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A man driven by murder and mental prowess: The Mentalist is a show not to be missed.

Once upon a time, Patrick Jane (the utterly gorgeous Simon Baker) was a television psychic with the world at his fingertips: a beautiful wife and daughter, more money than he could spend and nothing holding him back. But one day he taunted a serial killer known as Red John while on air, and Red John did not take it well. He murdered Jane’s wife and child, breaking Jane.

Now, discredited as a psychic he owns up to what he really is: a man with extraordinary powers of observation. He uses his skills as a consultant with the California Bureau of Investigation, or CBI, as a consultant for their major crimes unit run by Teresa Lisbon (Robin Tunney), a cop who knows that Jane bends the rules (sometimes to the point of outright breaking them) and supports them because, at the end of the day, she and her team want to save lives and solve crime.

Also on the team is the constantly cool and collected Kimball Cho (Tim Kang), Wayne Rigsby (Owain Yeoman) and the woman Rigsby crushes on, lovely redheaded Grace Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti). The dynamic between the three underlings is one of almost sibling rivalry, though the sexual tension between Rigsby and Van Pelt is one of the more fun aspects of the show - especially in the second to last episode, “Blood Brothers” when Rigsby takes off his shirt (Yum, yum. Get a load of that chest. Yowza).

Jane is the entire reason to watch the show, despite how wonderful the various other cast members are (and they are wonderful). With his charming, playful, almost childlike manner and his tragic past combined with a mental acumen that he uses like a kid with a new, shiny toy, Baker is as beguiling as he is handsome (in a very retro, 70’s way. Also? He wears a vest like no one else). He is clearly amused with himself most of the way through every episode, and his sweet, boyish grin makes all of his crazy antics utterly endearing.

The plot between Jane and Red John is dead cool; Jane’s silliness is only second to his reserve to catch and kill the monster that murdered his family. Red John’s trademark smiley face is sinister, and yet an excellent mirror to Jane’s lighthearted demeanor in a business as serious as catching killers. They are closer than two sides of the same coin - almost separate sides of the same person. Incredibly intelligent with an eye for little things, the two men are both beautiful embodiment of the light and dark dichotomy (Jane with his hunt for justice and need for violent revenge and John with his love of whimsy, like painting the toenails of his victims in their own blood, in his hunt for wretched death).

Bonuses on this box set include two featurettes - “Evidence of a Hit Series”, which takes you behind the scenes (and if you, like me, lust after Rigsby, then for the love of all that is sexy don’t watch this. While Baker’s Australian accent is hotter than hot, Yeoman’s British one doesn’t do his character any favors), “Cracking the Crystal Ball” which goes into the differences between psychics and mentalists - some deleted scenes and a gag reel. Nothing stands out, but in a show as phenomenal as this one, bonuses are hardly required to make this box set worth owning. 

The Mentalist was one of the best new shows of last season, and its return was almost painful in the waiting. Jane, Lisbon and company walk the tightrope between action and comedy, and they do it with style and grace.

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