• Network: CBS
  • Series Premiere Date: Sep 23, 2008
  • Season #: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 20
User Score
8.1 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 122 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 8 out of 122

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  1. LordofFood
    Dec 29, 2009
    10
    Brilliant. Bruno Heller really thinks out the plot of the next episode and eventually makes it great. Simon Baker makes a good, sometimes cocky, smart, and observant Patrick Jane. Greatest show i've ever seen.
  2. Debbies.
    Sep 30, 2008
    5
    I want to like it, because I really like Simon Baker. But I do not think it is exciting enough. I do not care for who the show has as the murderer(s). So far the murders really do not make since.
  3. EA.
    Sep 24, 2008
    2
    This show seemed like a rip off if USA's Psych on a few Valium. Yawn.
  4. MichaelC.
    Oct 18, 2009
    1
    Complete garbage.
  5. MaggieK.
    Sep 24, 2008
    4
    Interesting premise and engaging characters but the experience was ruined for me with the off-color sexual content and unusually bad language. This was unnecessary and detracted from a series that I had initially thought would be something to make an hour in front of the TV on a Tuesday night worthwhile. Since I felt uncomfortable with this throughout the hour and certainly would not have wanted my daughter to be in the room while this was on, I will not be tuning in for future episodes. Expand
  6. AlexT.
    Sep 27, 2008
    0
    Definitely a HUGE rip off of Psych HUGE HUGE HUGE rip off!!!!! just not as funny or as good. Get original
  7. ingridw
    Apr 13, 2009
    2
    This show is WAY! to Predictable, 4 out of the last 5 episodes i have watched i guessed who the killer or killers were at the start of the show......the show doesnt have enough suspence and the drama isnt worth staying around for.. its almost like they hired the llowest paid writers they could get to try and pull off a blockbuster of the year...Good luck.
  8. BrandonN
    Sep 28, 2008
    10
    The first episode gave me me new hope for television.
  9. Jul 15, 2012
    0
    The lead guy sucks so right off the bat thats a recipe for sestruction! Not to mention IT'S A COMPLETE KNOCKOFF OF PSYCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  10. AimeeP.
    Oct 10, 2008
    9
    This show even though it seems to be similar to Life on NBC. It's a good show, the team of actors work very well together. I hope they give the show a chance to get off the ground before they cancel it and leave all hanging on who the red face killer is.
  11. TeresaC
    Sep 26, 2008
    9
    As a detective with above average observational powers, Simon Baker manages to be both playful and haunted -- a neat trick. The fun of the show is in seeing the world through his eyes. The show just needs better plots that are harder to solve. A show called "The Mentalist" should have plots that take a little mental power to solve.
  12. JodyM
    Sep 29, 2008
    8
    I like the premise of the show, the mix of detective type show with a hint of spiritualism.
  13. SashM.
    Jan 6, 2009
    9
    Wow, this show is really exciting, I love it. Simon Baker is simply put, Legendary. He performs spectacularly and is half the reason I come back again and again to watch this show. It is quite similar to Psyche but that show is great, so what is everyone complaining about. it's not like Bruno Heller copied a (for lack of a better word) "sh*tty" show.
  14. SpirosK.
    Feb 2, 2009
    9
    The star character is very well built to be extremely smart but pleasant and likable at the same time. Very well played by Baker.
  15. LukeTheDuke
    Jul 2, 2009
    7
    This show is normally more enjoyable than a '7' rating would indicate, but the casting is part 5 and part 10. Bruno Heller has crafted a good series, and Simon Baker, Tim Kang and Amanda Righetti are top notch. Robin Tunney is not believable as a supervisor/manager (except in a PC police department) her less than competent ways and skills and her interaction with Jane hall do little to help the show. Owain Yeoman has a similar problem as Rigsby. I guess we are to believe that the CBI is mainly inept with a few good thnkers and detectives. Mediocre characters in recurring roles in dramas really bring down the series. Why not write all the main characters as highly proficient and capable. Romanticism and heroic characters are far more desirable than 'average' run-of-the-mill types. Most episodes are entertaining, and it is always fun to see how Jane will outsmart both his colleagues and the perpetrators, and what nice deed will be done at the end. Bring in Emmanuelle Vaugier from CSI New York this past season (and Two and a Half Men) and Rory Cochrane from CSI Miami a few seasons back, and then you will have an all-star ensemble. Expand
  16. ZeMasterOfDisaster
    Aug 7, 2009
    9
    These kind of shows with sophisticated characters and predictable-yet-entertaining episodes makes me wonder why on earth I used to put up with other shows before this.
  17. DianneK
    Oct 1, 2008
    8
    I'm enjoying this show very much, which is a nice surprise in this lackluster season. The lead is terrific -- smart, witty, but caring underneath it all. A nice addition to the NCIS/Without a Trace lineup, and they are both shows I enjoy. I hope "The Mentalist" makes it.
  18. AdamA.
    Sep 23, 2008
    6
    Not horrible, but unexciting. I didn't dread the episode, but I didn't see any reason to tune in to the next one. It's all been done before. Kind of a Psych meets Law and Order, but without charm.
  19. SunilM
    Sep 29, 2008
    6
    disappointing execution on a great promise - instead or ripping off Psych and House the scriptwriters should take a leaf out of Darren Brown's "tricks of the mind".
  20. anthonya
    Sep 30, 2008
    10
    I love the show. Something Different
  21. ccc
    Dec 1, 2009
    10
    pretty awesome tv show, love simon baker as patrick jane.
  22. SamM.
    Apr 13, 2009
    6
    Great cast and and a very good pilot episode, but the programmes inability to stick with the 'good' main plot truly lets itself down. bad writing on a couple of episodes. still very watchable non the less.
  23. DoctorO
    Sep 27, 2008
    7
    The show has potential. A serial killer as the antagonist... interesting to see where that goes.
  24. KimberlyS.
    May 17, 2009
    9
    This show has grown on me. I immediately liked Patrick Jane, but it was the supporting cast that fell short on those first few episodes. They have since really been fleshed out. The character Kimball Cho has really taken off and at times he's stolen the scene.
  25. AngelaP
    Dec 18, 2008
    10
    The entire cast does a wonderful job of gaining attention of the audience. It is wonderful to watch a show (without having to do too much thinking following a long day of work) and be able to feel a connection to the characters. The Mentalist has become my DVR's best -and only-friend. Thanks to a great network for bringing some excitement-and very great looking actors; Baker and Tunney, to my Tuesday nights. Hoping to see much more of this show. Expand
  26. CrisC
    Nov 19, 2009
    10
    Hands down...my favorite show. This season is even better with the development of the secondary characters. I have never missed an episode.
  27. JuliaB
    Dec 15, 2009
    10
    My husband and I love this show. We DVR it and watch it right after the kids go to bed. Jane is the most wonderful character...I mean, I just LOVE him!
  28. Oct 18, 2010
    7
    Some episodes are good, even to compensate for the worst ones. Most of the time, It seems that Patrick Jane is just overly lucky, It would be cool If he gets it wrong once in a while, you know, just to wipe that snide of his face. Good chemistry between the actors tho!. Good mixture of characters.
  29. Dec 19, 2010
    8
    Simon Baker's performances in this show make it stand out from all the other similar shows aired in recent times. Predictable yet amusing, at times frustrating because of the main plots lack of exposure in many of episodes. Yet I find my glued to the tv for each new instalment of Baker's bag o'tricks.
  30. Jan 20, 2011
    7
    First season was good.Second season was ok.This season so far has been really uninteresting.
  31. Jun 4, 2011
    8
    One's opinion of this show is subject largely to what you're looking for. If you're expecting highly developed plots within plots and murder mysteries that would make Agatha Christie envious then this show isn't for you. If you're after an entertaining hour of television with plots that aren't patently obvious and characters that have humour and charm then it really is. Simon Baker puts in a good performance, and Tim Kang provides a supporting character of sublime dry wit. The major criticism of the show would be that the supporting characters seem to be peripheral characters, there only to help and support Jane and Lisbon in their endeavours. Although as we saw with House, that's not necessarily a bad idea. Expand
  32. Feb 19, 2012
    10
    I love this show, and It's the only television show that I actually watch every week, and this show has made Simon Baker my new favorite actor. I give this show a 10/10
  33. Sep 14, 2011
    10
    Great Show. My favorite show on TV. Every episode has a smart premise and Patrick Jane always has a clever way of going about solving the case and the Red John story that continues through the episodes is much more compelling then the continuing stories in other crime shows
  34. J_B
    Nov 5, 2011
    4
    The acting, aside from Simon Baker who I love, isn't very good at all. Robin Tunney has the emotion of a brick, but I blame that mostly on the bad writing/I really want to like this show, because of Simon Baker, but there's so many other, better shows out there.
  35. Mar 26, 2012
    7
    The weird thing about this show is that its main gimmick, Jane's 'abilities', are surprisingly underused. To compare to shows with similar gimmicks, in 'Lie to me' the whole show revolves around reading peoples faces, and in 'Psych' the whole show revolves around Shawn pretending to be psychic. However, the mentalist is mostly just a standard procedural about a team of agents investigating murders with the usual methods, same as any other cop show, and then at the end when they find out who did it Jane says that was who he thought it was from the begging. There are a few moments in some episodes when Jane will use some sort of mind trick to get some information out of a suspect but that's it. The good thing is that even as a standard procedural the plots are interesting. The characters other than Jane are average, but Jane has an underlying story arc with the whole 'Red John' thing. Expand
  36. Apr 24, 2013
    7
    The mentalist is one of the better crime shows on television, mostly due to Simon Baker, who portrays his character brilliantly. The other cast members are okay, but their writing seems a little bit far fetched, and more generic. There are some interesting episodes (mostly the ones with Red John), and some less interesting (simple case solving) episodes. Overall I think it is one of the better shows on TV, but sometimes it feels dragged out, and less interesting. Expand
  37. Jan 19, 2013
    6
    Its ok, but the big things that really bother me would be Robin Tunney's God awful acting and the fact that is really isn't that exciting and not a lot happens.
  38. Mar 17, 2013
    10
    Amazingly well plotted by Bruno Heller & yes the star of the show Simon Baker steals the show with his instant smart observation & character. i just love this show...cant get enough of it...
  39. Mar 21, 2013
    6
    I enjoy the show, but it's truly time to end the Red John part of it. We're invested enough in the characters now that it's OK if the resolve it; I'll keep watching anyway. It was really disappointing when they had Jane shoot Red John only to have it be a case of mistaken identity. That had a Dallas-like feel to it (remember the whole season of Dallas that ended up being a dream?). It's time to end the Red John drama and move in a new direction. Expand
  40. Apr 18, 2013
    8
    An amazingly-crafted show with really talented cast. Particularly Simon Baker characterizing Patrick Jane, the cunning CBI consultant. Just literally ate up the first two seasons! But I'd really like to know the end of the Red John thing before CBS cancels this. Though a healthy 8 for this masterpiece.
  41. May 17, 2013
    10
    This honestly has been one of the best TV shows I have ever watched. This season (season One) has been such an amazing ride. In the midst of deus-ex machina filled shows, and convenient story lines told by lazy writers, this show has shown me that there really is hope for TV. The acting is perfect, even in guest actors with even the smallest roles. The main actors are intriguing and the side-humor is absolutely compelling. This, I can say, is one of the best crime shows I have ever watched, no exaggeration. Expand
Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 26
  2. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. The tricks he performs are overshadowed by the glee with which Baker performs them. Like any good grifter, he gets a genuine thrill out of entertaining, manipulating, or confusing people.
  2. This role is tailor-made for Baker, who has a flair for playing irreverent characters who are crucial to the success of the system even as they tweak its authority figures.
  3. 70
    Because as much as Baker's suavely sly version of a gotcha artist is a welcome addition, thanks to a few not-so-hidden laws of character-actor placement, you'll guess the pilot scenario's killer before anybody else.