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Is "The Mentalist" a Take on Sherlock?


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That's a great comparison.

 

 

The series gets bogged down eventually in the 'Hunt for Red John', and seems to want to insist on making Patrick and his 'Lestrade' into a romantic couple despite a glaring lack of sexual chemistry between the leads.  But for a while it's great fun cataloging all of Patrick's more Sherlockian characteristics.

 

TBH, this puts me off most TV shows.  Having no extra insight into the matter see this as a cliche of modern television writing and perhaps it increases interest in the TV show.  Personally, I think a romance only distracts one from the plot.  The Ellery Queen TV series, Murder She Wrote, Columbo, Monk etc never got into it and that was a good thing, imo.

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Yeah, if the characters are going to have a romance, I much prefer it be with someone who is NOT a coworker. That gets old so fast.
 
 

The Differences:
 
Patrick is a blond.  Also, an American, though essayed by that saucy Aussie export, Simon Baker.  Si's American is bang-on . .every bit as good as Hugh Laurie's.

Thank you! That's been bugging me ever since I first saw the show ... Simon Baker clearly wasn't an American (too cute :P) (and too "not macho") but he didn't seem to be British either. I never thought of Australian. Of course, I could have googled him but I wasn't really thinking about him that much, honest.... :D

 

The series gets bogged down eventually in the 'Hunt for Red John', and seems to want to insist on making Patrick and his 'Lestrade' into a romantic couple despite a glaring lack of sexual chemistry between the leads....

Oh good, I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought so! I thought they were great as co-workers, but as a romantic couple? No way.

I was never a consistent watcher, and ended up seeing most of it after it was in syndication, so I couldn't follow the Red John plot ... did they ever resolve it?

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Yes, it was resolved.  Rather poorly, in my opinion.  It was lame.

 

 

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Yeah, if the characters are going to have a romance, I much prefer it be with someone who is NOT a coworker. That gets old so fast.

 

 

The Differences:

 

Patrick is a blond.  Also, an American, though essayed by that saucy Aussie export, Simon Baker.  Si's American is bang-on . .every bit as good as Hugh Laurie's.

Thank you! That's been bugging me ever since I first saw the show ... Simon Baker clearly wasn't an American (too cute :P) (and too "not macho") but he didn't seem to be British either. I never thought of Australian. Of course, I could have googled him but I wasn't really thinking about him that much, honest.... :D

 

The series gets bogged down eventually in the 'Hunt for Red John', and seems to want to insist on making Patrick and his 'Lestrade' into a romantic couple despite a glaring lack of sexual chemistry between the leads....

Oh good, I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought so! I thought they were great as co-workers, but as a romantic couple? No way.

 

I was never a consistent watcher, and ended up seeing most of it after it was in syndication, so I couldn't follow the Red John plot ... did they ever resolve it?

 

I never thought of being American as a handicap to cuteness especially, but it is very true that Australia turns out some of the best-looking men in the world.  Being an Aussie male, as well as a surfing champion in his native country, Simon might be a bit miffed to hear that he's not macho . . but you're right, Patrick Jane is not macho--he's more of a metrosexual.

 

One of my favorite moments of the show (and testament to Patrick's impish sense of humor) is when he hypnotized Agent Rigsby and, under hypnotic suggestion, Rigsby gave Agent van Pelt a kiss hot enough to melt the television screen.  Rigsby is in love with van Pelt, but the big lug is too shy to make a move, thinking she's way out of his league.  When he comes to, he's got no recollection of the event, but everyone else saw it, and he doesn't understand why everyone is acting so weird.  Naughty Patrick!

 

Simon Baker has a small but very memorable role in "L.A. Confidential"--that movie in which three Australian actors, all virtual unknowns, proved that Australian drama schools are probably superior to any of our homegrown programs.  That is one of my favorite movies and I heartily recommend it.

 

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If it hasn't already been mentioned, you may also like the TV show Monk.  He too uses a deductive style.

 

I absolutely *love* Monk!  We just finished watching all eight seasons, and even though the wrap-up was wonderful, I'm ready for season nine!

 

Both have an evil nemesis which they pursue unceasingly-- [....] for Patrick, one 'Red John', the serial killer that murdered his family and taunts him mercilessly with bloody smiley faces left behind at the scenes of RJ's homicides.

 

I believe (and Herlock should be able to confirm or refute) that Jack the Ripper was also known as "Red Jack" -- and "Jack" is a nickname for "John."  Wonder if they named him "Red John" for that reason?

 

Personally, I think a romance only distracts one from the plot.  The Ellery Queen TV series, Murder She Wrote, Columbo, Monk etc never got into it and that was a good thing, imo.

 

I agree.  The shows you mention mostly keep the romance in the background (e.g., Columbo's beloved but never-seen wife) or in the past (e.g., Jessica Fletcher's late husband, and Adrien Monk's murdered wife).  So the main character doesn't need to be a monk (so to speak) in order to keep romance from running away with the show.

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Oh yeah, one more thing:

 

Both are retained as consultants by an official police force.  [....] Patrick, by the fictitious agency, the California Bureau of Investigation.

 

It sure sounds fake, doesn't it?  I'd never heard of it, even when I lived in California.  But you don't get a "ca.gov" website unless you're legit.  (Here's Wikipedia's description of the Bureau.)

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Oh! I remember doing the same thing a long while back ... looking to see if it was real. Because yes, it sure does sound fake!
 
Just out of curiosity I just looked to see if my state also has a Bureau of Investigation ... it does! Well, almost: it's the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, more commonly known as "the State Police." (Which, I just noticed, sounds uncomfortably Orwellian...) 
 
Ahem ... at any rate; were you all aware that January is National Stalking Awareness Month? The BCI wants you to know. ;)

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