There are a
dozen different ways that “The Mentalist” can be compared to other shows. You
could easily compare it to the cable show “Psych,” but I tend to find
similarities with this show and “Lie to Me.” Both use the study of human
behavior in order to deduce the truth behind a crime. “Lie to Me” was about a
man brilliantly able to detect lies, better than a polygraph. There is a
sequence in “The Mentalist” in which a suspect says that he heard Patrick Jane
(Simon Baker) could tell when anyone was lying. He is part Sherlock Holmes, but
mostly just a con artist with extensive experience in the ways of human
behavior.
Simon Baker is
what truly seems to make the show work the way it does. It is a dark show about
a celebrity psychic whose family was murdered by a serial killer named Red John,
following some ill-made arrogant remarks about catching him. Although Jane is a
grieving father and husband dedicated to hunting down the man responsible for
vengeance, Baker plays the role in a carefree manner that is likeable. He is
nearly always jovial and easy-going despite the heavy weight that he carries,
making his character a unique addition to the investigative detective genre. Jane
works alongside a team of specially trained detectives in California
In previous seasons they would catch
a variety of criminals in each hour-long episode, with an occasional subplot to
continue the Red John narrative. Season six changes things up in many ways;
dedicating the first portion of the season to a complete resolution of the Red
John mystery, and then an entire reboot of the series with a location shift
from Northern California to Texas
The DVD release of the sixth season
includes all twenty-two episodes on five discs, along with a couple of extras.
There are unaired scenes, as well as a featurette about the resolution of
Patrick Jane’s search for Red John with series creator Bruno Heller.
Entertainment Value:
7.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6.5/10
Historical
Significance: 7/10
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