120 Fun Facts About The Mentalist

What was Patrick Jane's profession before he became a police consultant?

He now insists there is no such thing as psychics, but he still uses the cold-reading and hypnosis tricks from his old act.

Which agency employs Patrick Jane as a consultant for the first five and a half seasons?

The unit is based in Sacramento; the building used as its headquarters is actually the back of a historic downtown hotel, the Pico House.

Who created The Mentalist?

He had just come off an expensive HBO epic and wanted to prove he could build a hit inside the constraints of network television.

How many episodes of The Mentalist aired in total?

The run stretched from September 2008 to February 2015 across seven seasons.

What were the names of Jane's murdered wife and daughter?

Charlotte was named after two films written by the creator's father, Lukas Heller: Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?.

How long before the pilot did Jane's television boast about the killer take place?

By the season-four episode "Red Rover, Red Rover", the killer is sending Jane a "Happy Anniversary" note for the ninth anniversary.

The season-two episode title "18-5-4" is a numeric code for which word?

Each number stands for a letter's position in the alphabet, so even the one title without a colour word still hides the show's signature colour.

What show did CBS want The Mentalist to work as a companion to?

Heller adapted his concept to fit that primetime slot after developing a very different, very expensive HBO epic.

Which USA Network comedy was The Mentalist frequently compared to?

The earlier show, about a fake psychic consultant in Santa Barbara, made repeated jokes about the similarities.

Where was The Mentalist mostly filmed?

A few scenes were occasionally shot on location in Sacramento, and invented towns stood in for real ones.

Which two Californian fictional locales did the show often use for its cases?

Using invented towns let the writers set murders anywhere in the state without upsetting real chambers of commerce.

Which star did the show's creator imagine when he wanted the lead to have physical and spiritual grace?

He described the character as half Sherlock Holmes, half street psychic: part detective, part con artist selling people lies.

Which network began syndicating The Mentalist in the fall of 2011?

CBS itself later ran the show weeknights in the summer of 2015 to fill the gap between Letterman's and Colbert's Late Shows.

How does Jane get around for most of the series?

After Red John's death he trades the pristine French classic for a battered trailer.

What does Jane drink in nearly every episode?

He has openly said he dislikes coffee, and he once asked Van Pelt to "bigify" something on her computer.

What is missing from Jane's trademark three-piece suit?

Heller said the vests are also a magician thing: they wear them because they need somewhere to hide things.

In which season-five episode does Jane finally have his scuffed brown shoes re-soled?

He wears the same battered pair in every episode of the series.

What mental technique does Jane rely on to store huge amounts of information?

He is also skilled at hypnosis, sleight of hand, pickpocketing and lock picking, though those rarely help solve a case.

How was the young Jane billed in his swindler father's carnival psychic act?

The flashback episode "Throwing Fire" shows the teenage Jane being tutored by his unscrupulous father.

Which episode reveals that Jane never went to school?

Growing up in travelling carnivals with a con-man father left him with plenty of skills but no formal education.

What did Jane suffer before he joined the CBI, a fact kept out of his records?

He later fakes a second collapse in season four purely to lure Red John into making contact.

Which CBI head first hired Jane as a consultant, as shown in the season-five flashback episode?

Jane had only come to the CBI to read the Red John files, and was let in after a then-agent assaulted him.

In "Fugue in Red", what causes Jane to partially lose his memory?

The episode shows how selfish the pre-CBI Jane was, prompting a memorably blunt one-liner from Cho.

Whom does Jane shoot with a shotgun in "Red John's Footsteps" to save Lisbon's life?

He throws the weapon down immediately afterwards, visibly shocked; it is the first of four men he kills in the series.

Which William Blake poem frames the symbolic relationship between Jane and Red John?

They are cast as the Tyger and the Lamb, a "fearful symmetry" that also runs through a secret code hidden in the series.

Where does Jane live during the two years after killing Red John?

The telephone country code shown is 58, which points to Venezuela.

What condition does Jane set before returning to the U.S. to work for the FBI?

He holds out for three months in his detention suite until the FBI agrees, and Lisbon then decides to join the Bureau.

What vehicle does Jane switch to after the death of Red John?

He also drops the vest from his suit until the fourth episode of season seven.

Which manga and anime character was partly inspired by the show's Patrick Jane?

TV Guide also put Patrick Jane on its list of TV's sexiest crime fighters.

What signature does Red John leave at his crime scenes?

He always draws it clockwise with three fingers of a gloved right hand; the one exception was skywritten in "Red John's Footsteps".

In what year is Red John believed to have begun his killing spree?

He and his acolytes are blamed for more than 70 deaths across California, Nevada and Mexico.

Who turns out to be Red John?

The character had first appeared, unassumingly, in the second episode of season one.

Which actor played the unmasked Red John?

His character was seen on screen only twice before the reveal, in disguise or with his face hidden.

What is the name of the secret organisation Red John founded and led?

It was a clandestine ring of corrupt California law-enforcement officials with a secret two-word password taken from Blake.

Which actor played Timothy Carter, the man Jane shoots in a mall believing him to be Red John?

Season four opens with Jane on trial for the killing, acquitted by a jury he masterfully manipulates.

How does the blind Rosalind Harker confirm that Timothy Carter was not Red John?

Red John had courted her for two months under a false name after his car supposedly broke down near her home.

What alias did Red John use during his relationship with Rosalind Harker?

The name Roy later turns up scrawled beside the body of Lorelei Martins's murdered sister.

In the season-two finale, what does Red John recite while Jane is tied to a chair?

He had just saved Jane from two deranged slasher-movie makers, Ruth and Dylan, who were about to kill him.

How many final Red John suspects does Jane name at the end of season five?

Red John's own video, delivered by the dead Lorelei Martins, predicts the list exactly.

How is Red John's video message naming Jane's suspects delivered to him?

Gottlieb swallows a cyanide pill after her arrest, refusing like nearly all Red John's operatives to be taken alive.

Who plays Lorelei Martins, the Red John acolyte sent to seduce Jane in a Las Vegas bar?

Jane's drunken breakdown at the time was staged to make Red John believe he had given up.

What does Red John demand as a "present" before he will meet Jane in person?

The team responds by faking the murders of Lisbon and Rigsby at Jane's hands and going into hiding.

What crucial fact does Lorelei Martins accidentally let slip in season five?

Red John was so angry about the slip that Lorelei recorded a final video for him in exchange for a less painful death.

Who was the blogger James Panzer really, in the episode "Blinking Red Light"?

He belittled Red John on television and was found dead with a bloody smiley face hours later, proving Red John was still alive.

What does the little girl Hailey say Red John told her to ask Jane at the cemetery?

She has a red smiley face painted on her hand and greets him with "Hello, Patrick".

What are Todd Johnson's dying words to Jane after being set on fire in a CBI holding cell?

The EMT was exposed as a serial cop killer, and his death sparks the season-three mole hunt.

Which church, run by Bret Stiles, is Red John suspected of having belonged to?

Two bodies matching his methods were found on a farm the group once controlled, along with his signature on the barn.

Which agency does Bob Kirkland, one of Jane's final suspects, work for?

He was hunting Red John to avenge his twin brother, an accomplice presumed killed by the serial killer.

Who kills Bob Kirkland in the season-six episode "Red Listed"?

The killer and a police officer seal the cover story with a whispered password, exposing the conspiracy inside law enforcement.

Where does Jane gather the remaining Red John suspects in "Fire and Brimstone"?

Bret Stiles and another suspect die in an explosion there that lets Red John escape.

Where does the final confrontation between Jane and Red John begin?

Bertram is shot dead there by the henchman Oscar Cordero moments before the sheriff steps out.

What weakness of Red John's does Jane exploit to make him drop his gun?

Jane distracts him with breadcrumbs and a pigeon, then grabs a gun he had taped under a pew.

How does Jane finally kill Red John?

First he makes the killer blink his answers to two questions: whether he is sorry, and whether he is afraid to die.

Which two questions does Jane make Red John answer by blinking before killing him?

McAllister blinks twice, meaning yes, to both.

What did the show's creator compare Red John to when explaining that Jane was not fighting an ordinary serial killer?

He said Jane was "not fighting the Green River Killer" but a mastermind with a network of agents willing to kill or die for him.

Where was the season-six premiere "The Desert Rose" filmed?

The crew built a sign for the fictional Borrego Gas Diner to stand in for the local Ski Inn.

Which brainwashed operative kills Sam Bosco and his team in "His Red Right Hand"?

She was the team's own secretary; Red John ordered the killings just so Jane would get the case back.

Under what alias did Bosco's killer, the team secretary, steal the corpse of one of Red John's earliest victims?

The word is Spanish for red, and she was later poisoned in CBI custody by another of his operatives.

What is the name of the CBI team Teresa Lisbon leads?

After the CBI is closed she briefly serves as a small-town sheriff in Washington state before joining the FBI.

Which city's force did Lisbon serve as an inspector before joining the CBI?

There she worked under Lieutenant Sam Bosco, who would later run the Red John case at the CBI.

In which city was Lisbon raised?

Her brother Stanley later renovates the old family home there so his family can move in.

How old was Lisbon when her mother was killed by a drunk driver?

She then took on the maternal role for three younger brothers while her father sank into alcoholism.

What are the names of Lisbon's three younger brothers?

Tommy became a bounty hunter who lets his daughter Annie tag along; Jimmy is a gambler; Stan hosts a baby party.

Lisbon's name was borrowed from a character in which novel?

Jeffrey Eugenides's Therese Lisbon lent her surname to the no-nonsense CBI agent.

What does the devout Catholic Lisbon recite while wearing a bomb vest in "Strawberries and Cream"?

In "The Crimson Hat" she also slips into a Catholic church to pray.

Which billionaire makes repeated passes at Lisbon and briefly wins her over in "Red Hot"?

He first appears as a murder suspect in "Redline" and then vanishes to Europe for good.

Which ruthless tycoon does Lisbon finally shoot and arrest at a public zoo?

He had wiped out an entire Amazon village and was trying to kill a boy who had witnessed one of his crimes.

For how many days does Hightower suspend Lisbon in "Blood Money" for failing to control Jane?

Hightower had made Lisbon personally responsible for Jane's behaviour from the day she took over.

Which team member is the arson specialist, thanks to two years as a San Diego arson investigator?

His father was a career criminal in a notorious biker gang, which caused him repeated trouble on the job.

Which street gang was Kimball Cho a member of as a teenager?

He earned a sealed juvenile record and time in juvenile hall, then served in Army Special Forces before becoming a cop.

What secret nicknames did Bosco's team give Cho and Rigsby?

Cho claimed not to mind, since "Ernie's the clever, handsome one".

Which team member is deeply spiritual and clashes with Jane when he dismisses psychic phenomena?

She was the newest member of Lisbon's team when the series began.

Whom was Van Pelt engaged to before being forced to kill him as a Red John mole?

The handsome FBI agent, a former NFL player, shot Lisbon before Van Pelt and Hightower shot him in tandem.

What do Rigsby and Van Pelt do after leaving the CBI?

They marry in season six and return in the series finale to watch Jane and Lisbon wed.

What is the name of the son Rigsby has with ex-girlfriend Sarah Harrigan?

Harrigan was a public defender the team met in "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" and later became an ADA.

Which FBI supervisory agent persuades Jane to join his Austin-based team?

He offers to drop all charges over the killing of Red John, and later transfers to Washington with his wife Lena.

Why does Agent Kim Fischer leave the FBI team before season seven?

Emily Swallow's character had gone undercover to bring Jane back from his island exile.

Which rookie FBI agent dies in the season-seven episode "Nothing Gold Can Stay"?

Cho holds her as she dies; her death is what convinces Jane he cannot keep working for the FBI.

What is Jason Wylie's role on the FBI team?

He first proves himself by finding Jane after Jane spray-paints the road to reveal his location.

Which secret does Abbott confide to Jane about his past in Rio Bravo?

His former boss Bill Peterson tries to use it to sink his wife Lena's nomination in Washington.

Who plays Bret Stiles, the church leader who keeps hinting he knows about Red John?

Stiles helps Jane break Lorelei Martins out of prison and dies in the explosion in "Fire and Brimstone".

What happens to the psychic Kristina Frye after she disappears in the season-two finale?

Jane even tries a seance to reach her, but she has no memory of what happened.

Who takes command of the CBI in "The Red Box", replacing the retiring director?

Minelli retired to a quiet life as a fisherman after Bosco's team became the first agents to die under his command.

Where does Jane hide Hightower to help her escape when she is framed for murder?

She resurfaces in season six to help Jane dig into Bob Kirkland's link to Red John.

Which department does the quirky J.J. LaRoche head when he arrives in "Jolly Red Elf"?

He is quickly shown to be Jane's intellectual equal, and is later killed by a booby-trapped shotgun.

Who kills J.J. LaRoche with a booby-trapped shotgun in "Black Helicopters"?

The killer was a suspect from a previous CBI case; LaRoche was helping Rigsby with an investigation at the time.

Which actress plays the seductive killer Erica Flynn?

She and Jane share a mutual appreciation; her final appearance sends them abroad in "Orange Blossom Ice Cream".

Which future star plays FBI art-theft agent Marcus Pike, Lisbon's fiance in season six?

Lisbon accepts his proposal and a move to Washington, then breaks it off after Jane's airport confession.

What is Brett Partridge's job at the CBI?

He was one of the final suspects, was killed in the season-six premiere and, it later emerged, was a Blake Association member.

What was Brenda Shettrick, head of CBI Media Relations, arrested for?

She was also blackmailing LaRoche over the contents of a mysterious tupperware container that Jane never opens.

Which ex-FBI agent, secretly a member of Stiles's church, becomes Jane's temporary boss?

He refuses to say whether he worked at the barn where Red John painted his first smiley face, and dies at Jane's Malibu house.

What is Summer Edgecombe's occupation when Cho recruits her as an informant?

Cho admits his feelings for her in "At First Blush"; she later leaves for rehab at her sister's home.

Which professional thief does Jane hire to steal LaRoche's suspect list in "Redacted"?

He first appeared as a suspect in the jewellery-store murder in "A Price Above Rubies".

Which FBI agent investigating the Panzer case is told by Jane that Red John is still alive?

She accuses him of being a Red John accomplice and later suffers a breakdown after Wainwright dies on her operation.

In the season-six finale "Blue Bird", where does Jane storm to confess his love for Lisbon?

He hops a fence to do it, is held by airport security, and the episode ends with their kiss.

What is the title of the series finale?

It aired on February 18, 2015, straight after "Brown Shag Carpet", and was co-written by the show's creator.

What does Lisbon reveal to Jane at the very end of the series finale?

They marry on the lakeside land where Jane plans to build their home, with Rigsby and Van Pelt among the guests.

What alias does the final-season serial killer Joe Keller Jr. use when he phones Jane on air?

He wants Jane to channel the spirit of his serial-killer father, and Jane escapes by rigging an explosion with a lightbulb and chewing gum.

Which season-seven episode did the show's lead actor direct?

The briefcase Jane threatens to open contains only a note reading "curiosity killed the cat".

In "Orange Blossom Ice Cream", which city are Jane and Lisbon sent to?

The scenes were shot at home and topped up with freelance footage from the real city.

How does Lisbon flush out the murderer at the poker game in "Little Yellow House"?

Charlie McInnis scratches his brow, his tell, and Cho gives him the choice of surrender or the mob boss.

Where is Lisbon sent undercover in "The Greybar Hotel"?

She and car thief Marie Flanigan break out together to lead the FBI to Marie's partner Cole Foster.

What was the 100th episode of the series?

It is a flashback to Jane's first days at the CBI, with Gregory Itzin returning as the old CBI director.

How many episodes were in the seventh and final season?

CBS renewed the show on May 10, 2014, and later confirmed the shortened run would be its last.

Which Australian actor plays Patrick Jane?

He was born in Launceston, Tasmania, and grew up surfing at Lennox Head in New South Wales.

Which earlier CBS legal drama earned the show's lead actor a Golden Globe nomination in 2002?

He played lawyer Nick Fallin; his U.S. film debut had come in L.A. Confidential in 1997.

Roughly how much was the show's star earning per episode by 2010?

He then signed a new contract worth about US$30 million for the role.

Which 1990s cult film starred Robin Tunney as teenage witch Sarah Bailey?

It earned $55 million on a $15 million budget; she also won the Volpi Cup at Venice for Niagara, Niagara.

On which show did Robin Tunney play Veronica Donovan before The Mentalist?

She also appeared in the 2004 pilot of House as a kindergarten teacher with aphasia.

Which HBO series had The Mentalist's creator co-created earlier?

He left The Mentalist before its final season to concentrate on Gotham for Fox.

How many viewers watched the pilot's first airing?

A re-airing three days later added another 7.8 million.

Which first-season episode became the highest-rated show of its week in December 2008?

No first-season programme had done that since Desperate Housewives four years earlier.

Which award did The Mentalist win in January 2009?

The lead actor was Emmy-nominated the same year.

On which night did CBS move the show for its second season?

It later shifted again to Sundays, and the final season ran on Wednesdays.

Which two original cast members left after season six?

Their last regular episode, "White as the Driven Snow", aired on March 23, 2014.

Which director helmed the pilot episode?

Chris Long went on to direct many of the show's biggest episodes, including "Red John", "Blue Bird" and the finale.

What is Cho's remark after learning how selfish the consultant used to be?

He prefaces it with "Don't take this the wrong way".

Which prop from Jane's psychic days can be seen in his old Malibu home?

His con-man heyday brought enough money to buy the beachfront house and a certain amount of fame.

Where is the Walk of Fame star of the actor who plays Jane, unveiled in 2013?

He had been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences the previous year.

Which downtown Los Angeles building's rear doubles as the CBI headquarters in Sacramento?

The series was mostly shot in the Los Angeles studio zone, with only occasional location scenes in Sacramento itself.