How to watch

The Mentalist stars Simon Baker as Patrick Jane, a former con man with razor-sharp powers of observation who consults for the California Bureau of Investigation. While solving cases of the week, he pursues a long personal vendetta against Red John, the serial killer who murdered his wife and daughter.

Simon Baker's charming, infuriating Patrick Jane anchored the show, but its secret weapon was the slow-burning mystery of Red John, a killer whose identity was teased for years. The series balanced lighthearted crime-solving with genuine emotional stakes, and its patient payoff of the central arc makes watching from the beginning especially satisfying.

🕐 Release Order

Release order follows both the standalone cases and Jane's overarching hunt for Red John.

1. The Mentalist: Seasons 1-2 (2008-2010)
2. The Mentalist: Seasons 3-4 (2010-2012)
3. The Mentalist: Seasons 5-6 (2012-2014)
4. The Mentalist: Season 7 (2014-2015)

Because the Red John storyline threads through the entire show, the story chronology follows the seasonal release order.

📖 Story Chronology

Story chronology matches release order, with each season advancing Jane's personal mission alongside its self-contained cases.

1. The Mentalist: Seasons 1-2 (2008-2010)
2. The Mentalist: Seasons 3-4 (2010-2012)
3. The Mentalist: Seasons 5-6 (2012-2014)
4. The Mentalist: Season 7 (2014-2015)

Which Order Should You Choose?

Watch The Mentalist in order from Season 1. The Red John arc rewards viewers who follow the clues season by season, and skipping ahead would spoil its biggest reveals.

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