The Mentalist  The Complete Third Season
Simon Baker, Robin Tunney, Tim Kang
24 Episodes 5 DVD
Originally aired 2010-11
Warner Home Entertainment 2011

The Mentalist is a very good TV thriller series starring Simon Baker as pseudo psychic Patrick Jane. Jane was once a successful TV medium until he challenged a serial killer named Red John. Red John killed Jane’s wife and child in retaliation. The series is centered on Jane’s hunt for Red John while he also helps the CBI, California Bureau of Investigation, with other cases. The Mentalist The Complete Third Season features 24 episodes on 5 DVD.

The Complete Third Season begins with Kristina Frye, a medium Jane was interested in, kidnapped by Red John. CBI has a new boss, Gale Bertram. Bertram is a man Jane immediately rubs the wrong way. A new character, Detective LaRoche is also introduced and he proves to be quite interesting.

Malcolm McDowell returns as Bret Stiles for an episode titled The Blood on His Hands. He’s good, the episode is weak. A few of the other solves like getting the killer to unearth the body and prove his guilt are also rather banal and déjà vu. This is made up for with some of the twists and turns of the Red John story including him having someone inside the CBI.

One of the many reasons The Mentalist is such an interesting TV mystery show is the interaction between Jane and Agent Lisbon (Robin Tunney). The show also has a sense of humor. The romantic tension between Grace and Wayne is a bit of a waste.

I looooooooved the opening scene of the Christmas show (episode 10). Things get really interesting in episode 16.

Special features for The Mentalist The Complete Third Season are: Portrait of a Serial Killer (a panel of real criminologists on this fictional killer); Unaired Scenes, Simon Baker on directing Red Moon.