When I was watching "Attack on Titans," my first anime watch, I decided to record every movie, tv show, anime and books. Record of me watching, some good vibes related to it, and my rating. As rating helps in suggesting others. All these things are great source of joy and discussion, all you need is a company with same mindset. And, for the time being, I really followed this concept. However, my phone got broken, and with that, I lost the data stored in the "Notes." I say: a noobie mistake. Anyways, this is where Scrobble comes. Yes, I may not be watching stuff like I used to, back in time. Life has its own ways of humbling us - the adulthood part. But, thanks to Scrobble, I was able to record every episode including the vibes, ratings and stuff I found worth mentioning.
Will I ever be reopening those?
Seriously, I doubt it. But yes, if I ever think of discussing anything in particular, I will surely be checking it again. If not, I am just happy to share my perspective of that particular episode.
Anyways, I am talking about "The Mentalist" tv show.
Currently I am on Season 2, episode 3 halfway through. In the beginning, I was really quick with it. Almost three or four episodes on daily basis. Nowadays, one or max two is the approach. Before discussing about the pros and cons (this one has), let us go for the basics and formals.
The Storyline
The Mentalist follows Patrick Jane, who is an independent consultant working with the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Jane is exceptionally observant, manipulative and big narcissist; he reads people, notices tiny details, predicts behaviour and often solves cases without relying on conventional police methods.
Every episode has its own story, but almost the pattern for every episode is the same. There is a murder, team investigates, and killer is found by the end. However, there are interesting things as well most important one is the protagonist - Patrick Jane, and the big villain - Red John. Red John, for his revenge against Patrick, killed his family i.e. the wife and the only child. Cruel world to live in, right? Humans killing humans.
Basically, the season works on two levels: a procedural crime drama on the surface; and a personal revenge story underneath.
Characters.
Usually analysis is the best part to write, for me, but characters are the favorite. More like the analysis itself. The focus is on the main lead, and the best part is: every character has its own charm.
Patrick Jane - the Protagonist.
He is handsome for sure, has a charming smile. And as said earlier, a big narcissist, arrogant, playful and IQ level extremely high. He can read people mind. He can even hallucinate you. The best characteristic of his? He does not take even the murder so serious. He will always find a way to crack a joke. However, let is be Red John related thing; he is all serious. And at that moment, he loses every charm of his - even the great intelligence. The reason is: grief, guilt and strong sense for revenge. Then, somehow, he always gets out of serious - almost near death - situations, through his manipulative and calm nature. He is a big mouth for that.
It will not be wrong to call it a "Patrick Jane" show. Still, without the team, this show will become boring and repetitive.
Teresa Lisbon - the Team Leader.
Lisbon!!!!! This is all I can hear while writing. Patrick really calls her in a beautiful way. She is all practical and responsible. She cares about the law, rules, ethics. Patrick, on the other hand, is less worried about these things. He do it for the fun. As he himself says: "he loves to be right." Because of this particular reason, Lisbon is sceptical of Jane's methods but truly understands his worth. She, often, acts as a counterpart for Jane.
Kimball Cho - the CHO BUSINESS.
Character so goated deserves his own seperate image
This guy is quiet, serious and exte=remely deadpan. But he really knows the way of doing things. His attitude always gets me. There is a scene, where he is investigating a suspect. That suspect is a big shark, and he threatens Cho with "just one phone call" to ruin your career thing. In reply, Cho says that is impressive, all he can get with a phone call is "PIZZA." Moreover, Cho is a natural with girls. He really knows how to deal and attract them. Then, there he is reading books during waiting areas. His calmness and straightforward personality makes him special, that too in its own ways.
Wayne Rigsby - the Awkward Lover.
Although, he is more than just a lover. He plays an important role for the team. He is good hearted, awkward type and sometimes comical. He is loyal to the team and protective of them. He has feelings for the once newbie - Grace - but find it hard to express. All those scenes of him really makes him the joyful character. One important thing about him: he is always hungry. Lol, always looking for food.
Grace Van Pelt - the Hard Woker.
Sorry to Van Pelt, but Grace reminds me of Thomas Shelby. A single human can traumatized "the already broken heart" again. Love has its own ways of dealing with emotions.
But here we are talking about Van Pelt. SHe is idealistic, enthusiastic and bit inexperienced compared with the others. She has strong belief about justice and morality, and her faith in people sometimes clashes with the darker realities of police work. I really love her character, as she is all work, and sometimes personal life. She has also developed feelings for Rigsby. But dah! My man is too shy to ask her out straight. And there is another reason, no relationship between co-workers, because it will impact their work.
The Revenge.
There are many things to talk about for the analysis. But, I have already written a lot, and I do not want to make it a boring autobiography stuff. So, this revenge thing is the most fascinating one for me.
There are many instances where Jane discusses, especially with Lisbon, how he will treat Red John once he found him. He will literally annihilate his existence in the worst painful manners. Lisbon does not accept this part, but she knows that Jane is quite serious about the revenge for his wife and daughter.
However, there is this one episode, where a woman murders a person because her daughter became addicted to drugs, sold by the murdered woman, and died.
And, in the end, Jane asks this question: how does it (revenge) feels?
Her reply really surprised him, and me too. She said: it does not change anything. Oh my words! Neither her daughter is coming back, nor those moments. Yes, the revenge i.e. justice in this scenario has been served. But, it is not bringing any real joy. The mother is ready to trade everything just to get her daughter back. This thing makes Jane question, will his revenge change anything? Because Season 2 starts with this thing. When Lisbon's team is changed by another team for the Red John's case. And Patrick was all set to quit at that moment. However, the plot armor saved him from doing this. Just kidding! He is a narcissist, but a good person at heart.
The Pro x Con: repetitive in nature.
Now this thing is the pro and the con at the same time. The show seems repetitive at times. Like one or two episodes are good, but it is hard to watch the next one. I find it good as well as bad at the same time. The only thing which keeps me hooked is Patrick Jane's obsession with Red John. I really want to see what will happen ahead. How will he find him? What will he do to him?
In the end, it might not be the best one out there. But it is totally worth it. Maybe not a usual watch, where plot seems to keep us hooked. The characters are the real joy of this show. There side stories and personalities keep the show alive. By far, Patrick Jane is the charm of Season 1; still it is not his show only.
Ratings as of now:
| Rating Source | Score |
|---|---|
| IMDb | 8.2/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 60% |
| Personal Rating | 80/10 |
I wrote a big one, and did not even realise. It was quick, my hands were moving faster with the mind. And, now I do not know what I will be writing for seasons ahead. Lol!
Rating: 80/100
Originally posted through scrobble.life/tv.
