8.2/103,157 votes#1 - Pilot
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 9/23/2008
CBI consultant Patrick Jane, Senior Agent Teresa Lisbon and her team investigate the double murder in Palm Springs of a pro golfer's wife and her doctor, which has the hallmarks of a serial killer with a personal connection to Jane.
Director: David Nutter
Writer: Bruno Heller
7.9/102,369 votes#2 - Red Hair and Silver Tape
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 9/30/2008
While Lisbon and her team investigate the murder of a young waitress in the Napa Valley, Jane goes behind Lisbon's back to orchestrate his own undercover operation using Van Pelt as bait.
Director: David Nutter
Writer: Bruno Heller
7.6/102,156 votes#3 - Red Tide
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 10/14/2008
When a high school girl's body washes up on the beach, Patrick Jane sets a mentalist trap in order to get her surfing friends to turn on each other and reveal what really happened.
Director: David Barrett
Writer: Ashley Gable
7.8/102,066 votes#4 - Ladies in Red
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 10/21/2008
When the team learns that a wealthy investment banker found murdered inside his locked safe room was living a dual life and skimming millions from clients, Patrick Jane sets up a mental conundrum to see which of the suspects will show their true colors.
Director: Chris Long
Writer: Gary Glasberg
7.8/101,976 votes#5 - Redwood
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 10/28/2008
When a girl is found covered in blood and holding the murder weapon that killed her best friend, she becomes an obvious suspect, though she can't remember anything. But Jane, believing she's innocent, engineers a risky maneuver in which she must relive the terrifying events in order to spark her memory.
Director: John Behring
Writer: Andi Bushell
8.1/102,141 votes#6 - Red Handed
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 11/11/2008
While investigating the case of a murdered casino owner, Patrick Jane uses his mentalist skills to ultimately entrap the killer, and win big at the card tables.
Director: Chris Long
Writer: Erika Green Swafford
7.7/102,051 votes#7 - Seeing Red
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 11/18/2008
Patrick Jane goes head-to-head with a "psychic" he suspects of murder. Intent on proving the so-called psychic is a fraud -- as well as a killer -- Jane arranges a séance to expose the murderer.
Director: Martha Mitchell
Writer: Gary Glasberg
7.7/101,875 votes#8 - The Thin Red Line
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 11/25/2008
While the police suspect a drug dealer on trial is behind the murders of the State's witness in his case, as well as his girlfriend, Patrick Jane sees a different motive for the crime -- as well as a different suspect.
Director: Matt Earl Beesley
Writer: Ken Woodruff
8.1/102,057 votes#9 - Flame Red
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 12/2/2008
Patrick Jane suspects the only surviving member of a National Guard unit of murdering his friends - and goes undercover to prove it.
Director: Charles Beeson
Writer: Ashley Gable
7.7/101,905 votes#10 - Red Brick and Ivy
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 12/16/2008
When a leading scientific researcher is killed by poisoning, Patrick Jane takes a personal interest in the case when he learns the prime suspect is the victim's wife - and Jane's former psychiatrist.
Director: Paris Barclay
Writer: Eoghan Mahony
8.3/102,074 votes#11 - Red John's Friends
Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 1/6/2009
Enticed by the promise from a convicted murder that he'll reveal information about Red John upon his release, Patrick Jane becomes singularly focused and quits the CBI in order to prove the prisoner is innocent.
Director: John Polson
Writer: Bruno Heller
7.5/101,771 votes#12 - 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.
Director: Dean White
Writer: Andi Bushell
7.9/101,834 votes#13 - Paint It Red
Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 1/18/2009
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.
Director: David Barrett
Writer: Eoghan Mahony
7.8/101,814 votes#14 - Crimson Casanova
Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 2/10/2009
With Patrick Jane's help, Cho goes undercover as a sweet-talking ladies man with all the right moves in order to catch a pick-up artist and killer with his own set of pseudo-mentalist techniques.
Director: Lesli Linka Glatter
Writer: Ken Woodruff
7.4/101,745 votes#15 - 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
Director: Paul Holahan
Writer: Erika Green Swafford
8.2/101,997 votes#16 - 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.
Director: Chris Long
Writer: Gary Glasberg
7.7/101,698 votes#17 - Carnelian Inc.
Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 3/24/2009
A story of greed and betrayal pits Patrick Jane against a group of financiers when the CBI investigates a series of murders at a corporate retreat in the wilds of the Sierra Nevada foothills.
Director: Kevin Dowling
Writer: Bruno Heller
8.1/101,868 votes#18 - 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.
Director: Norberto Barba
Writer: Ashley Gable
7.1/101,730 votes#19 - 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.
Director: Lesli Linka Glatter
Writer: Andi Bushell
7.9/101,738 votes#20 - Red Sauce
Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 4/28/2009
Patrick Jane and the CBI team investigate the murder of a mobster who was in the witness protection program.
Director: Adam Kane
Writer: Eoghan Mahony
8.0/101,759 votes#21 - 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.
Director: Martha Mitchell
Writer: Ken Woodruff
7.6/101,683 votes#22 - Blood Brothers
Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 5/12/2009
Patrick Jane must find a clever way to convince the troubled kids in a wilderness program to confide in him about what really happened surrounding the death of one of their peers.
Director: John Polson
Writer: Erika Green Swafford
8.5/102,098 votes#23 - Red John's Footsteps
Season 1 Episode 23 - Aired 5/19/2009
Lisbon fears that the serial killer Red John is drawing Patrick Jane into a trap when the CBI team investigates the murder of a young girl and the abduction of her twin sister.
Director: Chris Long
Writer: Bruno Heller
The Best Episodes of The Mentalist Season 1
Every episode of The Mentalist Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Mentalist Season 1!
Patrick Jane, a former celebrity psychic medium, uses his razor sharp skills of observation and expertise at "reading" people to solve serious crimes with the...
Genres:CrimeDramaMystery
Network:CBS
Season 1 Ratings Summary
"Pilot" is the best rated episode of "The Mentalist" season 1. It scored 8.2/10 based on 3157 votes. Directed by David Nutter and written by Bruno Heller, it aired on 9/23/2008. This episode is rated 0.3 points higher than the second-best, "Red Hair and Silver Tape".