Series Review: Mentalist (Season 6)

Highlights of the season:

Patrick Jane finally catches Red John

*Some suspects *

After years of hide and seek, Red John, the killer of Patrick’s family and countless others, are finally revealed. After narrowing it down to six candidates, Patrick (Simon Baker) realizes that the corruption of law enforcement runs deep and that is how Red John has been getting away with what he does every time. Patrick’s final confrontation with Red John plays out in such a spectacular fashion I was ready to start chewing nails.

Patrick’s life after Red John.

I’ve always wondered what Patrick would do after he caught the man that had ruined his life and taken away his family in such a brutal fashion. Seeing Patrick walking on the beach and just being at peace with who he is was unbelievably sweet.

Patrick, Teresa and Cho’s careers in the FBI

Theresa took the hardest hit for Patrick’s shenanigans, and when Patrick returns to the USA and requests her presence on the FBI team, it is such a sweet gesture from him. Cho (Tim Kang) is so focused on fixing himself and getting somewhere within law enforcement. I really like how he will always give credit to the right person and how hard working he is.

Teresa and Patrick finally address their relationship

This is probably the thing after Red John that interested me the most. Teresa (Robin Tunney) and Patrick have the oddest relationship, and she is more often than not exasperated with him, but she is also the only person that gets why he is the way he is and can fully cope with his mannerisms. It is good that they waited for Red John to be out of the picture – Patrick could not start a relationship if he hadn’t apprehended the monster in his life first.

Rating: 7/10

Although its usual length, The Mentalist season 6 felt like it took ages to get done. There were a lot of different things happening, so the feeling of being stretched wide is actually understandable.

The first 6 episodes are truly nail-biting and I would have rated those 8 had it been a separate season. Red John’s capture the extent of his power, the madness of the man and that final chase was scream worthy. I am really happy they didn’t spend the entire season on it; it would have been ridiculous to do that in the show’s sixth run. The man who played Red John (I don’t want to give too much away) was so frightening in the end. That voice flip still freaks me out to this day. A huge shout out to the show for finally revealing and ending the serial killer that has been tormenting Patrick for so long – I really don’t think that a seventh season of searching would have worked out at all.

The next couple of episodes deal with Jane’s hideout location, and how the FBI tracks him down to come work for them. I found it highly enjoyable because Patrick really did deserve a holiday after he put all that work in.

The majority of the last episodes are all cases with the FBI. The show evolves into purely procedural crime drama, and it works fine.  I really find Abbott amusing – he doesn’tmind at all to remind Jane who is in charge.

I loved Rigsby (Owain Yeoman) and Van Pelt’s (Amanda Righetti) relationship and how they made something for themselves outside the CBI and law-enforcement. One of the most intense scenes to me was with Rigsby hiding with their baby in the closet. I am a major fan of Rigsby and he is so cute as a father/husband/businessman. I am still a major fan of Cho and he should get some more screen time. He is so serious about his job and dedicated and momentarily hilarious most of the time.

The last few episodes slipped for me. It was without the jaw dropping emotion that had me hooked on this show from its first episode, and it just really felt tired. Simon Baker is still amazing as Patrick Jane. He is a great actor capable of projecting intense emotions. I mean, the whole human trafficking story could have been so much more if the writers were completely dedicated. That last episode could have been a lot more intense with the right aims. I did love Pedro Pascal as FBI agent Marcus Pike in here as well. When I realized that Oberyn Martell had crossed worlds to become an FBI agent I was really touched. His character was such a nice guy and you felt sorry for him even though he was messing with the plans of the show.

Have you seen this? What did you think?

September 19, 2014September 18, 2014 by Natasha Categories: Reviews, SeriesTags: Amanda Righetti, Grace van Pelt, Kimball Cho, Owain Yeoman, Patrick Jane, Red John, Reviews, Robin Tunney, Series, Simon Baker, Teresa Lisbon, The Mentalist, Tim Kang, Wayne Rigsby 6 Comments

5 Things Friday: 5 shows to watch

Happy Friday the 13th!

This week was horrible. Imagine everything going wrong, and then going wrong again. We have had our generator fail at work (a big problem when the lab’s freezers can’t keep samples frozen), pipes had burst, birds attacked people by flying through the shaft, which held the bursting pipe – it was that kind of week.

Watching series always makes me feel better. It is so much easier dealing with other people’s problems than our own, even if they are fictional. Here are 5 of the best shows I have watched this year.

The Mentalist Season Four

 

At the end of season three, Patrick shoots and kills the man he suspects of being Red John. Season Four starts with his arrest, and his quest to become free again. How will Patrick get out of trouble this time?

It wouldn’t be on my list if I didn’t think the show was good, but I really enjoyed this one. It is fantastically intelligent and entertaining, and they even manage to keep the cases fresh. I enjoyed the inclusion of Luther Wainwright. Finally a person on Patrick’s intellectual level! Speaking of Patrick, how phenomenal is Simon Baker in his portrayal?

Without giving away too much, I just want to say I hope Season Five brings some closure to many parts of the storyline. The show is in danger of becoming very stretched out if some plots don’t close down.

The Carrie Diaries Season One

 

The only new series on this list, The Carrie Diaries was much more enjoyable than I would have expected. Truly, it is extremely frivolous, so it is great to watch on a day where you just don’t want to think.

The show revolves around the teenager Carrie Bradshaw, the main character in the very successful Sex and the City franchise.

The second season needs to have a more structured sequence of events, and a real storyline. A little more originality wouldn’t hurt as well.

The Carrie Diaries is a good, entertaining and short series, but if you seek something more complex, I wouldn’t recommend it.

Sons of Anarchy Season One and Two (I freaked out it is so good)

Read reviews here and here.

I made the huge mistake of watching episode one of season three while on my stationery bike at home. I nearly fell off. I am not capable of being emotionally detached from it. It is shocking, amoral and violent, but the suspense keeps me going back for more each time. Every episode is jam packed with drama, and you simply can’t stop.

Obviously, I love it. Go watch it.

Supernatural Season Three

 

The favorite Winchester boys return and they desperately search for a way to save Dean’s soul. On the way they hunt and kill demons, vampires, werewolves and pretty much every supernatural creature they can find.

I have only watched until season three so far, and I am still impressed with how the show is created and presented. Even though the show is relatively serious, the team still manages to bring humor to it.

I am perpetually irritated with Sam, but his character is an essential part of the show, and Dean has lost too much to lose his brother as well.

Season three is a short season, so it can be a quick watch. The series ended as I expected it would, but the end made it possible for season four to start with a bang (I hope)

Pretty Little Liars Season Three

 

It is the one show I never expected to like, but I devoured season one and two. They were both brilliant, but season three struck me as mediocre. It is one of those shows that needs to reach a conclusion, but never does. It seems silly to take the girls to university with A still stalking them, but it would seem if they don’t find him/her by season Four, the show is going to go down the drain.

The show is entertaining and suspenseful, but it seems to follow the structure of season one and two, and they only add in a few more villains.

This is definitely a girl show, so if you are one, you will enjoy some of it.

Have you watched any of these shows? Which other ones would you recommend?

September 13, 2013 by Natasha Categories: Five Things FridayTags: Anna-Sophia Robb, bikers, carrie bradshaw, Charlie Hunnam, Dean Winchester, Five Things Friday, Friday, Katey Sagal, Owain Yeoman, Pretty Little Liars, Robin Tunney, Ron Perlman, Sam Winchester, SAMCRO, Series, Simon Baker, Sons of Anarchy, Supernatural, The Carrie Diaries, The Mentalist 6 Comments

The Mentalist

Patrick Jane work as a consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Patrick used to be a fake medium, pretending to talk to the dead on live television. Even then, he was involved with the CBI, searching for a horrific serial killer by the name Red John.  He started working as a full time consultant to the CBI after Red John murdered his family, and his sole purpose in life is to catch the monster that destroyed his life.

Patrick Jane is the Mentalist. He refuses to acknowledge that he has psychic powers, claiming that all psychics are frauds. It is obvious that he has a rare talent, but he assigns it to reading people, their body movements and words very carefully.

Patrick works under Senior Special Agent Teresa Lisbon (Robin Turney). Her team also includes: Special Agents Kimball Cho (Tim Kang), Wayne Rigsby (Owain Yeoman) and newest member, Grace van Pelt (Amanda Righetti). Together they investigate special crimes, and it is more often than not that Patrick’s masterful observation skills that solve the case at the end.

The face Red John leaves as his signature mark – drawn with the victim’s blood.

The dynamic between the team is amusing and well thought out. Rigsby and Cho are close friends, often teasing one another  as male friends often do. Rigsby and Grace are attracted to one another, but know they cannot have a relationship and work for the CBI together. Patrick has the truly rare ability to offend most people, often picking the most pompous as a target. He frustrates the team consistently by not following proper procedure, ignoring commands, and withholding information from them. At the top of their order is Lisbon. She is hardworking, addicted to her job, and seems to have no personal life at all. She is the only person Patrick connects to, sharing the story of how he managed to pick up his life after the death of his family.

Rating: 8/10

This is one of the best shows I have ever watched. Simon Baker stars as Patrick Jane. He manages to capture the essence of Jane: a charismatic, funny, obnoxious, kind, and tortured soul. He really deserves accolades for what he achieved in this role. The Mentalist manages to be both funny and sad at the same time. It is intelligent, fresh material, and really well thought out. You never even suspect the killer, and at the end it is a wonderful surprise. I have become so used to figuring out the “who did it” in other shows, that it is a fresh breath of air to finally have to wait until the end to know what happened.

Favourite episode: Flame Red.

I would definitely recommend this show to anyone in need of intelligent content. It is wonderfully done.

February 8, 2013 by Natasha Categories: ReviewsTags: Amanda Righetti, entertainment, Owain Yeoman, Reviews, Robin Turney, Series, Simon Baker, The Mentalist, Tim Kang 1 Comment