TV With Anya: The Mentalist
Mentalist: noun
Someone who uses mental acuity, hypnosis, and/or suggestion.
A master manipulator of thoughts and behavior.
I will warn you — the show is about murder and death. You may be too young to watch this. Don't take this as, "But Anya said I could!" No sir/ma'am. You follow your parent's rules until you are old enough to watch. *nods*
There are times when I'm an idiot. There are times when I look at a TV show, the actors, and the premise and go, "Pfffft. Whatever." *change channel*
My latest failing was the case of "The Mentalist." I'd seen Simon Baker (the show's lead male) in The Devil Wears Prada and on several awards shows. He's pretty. He has great hair. He's pretty. And, yes, well. He's pretty. And, the hair. He's got that going for him, too.
I promptly ignored the show. Then, I fell in love with "NCIS." For years I'd refused to watch it. I had a strong loathing of Mark Harmon because he stole Maddie's heart away from David in "Moonlighting" back in the '80s. Surely he couldn't be a good actor. Yes, sometimes my inner child is an idiot, too. But, one day, I gave "NCIS" a chance because I was home sick and one of the networks was running it. *sigh* I immediately had to buy all six seasons on DVD. I've gone through them twice already.
But, I digress. Back to Baker and the Mental aspect of my being an idiot. On another "I'm bored" point in my life, I watched some of "Mentalist." And, holy brain cells, I liked it. Thanks to a Barnes and Noble sale and a great coupon, we got the first season for about $15. And, of course, we proceeded to fall in love with not only Simon Baker, but the whole cast.
The show started in September of 2008, placing Patrick Jane as the "mentalist" within the CBI (California Bureau of Investigation), as a consultant. We know that Jane's wife and daughter were killed by Red John. We see his backstory throughout the seasons; however, as viewers, we are plopped down in present day. Jane's suffered what he has, and we don't see the timeline in order.
Jane is a professed fraud. He spent a great deal of his life convincing people he was a pyschic. When he blundered on national TV and all but invited Red John into his home, he changed his life forever.
The show isn't complex. It's not a great piece of film or a great literary novel, or even a great and epic show like "Battlestar Galactica." It's a simple show with a good cast and very good writers. It's comfort TV in my house. Yes, Simon Baker is very pretty (as mentioned above), but he's also a really talented actor with a knack for comedy.
(from Left to right) Robin Tunney as Teresa Lisbon, Simon Baker as Patrick Jane, Tim Kang as Kimball Cho, Owain Yeoman as Wayne Rigsby, and Amanda Righetti as Grace Van Pelt
Jane's disregard for authority, sense of humor, and desire to seek revenge for his family's deaths pretty much keep him in hot water. But, Jane is smarter than everyone around him (he's not really, but he plays it well) and closes cases. So, Jane stays.
What you'll see in the later seasons is what happens when well-drawn characters are allowed to develop. The team starts to rely on one another — secrets are revealed, trusts are broken, and family is made. The show, now in its third season, continues to grow stronger, with more interesting and better shaped storylines.
Simon Baker made us laugh, and he continues to break my heart each week as he walks the line between light and dark.
So, have an extra hour? Check the show out. I think you'll like it!