Recommended TV shows: The Mentalist

If you’re already familiar with my blog, you’ve probably noticed that I really like books. What you might not know is that I love a good DVD box set. So, I thought I’d share a few of my favourite TV shows with you over the next few weeks. I’ll let you know why I liked them, and help you decide whether they’re something you would like to watch too.

I’ll start with The Mentalist. I just finished watching season four and I’m still addicted. The show follows a group of CBI agents as they solve murder cases with the help of consultant Patrick Jane. While each episode has its own story, there’s also an underlying storyline that revolves around catching serial killer Red John.

The good

• Patrick Jane is brilliant. Honestly, he’s one of my favourite characters ever. That’s what makes The Mentalist so great to watch. He’s insanely clever, but mentally scarred from past events, while still outwardly strong and caring. It makes for a complex, intriguing and extraordinarily fanciable main character.
• Patrick Jane’s colleagues Teresa Lisbon, Wayne Rigsby, Kimball Cho and Grace Van Pelt are also wonderfully developed and believable characters. The relationships among the team keep you hooked from the first episode.
• It’s great fun trying to solve the murder case yourself, and also watching the unconventional methods that Jane uses to catch the killer.
• The Red John storyline is genius.
• Cliffhangers. There’s always a cliff hanger or an epic conclusion to each series. I have loved the last few episodes of every season so far.

The bad

• The formula of the majority of episodes is the same. There’s a murder, the team investigates, the murder gets solved. For me, that’s ok, because I’m so attached to the characters that it’s not just about the murder mystery,  but also about character progression. Of course, you never know when a Red John snippet is going to slip into an episode either. But some might find it a bit repetitive by the time the fourth season is over.

Who should watch it

• Fans of Dexter who would prefer a little less violence
• Fans of murder mystery

You might also like

• Dexter
• Supernatural
• Ghost Whisperer

Next time: Gossip Girl