The Mentalist Season 1 [DVD]

Golden Globe Award nominee Simon Baker stars as Patrick Jane, an independent consultant with the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI) who has a remarkable track record for solving serious crimes by using his razor sharp skills of observation. Within the Bureau, Jane is notorious for his blatant lack of protocol and his semicelebrity past as a psychic medium, whose paranormal abilities he now admits he feigned. Jane's role in cracking a series of tough high-profile cases is greatly valued by his fellow agents. No-nonsense Senior Agent Teresa Lisbon (Robin Tunney) leads the CBI team, which includes agents Kimball Cho (Tim Kang), Wayne Rigsby (Owain Yeoman) and rookie member Grace Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti), who all think Jane's a loose cannon but admire his charm and knack for clearing cases.

Approximately 996mins run time

The rest of the cast is terrific, especially Robin Tunney, who may have found the role, and series, of a lifetime, as Teresa Lisbon, the head of the squad, who must keep Jane on track but give him enough lead to assist the often skeptical power structure. There's undeniable chemistry between Jane and Lisbon, yet any potential romance is superseded by a very real-feeling mutual respect and admiration, which shows its own kind of tenderness. Other stellar cast members include Tim Kang (the all-business Kimball Cho), Owain Yeoman (the ambitious rookie Wayne Rigsby), and Amanda Righetti (the doe-eyed newbie Grace Van Pelt, who may have a lot to learn in traditional police work, but who has a deep understanding of and respect for Jane's psychic abilities). Another star worth mentioning: The location shots all around California, which give the show a life and depth seldom seen on network series. The lush real settings--a mansion in San Francisco, a weedy rural road outside Bakersfield--add to the immediacy and intensity of the story lines. --A.T. Hurley