Patrick Jane

Written By. Brittney Laufer

Patrick Jane from the TV series The Mentalist[1] is a consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation. He is both a Righteous Avenger and Genius Hero. His character begins as a superficial psychic who uses his genius powers to take advantage of others for money. When he dismisses the serial killer, Red John, as a threat on national television, Red John targets Jane’s wife and daughter in retaliation. Driven by a sense of revenge, Patrick joins the CBI and offers his genius skills in observation and deduction to solve crimes and catch Red John. Red John serves as Patrick’s intellectual equal though and is therefore his primary challenge as a hero, and while Patrick gains a sense of meaning in his life by helping the CBI solve crimes, his main drive is to find Red John and extract revenge.


[1] The Mentalist. Created by Bruno Heller. USA: Primrose Hill Productions, 2008 to present