The Mentalist musing.

[tenaya]

I'm really enjoying the Mentalist. Sitting here, I can't remember much about the plot, but I'm really liking how they are writing the regulars. It's like NCIS and Bones in that way--the plot is merely there to provide interaction between the characters. The balance reminds me more of Bones. There is UST between the leads, though not so much on The Mentalist. Instead, the relationship that has potential (realized on Bones) is between the supporting cast. As such, the romance can grow but it shouldn't affect the audience viewers as much as on Moonlighting. I think that's why it totally didn't work to bring on MD on NCIS. I think the writer's might have toyed with the idea of getting her together again with Gibbs and all those flashbacks to their hot and heavy affair just came across as uncomfortable for me.


Jane is appealing because of the playful humor, the attention and care he pays to the people around him, and the humbleness (a lesson he learned the hard way.) The character is much more balance as the show progresses. And of course it doesn't hurt Simon Baker is easy on the eyes. I admit to being surprised he's Australian as he does a very good American accent.

I think Lisbon is the least well defined. I'm glad she isn't playing the world weary detective any more as it didn't suit her. The only women who are that weary, that young are hookers or girls that have been abused.

Cho is great, but you have to pay attention to the little things. In fact, that's true for all the little tidbits they give us about the characters. Many shows I just listen to/half watch, but you can't do that with this show as you will miss many of the nuances that are the heart of the show. Anyway, back to Cho. A man of few words, quick to try to discern Jane's tricks but is not hostile to him. In fact, all of the team appreciate Jane's help and act on whatever he says, no matter how unsubstantiated it seems. I very much appreciate that no one on the team is jealous of Jane's skill or in denial about his abilities. That gets old fast and beside, it's not very teamy.

Van Pelt is a great female character--strong, feminine, smart and quite capable. Rigsby did not fare well in the first episode as I thought he was a sexist oaf, but he's turned into a nice guy. He's the muscle of the team, but it's his quiet yearning for more of a relationship with Van Pelt that is so sweet. I can totally get behind shipping these two (well, not writing it, but at least wanting them to get together.) She says no because they work together and after the bullshit on SG1, this is such a relief. I think she would be receptive to Rigsby, but she won't allow her feelings to go there.

Which makes me wonder why I like this but didn't like Sam/Jack. I think because the ship was there on the first script for TM, while it was a hard right turn on SG1 after 69 episodes. While one person is openly yearning for the other, it's in the background on TM while we had to view close ups of dewy eyes on SG1 and they wrote whole episodes to highlight it. On TM, Rigsby is not bothering Van Pelt with his attentions while on SG1, Carter kept approaching Jack trying to pry/force some sort of reciprocation from him. RDA never gave any indication Jack felt reciprocation and it made Carter's attention for him--for years--so unhealthy and to me, creepy. Of course, The Mentalist has only given us 12 episodes so I suppose they could yet screw this up but time will tell. For the moment, it's a very enjoyable hour of tv.

Comments

[obelix]

Ditto on everything you said. I could never buy the Sam/Jack thing it was always so forced and one sided and felt tacked on but mostly it changed Sam for the worst, like she couldn't be a normal human being. It was always too much.

The characters are evolving and gelling on the Mentalist and it's interesting to see their evolution.

[aurora-novarum.livejournal.com]

Yes to everything you said. Mentalist is my new shiny show. The one that is MUST see tv and I mourn the weeks it is preempted. I've got NCIS for my SG-1 teamy feel show, but this one I just love for...everything.

Many shows I just listen to/half watch, but you can't do that with this show as you will miss many of the nuances that are the heart of the show.

YES! I mean, sometimes they overkill the focus on "minor observations" and sometimes they make them too cryptic but it's balancing out. And the interaction between them all just seems all complicated and real and sweet. And whether I figure out the "whodunnit" or not in the first five minutes, I still don't care because I enjoy going along with Jane and the gang for the ride.

Yes...to all of it. yes.

[tenaya.livejournal.com]

I like the slow reveal of the supporting characters. It was surprising and kick to learn that Van Pelt knows a lot about football because her dad was a coach, or that Cho gets really freaked by spells even though he seemed to be the most pragmatic of the group. I hope they keep doing that.

[tenaya.livejournal.com]

You have fallen for it in a big way, haven't you? *g*

I like reading mysteries and once you get a feel for the style, it's fun to try to figure it out. I like that the Mentalist is that way, too. I knew the boys with the bikes were a clue, but I needed to notice the pink tassels. I like they give the mystery freaks a fair chance at solving it but if I can't suss it out, I don't care because the regular characters are so interesting.

There is a sweetness to the show. It is interesting because the most common complaint I see from people that don't care for it is that it's, as a friend recently said, too "arrogant? Insulting? abrasive? Off-putting? dense?" Maybe the first episode, but certainly not since. Perhaps she's not catching the nuances that are there but you have to watch to notice.

[aurora-novarum.livejournal.com]

I have, I really really have. :-D

Jane can be abrasive, but I thought the reveal at the end of the pilot showed why. I mean, House is a popular anti-hero too. But Jane isn't really an anti-hero so much. I think they've softened him (but not totally) in a good way.

[obelix]

That's one of the things I'm liking. The supporting characters started as props for Jane but now they are becoming their own characters and that makes it interesting. I especially liked Van Pelt this week, she's growing on me and Cho is such a contradiction.

[aizjanika.livejournal.com]

I'm really enjoying The Mentalist, too, so far. I actually like the relationship between Jane and Lisbon--not as a ship, but just as a sort of mentor/big sister type of thing. It seems to work.

For me Sam/Jack was a big right turn on the show as well, but even that wouldn't have bugged me so much as the *way* they did it when they tried to force it, by de-emphasizing other relationships and then dragging it on for so long.

As you mentioned, there haven't been many episodes of The Mentalist yet, but so far, I'm really enjoying it.

[aizjanika.livejournal.com]

Hee! You convinced me to give it a try, and you were right. I really like this show. I'm still recording Fringe, but it's been relegated to the non-HD Tivo and the crappy TV in my office. I record The Mentalist in HD and watch it on the big TV now. hehe

[tenaya.livejournal.com]

Exactly. When it started I wondered if I even needed to learn the team's names and that didn't appeal to me. It was a pleasant surprise to see some good development going on there.

I thought Van Pelt was going to be there just to be sexy and be lusted after. But instead, they've made her smart, competent and a person in her own right. I just didn't expect that.

[tenaya.livejournal.com]

When he's being rude it's to observe a reaction or supply cover to investigate something else. It's always deliberate and for a reason and usually to people hiding something. In the last ep, he pushed more than was polite to the dead boy's parents yet was pleasant around the Wiccan who was very forthcoming and helpful.

House gets a kick out of cutting people down whereas that's now Jane's motivation.

[aurora-novarum.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was thinking more of like the pilot where he went off the wall rude to that CSI dude at the faked Red John scene...but at the end we realize he's more than just an investigator, he's a victim (with lots of issues).

You're right in other instances. He does it to gauge reactions and get the measure of someone.

(Bwah ha ha. We've converted aiz!)

[tenaya.livejournal.com]

It's an multi-layered relationship. There is a mentor thing going on yet she is quite protective of him and tries to keep an environment where he can work. There's also a level of trust because he does rub people the wrong way but she trusts that he is uncovering the truth and isn't going to alienate someone who will have a righteous complaint when it's all said and done.

Sam/Jack. I can't believe the show is over now for two years and they are still beating that long dead horse. They have no sense of timing. Have you ever seen that Charlie Brown cartoon where Lucy offers to hold the football so Charlie can kick it, and he keeps falling for it even though she never let's him kick it? That's how Bridge is with the shippers. My god they are so gullible, so eager to be fooled again. This has been going on for 9 years! No wonder it's a button for me.

[tenaya.livejournal.com]

I tell people not to pay too much attention to the pilot; I think it misdirects people on what to expect. No one comes off sympathetic to me in the pilot. Pilots are always rough but that one is in particular!

Sounds like you converter her. She's not given up that David guy though, I bet. *g*

[obelix]

It's refreshing to have not one but TWO female character who are competent and smart and yes people in their own right an oh yes Van Pelt is interested in a coworker and may think of what ifs but that's it, she has a job to do and that's more important!

What a nice change ;-)

[moonchildetoo.livejournal.com]

We missed you yesterday! :-(

Right now I need to catch up two eps I have TiVO'd and haven't watched yet, due to Other Things going on in my life...sigh. I love that they are, indeed, making PJ a complex character who is literally 'on the edge' most of the time. I love his 'less than perfectness', so rare in American media - but I'm sure it's due to the fact that the series creator is a Brit and sees nothing unusual in less than perfect characters.

Cho - what can I say? I adore him more with each ep. I read that the creator/writers 'write lean' and encourage the actors to fill in their characters, and to me he's done by far the best job at that. Look how many people love this character.

Van Pelt - well, I don't like her, basically. She may be smart, but I'm not sure yet how strong or capable she is. She may get there, but at this stage I still feel like she's a wannabe lots of things and her religiosity completely turns me off.

Rigsby is growing on me. Of all the actors, I feel that Owain Yeoman has done the least with his character, but I have seen improvements in that we are very slowly seeing more as the weeks go by. If I were Van Pelt, though, I would still be more "ewww!" than "cool!" at his attentions.

Lisbon - I agree that they haven't done much with her yet, and hope they will soon. I like the chemistry she has with PJ and hope they continue to build on that. I also agree that while I like that PJ doesn't usually snow her, and she's pretty on to him a lot of the time at least as far as his own mental state, she isn't so jaded you write her off as a one-note character. I'm not sure I'd like a romance but I like the flirting, and I think I'd like a good, solid friendship even more.

[aurora-novarum.livejournal.com]

True 'nuff. No one was sympathetic...but I sure found them intriguing. (Yes, fell for show HARD from get go).

Of course, I got astrumporta to start paying attention to it by pointing out how charismatic/hot Simon Baker is. :-)

[tenaya.livejournal.com]

It is a breath of fresh air. After SG1, Without a Trace and others, it is so nice that there are still writers in Hollywood that get it that it's not ethical to date your boss/coworker.

[tenaya.livejournal.com]

You fell for it on the pilot? Wow. I try to give a new show about 6 eps to find their stride and since it didn't insult or bore me, I kept watching.

You've been pimping this show left and right, haven't you? *g* I think you luck out on astrumporta as she was on the rebound from SGA. *g*

[tenaya.livejournal.com]

Jane is flawed and wounded, which is always intriguing. The usual flaw these days is to make them hard asses. The cool thing about Jane is that behaviorly, he has moved into being a nicer, more humane character because of his tragedy.

There were a few Van Pelt moments in that last ep. I wonder if you will like her any better after you see it.
I don't mind if people are religious, I just strongly object if they think they are better than others or try to push their religion onto others.

Very interesting that the writers want to the actors to fill in; great idea that is working well for the moment.

In the pilot, I thought Van Pelt would have to go all sexual harrassment complaint on Rigsby to get him clue, but he's changed how he relates to her. Perhaps Yeoman is moving his character that way. If he said a predator he would certainly not be in balance with the team.

Lisbon has room to grow. I think their was one ep where I wondered if they were supposed to have UST, but for the most part I read good friendship with a little bit of flirtation.

[moonchildetoo.livejournal.com]

I'm caught up now :-)

Love Cho even more. Loved how they all instantly supported and helped him when he quit - a far cry from their feelings for him in the first couple of eps, eh?

Yep, the PJ/Van Pelt bit was cute, but I wish she had just a bit more sense of humor.

I find it interesting that three actors I used to see in the same 99-seat theater in WeHo have all been on the show. There must be some connection somewhere. Greg Itzin, who plays Minelli (the CBI boss), Lawrence Pressman, who played the university chancellor in the ep with PJ's psychiatrist, and Sebastian Roche, who played the Russian in tonight's ep. Either a connection, or Bruno Heller has an eye for the best character actors in town.