The Mentalist - Official Discussion Thread

[Marty McFly]

Looks interesting. Anyone else going to check it out?

[Phoebe]

I've not heard anything about it, what's it all about?

[Marty McFly]

Golden Globe Award nominee Simon Baker stars as Patrick Jane, an independent consultant with the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI), who has a remarkable track record for solving serious crimes by using his razor sharp skills of observation. He also makes frequent use of his mentalist abilities to lead witnesses or offenders into offering the actual facts of the case, as known only to them.

Within the Bureau, Jane is notorious for his blatant lack of protocol and his semi-celebrity past as a psychic medium, whose paranormal abilities he now admits he feigned. Jane's role in cracking a series of tough high-profile cases is greatly valued by his fellow agents.

No-nonsense Senior Agent Teresa Lisbon alternates between reluctantly acknowledging Jane's usefulness and blasting him for his theatrics, narcissism and lack of boundaries. Lisbon's team includes agents Kimball Cho, Wayne Rigsby and rookie member Grace Van Pelt, who sometimes doubt Jane's abilities but admire his charm and knack for clearing cases.

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.[2] It also introduced some of Jane's backstory, indicating that his wife and daughter had been murdered five years before the series began by a serial killer known as "Red John."
On October 15, 2008, CBS ordered a full season of The Mentalist. [3] The December 2, 2008 episode ("Flame Red") was the highest-rated television show of the week, marking the first time a freshman program had achieved that distinction since Desperate Housewives four years earlier.[4]

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mentalist

[Marty McFly]

SOUNDS like a cross between The X-Files, CSI and NCIS... i.e. my kinda show!

[Padme Skywalker]

I'm going to check this out on Thursday, looks just like my kind of show from the trailers going around at the moment. The Rock, Paper, Scissors trailer was particularly funny, the other guy didn't stand a chance!

Isn't Darren Brown a Mentalist?

[Marty McFly]

Yep. Information on what a Mentalist actually is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentalist

[Marty McFly]

On tomorrow night! I've set my Sky+ on series link. Hopefully it will be decent.

[Padme Skywalker]

I'm looking forward to finally seeing what this is all about tonight, Five are really advertising this show so I don't think i'll be able to forget, I might set my recorder though, just in case...

[Phoebe]

I saw the advertisements for this on Five and I thought that it looked interesting so I set it to record and hope to watch it soon. It also has two actors from Desperate Housewives in!

[Padme Skywalker]

I really enjoyed watching this on Thursday, I found it to be interesting and a show which kept my attention for the full hour, I can understand how it has done so well in America! I'm looking forward to next Thursday episode

What did you all think of it?

[Marty McFly]

I haven't watched it yet, I'll check it out when I get a minute.

[Marty McFly]

Watching it now. I liked Fives dig, when they said it's one of the most popular shows in America so they just had to have it.

Really strong opening to the episode, looks like this is another winner.

[Padme Skywalker]

Watching it now. I liked Fives dig, when they said it's one of the most popular shows in America so they just had to have it.

Loved that dig too, I really don't know how they manage to get getting to popular american crime shows, but they do and i'm glad, I don't think any other channel would advertise this show to the extend Five has to make sure people tune in.

I found that I was hooked on the opening alone, it was so interesting seeing him dealing with the women, and how he knew so much about her, just from looking in a cupboard, at a picture and talking for a brief time.

As the episode progressed and you found out more about him, his past and saw him with the team, it all fits together so perfectly.

Looking forward to seeing this Thursday's, from the trailer I've seen it might be the one involving rock, paper, scissors.


So Marty, what did you think of the rest of the episode?

[Marty McFly]

Loved it! But I am an addict of this kind-of show. The central characters "powers" (I know they're not, but still) reminded of Frank Black in the excellent show Millennium.

[Marty McFly]

Just watching last nights episode.

[Padme Skywalker]

Saw a trailer for Thursday episode last night and it looks good. I'm really enjoying this new series, all the characters are so interesting, and the more we find out about Jean, the more I like the character.

I still can't figure out how he manages to do what he does though, i've tried watching the episodes and seeing what he sees, but I always miss something...

I keep thinking about this scene in the last episode:

Spoiler: show

Jane holding up his phone telling the people with guns they don't want to do it, seriously what was he going to do with the phone? The way he got the guy doubting himself though.

[Marty McFly]

Here's my guess Padme:

Spoiler: show

In a situation such as someone holding you at gunpoint, it is obviously not a good idea to try and take the gun from them using force. I've read that saying something completely bizarre such as "The red and blue elephant isn't normally here", will temporarily confuse them and give you time to escape.

He was saying "STOP. THINK. STOP. THINK", which will make them think, why? He was waving his phone as a ploy, pointing it at them, as you would a gun, to again confuse them and buy them time. "Is that a gun? Why is he waving his phone in that way? Who's he on the phone too?" These are all steps to stop the situation escalating, and to make them think about there actions - buying him time to unlock the door, which is all he needed to do as he had already put a call in.

[Padme Skywalker]

Some good points Marty, the situation makes sense when I look at it in those terms, as he did appear to go for the weaker person. I wonder if I will ever completely get an episode of this? The show really gets the old brain cells working!

I'm recording tonights episode, nice triple bill tomorrow, Mentalist and NCIS

[Marty McFly]

That's what you call a Friday night!

[Marty McFly]

I'm going to play catch-up with The Mentalist tonight!

[Padme Skywalker]

I'm catching up to, NCIS is on shortly then its Mentalist time.

[Padme Skywalker]

This show keeps getting better. I loved it in the episode where he kinda does this dance/no dance with the red head on the team (cannot remember her name) wiggling his fingers to locate the keys, all so he can drive!

[Padme Skywalker]

The Mentalist is there eating an sandwich whilst interviewing an suspect and then gives it him to finish off

[Marty McFly]

Awesome show. Mentalist FTW.

[Marty McFly]

Looking forward to Friday's. Looks like a Red John episode.