The Mentalist Season 1

The Mentalist Season 1 is currently streaming on and , and its case-by-case structure never gets in the way of the bigger story. A single, tightly-focused season means there is plenty to get through without ever feeling padded. 4,412 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Simon Baker leads a cast that carries the story without ever feeling mechanical. There is no real reason to keep putting it off.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, The Mentalist Season 1 is worth clearing space for. The Mentalist Season 1 treats its mystery as a means, not an end in itself. Patrick Jane is a celebrity psychic whose wife and child are viciously murdered by an elusive serial killer called Red John. Devastated, Patrick admits his paranormal act is fake, renounces his earlier life and uses his astonishing skills of observation and analysis - talents that made him appear psychically gifted - to bring killers to justice. At crime scenes across California, Patrick now helps an elite team of detectives break their toughest cases. Simon Baker and Robin Tunney lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was aired in 2008. The Mentalist Season 1 is at its best in the quiet scenes between the plot beats, where the character work actually happens. It rarely drops the ball, and when it does, it recovers fast.

If you cannot walk away from a good mystery, The Mentalist Season 1 will keep you hooked. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. A contained run means every episode is doing real work. Simon Baker anchors it, but the writing does the real work. If you are going to commit to one crime drama this month, make it this one.