Here's Why Simon Baker's 'The Mentalist' Was Canceled
The Mentalist, one of the longest-running procedural dramas in recent years, came to an end in February 2015. Though it never really received a ton of critical acclaim, it remained a solid hit for CBS as it ran for seven years. As the show wrapped up, many wondered about the reason behind its cancellation. Well, we’ve got you covered!
Why Was The Show Cancelled?
The series, starring Simon Baker as the genius detective and mentalist Patrick Jane, premiered back in 2008. The idea of the actor as a former psychic was definitely intriguing to viewers and stood out from other fans. What they liked the most was the fact that the lead character’s back story was especially disturbing and tragic – his wife and daughter were both killed by Red John.
That fueled Simon’s character to thrive for a number of seasons until he finally caught up with the killer in between his cases. Speaking about the importance of the Red John revenge motif to his story arc, the actor said, “Due to the fact that the character has such an enormous tragedy, you can’t help but be somewhat sympathetic. I think he’s full of self-loathing and incredibly self-deprecating. There’s s distinct lack of self-preservation. Jane really has nothing left to live for, except to a form of revenge and justice, and his own kind of take on what justice is.”
In 2015 February, The Mentalist bid its goodbye to fans with its final episode. With Patrick Jane and Teresa Lisbon getting married and ultimately expecting a baby together, all the storylines were tied up neatly and wrapped. Apparently, the show finally wrapped up as the home network CBS had already announced in 2014 – so the seventh season being the last wasn’t a surprise at all. The showrunners had enough time to give a proper send-off to the characters.
Are They Open To New Episodes?
With the ending of Season 7 neatly wrapped up, the chances of Season 8 are extremely slim. However, show creator Bruno Heller has been asked whether he would be open to new episodes of the show if given the chance.
Bruno said, “That’s entirely up to Simon and Robin. I would love to work with Robin again. I would love to work with Simon again. That’s in the lap of the business gods and their choice. Robin can do anything she wants – she’s a brilliant actor. Normally, at the end of the shows, you’re glad to see the back of everyone to some degree. Creatively and as family, I’d love to work with those guys again. And the show was still basically as successful at the end as it was at the beginning, so you can never say never.”
That being said, when we analyze these facts with the note on why the show ended – and the death of Red John in Patrick Jane’s hands, there is really not much of the story left to be explored. It would be safe then to say that The Mentalist is not likely to make a return anytime soon. The Mentalist is not the only show that did not continue; even Matt LeBlanc’s Man With A Plan was also canceled by CBS.
Commenting on the finale season of the show, one fan wrote, “Really? The strength of the show is always Patrick not red john! Some of the best episodes are the ones PJ solves cases.” Another tweeted, “NO! You can’t end it like that!” For those who are into the police procedural genre, there are ample of shows to watch while waiting for The Mentalist comeback -- but only time will tell.
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