Mind game

The main story arc of The Mentalist deals with Jane’s struggle to find a serial killer named Red John,who is nicknamed after the gruesome signature he leaves on walls — a giant smiley face drawn in his victim’s blood. Jane’s private battle with Red John dates back to when he once mocked the serial killer on TV. The latter took his revenge by killing Jane’s wife and daughter. It’s been a cat-and-mouse between the two since then,with Jane giving up his career as a psychic to help the California Bureau of Investigation hunt down the notorious killer.

Who’s in it? Simon Baker is very convincing as the charming,at times callous,and always unflappable Jane. With the permanent glint in his eyes and sideways smirk,one can understand why he manages to get on the nerves of his associates — agent Teresa Lisbon,played by Robin Tunney,Grace Van Pelt played by Amanda Righetti,Kimball Cho played by Tim Kang and arson specialist Wayne Rigsby played by Owain Yeoman.

What’s hot? What we like is that although,predictably,there’s a great deal of chemistry between Jane and Lisbon,the show makes sure to put a lot more focus on the crimes themselves. The murders too are nice and meaty,while the criminals — Red John,as well as his many ‘copycats’ — are suitably depraved. So there is enough to thrill murder mystery buffs,without turning them off with too much romance. There’s a fair amount of wit as well — especially delicious was the sequence where a nervously quick-talking detective bumbles onto a crime scene. This was definitely a hilarious take on the obsessive-compulsive Adrian Monk of Monk.

What’s not? The only gripe that one could have with the show is that,at the end of the day,it is still formulaic. As stated in the beginning,the concept is not exactly new. But luckily,Baker’s great charm carries the show.

Should you be watching it? It’s a little too dark for children,but if you like your murder mysteries to be bloody,then you’ll certainly enjoy this show.