Ask Matt: Finales (Mentalist)

Question: I was wondering what you (and other viewers) thought about the finale of The Mentalist. I was very disappointed. For one thing, I'm with Cho: I've always thought of Jane and Lisbon's relationship as more of a brother-sister thing, so having them become a couple is just weird. But putting that aside, the whole ending was so cliché and ridiculous. In fact, I'm wondering if, in next season's premiere, the ending will have been one of Jane's dreams. That's exactly what it felt like, a dreamlike happy ending. If that's the case, it will be easier to swallow. Anyway, this show was so great in the first few seasons, but the last few, not so much. Especially the way they dragged out the whole Red John storyline to the point where nobody cared anymore. And now that everything's changed, and they're with the FBI instead of the CBI, it just feels tired. It doesn't have the energy it once had. What do you think? — Camille

Matt Roush: Can't speak for anyone else, but the Mentalist finale felt to me as if the producers were hedging their bets in case this had been the series finale — and given how touch-and-go the renewal was, they were probably right to do so — so I had no real problem with Jane's over-the-top romantic gesture to win Lisbon's affections. Yes, the set-up of storming the plane was silly, but score one for the shippers. One of the more positive responses I received was from Deana, who wrote: "It was so good that Simon Baker's Aussie accent slipped through several times. A very good way to cap the season." But I agree that the Texas reboot hasn't exactly recharged the show, which seems whenever I tune in to be just going through the paces with a spottier ensemble. Maybe bringing the romance to the foreground (in the tradition of Bones and Castle) will bring some spice back to the show, even at the risk of alienating those who preferred their relationship platonic.

Question: Is there any chance The Mentalist writers would give another shot at a Red John closure? I was among the fans who didn't like the "Red John finale" because, come on, McAllister is Red John? He appeared in what, two or three episodes? I expected something much more creative from a show such as The Mentalist. And Jane pulling out a pigeon from his jacket and throwing it in the sheriff's face? I don't even know how to describe that! I think the Red John episode was kind of lame, and even though the show has moved on, I'm still hoping the writers will surprise us regarding this Red John thing. Do you agree with what I said? Or were you satisfied with the closure they gave Red John? — Alyssa

Matt Roush: There was plenty of room for criticism in the way the show resolved the Red John storyline, but the last thing The Mentalist needs to do at this stage is to go back to that empty well. I can only imagine the mail I'd get if they went there again. Whether you liked it or not, it was way past time to move on, and they have. And so should we.

Question: Just wanted to know what's going on with the schedule for The Mentalist next season? Why did CBS renew it then decide to wait until next spring for the Season 7 premiere? And switch so many shows around? I can bet that some of these new shows won't get the ratings either. We #Jisbon fans waited so long for them to get together, and now we have to wait again! I think that USA Network should pick it up or another network, so we have a full season! If Season 7 is the last season, we the fans have a right to a full season. At least give it a proper send-off!! — Jessica

Matt Roush: Would you rather The Mentalist have been canceled altogether? That was a real possibility for a show this "mature" and expensive — and it's unlikely that anyone would have picked up the tab to keep it going if CBS hadn't stepped up. It's not entirely clear how many episodes this renewal entails, but just because it's not on the fall lineup doesn't necessarily mean a drastically shortened season. And if it does turn out to be the last hurrah, CBS will likely make some promotional noise out of that. In the bigger picture, because I'm something of a programming nerd, I always look forward to CBS's Upfront announcement to see how the network will juggle its assets from season to season. Putting aside the numbness that ensues from so much alphabet-soup sameness on the schedule, moving NCIS: Los Angeles to Mondays makes them more competitive on a night where they've struggled, and moving the durable CSI into Mentalist's worrisome Sunday time period (plagued so often by football and other sports overruns for more than half the year) is another interesting experiment. If any of CBS's new dramas flop, I'd bet The Mentalist would be rushed back on the schedule, possibly creating a new set of scheduling dominoes.

SRC: thesuntimes.com/