Patrick Jane use to use his talents at reading people and hypnosis to con people out of money claiming he could talk to the dead. But when the serial killer “Red John” brutally killed Jane’s wife and daughter he gave up his life as a conman. Instead he uses his abilities of observation for good now working with the police on other crimes and murders hoping that one day he will be able to help catch “Red John” and finally get his revenge.

With a plot like that it would be very easy for a show like this to get dark and stay there. What keeps this from happening is Jane is a fairly happy, laid back guy unless the “Red John” storyline pops up. There is a great deal of comedy throughout helping this stand out from shows like “CSI”. Think more along the lines of “NCIS” mixed with a little bit of “Lie To Me”. Jane’s talents, tricks, and way of reading people are intriguing. And Simon Baker is cast perfectly as the charismatic conman turned straight. The only time that I occasional shake my head is at a few of their tricks in attempting to make someone confess (Having an arm come out of the ground to scare a teen boy after telling a ghost story? Not a great idea). But the “Red John” storyline more than makes up for it.

Bonus Features:
Lost Evidence – Extended/Deleted scenes
Evidence Of A Hit Series – Cast & Crew talk about the show & characters
Cracking The Crystal Ball: Mentalist Vs. Psychic – Psychics and others talk about helping out with crimes
Surveillance Video – Gag Reel