And so it began…

On September 23, 2008 a new show titled The Mentalist aired its pilot episode. It was to be the beginning of a 7 season journey, detailing the story of the troubled but talented Patrick Jane.

There are a couple of drivers for creating this substack and developing this topic. As many people discovered during the Pandemic, this TV show was the perfect vehicle for binge-watching during those dreary housebound days and nights.

I did watch most of the series during its original release, but it came into it’s glory during the later part of 2020, when the world seemed to be on lockdown. Since this time, I’ve made many online friends around this show - mostly on Twitter and instagram, but also on other social media sites along the way. The most interesting thing to me, is that this show keeps gaining new followers in every age group - the appeal is that strong because the characters are so relatable.

The last reason for my creating this newsletter is that I fear losing many of my online friends now that Twitter is in decline and people are moving to other platforms for connection - some of which will invariably be lost.

The show began with..

Five distinct characters - each carrying their own baggage, but none as great as Patrick Jane - a fake psychic and conman out to avenge the horrific murder of his wife and daughter, and with a penchant for tea and getting himself into trouble. Something the rest of the team soon got used to dealing with, including bailing him out of trouble more often than not. The fact that Jane possesses a variety of skills he explains away by saying he “just pays attention” adds to the mystery of the character. Actor Simon Baker brings more than good looks to the mix for his portrayal of Patrick Jane as shown in the pilot episode here.

But the best part?

“Honestly, it’s not as bad as it looks.” ~ Patrick Jane