I love The Mentalist, and so do the viewers, according to Brett’s Ratings Clack this week. I’m thrilled that the new series is doing well, really I am. But I fear that it could become just another typical procedural if the writers and producers don’t capitalize on the unique features of this show.
So what needs to be done to make The Mentalist even better?
More Jane
Or more Simon Baker, any way you want to look at it. I felt like in the pilot, we got a bigger-than-life Jane who has become distinctly more subtle as the series has progressed. I want to see Jane push the envelope more, take crazy chances that pay off, and really be two steps ahead of everyone, all the time. In a realistic way, of course. Capitalize on Jane’s talents; we know he’s got ‘em.
More humor
It’s there, but again, it’s subtle, and I think it could be more than what it is. I liked the way it showed up in the gambling casino episode (“Red-Handed“) with the interactions of the team members. If we can get a little more personality out of Lisbon, her banter with Jane could reach Bones / Booth or Crews / Reese proportions, which would really add to The Mentalist.
More Red John story arc
The Mentalist is in danger of becoming too episodic, and I want more arc to give the show a depth, a mystery, a conspiracy that will show us new and deeper aspects of Jane’s personality. Every week. They’ve thrown us a bone here and there, but not enough to anchor this show. It’s a fascinating story with tons of potential that needs to be explored a bit each week.
More of Jane interacting with the team and the guest stars
OK, we do get a bit of this each week, so maybe I am not being patient enough. I think many shows make the mistake of introducing a lot of new characters to keep storylines fresh, when really what they need to do is explore the characters they have (and the ones we already love) through interactions with each other and the guest stars. Jane and the “psychic” from “Seeing Red” interacted in a way that helped us to know more about Jane, and Jane’s interactions with Grace have really shown us new aspects of her personality and beliefs each week. I want more, because this is so effective.
Revamp of the mystery of the week
I only have little tweaks to suggest here, because they are always fun to watch with lots of twists and red herrings. However, something about the way the show is directed leads me to the killer in the first act of the show every week. This really doesn’t ruin the fun, per se, because my guess is that the show isn’t really about figuring out who did it, as much as it is about Jane uncovering it.
So fine, then let’s do two things. First, make the killer less obvious. Director, please stop instructing the actor playing the guilty party to look so shifty all the time. Then, make it more obvious that we are solving the crime through Jane’s eyes. Get us into his thought process more, because Jane’s talents are what put him on this team in the first place. Capitalize on them — and now we’ve come full-circle.
The Mentalist is arguably one of the best new shows this season and I want to see it succeed. What do you think — any other things that would make The Mentalist even better?
Clacked by Debbie McDuffee
on Nov 29, 2008 @ 11:00 EST5EDT
