BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / The Mentalist

**Posted by kazza474** March 18, 2012 9:27 am

I've just started watching this from the start.

I have heard that apparently he uses the rubber ball under the arm trick later on, but as I am only on Series 1, the one thing I noticed (besides his ability to use commonsense clues like Sherlock) is that he has described his 'deducing' as going to his Memory Palace.

Hmm.

**Posted by m0r1arty** March 18, 2012 9:05 pm

They really should just have called it "Derren Brown PI". It's a nice show but it is a blatant rip off of Derren's work.

I enjoyed the Red John episodes - they only keep them for special occasions though.

Enjoy, it really is quite decent.

-m0r

**Posted by kazza474** March 22, 2012 3:57 am

I don't see it as a blatant rip off of Brown, over the decades I have seen many similar people all using the same ideas, all exposing the frauds, etc etc. That's really not a new concept.

But using these things in a drama series this way is a novel idea. Whilst being entertaining, it also cheekily mocks other shows that use these ruses as part of their theme.

**Posted by BrandoMan13** March 22, 2012 5:53 am

Big fan of this show. Been watching from the start.

As far as ripping off another show, all I can say is you watch enough of these types of shows and everyone borrows from everyone. I've seen Murdoch Mysteries borrow an episode from Columbo.

The Mentalist used the ball under the arm trick.

In a late 90's episode Columbo makes a remark about there not being dust where there should be. IIRC Sherlock made mention about dust or lack therof as a clue of where Moriarty might have been in 221B.

It is hard to have tons of original ideas nowadays haha.

**Posted by kazza474** April 28, 2012 8:57 am

OMG, I have been watching this show online & have caught up to the most recent.
There's some darn good stuff in that there show.... BUT

RUBY SLIPPERS has just been shown in the US; and I gotta say, it was brilliant!
And put that with the fact that I caught on early who killed the victim; but the final ending was such an amazing reveal; I loved it!!!
And on rewatching, yep I shoulda guessed it.
This show is SO much like Sherlock; the clues are all there in front of you! Great practice for deducing really.

I just cannot say enough how brilliant it was!
It did have a subject matter close to my heart in a way, maybe that has something to do with it; but man, was it GOOD?!!!

Last edited by kazza474 (April 28, 2012 8:57 am)

**Posted by kazza474** May 19, 2012 8:52 am

Just watched the series finale; I am speechlessly flawed.

**Posted by sherlockskitty** May 22, 2012 6:31 am

I Love simon Baker. I love this show, but I haven't been watching it for the last few moinths so I need to catch up on it somehow. But his character--I've even forgotten the NAME of his character!! (I'm a baaaadd kitty) he does MANY things like sherlock does...he even has the couch to lie down on, and he makes deductions which the officers don't even think of and don't like---but the end result is clear-- he solves the cases, for the most part. I guess I fell in love with Simon's blond curly locks....

**Posted by kazza474** May 22, 2012 7:16 am

Patrick Jane

**Posted by sherlockskitty** May 22, 2012 10:13 pm

thank you kazza!! He's not wearing the scarf, like Sherlock does.....oh well.

**Posted by Smoggy_London_Air** July 14, 2012 10:06 pm

I like Simon Baker (he's Australian, but I'm sure you knew that, kazza) and I'm just a bit addicted to The Guardian right now. As soon as I'm done with that I'll continue with The Mentalist, because I watched the first 4 episodes.

Earth to CBS: You've got this pretty brilliant Sherlock Holmes adaptation already. Why do you need another?

**Posted by kazza474** July 15, 2012 7:55 am

Owain (Rigsby) tweeted this today:
Owain Yeoman @OYeoman
We got the first two scripts of season 5 tweeps. Looking great! Mentalist returns Sunday's 10pm sept for our biggest and best season yet!!

Yay, cannot wait!

**Posted by sherlockskitty** August 9, 2012 5:36 am

wow you got all that from a tweet. I'll have to watch this show again...But you're right, seems like Sherlock's ideas are really catching...and contagious...I only need ONE sherlock, but he's only on for 3 90 minute episodes per year. what's a kitty to do?

**Posted by The Doctor** August 9, 2012 11:13 am

Just making a point, the dust thing has been used in MANY novels and films over the last decades..

**Posted by saturnR** November 24, 2013 12:48 am

Episode Red John is on tonight. Can't wait. It's not gonna be any of the people on Jane's list. It will be another character & everyone will smack their heads & go why didn't I see that it was him/her?

Last edited by saturnR (November 24, 2013 12:49 am)

**Posted by besleybean** November 20, 2024 8:43 pm

My brother got me into this, while we were staying in Scarborough together.
I really like it.
I am continuing to watch it, now I'm back home.