CBS show page here.

Just watched the pilot, very well done and along with Fringe one of the best fall pilots so far this season (still waiting on Dollhouse). Felt more like an NBC show than a CBS drama. The obvious comparisons to Psych will be made. It's like the opposite of Psych, here the investigator used to be a fake psychic and now works for a fictional California Bureau of Investigation's version of the major case squad. Both shows' protagonists use Holmesean deductive reasoning with acute attention to detail. But neither is the first such television detective.

I really liked the moments of humor and the way the backstory was filled in. I'm interested to see where the show goes with the other characters, who got very little in the way of introduction in the pilot, they were just 'there'.

Thanks for the write up. I've been ignoring anything about this because I've been thinking of it as Psych without Shawn & Gus and with NCIS humor and a Cold Case aesthetic.

That's exactly how I've been thinking of it. I think I'll go check it out because so far I haven't heard anything bad about it.

Oh God, it is way better than NCIS and Cold Case. Like I said, it feels like an NBC show (Medium, Raines, Life) in tone and photography.

I watched the pilot and thought it wasn't too bad. However, I do sense that the 'quirky guy who Carries A World Of Hidden Pain and gets away with everything because he's So Gosh Darned Amazing! shtick' may get on my nerves real quick.

I'm a big Simon Baker fan, so I'll give the first ep a look for that reason alone. However, I gotta admit that I'm a little tired of the detective genre, but if it's good, I'll watch.

Watched the pilot and really liked it. I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did, but I was hooked almost immediately. Yeah, the observational skill/fake psychic thing is a bit Psych 2.0 on paper, but it only bothered me slightly for the first five minutes or so, and then I was drawn into the show on its own premise. I recognize Simon Baker but I can't quite place him. I thought he did a great job with this part, though. Also liked Rigsby, the others I'm not too sure on yet.

And bonus points for TPTB not naming the lead character any of the following: John, Jack, Sam or Peter.

Really good pilot, and Simon Baker, who is always good, is excellent in this.

Even though this genre is well travelled, the story and the characters surprised me a couple of times. Looking forward to it.

I was pleasantly surprised, mostly because the acting managed to enliven what could have been a pretty dull procedural. The opening was very discouraging (that was beyond irresponsible of him) and played like an unfunny version of Psych. But after the main mystery started up, I was very engaged. I love Robin Tunney from Prison Break and glad to see her getting a show to showcase her talents.

I've also been a huge Simon Baker fan since the movie 'Something New', so TPTB can thank their casting department because if it weren't for his involvement, I usually avoid cop procedurals like the plague.

There were a lot of great moments, although 'the reveal' fell completely flat for me. But the final scene just packed such a punch. I was haunted by it later. Great start, but not sure if my aversion to procedurals won't keep me away from the show come fall. If it continues to be more character based, I'll probably stay on.

Seriously, I thought the last scene made this pilot. I was entertained throughout- very solid acting, some okay storyline twists, good production values, no real complaints... but for some reason I am STILL thinking about the ending! Creeped me out and made me want to see more at the same time. And set things up nicely for a seasonlong mystery, methinks?

Where did you see the pilot of this show ? I think it sounds great and will watch it because I think Simon Baker is a very charismatic actor and I think Robin Tunney is outstanding . I've seen her act on a couple of movies and Prison Break and think she is great !
Is it true her character and Simon's character might be one of those sexual tension couples eventually ?

I am definitely looking forward to this show and I agree Simon Baker is excellent (I really wanted whatsherface to end up with him in the Devil Wears Prada.) Oh and yeah, where did you all get to see the pilot? I don't want to have to wait until fall!!!

Simon Baker - besides having been in quite a few movies - was the main character in a CBS series called The Guardian, which lasted for 3 seasons if I remember correctly. His Nick Fallin there was also a very interesting, flawed character - but other than that the characters are totally different.

If you have never seen Baker in anything you should check him out in the movie Something New - he's especially charming in that.

Aha, that's it! That's where I recognize him from. I'm glad that got cleared up, or my brain would have kept on nagging on me to figure it out.


Thanks for the tip, cyberducks, I'll definitely check that out. Oh, and I've never seen "The Guardian", either, so that's one more thing to add to the list.

About the only good thing I can say about the bastards at CBS who canceled The Guardian is that they keep putting Simon Baker in new series. He's an excellent actor and he and Dabney Coleman were fantastic on that show. This was a great pilot too, and I'm really looking forward to seeing this show in the fall. And if you're looking for great movies with Simon Baker (and Carla Gugino, Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson, among others), I highly recommend Judas Kiss. It's a very well done thriller with some pretty sexy stuff between Carla and Simon.

Will this be renamed outside of the US, 'caus that name could be very misleading to UK & Irish audiences. :)

What does "mentalist" mean in the UK and Ireland?

I don't get it either. I've never heard of another meaning. Is there another show called Mentalist over there?

The only thing I can think of is that my British friends say "going mental" for going crazy, and "he/she is mental" for he/she is crazy.

Well I'm assuming that mentalist is a psychologist or psychiatrist, but I'd be on board for an across the pond name change if they'd just call the show "The Other Fake Psychic Detective."

Definition of the British use of the word "mentalist".

See above". It's a very common and extremely popular insult, over here.

It can't be all that common since British magicians often refer to themselves as mentalists.

I think it is pretty common, I actually hear it often. Maybe it's more popular with students/younger people? And I can't say I'm familiar with British magicians (I just study here) but I don't think I've ever hear the word in any other context, it's a light insult (meant as a joke usually).

As for this show, Simon Baker is great (I, too, loved The Guardian) and the premise is interesting enough, but the overall atmosphere will make or break this for me. I can't even describe what I'm looking for, but it's the reason I watch Numb3rs but not, say, Without A Trace. I'll check this out and decide if it's a keeper or not.

I was very happy to read that Simon Baker was going to be in a new show.
I'm hooked since Heartbreak High (where he played a teacher) and loved the Guardian so much.
But, I was quite afraid with the summary of this new show, and with the simple title of it.
Now, I feel a little less afraid and can't wait to watch it.

I read from the Fringe TwoP thread that the Mentalist will be on after Dancing With the Stars (nice lead-in) but up against Fringe. I think the Mentalist is going to get crushed. It reminds me of Life actually (which I love) but which took a couple of episodes to find a fan base. I'm not sure if it can with such competition.

I think it will go up against the DWTS results show. I don't watch DWTS, so I have no idea how the results shows do in the ratings as opposed to the regular shows. I do hope that the audiences for it and The Mentalist would be different enough to not make too much of an impact on TM's numbers.

They sure are marketing like it's a more serious Psyche.

I finally catched the Pilot episode, and here are a few of my impressions:

It feels to me a lot more like a CBS show, no question about it. More specifically, it plays like 'Criminal Minds' with the large team and the lead guy who observes tiny details and can deduce all sorts of stuff from it. His 'previous' life was apparently being some sort of TV Psychic. We don't see in the backstory exactly why he is working with the police now, but I guess there is a reason. It was interesting but not mindblowing. Just another procedural with none of the humor found in 'Psych'. The team has the required hard-ass lady lead, the newbie gal, the muscle guy and the Asian smart guy. Nothing new here. *yawn*

Simon Baker is very good here. Actually, now that i think about it, he should've replaced Grissom in CSI instead. The show is very watchable, but nothing new. Also, IMHO, There is too many people here. Three or four should be the max to make it interesting, but here the 'whatever' investigator team just plays along with the main character. He does all the deducing and investigation, and they come to arrest people. Too many characters, it is like 'numb3ers', where you have filler characters only to be killed in a season finale or to say random lines. Going against 'Fringe' is not necessarily bad, you got your sci-fi people and your crime procedural people. This show will find an audience and ran like 'Cold Case' or 'NCIS', below the radar.

I've only seen the commercials for it that CBS is beating into my head and I'm annoyed w/ The Mentalist. The smirk could use some toning down.

Just caught this today. I was hesitant to watch cause of the fake psychic thing as well, but was pleasantly surprised. Count me in.

Hmm...

I don't get the term fake psychic?? Isn't he supposed to be an "out of the closet" former psychic who is simply admittedly observant??

Either way, the promos that I've seen have me intrigued. I'm looking forward to checking it out!!

Can someone explain the commercials for this show? There's one where our amazing hero can spot the battered housewive, compulsive gambler, and cheating husband. What's so special about this considering:

a) these characters that he notices are as subtle as a hand grenade
b) all he's doing is just staring at people really closely

So, to me it seems our 'hero' is someone who has a 'stalker' mentality and stares at strangers on the street, but only can figure out people who have problems that are so blatant they might as well have a placard on their chests.

And this is interesting because.......?

Not only that, but in at least two instances, he could be quite wrong:

[1] Not everyone who carries the racing form is a compulsive gambler. In fact, if the stranger was a compulsive gambler, most likely the form wouldn't be so visible.

[2] Some guys have wives who kiss them (and, for all the times I've been kissed, I have NEVER had lipstick on my collar, especially in a perfect lip shape!).

This, combined with the smirk (Shawn The Real Fake Psychic earns his smirk) and a crowded schedule has pushed this show off the my viewing schedule.

I love the way Simon Baker smirks. And does everything else. Everything I've heard about this show has been good, and how much more could it suck than Fringe? I guess I'm not going to judge a show by it's promo monkey.

I wanted to like this show... I really did :o(

I was going to post the exact same thing.

I just didn't get the entire episode. Nothing was really explained. And I have not idea what any of the other character's names are or their roles. It just seemed very confusing. Just because the doctor had books that contained chapters about this serial killer but didn't kow the serial killer he was guilty? Maybe he just didn't read those chapters.

Spoiled becasue I believe this has aired in Canada but not US

I did like it. However...

I agree it was a bit confusing in parts, and by the time we knew Zelko Ivanek's character was the murderer, I'd completely forgotten what his history was with his victims. I also don't know the names of the character's yet, however, I find it usually takes me a few episodes to learn them.

That being said, I was in the minute I heard Simon Baker was attached to this. His American accent is flawless. As for his other works not mentioned here, he had a very small part in L.A. Confidential, but it is quite memorable.

I'll watch this solely for Simon Baker, he is kind of like chocolate truffles for me and makes everything better.

If it wasn't for him I wouldn't watch another procedural on CBS, a network that's in the doghouse with me for a variety of reasons.

I did the see the pilot screener months ago and liked it, though I don't know whether that was the finished product.

I wish they had used Gail O'Grady and Stephen Culp a little bit more (Love you, Clayton Webb).

I would watch Simon Baker do anything (Good God, I watched Smith. Of course that had the added Jonny Lee Miller yuminess).

I will definitely stick around because I found it entertaining. These shows usually hit their stride after a few eps.

Interesting first episode. I won't say much about it as I watched it up here in Canada last night - nice for us for a change. I didn't get any of the characters' names either and hope they will be more ingrained in my brain as the series continues.

I too starting watching for the eye candy - yummy Simon Baker - love the laugh lines and the man definitely has a great smile, although I'm not sure how much we'll be seeing it in this series. Kind of reminds me of Rob Morrow as his entire face lights up when he has a sincere smile.

I liked it! Although, in the interest of full disclosure, I'm a sucker for 1) wounded souls and 2) anything with Simon Baker.

That paper frog moment was impossibly charming. And I love the quiet intensity Simon brings to almost every role he's ever done. Was it me or was his accent slipping a little more than normal tonight? (not complaining! just observing)

btw, Simon was doing the smirk long before Shawn was even a plot bunny.

It was kinda meh to me.

I was confused throughout the entire episode. Did they solve the first murder? Why did we jump from the first murder to the random second murder all of a sudden? Who was gay and why does that matter? Who were the other characters?



WORD. What a waste of talent.

I'll tune in next week to give it another chance otherwise its back to Making the Band.

Okay, I didn't like everything and it was confusing at times, but I'm giving it 2 more episodes to shape up.

On the Patrick Jane character: Smart, smug, deep-seated emotional issues, and folds origami--he reminds me of Michael Scofield, but with those characteristics dialed up to 11.

That's what I was thinking, esp. with the origami!

I'm definitely watching more. The guy's a pattern reader, obviously, with an extraordinary memory. I hope we get more about how he trained and why he became a 'psychic' in the first place. The death of his family took him away from that it seems.

And I have to say, I always go for a well dressed man.

A good opening show. Nothing confusing about it. Opening case father was sleeping with his daughter until she did not want to anymore. Her diary told the story. The pivotal plot device in the second case.

A very sad undercurrent might kill the show. When a serial killer kills your family just to prove you are a fraud and you can not forgive yourself. Going so far as to sleep in the same room where they were killed on a mattress lying on the floor. A lot of despair to live with week in and week out.

If they are smart they will wrap of the serial killer thing very quickly and allow him to go on a healing journey.

I am of the "will watch it because of Simon Baker" school. (Anyone here used to post on the Guardian thread?)

That said, the first eppy wasn't terrible. Everyone is still a stock character at the moment, and if there's any acting talent (as well as writing talent) we might see them take on some human characteristics very soon.

Don't like the angry bitch boss...cliche. Hope they give her more than that soon. The Christian could be interesting if that actress could act. Right now The Guys are are indistinguishable. The forensics geek was delightful, and perhaps kind of a nudge at the CSI franchise.

I'll keep watching.

As the creator of the topic, I'm obviously on board. That being said it was great to see the pilot in HD. I can't wait to see something new.

I guess I'll go against the trend and say that was . . . pretty bad. Won't be watching again.