“The Mentalist,” one of CBS’s longest-running procedural dramas in recent years, came to an end Wednesday night. It was a show that never really got a ton of critical acclaim, but remained a solid hit for the network as it ran for seven seasons.
The series, starring Simon Baker as genius detective and “mentalist” Patrick Jane, premiered back in 2008 to a lot of fanfare. The idea of the Australian actor (fresh off a role in “The Devil Wears Prada”) as a former fake psychic was intriguing to viewers, and stood out from other TV cops.
The most notable thing about the lead character was his especially disturbing, tragic back story — his wife and daughter were killed by a deviant named Red John. That fueled Baker’s character for the next five and a half seasons, until he finally caught up with the killer in between his cases.
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“Due to the fact that the character has such an enormous tragedy, you can’t help but be somewhat sympathetic. I think he’s full of self-loathing and incredibly self-deprecating,” Baker told The Post of his unique character when the show first started. “There’s a distinct lack of self-preservation. Jane really has nothing left to live for, except for a form of revenge and justice, and his own kind of take on what justice is.”
Share this articleShare“The heroic nature of the character is that he’s lived through tragedy, but he doesn’t let that show,” creator Bruno Heller added. “And the job he’s doing is a direct result of it. He’s seeking atonement and redemption.”
The “Red John” plot dragged on between story lines for years. In the middle of Season 5, creators rebooted the show and sent Jane to work for the FBI. That wasn’t quite enough to save the series completely; as ratings dipped, CBS pulled the plug last year and gave the show a final, 13-episode season.
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So despite one of the more miserable TV beginnings, did Patrick Jane end up as tragically as he began? The network teased that things may go awry in the series finale. Because even though Jane and his nemesis-turned-love interest Teresa Lisbon (Robin Tunney) were set to marry, there was still one last madman on the loose who wanted Jane dead.
The end result: Not so much. Sure, there was a creepy, menacing killer hunting Jane and Lisbon for most of the episode. But by the time the killer crashed their wedding with a gun, they already knew he was coming and were able to turn the tables and arrest him on the spot.
As if that weren’t enough, Jane and Lisbon tied the knot in front of all their friends. And to truly bring the show full circle from its sad beginning, Lisbon broke the news that she was pregnant with Jane’s baby.
Not too surprising that the creators decided to neatly tie things up in a bow. As many producers have learned along the way, when dealing with a series finale, the simplest approach can also be the most effective.
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