The BEST episodes of The Mentalist season 1

Every episode of The Mentalist season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of The Mentalist season 1!

When mentalist Patrick Jane insults a vengeful serial killer, Red John, his loved ones are brutally killed. Faced with the horrifying consequences of misusing his gift for observation and misdirection, Jane lends his skills to the California Bureau of Investigation, all the while hoping that his connections within the CBI will give him the opportunity to track down and revenge himself upon Red John.

Last Updated: 9/22/2024Network: CBSStatus: Ended
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Russet Potatoes
star
7.90
3176 votes

#1 - Russet Potatoes

Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 3/31/2009

Patrick Jane and the CBI team track down a mastermind who hypnotizes people into doing their bidding.

Directors: Norberto Barba
Writer: Ashley Gable
Watch Now:Amazon
Red John's Footsteps
star
7.87
3189 votes

#2 - Red John's Footsteps

Season 1 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/19/2009

As the CBI investigates the murder of a young girl and the abduction of her twin sister, Lisbon suspects that Red John is trying to draw Jane into a trap.

Directors: Chris Long
Writer: Bruno Heller
Watch Now:Amazon
Red John's Friends
star
7.85
3123 votes

#3 - Red John's Friends

Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/6/2009

Patrick Jane, enticed by the promise from a convicted murder that he'll reveal information about Red John upon his release, becomes singularly focused and quits the CBI in order to prove the prisoner is innocent.

Directors: John Polson
Writer: Bruno Heller
Watch Now:Amazon
Bloodshot
star
7.76
3147 votes

#4 - Bloodshot

Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/17/2009

Patrick Jane must rely on his other senses during the murder investigation of a financial advisor when he loses his sight as a result of an explosion.

Directors: Chris Long
Watch Now:Amazon
Miss Red
star
7.75
3064 votes

#5 - Miss Red

Season 1 - Episode 21 - Aired 5/5/2009

Patrick Jane uses his mentalist skills to play suspects off each other in order to solve the case of a wealthy software company CEO found murdered on his yacht.

Directors: Martha Mitchell
Writer: Ken Woodruff
Watch Now:Amazon
Red Sauce
star
7.74
3154 votes

#6 - Red Sauce

Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 4/28/2009

Jane and the CBI set out to determine who is responsible for the Mob-style execution of a man in the Witness Protection Program.

Directors: Adam Kane
Watch Now:Amazon
Pilot
star
7.69
4437 votes

#7 - Pilot

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/23/2008

This episode introduces us to the complex life of Patrick Jane, a police detective with a troubled past who has a keen eye for detail. When a man and woman are found dead in their home, many believe they are victims of a serial killer, but Patrick knows better and must prove that this was not the work of Red John.

Directors: David Nutter
Writer: Bruno Heller
Watch Now:Amazon
Red Handed
star
7.68
2973 votes

#8 - Red Handed

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/11/2008

Jane uses the murder investigation of a casino owner as an opportunity to win at the blackjack table.

Writer: Ken Woodruff
Watch Now:Amazon
Flame Red
star
7.67
3089 votes

#9 - Flame Red

Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/2/2008

A murder in a small town is investigated and soon turns out to be an act of vengeance.

Directors: Charles Beeson
Writer: Ashley Gable
Watch Now:Amazon
Crimson Casanova
star
7.65
3091 votes

#10 - Crimson Casanova

Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/10/2009

Patrick helps Cho go under cover as a ladies man in an attempt to catch a killer with his own set of pseudo-mentalist techniques.

Writer: Ken Woodruff
Watch Now:Amazon
The Thin Red Line
star
7.65
3117 votes

#11 - The Thin Red Line

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/25/2008

Patrick Jane sees his own suspect, with a different motive, when the police believe a drug dealer on trial killed both his girlfriend and the State's witness in the case.

Writer: Ken Woodruff
Watch Now:Amazon
Carnelian Inc.
star
7.63
3051 votes

#12 - Carnelian Inc.

Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/24/2009

When a mysterious malcontent threatens the lives of the top executives at Carnelian, Inc., a conglomerate noted for its rapacious business practices, authorities initially dismiss the communication as a hoax until the company's personnel director plummets to his death at Jane's feet during a skydiving exercise.

Directors: Kevin Dowling
Writer: Bruno Heller
Watch Now:Amazon
Red Hair and Silver Tape
star
7.58
3762 votes

#13 - Red Hair and Silver Tape

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/30/2008

Jane orchestrates his own undercover operation using Van Pelt as bait as the team investigates the murder of a young waitress in the Napa Valley.

Directors: David Nutter
Writer: Bruno Heller
Watch Now:Amazon
Ladies in Red
star
7.57
3354 votes

#14 - Ladies in Red

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/21/2008

The team discovers that a wealthy investment banker found murdered inside his locked safe room was living a dual life and stealing from his clients; Patrick plays the suspects to see which will show their true colors.

Directors: Chris Long
Watch Now:Amazon
Seeing Red
star
7.57
3003 votes

#15 - Seeing Red

Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/18/2008

Patrick stages a seance to prove that a supposed psychic, who predicted that a murder victim was in danger, is a fake and a killer.

Directors: Martha Mitchell
Scarlett Fever
star
7.56
3053 votes

#16 - Scarlett Fever

Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/17/2009

As Jane and the team investigate the poisoning death of the "queen bee" in a country club, they discover that the community is full of secrets, including love affairs and drug abuse

Directors: Paul Holahan
Writer: Erika Green
Blood Brothers
star
7.56
2847 votes

#17 - Blood Brothers

Season 1 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/12/2009

Patrick Jane, Agent Lisbon and the CBI team investigate the murder of a student in a wilderness program for troubled kids. Patrick Jane must find a clever way to convince the troubled kids at a wilderness program to confide in him about what really happened to surround the death of one of their peers.

Directors: John Polson
Writer: Erika Green
Paint It Red
star
7.52
3109 votes

#18 - Paint It Red

Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/20/2009

While it appears obvious that a business tycoon's son-in-law was in on the robbery of a $50 million painting since his body is found where the painting once hung, Patrick Jane suspects others, including a Russian oil baron, an art forger and an art curator.

Directors: David Barrett
Redwood
star
7.51
3245 votes

#19 - Redwood

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/28/2008

A girl found covered in blood with the murder weapon in her grasp is the obvious suspect in her best friend's death, but the girl remembers nothing about the incident and Jane believes she is innocent.

Directors: John Behring
Writer: Andi Bushell
Red Brick and Ivy
star
7.49
3239 votes

#20 - Red Brick and Ivy

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/16/2008

Patrick takes a personal interest in the case of a poisoned professor when he discovers the prime suspect is his former psychiatrist.

Directors: Paris Barclay
Red Rum
star
7.47
2827 votes

#21 - Red Rum

Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/13/2009

Patrick Jane sets a mentalist trap to find out who is responsible for the murder of a high school boy who antagonized the local self-proclaimed witch by killing her cat.

Directors: Dean White
Writer: Andi Bushell
Red Tide
star
7.43
3407 votes

#22 - Red Tide

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/14/2008

When a body washes ashore on the beach, Patrick sets a trap to determine and catch the killer out of a group of surfers.

Directors: David Barrett
Writer: Ashley Gable
A Dozen Red Roses
star
7.27
2982 votes

#23 - A Dozen Red Roses

Season 1 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/7/2009

Patrick Jane and the team go to Hollywood when they investigate the murder of a movie producer.

Writer: Andi Bushell