Screener Girl Checks Out The Series Premiere Of The Mentalist

The Mentalist on CBS is one of my favorite new fall shows.  Simon Baker plays Patrick Jane, a man who made a living as a scam artist who claimed to be a medium.  Jane now works as an independent consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation.  Robin Tunney plays Teresa Lisbon, head of the unit.  She doesn’t want Jane around – she thinks he’s too theatrical, flashy, full of himself, etc.  They butt heads, they solve cases, and it all works out in the end.

Aside from Baker and Tunney, they have assembled a supporting cast with great chemistry.  I hated Amanda Righetti on The OC, but she’s sweet and charming here as Grace Van Pelt.  I’m a huge fan of Owain Yeoman (remember the short-lived The Nine), so I enjoy seeing him back on TV.  And Tim Kang completes the group – don’t know much about him, but I like him so far!  The cast is given great stuff to say and do, too, and I credit the writers for putting together a fast-paced interesting hour of words.  Adding in a back story of unsolved murders to Patrick Jane’s life is something interesting, and should make it a little bit more than your average formulaic cop drama.

I have to say, though, that the things I like in The Mentalist (and I know that this has been an issue for some people) are the things that I like about Psych on USA.  What Shawn Spencer does on Psych is only a little different from what Patrick Jane does here.  I enjoy seeing these brilliant men (who aren’t that bad to look at) figuring out crimes in an “outside the box” kind of fashion, complete with grandstanding about what actually happened in the case, and kind of rubbing their brilliance in other peoples’ faces.  It makes for good TV, and with Psych gone until midseason, why not enjoy something similar?

Though I’ve only seen one episode, I think this could be one of my newest must see shows.  Added bonus, this show is sandwiched between established hits (NCIS and Without a Trace), and should fare well on a bumpy Tuesday landscape!

Tune into CBS at 9:00PM EST for the series premiere of The Mentalist.