Mentalist follows Patrick Jane, an independent consultant for a fictionalized version of the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI) based in Sacramento, California. Although not an officer of the law of any sort, he uses skills from his former career as a successful psychic medium (which was a ruse, as he does not believe anyone actually has psychic abilities) to help a team of CBI agents solve various crimes, with the hope of one day bringing Red John, the murderer of his wife, Angela, and daughter, Charlotte, to justice.

Patrick Jane formerly had a lucrative career as a con man, successfully posing as a psychic medium and enjoying near-celebrity status. He appeared on television to claim that his paranormal abilities helped the police profile a serial killer named Red John. Red John, angered by the perceived slight, murdered Jane's wife and young daughter in revenge. Jane subsequently abandoned his job as a psychic and teamed up with the CBI, using his skills to help them solve various crimes. His main focus is on the cases involving Red John or Red John copycats. He admits to faking the supernatural aspects of his skills, often asserting that "there's no such thing as psychics", yet he has finely honed skills in cold reading, hypnotism, and pickpocketing, as well as powerful observational skill and a deep insight into the human psyche and behavior. These skills come in handy in every episode, but his unorthodox and bizarre techniques to solve crimes sometimes offend the team of agents he works with.

Production

The show often sets episodes in fictional locales with names like Salinger Mill and Rancho Rosa. Like the majority of American television shows, The Mentalist is mostly filmed within the studio zone in Los Angeles County, but occasionally films a few scenes on location in Sacramento.

On October 15, 2008, CBS ordered a full season of The Mentalist.[3] On May 20, 2009, CBS renewed The Mentalist for a second season, which premiered on September 24, 2009, in the US[4] and on September 22 on CTV in Canada,[5] as well as September 28, 2009, in Australia. On May 19, 2010, CBS announced that The Mentalist was renewed for a third season.[6] On May 18, 2011, the show was officially renewed for a fourth season.

Concept

The main character's ability to draw obvious conclusions from insignificant details has led to comparisons with other television series—most notably Millennium, House, Murdoch Mysteries, Agatha Christie's Poirot, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Life, Monk, Profiler, and Lie to Me. On the other hand, Psych, which premiered two years before The Mentalist, has a main character who takes the opposite tack, by pretending to be a psychic.[7] Of course, all of these shows ultimately trace their origins back to Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes[8][9] and show creator Bruno Heller himself has said he considers Patrick Jane the modern Sherlock Holmes.[10] Acknowledging that the concept is not new, the show has been praised for its "thoughtful execution".[11]

Cast and characters

Main characters

  • Simon Baker as Patrick Jane—the show's protagonist and the titular mentalist. His backstory is that he spent his childhood in traveling carnivals with his mean-spirited con-man father who taught him to see all outsiders as marks. He met his wife, Angela, who was also a carny; and together they left the carnival life. Honing the skills his father taught him, Jane became a successful psychic and medium. Red John murdered Angela and their daughter Charlotte in retaliation for Jane's televised challenge. Jane now works as a criminal consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation. Jane has started to develop close friendships with his colleagues, especially his boss Senior Special Agent Teresa Lisbon. He usually presents his jocular, teasing face; but he shows his darker side when dealing with Red John. At those times, Jane becomes intense, focused, and willing to go to great lengths to capture and even kill him. He owns a classic French car, a metal grey Citroën DS.
  • Robin Tunney as Senior Special Agent Teresa Lisbon—a Senior Special Agent with the CBI and leader of the "Serious Crime Unit" team of which Patrick is part. Though Patrick often annoys her with his unusual behavior and going behind her back, she views him as a valuable member of the team and will almost always back him up. Her mother was killed in a drunk driving accident, leaving her to care for her brothers and her alcoholic father. She is the only member of the team Patrick trusts with details of his past and they work well together, though his attitude often causes trouble for her. Her team is responsible for the Red John case, although the responsibility for catching Red John was taken over briefly by Sam Bosco, her mentor when she was a junior agent, until he and his team were murdered by one of Red John's operatives. It is possible that Jane and Lisbon have a romantic attraction to each other. At the very least she is one of the few people that Jane truly cares about, and she is seen from time to time affected by his charm.
  • Tim Kang as Special Agent Kimball Cho—a Special Agent with the CBI and a member of Lisbon's "Serious Crime" team. Cho has a dry, deadpan sense of humor and is good friends with Rigsby. He is often the one who sees through Patrick's parlor tricks (when Patrick tells Van Pelt that he was moving a straw across the table with telekinesis, Cho simply says, "He blew on it"). He was secretly called "Ernie" by the Bosco team, who also refer to Rigsby as "Bert"; Cho claims not to mind, as "Ernie's the clever, handsome one". He was a member of a street gang, the Avon Park Playboys, garnering a juvenile record which is sealed. He also spent time in juvenile hall, until leaving to serve in the United States Army's Special Forces, before becoming a police officer and then joining the CBI. Because of his difficult childhood, Cho often befriends kids who have committed crimes, possibly because they remind him of himself at that age.
  • Owain Yeoman as Special Agent Wayne Rigsby—a Special Agent with the CBI and a member of Lisbon's "Serious Crime" team, serving as an arson specialist. He served two years as San Diego arson investigator before joining CBI. He developed strong feelings for Van Pelt. He didn't initially act on them, as romance between agents is against regulations, but ultimately the two gave in to their feelings and began seeing each other secretly. Their relationship ultimately became public knowledge, and so an ultimatum was issued to them by Madeleine Hightower to end their relationship, which they did to protect both of their careers. They remain friends and colleagues, despite the awkwardness of the working environment. Rigsby's father is a former career criminal who used to be part of a notorious biker gang. To save his father from going back to jail, Rigsby lies to his father's parole officer, alibiing his father out of several parole violations. This forces Cho to lie to SPU during an investigation into the murder of cop killer Todd Johnson while in CBI custody.
  • Amanda Righetti as Special Agent Grace Van Pelt—a Special Agent with the CBI and a member of Lisbon's "Serious Crime" team; serving as its newest member, often doing research for other members. She has a deep belief in religion and psychics and will butt heads with Patrick when he dismisses it or does something morally inappropriate. Van Pelt became secretly involved with Rigsby, after months of reluctance due to the regulations prohibiting romantic relationships between agents. She is subdued and very organized, which leads Jane to deduce during the first season that this is because she is hiding some deep emotional trauma. She was engaged to FBI Agent Craig O'Laughlin, whom she killed after he revealed himself as one of Red John's accomplices.

Recurring characters

  • Red John—a nickname for the show's leading antagonist. He is a serial killer thought to have murdered at least twenty-eight people, including Patrick Jane's wife and daughter, five years before the pilot episode. Red John often taunts Jane, and saved Jane's life when he was about to be killed by Red John copycats; he parted from Jane on that occasion by quoting the opening stanza of "The Tyger" by William Blake. His crimes and "associates" are portrayed in every season of the series although the character has only been seen fully on screen once, disguised for complete anonymity.[citation needed] Locating and killing Red John is Jane's primary motivation for assisting the CBI.
  • Gregory Itzin as Supervising Agent Virgil Minelli—the former Special Agent in Charge of the CBI until the Season 2 episode "His Red Right Hand". Minelli was an effective team leader, yet appeared fatigued and exhausted from years of political battles with his subordinates and his superiors. Nevertheless, he behaved in a paternal and friendly way to Lisbon's team. Minelli is finally pushed to his breaking point following the murders of Sam Bosco and his team by Rebecca, their secretary and a member of Red John's network; these were the first agents ever to die under his command. As a result, Minelli retired to a quiet life as a fisherman and was replaced by Madeleine Hightower. In the Season 3 episode "Jolly Red Elf", Minelli is approached by Patrick for support in Patrick's investigation into Red John's network, and Minelli ultimately agrees to help him.
  • Aunjanue Ellis as Supervising Agent Madeleine Hightower—the former Special Agent in Charge of the CBI. In the Season 2 episode "The Red Box", Hightower arrives to take command, replacing Virgil Minelli. She is very much in command of the team, and is one of the few people to have a hold on Patrick Jane. Despite adopting a hard-nosed by-the-book approach to managing the CBI, and her own skill as an administrator, she maintains an efficient and friendly relationship with the team. She also respects and sees Jane as valuable to the CBI and its future, and seems to understand Patrick's focus on finding Red John. Hightower is in the middle of a divorce and has two children. In Season 3, Hightower is among Agent LaRoche's five suspects in the Todd Johnson murder, and is considered a prime suspect due to her previous relationship with one of Johnson's victims; this, along with evidence planted at the scene of the murder of Johnson's accomplice, Manuel Montero, ultimately leaves Hightower a wanted fugitive. Jane realizes Hightower was framed by Red John's accomplice, the true killer, and helps her escape; he then works throughout Season 3 to identify the true CBI mole. In the Season 3 finale, Hightower resurfaces, realizing Red John is closing in, and works with Jane and the team to expose the mole—FBI Agent Craig O'Laughlin; who is shot and killed by Hightower and Van Pelt in a showdown at Hightower's hideout.
  • Pruitt Taylor Vince as Special Agent/Supervising Agent J.J. LaRoche—the head of CBI's Internal Affairs. He arrives in the Season 3 episode "Jolly Red Elf", appointed the new head of the CBI's Professional Standards Unit. Following the demise of a member of Red John's network, Todd Johnson, while in custody at the CBI, LaRoche had been brought in to question the team after Johnson's death appeared to be an inside job. He is quirky, charmless, professional, socially awkward and Patrick's intellectual equal. But despite his 'Robo-Cop' act, he has been shown to be a relatively normal person when not directly engaged in his job, dropping the veneer when he is around Jane. LaRoche initially considered Jane his prime suspect, but ultimately named Agent Hightower as the killer due to evidence planted by Red John's mole, who was the true killer. With Hightower a fugitive, LaRoche was appointed to take over Hightower's duties as the team's supervisor and Jane's boss. LaRoche quickly asserted his command when he briefly removed Lisbon and replaced her with Cho, promoting him to team leader, but later reappoints Lisbon as team leader (after commending Cho's stint as acting leader, in Cho's file) and makes it very clear that he had removed Lisbon to show he wouldn't tolerate any disrespect. In the Season 3 finale, Jane blackmails LaRoche into handing over the suspect list by threatening to reveal LaRoche's dark secret; Jane later admits he has absolutely no idea what LaRoche's dark secret is, "but it must be horrible." In Season 4, LaRoche reveals to Lisbon that he is leaving his temporary assignment with the CBI Major Crimes Unit and is returning to Professional Services. LaRoche states his time working with Lisbon and Jane has been "interesting" and then awkwardly hugs Lisbon, who wishes him luck.
  • Michael Gaston as Director of CBI Gale Bertram; the bureau director of the entire California Bureau of Investigation, first appointed in the Season 3 premiere "Red Sky at Night". Bertram appears to be mostly concerned with politics and the media; but has been shown to be well aware of Lisbon's team and her effectiveness at closing cases and has a high regard for Jane's productiveness and worth as a useful CBI asset. In the Season 3 finale, it was revealed that Bertram was among Agent LaRoche's five suspects in the Todd Johnson murder, and while it was initially believed Bertram was the killer, FBI Agent Craig O'Laughlin was revealed as Red John's accomplice and the true killer. In Season 4, Bertram suspends Lisbon and her team in retaliation. Throughout his appearances, there have been minor indications that he is connected to Red John; most notably when, in the Season 3 episode "Red Queen", he refers to a poem of William Blake, which was a poet who Red John had also referenced personally to Patrick Jane, and again in the Season 4 premiere, Bertram secretly directs Ardiles to lead the prosecution against Jane at his murder trial, after suspending Lisbon and her team.
  • Catherine Dent as Susan Darcy, an FBI agent assigned to the Panzer case in season 4 episode "Blinking Red Light". In "Always Bet On Red" she quickly becomes suspicious of Jane's claim that Red John is dead. He is, in fact alive, something Jane doesn't want Darcy to find out, as Red John would kill her for having such knowledge. In the episode "Cheap Burgundy", Darcy asked Jane to assist her with a case she was investigating, but during the investigation she kept trying to confirm that Red John was alive, however Jane kept denying it. During one such conversation, it was confirmed that Susan lost a sister to drowning and that she blamed herself for what happened. At the end of the episode, Jane reluctantly admitted that Red John was alive. Darcy accused Jane of being one of Red John's friends and disciples, and finally tells Wainwright she is going to "bring (Jane) down."
  • Rebecca Wisocky as Brenda Shettrick, the head of the CBI's Media Relations unit—she is entirely concerned with liaising with the media and leading outreach programs and other efforts to the public; she appears to have good relations with the team and senior agents. In the Season 3 finale, it was revealed that Shettrick was among Agent LaRoche's five suspects in the Todd Johnson murder, and while it was initially believed that CBI Director Gale Bertram was the killer, FBI Agent Craig O'Laughlin was ultimately revealed as Red John's accomplice and the true killer.
  • David Norona as ADA Osvaldo Ardiles, a district attorney who quickly proves to be an enemy of the team when he tries to convict an innocent man of armed robbery in an effort to get information on a powerful mafia group. Cho, realizing Ardiles' plan would never work, and that Ardiles himself was not going to listen to Cho, proved the man's innocence. Ardiles, furious, retaliated by cutting off all support from the D.A.'s office to the team. In the Season 3 finale, it was revealed that Ardiles was among Agent LaRoche's five suspects in the Todd Johnson murder, and while it was initially believed that CBI Director Gale Bertram was the killer, FBI Agent Craig O'Laughlin was ultimately revealed as Red John's accomplice and the true killer. In the Season 4 premiere, Ardiles, at Bertram's direction, tries to charge Jane with killing Timothy Carter, but in the end Jane was cleared of all charges and Ardiles lost the case.
  • Leslie Hope as Kristina Frye—an acclaimed psychic who has occasionally worked with the CBI. When they first met, she and Patrick were at odds. Patrick believes she is a fake due to his own belief that psychics do not exist. Later, he becomes emotional after Frye lets Patrick know she has spoken with his dead wife about their daughter's final moments. As time goes by, Kristina helps out with more murder cases, and romantic sparks start to fly between her and Patrick. In the Season 2 finale, Kristina is put under protection by the CBI when she attempts to reach out to Red John, and—as Patrick had feared—Kristina later goes missing from her heavily guarded home. In the Season 3 episode "Blood on His Hands", Kristina is found alive but unresponsive, after four months of being missing, through a tip-off from Visualize leader Brett Stiles. After Jane attempts to communicate with her in a séance, she tells him that she is dead, which Jane denies. She appears to be at peace, wryly teasing Jane. She is unaware of the circumstances of her disappearance and cannot or will not provide any information of value to Jane. She is, to date, catatonic and presumably institutionalized.
  • Terry Kinney as Senior Special Agent Sam Bosco—a Senior Special Agent with the CBI and another team leader. He was Lisbon's mentor when she was a junior agent, and despite being married, he shared strong romantic feelings for her until he died. When Bosco became an investigative team leader in the new Serial Crimes Unit, Virgil Minelli gave Bosco the responsibility for catching Red John. He was Patrick Jane's office nemesis—based on a lack of trust, they had an antagonistic relationship. Patrick didn't trust Bosco to properly investigate the Red John case, and Bosco viewed Jane as untrustworthy and unreliable. In the Season 2 episode "His Red Right Hand", Bosco's team was murdered by Rebecca, their secretary and a member of Red John's network. Rebecca confirms to Jane that Red John ordered the murders because he knows that Jane wants the case. Only Bosco lived long enough to arrive alive, but in critical condition, at the hospital. Shortly before he died Bosco made peace with Patrick, who confirmed to Bosco that he would kill Red John.
  • Eric Winter as FBI Agent Craig O'Laughlin—a Special Agent in Charge with the FBI who first meets (through a car crash) the CBI team while jointly investigating Visualize. O'Laughlin catches the attention of Van Pelt, and the two of them have instant chemistry. Over time, their romance deepens; in the episode "Blood for Blood", O'Laughlin asks her to marry him and she agrees, much to Rigsby's displeasure. He is shown to have seniority, technical expertise, high intelligence and combat skill. His past before joining the FBI includes him being an NFL football player who knew (and fondly remembers) Van Pelt's father, and a learned traveler of the Far East. In the Season 3 finale, it was revealed O'Laughlin is among Agent LaRoche's five suspects in the Todd Johnson murder, and while it was initially believed CBI Director Gale Bertram was the killer, O'Laughlin was revealed as Red John's accomplice and the true killer. In a showdown at Hightower's hideout, O'Laughlin shot and wounded Lisbon and made it clear he was Red John's accomplice. A wounded Lisbon musters enough strength to throw and hit O'Laughlin with a sofa pillow. While O'Laughlin is distracted for the split second by getting hit with the sofa pillow, Van Pelt and Hightower draw their firearms and shoot O'Laughlin, fatally wounding him.
  • Bradley Whitford as Fake Red John/Timothy Carter—a child abductor and one of Red John's accomplices. He kidnapped a young girl named Debbie Lubin and kept her locked up in his basement with his wife as an accomplice. In the Season 3 final episode "Strawberries and Cream (The Mentalist)", after Craig O'Laughlin is killed while trying to kill Hightower in her mountain cabin hideout, Jane (who is in a food court in a Sacramento mall) has Lisbon use the redial on O'Laughlin's phone and tell whomever answers that O'Laughlin is dead. Timothy is sitting in the food court near Jane and answers his phone. Jane, seeing this, has Lisbon tell him what the person she called said to her. It is the same thing that Timothy in the food court said, so Jane confronts him. Timothy first denies it, but moments later drops hints that he is Red John, keeping Jane at a safe distance by subtly pointing a revolver hidden inside a folded newspaper at him. Jane, however, is still skeptical, and confronts the man again as he tries to leave, only for him to reveal to Jane details of the murders of his wife and daughter, specifically, what they smelled like. This sends Jane over the edge, and he calls after the man, then guns him down with a weapon hidden in his coat pocket. Jane then sits down and calmly sips tea while waiting to be arrested, apparently satisfied that this man was indeed Red John. In the Season 4 premiere, it is revealed that Timothy Carter is not really Red John after all, after Jane tricks Carter's wife into revealing that they had kidnapped Debbie. In the Season 4 episode "Little Red Book", Patrick takes Rosalind Harker, Red John's blind ex-girlfriend, to the morgue where Carter's body is stored, and has her feel its face to check if she recognizes him. After doing so, Rosalind confirms Patrick's suspicions—Carter was not the man who identified himself as "Roy Tagliaferro" (one of Red John's aliases).
  • Michael Rady as Luther Wainwright- In the season 4 episode "Ring Around the Rosie", Wainwright takes command of the Lisbon's team, and who is shown to be quite young, intelligent but also arrogant. Later episodes show Wainwright being mellow and generally not taking a very active role in Lisbon's cases other than giving them deadlines or incentives for the high profile ones.
  • Jillian Bach as Sarah Harrigan— a public defender that the team first meet in the Season 3 episode "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", where she is a client at a matchmaking service. Her interest is piqued by Rigsby during an interview regarding an alibi she provides to a suspect, after which she asks him out on a date, which he accepts. She and Rigsby continue their relationship during Season 4, where she is assigned as the legal council for a suspect the team are interviewing in one episode. During another episode, she assists Rigsby with his upcoming testimony for a case that has gone to trial, before they consummate their relationship. She announces in "My Bloody Valentine" that she is pregnant.
  • Samaire Armstrong as Summer Edgecombe— a prostitute recruited by Cho as a confidential informant in Season 4. In "At First Blush", Cho admits to having feelings for Summer, and a romance develops.

Minor characters

  • David Warshofsky as Donald "Donny" Culpepper— a professional thief that the CBI first comes across in the Season 2 episode "A Price Above Rubies", where he is a suspect in a case involving a thief who critically wounds the husband of a wealthy jewellery store owner. He is proven innocent, but does not appreciate Jane's insults and threatens physical harm or worse if they meet again. They apparently reconcile by the Season 3 episode "Redacted", as Jane hires him to steal Agent LaRoche's Todd Johnson murder suspect list from LaRoche's home. Culpepper fails to find it and gets caught, and tells Jane that if Jane does not get the charges dropped, Culpepper will tell CBI what he was doing. Lisbon gets the charges dropped by punching Culpepper in the face. In the Season 3 finale, Jane admits to having hired Culpepper, telling this directly to LaRoche, but avoids punishment by threatening to reveal LaRoche's dark secret, which Jane claims Culpepper discovered while searching through LaRoche's safe, then revealed to Jane while in custody. Jane later admits that Culpepper learned nothing about LaRoche's secret.
  • Alicia Witt as Rosalind Harker— a blind woman, Rosalind had a relationship with Red John, who called himself by the alias "Roy Tagliaferro". According to her, his car broke down near her home and she wound up spending the next few months in a relationship with him. He left her without saying goodbye, though he did draw one of his smiley faces on a wall in her house. In the Season 1 finale episode "Red John's Footsteps", Patrick and Lisbon find her and get a description of Red John. In the end of Season 4 episode "Little Red Book", Patrick contacts Rosalind and brings her to a morgue where the body of Timothy Carter, one of Red John's accomplices who had manipulated Patrick into killing him by pretending to be Red John himself, was kept. He has her feel Carter's face to see if she can identify him. She tells him that she has never meet the man before, confirming Patrick's suspicions that Red John is still alive.
  • Currie Graham as Walter Mashburn— a highly successful billionaire businessman. He first appears in the Season 2 episode "Redline" as a murder suspect, but is cleared by Patrick, for whom he has quickly grown respect. This respect deepens in the Season 3 episode "Red Hot", where Mashburn is saved from assassination attempts, and along the way develops a (brief) romance with Lisbon.
  • Jack Plotnick as Brett Partridge— a CBI forensic specialist who has appeared in two episodes. He is very minor and is not named on screen. Jane states Brett "loves his job a bit too much", and calls him a "ghoul".
  • David Paymer as James Panzer— a serial killer known as "the San Joaquin Killer" who appeared in the Season 4 episode "Blinking Red Light". James Panzer pretended to be a blogger devoting his life to find a serial killer known as the San Joaquin Killer (abbreviated SJK). SJK killed at least five young women, ranging in age from 16 to 20, two of whose murders were seen in the episode. In actuality, however, Panzer was the San Joaquin Killer himself. Patrick Jane suspected Panzer of being SJK. Jane's suspicions were borne out when he and Panzer both appeared on Karen Cross's television show discussing the SJK case. During the show, Jane goaded Panzer into comparing Red John unfavorably to SJK. Panzer rose to the bait, saying that the SJK killings were the work of a genius and Red John by comparison was a "common sociopath, lazy, sloppy, delusional", and becoming so absorbed in building up SJK's image that he was unaware that he was making the same mistake that Patrick Jane and Kristina Frye had made: namely, belittling Red John in a public forum. Shortly after the television appearance, Panzer was found murdered in an alleyway, with Red John's smiley face painted in blood on the wall near his body. Panzer's murder proved Jane's theory that Red John is still alive.
  • Shauna Bloom as Rebecca— an assistant on Sam Bosco's team at CBI, and one of Red John's accomplices. Rebecca's past has not been fully revealed, but some details are known. According to Patrick Jane, she had an unhappy childhood and was molested by a close relative. The molestation led to her developing a strong sense of self-loathing, which manifested itself as self-abuse and self-medication. In the Season 2 episode "His Red Right Hand", Rebecca killed Bosco and two other agents—under orders from Red John—so that Lisbon's team, and Patrick, would be given the case back. Also under Red John's orders, and using the alias "Agent Rojo" (Spanish for "red"), she stole a body and evidence which could have brought Lisbon's team closer to identifying Red John. Rebecca was killed (by poison), very likely by Red John himself (disguised as a guard), in CBI.
  • Malcolm McDowell as Bret Stiles— the leader of the "Visualize Self-Realization Center" church. Stiles is an ambiguous church leader who is charismatic, smooth and skilled. He has succeeded in deflecting investigations from the authorities on numerous occasions, and has hinted to Patrick that he has inside knowledge about Red John. On their last meeting, Bret provided information that led to Jane and the CBI recovering Kristina Frye alive (but catatonic). Soon afterward, Bret left to open a Visualize center in Jakarta, with his representatives claiming not to know when he might return. Stiles does return in the fourth season episode "His Thoughts Were Red Thoughts", and is charged with murdering an anti-cult activist. However, Jane helps prove Stiles's innocence, leading Stiles to say that he owes Jane a favor.
  • Zeljko Ivanek as Dr. Linus Wagner— a partner of the victim in "Pilot" episode, where double homicide which looks like it may have been committed by the serial killer Red John. At the end of the episode it is revealed that Dr. Linus himself is a copycat of Red John, and is the true killer.

Episode list

Main article: List of The Mentalist episodes

Reception

The pilot episode had an audience of 15.6 million viewers in its first airing, and 7.8 million in a re-airing three days later.[12] The December 2, 2008, episode ("Flame Red") was the highest-rated television show of the week, marking the first time a program in its first season had achieved that distinction since Desperate Housewives four years earlier.[13]

Awards and nominations

Director of Center for Inquiry West & IIG West, James Underdown presents Editor Jimm Gadd with award August 21, 2010

US ratings

For the ratings of individual episodes, see List of The Mentalist episodes.
Season Episodes Timeslot (EST) Original Airing Rank Viewers
(in millions)
Season premiere Season finale TV season
1 23 Tuesday 9:00 PM September 23, 2008 May 19, 2009 2008–09 #6 17.52[19]
2 23 Thursday 10:00 PM September 24, 2009 May 20, 2010 2009–10 #10 15.37[20]
3 24 Thursday 10:00 PM September 23, 2010 May 19, 2011 2010–11 #9 15.24[21]
4 24 Thursday 10:00 PM September 22, 2011 May 17, 2012 2011–12 #12 14.51[22]
5 Sunday 10:00 PM Fall 2012 Spring 2013 2012–13

Distribution

On November 6, 2009, TNT announced that it had obtained exclusive syndication rights for The Mentalist and would begin airing old episodes of the series starting in the fall of 2011.[23] In Greece, the series premiered in 2009 on pay-TV service NovaCinema 1, the first season premiered in 7 February 2011 on Star Channel, and so far season 2 has been broadcast. In India, The Mentalist premiered on November 2010 on Zee Cafe and was re-aired from May 14, 2012 (Season 1 to Season 4).

International distribution

International broadcast

The following table lists the countries in which The Mentalist airs outside the USA.

Country Network(s) Series premiere Timeslot
 Trinidad and Tobago CBS September 22, 2012 Tuesdays, 21:00 AST
 Denmark VIASAT February 2, 2009 Mondays, 20:00 CET

DVD releases

Warner Home Video has released the first two seasons on DVD in Regions 1, 2 and 4. Season 3 was released on September 20, 2011[24] in Region 1, October 10, 2011[25] in Region 2 and on October 26, 2011 in Region 4.[26]

DVD Name Ep # Release Dates
Region 1 Region 2 (UK) Region 4 (AUS)
The Complete First Season 23 September 22, 2009[27] March 8, 2010[28] September 23, 2009[29]
The Complete Second Season 23 September 21, 2010[30] November 8, 2010 November 10, 2010[31]
The Complete Third Season 24 September 20, 2011 October 10, 2011 October 26, 2011

Reviews

  • Sanneh, Kelefa (24 November 2008). "On Television: Science Projects". The New Yorker. 84 (38): 122–123. Retrieved 16 April 2009.
  • Time magazine article referring to The Mentalist
  • Season 1 DVD review

References

  1. ^ Michael Schneider, "CBS sets premieres after debates", Variety June 26, 2008
  2. ^ Gorman, Bill (14 March 2012). "CBS Renews 18 Shows: 'The Good Wife,' 'Blue Bloods,' '2 Broke Girls,' 'The Mentalist,' 'Mike & Molly' & Many More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  3. ^ "Breaking News - Cbs Gives A Full Season Order To "The Mentalist"". TheFutonCritic.com. 2010-06-29. Retrieved 2010-07-06.
  4. ^ "Fall TV: CBS Announces Premiere Dates". TVGuide.com. Retrieved June 24, 2009.
  5. ^ "CTV.ca | The Mentalist (HD)". CTV.ca. Retrieved September 7, 2009.
  6. ^ "CBS Announces 2010-2011 Primetime Schedule".
  7. ^ "Psych memorable quotes, Extradition: British Columbia".
  8. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (2008-09-23). "Sepinwall on TV: 'The Mentalist' review". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 2009-08-14. That kind of Sherlock Holmes insta-profiling isn't remotely as novel now that we have not only "Psych" guy, but Gil Grissom, and Monk, and Robert Goren and a bunch of other crime show stars who can similarly size up a stranger with a brief glance.
  9. ^ Hale, Mike (2009-08-06). "Obsessive Influence". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-08-14. It's funny, but it's misguided. Because the "Psych" crew did not have to look far to find the show that really served as a template for "The Mentalist", not to mention "Psych" itself.
  10. ^ "CBS casts its Sherlock Holmes". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2012-02-15.
  11. ^ Ryan, Maureen (2008-09-22). "'The Mentalist' is among fall's best new offerings". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
  12. ^ "Breaking News - CBS WINS PREMIERE TUESDAY WITH ITS LARGEST AUDIENCE ON THE NIGHT SINCE 2001". TheFutonCritic.com. 2010-06-29. Retrieved 2010-07-06.
  13. ^ Collins, Scott (2008-12-09). "CBS takes weekly ratings as 'Mentalist' soars". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-07-06.
  14. ^ "People's Choice Awards 2009 Nominees". People's Choice Awards. Retrieved 2011-11-24.
  15. ^ "61st Primetime Emmy Awards Nominations" (PDF). Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2011-11-24.
  16. ^ Allen, Kate (2009-09-07). "Coben, Cole, Atkinson vie for crime awards". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2009-09-07.
  17. ^ "The 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Screen Actors Guild. Retrieved 2011-11-24.
  18. ^ "IIG website". Iigwest.com. 2010-08-21. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
  19. ^ "SEASON PROGRAM RANKINGS (THROUGH 5/24)". ABCMedianet.com. May 24, 2009 (2009-05-24). Retrieved April 12, 2010 (2010-04-12). {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  20. ^ Gorman, Bill (2010-06-16). "Final 2009-10 Broadcast Primetime Show Average Viewership". Tvbythenumbers.com. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
  21. ^ "2010-11 Season Broadcast Primetime Show Viewership Averages". Tvbythenumbers.com. June 1, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  22. ^ "Nielsen Television - TV Ratings for Primetime: 2011-12 Season-to-Date: Top 20 Network Primetime Series through Mar. 11, 2012". Zap2it. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
  23. ^ McDuffee, Debbie (November 6, 2009). "TNT: The little network with the smart decisions". CliqueClack TV. Retrieved November 6, 2009.
  24. ^ http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Mentalist-Season-3/15452
  25. ^ "(UK): The Mentalist Season 3 DVD - Free Delivery". Play.com. Retrieved 2011-09-03.
  26. ^ http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/819718
  27. ^ "The Mentalist DVD news: Press Release for The Mentalist-The Complete 1st Season". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved 2010-07-06.
  28. ^ "The Mentalist Season 1 [DVD] [2008]: Amazon.co.uk: Simon Baker, Robin Tunney, Amanda Righetti, Tim Kang: DVD". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-07-06.
  29. ^ http://www.ezydvd.com.au/DVD/mentalist-the-the-complete-1st-season-6-disc-set/dp/807660
  30. ^ "The Mentalist DVD news: Box Art and Release Date for The Mentalist - The Complete 2nd Season". TVShowsOnDVD.com. 2007-05-25. Retrieved 2010-07-06.
  31. ^ http://www.ezydvd.com.au/DVD/mentalist-the-the-complete-2nd-season-5-disc-set/dp/813822
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