MovieChat Forums > Psych (2006) Discussion > So I just saw the first episode of The M...

So I just saw the first episode of The Mentalist...

posted 9 years ago by skippythegator
14 replies | jump to latest

I couldn't help but compare it to Psych. Unfair maybe, but I was thinking of Simon Baker, "well he tries, but he's no James Roday." ;)

Seriously though...I couldn't get a handle on the Jane character. He tries to be smart, he does that okay but comes off a little annoying; he tries to be - I don't know the word, arrogant maybe? - but since it's not a comedy, the character kind of just seems like an ass; and then there's a bit of recklessness near the end of the episode, which really doesn't seem very smart. (Particularly since he seems to have had more than enough time to create a plan and set things up.)

I guess my main problem with it at this point is the character isn't very likable - it's not that easy to sympathize or relate to him. Maybe it gets better in the later episodes?

Oh and I'm posting here because I don't want to run into any spoilers in the Mentalist boards.

[–] dogstar-12 9 years ago

I've watched maybe half a dozen Mentalists and the problem I have with it so far (which I think ties in to the problem you have with it) is that the cops on the show are genuinely hopeless without him. Lassie and Jules on Psych were basically as competent or as clueless as the episode required (and each had plenty of good scenes throughout the show) but I honestly don't think I've seen one of the Mentalist characters turn up a clue or lead, or even get a confession, without Jane there to guide them, and that can make his snarkiness downright unbearable.

[–] phrumpster 9 years ago

Youse actually watched the Mentalist? More than once? Seriously, dudes!

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[–] wisdombody7 9 years ago

I started watching The Mentalist after hearing it on Psych because I was so curious and ended up liking it. Jane grew on me but what I've noticed about Simon Baker (having just finished The Guardian on Netflix) is that he naturally has a quiet, arrogant demeanor.

Sometimes (on Mentalist) it's funny and endearing but other times, a bit obnoxious. The risks he takes are so beyond reality since it's more than likely many people would've been killed due to his antics (himself included!). I think they just really built the Jane character to be almost surreal and he feeds off of that.

[–] burwellington 9 years ago

you HAVE to watch the mentalist. it just finished and i will miss it very much. jane is a man in pain with one heck of a back story!

[–] FOXracingfan 9 years ago

I keep meaning to give The Mentalist a try because they've mentioned in on Psych, but I always forget about it when I'm hunting down a show to watch. If the main character isn't very likable I probably won't be able to sit down and watch a lot of it though.

[–] ShadowWinchesterX81 9 years ago

I watched it a bit, however day to day most of the episodes were just boring. There are dozens of crime shows on tv, and I didn't get the sense that this was bringing anything new enough to the table to hold my attention.

I mostly just skipped around and watched the Red John arc, as he was a genuinely frightening bad guy and the writing for his episodes was usually good. Its just a shame that the ending for that arc was so rushed and underwhelming. You could tell that they just kind of made it up as they went along.

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[–] napierslogs 9 years ago

I watched them the other way around. I watched The Mentalist shortly after it started - it goes more on the drama side than the comedy and I think Simon Baker really nails the character. But he's also at a very different place in life than Shawn. Shawn is still very immature and goes the comedy route of fake psychic. Jane has been a con-man, lost his wife and daughter to murder and is way more independent. He's going to solve cases on his own because he doesn't trust anyone and doesn't want to trust anyone. He's actually a very sad character so the fact that Simon Baker was able to infuse a little bit of comedy into him is very impressive.

So far I'm loving Psych - but it started out as pure comedy (even his relationship with his dad started out with a lot of comedy). James Roday at first was perfect at the physical comedy. Very over-the-top but that style of comedy was meant to be. I'm up to season 3 and I'm loving the more dramatic moments he has, but I also think he has the easier transition. Getting the audience invested in you with comedy and then deliver the more emotional moments. Whereas Jane is a fairly emotion-less character and he has to get the audience invested without much emotion and less comedy. I'm not surprised people like him less, especially, if you started with Psych. But they are two completely different characters with very different tools at their disposal to get the audience to care, and I think they both succeed in their own way.

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[–] daredevil334 9 years ago

Well said. I saw 'Psych' on TV from day-1, all the way to the end; even rated it a 10. But once I binge watched 'The Mentalist' over the last month, I've changed 'Psych's rating to a 7, and rated 'The Mentalist' a 10, so that it compensates for the lower ratings it currently has. Jane, Lisbon, Cho and the team, will be sorely missed.

And I find it difficult to believe that I sat through the dumb antics of Shawn and Gus for over 8 years

[–] Stratego (29190) 3 years ago

That's just dumb...

[–] AtheistRevolution 9 years ago

I would say Monk is the best hands down. I never really cared for Psych and couldn't get into it. The mentalist was great until the main plot ended.

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[–] hide86 9 years ago

I never really cared for Psych and couldn't get into it..

I would say give it another try...esp if you like Monk. He makes an "appearance" in Psych's last ep btw.

But why are you here on this board if you didn't watch/like the show...

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[–] Cognoscente (2463) 3 years ago

I think that The Mentalist owes more to Monk than Psych.

This article explains why: https://popcultmaster.com/2015/08/09/the-m-connection/

[–] king_of_bob 9 years ago

They're both a spin on Sherlock, so it makes sense that you would see similarities. But I do prefer the comedic spin Psych takes with the main character.

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[–] barbarapaulmayer 8 years ago

I love Psych, and I really liked the Mentalist - In the beginning.

My problems with the Mentalist started at the time they had numerous episodes regarding Red John, you know finding evidence, witnesses and then at the end of the episode the made like 20 steps backwards, all evidence was lost, witnesses killed or disappeared and so they were left with nothing.

The first episode like that was ok, but at some point, it was just annoying, mainly because they were so many episodes where the concentrated on the Red John story arc and ended up with less than they´ve got in the episode before.
I think it was during season 3 or 4 and I felt it was so unnecessarily, because at this point they would not have needed red John anymore to explain why Jane would stay at CBI and prolonging that arc was just not interesting for me. I couldn´t-care-less about Red John, so I stopped watching all the episodes were Red John was mentioned in the spoilers and then stopped watching it completely. I watched the episode where he kills Red John and heads of to Mexico and some episodes after that.

I could, however, imagine Jane as the future Shawn, you know if Shawn made some serious mistake and the fun is over for real and he is devasted, crushed and guilts himself over maybe Gus and Jules getting murdered or something like that.

Jane was a "it is all fun and play" kinda guy before his kid and wife were murdered, but changed afterwards. Just like Shawn was the same or at least similar.