Visitors Review

richieadler (2012-05-23 05:05)

For once, a show appealing to the skeptic point of view

Simon Baker surprised me with the lighthearted but guilt-riddenmentalist; I didn't like him so much in "The Guardian" (he seemedalways in the wrong mood there), but I think he found the right tonehere. Fantastic Robin Tunney as the tough but reasonable Teresa Lisbon;delicious Amanda Righetti as the unavoidable, contrasting naivebeliever Grace Van Pelt. I think she's a fair portrait of mostbelievers in the paranormal: good hearted, well intentioned, butoblivious of the fraudulent techniques of the "psychics" and hoping tofind "the real deal" some time. And willing to believe intranscendence. So close to so many people we all know.Comparisons with Psych abound, but they all miss the main point of "TheMentalist": first, the protagonist openly says "There's no such thingas a psychic" (and he knows, painfully, how easy is to deceive others);and second, the series doesn't relent. (Until now, at least.) Even whenforced with a very skilled con artist which appeals to his guilt andsense of loss, Patrick never relents, except to acknowledge the painand the guilt.I sincerely hope the series doesn't cave to the pressure which, surely,will receive, and continues to present only a rational point of view,not catering to the believers in the paranormal. We have TOO MUCHcredulous TV shows; let us have, for one, a show showing a rationalexplanation without pandering to woo-woo.

MovieZoo (2012-05-22 13:48)

The Mentalist: absolutely blows my mind

This is one of the few TV shows I HAVE to catch or I start havingwithdrawal symptoms. Someone said this is not original but not in ahostile way. I don't believe anything out there is original anymore,but The Mentalist is as close to being original as possible. It hasmore going for it than any other show I can think of.There is not a single main character I don't enjoy(oops, there is one,but no biggie). Robin Tunney(Lisbon) is great as a squad leader tryingto control a team sometimes weakened and almost under complete controlby the brilliant, charming and unflappable Patrick Jane(Simon Baker).Amanda Righetti(Van Pelt - mmm, mmm, mmm!), Owain Yeoman(Rigsby) andTim Kang, (Cho) all have nearly perfect characters that are equally asfun to watch. The characters that come and go fit in so well in everyepisode I can think of. I guess I just am addicted to the cop showcomedy, drama, Sherlock Holmes-like investigations that arebenevolently touched up with gunfire and bloodshed.I can see Simon Baker as a Sherlock Holmes like Basil Rathbonecharacterized. His seemingly child-like innocence gets stored away whenhe is on the right track of solving a crime or bringing justice tolight.The other day I was thinking Robin Tunney should be a Lois Lane ifanother Superman ever comes about. Come to find that she was in aSuperman movie as a girl friend of a guy who played Superman in"Hollywoodland". Interesting coincidence I guess.Anyway, as I understand it, the series is about to take a huge turn onNovemeber 19th due to a major event. I have my fingers crossed that theessence of this series is not lost. In any case, many thanks toeveryone involved in bringing this show to TV. Great job!! I have notseen an episode yet that does not warrant a 9 out of 10

mjmdl (2012-05-16 06:53)

Enjoyable Crime Solver

I really like the show and it's actors. It stars a man who had a careeracting as a psychic who was just pretending for the money. He made themistake of catching the attention of a serial killer who retaliated bykilling his family. He recovered from a breakdown and now works as aconsultant to help the bureau catch the "bad guy" by using those sameintuitive, observant skills and really listening to what people do anddon't say. Simon Baker plays quite a multifaceted character that goesfrom playful to serious, whichever is called for and does it very well.The Mentalist has a good blend of being neither too dark like CriminalMinds or too lightweight like Psych, shows which I also watch.

copperncherrio (2012-05-16 03:37)

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.

LostKaleb (2012-05-15 00:13)

Definitely not a Copycat

I honestly say that the first I heard of this show I thought thepremise was too simple and too recurrent. However I seem to find myselfwaiting impatiently for each week's episode and what is Patrick goingto pull this time!Also, I'm sick and tired of all the comparisons with Psych and Houseand whatever you may come up with! This show is NOT House, it's NOTPsych, it has a clear identity and is surely not a copycat. Sure it hassimilar elements: the House-like vibe of the background music and typesof situations, or the Psych-like fact that the main character can spotdetails with one look; but what show these days doesn't? I mean, allCSI 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-stylefillers) but every episode is fun to watch and grips you to the lastminute.The main character was what surprised me the most though. Despite thefact that being Portuguese I enjoy that the lead detective is calledLisbon, Mr Patrick Jane seemed just another pretty face on TV. HoweverI can now see that I was terribly wrong: it is a great character and isportrayed by a very good actor; the changes between whimsical smilesand disturbing stares are... well disturbingly good!So watch it, it's worth it and you might learn a thing or two!

someofusarebrave (2012-05-14 01:47)

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.

asdukes (2012-05-13 13:36)

What's with the word RED in every title

I LOVE this show. Yes, it has the same premise as Psych and Monk but itdoesn't use it in the same way. It is very real feeling. Psych borderson stupid at times (but I watch it). Gus is always mad at Shawn andalways shows contempt for him. Monk can and does drive you crazy (alsostupid at times, but I watch it, too). Mentalist gives me the best ofboth without the stupidity. I wish I had his talent. Any day. I alsothink he is very handsome but dark because of his family tragedy. Hehas issues but he does not let them get in the way of his gift. I ratethis show way above the other 2. So what is the link between the wordred in every episode title. I assume it must have something to do withRed John but I don't even know how he got the name Red John. Doesanyone know? Maybe I missed an episode early on but cant figure it out.If it has to do with Red John I have not even figured out how herelates to every story line. I don't believe he is mentioned in everyepisode. Was he?

reneweddan (2012-05-12 18:21)

Atypically awesome

After watching a marathon of White Collar, I thought they'd be toosimilar for me to fully enjoy, but I must say, both shows are differentand both are extremely enjoyable.This series seems rather predictable at first, but once you immerseyourself in the plot, you'll realize how unique this show really is.Not only does it have a dark and depressing undertone, it does so withhumor and uniqueness.Honestly, I've never seen a show like this before. It seems to be ableto bring every emotion out of the viewer, from empathy to sympathy tojoy. It's a complex series that doesn't fully explain everything indetail, but that does work in their favor.If you're looking for a show that doesn't spoon-feed you every littledetail which makes you feel as if the producers think you're too stupidto understand on your own, then this show is most definitely for you.Give this show a chance, I know I highly enjoy it, alongside WhiteCollar with Matthew Bomer. The acting from Simon Baker is astonishing,I'm truly addicted to this show. Flawless cast, awesome cases,interesting plot; I love every minute of it.

(2012-05-11 17:26)

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.

willist1 (2012-05-11 08:35)

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.

reshadul (2012-05-05 14:55)

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.

John Smith (2012-05-04 23:48)

Usual genre done unusually

Patrick Jane is a consultant in a rumpled suit engaged by the"California Bureau of Investigation" to help solve crimes. The seriessuffers a little from PerryMasonIsm in that if you watch more than halfa dozen episodes, you can begin to tell who's going to get done in andhow and what was clever in one episode gets a bit predictable inothers.But surprisingly, the show remains interesting in spite of it. Thebiggest attention grabber is the character of Patrick Jane, whosequirky traits are kept constantly fresh by a remarkably versatile SimonBaker. But there's also a very good supporting cast of characters whomanage to keep plot chestnuts, like the romantic subplot, bubbling. Thesinister Red John subplot adds another unusual dash of spice to themix, and each episode also often ends with a nice twist. Not quite a star on the level of Law & Order for me but certainly ansurprising and very bracing departure from the usual tedium of cops androbbers shows.

ar656 (2012-05-02 12:28)

It is all about characters

I love these police team dramas. I am a big fan of Law & Order, butthey are not into character development. They care about the plots, andthey really make you think, but after years you end up knowing verylittle about the characters.Not so with The Mentalist. Plot is this series weak part. But, oncharacter development, both the two main characters, plus the threesecondary characters, and the "rest of the group" are very welldeveloped. And, both of the main characters can be said to be Hot,which is not bad, considering that neither of them tries to use theirhotness to manipulate the other characters, or the audience. Alsoimportant is that all characters have their own set of beliefs, andnuances, and behaviour, and even when there is a conflict because ofthose differences, those differences are treated with respect.My only problem with the series is that sometimes, the plots have ahole too many.

retrogamelove (2012-05-02 05:26)

One of The best crime shows in Years

"The Mentalist" is one the best Detective shows if seen in years i putit up with "Crime scene Investigation" and a bit worse than "Law andorder" with "Patrick James" as our main protagonist who is a Played by"Simon Baker" who is a consultant for the CBI who uses Similar skillsas "Sherlock Holmes" to Solve his cases.The Supporting cast do give agood Performance not anything as good as "House Md" but they do give agood PerformanceNow onto the cases. The cases in The Mentalist are usually veryEnjoyable and they all make sense and you can usually guess who youthink it is and Most times will get it right.The problems with the show is that They make the CBI seem Kinda slow inthe case since Jane always gets it before them and they are Miles apartin know this is the Premise of the show but it does get annoying.The show is Probably one of the best Crime dramas right now and if youprefer things like Sherlock Holmes rather than Forensic science likeCSI Thats my First review so hope you enjoyed and could you please giveme feedback.

pianys (2012-04-28 21:39)

Shall I compare thee to ... other shows.

After reading some of the comments, I was surprised not to to see themost obvious in there: Lie to Me (starring Tim Roth) and Eleventh Hour(starring Rufus Sewell). Simon Baker's character has a lot in commonwith these two: The clear scientific eye, the sadness behind thecharming smile, the way they could care less for protocol and policeauthority. Another thing is that the actors are all non-American; twoBrits and one Aussie. These three shows are all good in their own way,and I have no problem with similarities. Medium and Psych are bothdecent shows, but I don't think The Mentalist should be lumped in withthem. As far as I'm concerned, you can play as many variations on atheme as you like, as long as they are good!

Angelus2 (2012-04-28 04:30)

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....

Mel J (2012-04-27 21:36)

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.

Hugh Sullivan (2012-04-27 13:43)

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.

penciler (2012-04-27 13:43)

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.

zj9225 (2012-04-27 04:39)

Terrible!

This T.V show is a complete rip-off of USA Networks Psych, only withmore added drama. I find it awfully boring and depressing to watch. Ithas unneeded flashbacks at random unimportant places in each rip-offepisode. Do not even bother to watch this, unless you want a reason tokill yourself. Simon Baker should not have agreed to do this rubbishshow. Do not watch this,and do not be fooled by the other idiot userswho decided to give this show an 8 out of 10. I believe the creators ofthis show should quit writing T.V shows and choose a different line ofwork which they are actually good at Try my favorite show Psychinstead.