History Trivia / TheMentalist

* FriendshipOnTheSet: Simon Baker and Robin Tunney became fast friends on the set.

** "Red Sails in the Sunset" in Season 5 is another [[spoiler:Red John Mytharc episode]] that has the feel of something from Film/TheFugitive.

** Red John's last appearance, where he talks down to Jane and tries to kill him, only for Jane to gain the upper hand and kill him as he resorts to pleading to live. Sounds a lot like [[spoiler: [[Series/{{Nikita}} Percy's death]], especially since Xander Berkeley played both characters.]]

** "Red Moon" in Season 3, an extremely well-done [[spoiler: Red John MythArc]] episode.
** "Blinking Red Light" in Season 4, where Jane plays off his coldest BatmanGambit in the series to prevail over the killer. [[spoiler: It also reopens the Red John MythArc]].
** "Red Sails in the Sunset" in Season 5 is another [[spoiler: Red John Mytharc episode]] that has the feel of something from Film/TheFugitive.
** "My Blue Heaven." This is the first episode Simon Baker directs that's [[spoiler: not centered around Red John]] and is a lot more lighter and quirky in tone.

** Averted in "My Blue Heaven." This is the first episode Simon Baker directs that's [[spoiler: not centered around Red John]] and is a lot more lighter and quirky in tone.

* RealLifeRelative: Simon Baker's, Tim Kang's and Owain Yeoman's wives have all appeared on the show.

* DirectedByCastMember: When Simon Baker directs episodes, prepare for your [[DarkerAndEdgier darkest]] episodes ever, both in lighting and storyline.

* RecycledScript: A plot from 2014 where Theresa goes undercover in prison in order to become friends with a female carjacker so they can catch her BiggerBad boyfriend was used in an episode of ''Dark Justice'' in 1993.

** Jane commenting "You should have seen me ten years ago" might be a ShoutOut to Simon Baker's 2001 drama series, TheGuardian.
* CaliforniaDoubling: The Visualize cult compound in "Red All Over" and "His Thoughts Were Red Thoughts" is The House of the Book performance hall and library building at the American Jewish University, Brandeis-Bardin Campus in Simi Valley, California.

* FakeAmerican: Jane is played by Simon Baker, an Australian, while Rigsby is played by Owain Yeoman from Wales.

* HeyItsThatGuy[=/=]RoleAssociation: The appearances of the following people:
** Creator/StacieLeahRippy, from ''Series/TrueBlood'' (where she was a vampire), a one-time bit-part actor, now getting major roles.
** Also, Jessica from ''Series/TrueBlood'' has a small role in the episode "Red Brick and Ivy".
** Jaime Murray, from ''Series/{{Hustle}}''.
** Tina Hobley, although apparently she went uncredited in one episode. Or so PopculturalOsmosis would have you believe...
** For that matter, Tim Kang was previously best known as "that Asian guy" in the commercials for Cingular, Dairy Queen and Home Depot.
** [[Series/{{Heroes}} HRG]] is the husband of a murder victim.
** [[Series/{{Supernatural}} Bobby Singer]] shows up as the owner of a stables.
** Christina Cox, of ''Nikki & Nora'' cult fame, turns up as a girlfriend in the same episode.
** John Billingsley ([[Series/StarTrekEnterprise Dr. Phlox]]) and Connor Trineer (Charles "Trip" Tucker) guest-starred together in the 11/18 episode "Red Moon."
*** And Hoshi consulted with the CBI (ep 3x12).
** The show is loaded with former ''Series/TwentyFour'' cast members. Just a couple examples are Gregory Itzen (Charles Logan) as Virgil Minelli and Leslie Hope (Teri Bauer) as Kristina Frye. Carlo Rota (Morris, Chloe's husband) also appears as a Russian red herring suspect named Dimitri Zubov. Oh, and perhaps the most major of all - Xander Berkeley (Red John) was George Mason, CTU director in seasons 1 and 2.
** Morena Baccarin (a.k.a. [[Series/{{V 2009}} Anna]], [[{{Series/Firefly}} Inara]], [[Series/StargateSG1 Adria]]) is a matchmaker, recently widowed, in the episode "Every Rose Has Its Thorn." And as good in the seduction arts as Inara.
** Christopher Judge ([[Series/StargateSG1 Teal'c]]) plays a casino's security chief. Jay Avocone ([[Series/StargateSG1 Maj. Charles Kawalsky]]) is his boss.
** [[Series/{{Firefly}} Simon Tam]] is a mayor's aide moonlighting as an environmental terrorist.
** [[{{Series/NCIS}} Fornell]] is the director of a NGO.
** [[Creator/KylaPratt Penny]] [[WesternAnimation/TheProudFamily Proud]] is the sister of a murdered real estate agent and former gangbanger, who worked at the same agency as [[OneLifeToLive Kevin Buchanan]] and [[MySoCalledLife Delia Fisher]].
** [[WesternAnimation/{{Thundercats 2011}} Cheetara (2011)]] is now serving an evil force as Lorelei Martins.
** [[Series/TheInvisibleMan Darien Fawkes]] was Duncan Weaver in the episode Red Bulls.
** [[Series/ThePretender Miss Parker]] was the widow of a Hotel/Casino manager.
*** The same episode also had [[Film/{{Payback}} Gregg Henry]], who was also in an early episode of ''The Pretender''.
** [[Creator/MalcolmMcDowell Malcolm McDowell]] is the leader of the Visual Eyes cult.
*** With [[Series/StarTrekVoyager Robert Picardo]] playing the role of [[Main/TheStarscream The Starscream]].
** [[Series/{{Grimm}} Captain Renard and Monroe]] have shown up as the husband of a murder victim and a suspected serial killer respectively.
** [[Series/TheWestWing Josh Lyman]] is [[spoiler: Red John]].
*** [[{{Jossed}} Or not.]]
** [[spoiler: Extremely not; he turned out to be [[Series/TwentyFour George Mason]]. Then again, given that he was also [[Film/AirForceOne a traitorous Secret Service agent]] and [[Series/{{Nikita}} the head of Division]], is that much of a surprise?]]
** Sid Hammerback lost his job at [[Series/{{CSINewYork}} CSI New York]] and he now harvest organs for the bad guys.

** Morena Baccarin (a.k.a. [[{{V-2009}} Anna]], [[{{Series/Firefly}} Inara]], [[Series/StargateSG1 Adria]]) is a matchmaker, recently widowed, in the episode "Every Rose Has Its Thorn."
*** And as good in the seduction arts as Inara.

*** The same episode also had [[Film/{{Payback}} Gregg Henry]], who was also in an early episode of The Pretender.

** StacieLeahRippy, from ''Series/TrueBlood'' (where she was a vampire), a one-time bit-part actor, now getting major roles.

** Morena Baccarin (a.k.a. [[{{V-2009}} Anna]], [[{{Firefly}} Inara]], [[Series/StargateSG1 Adria]]) is a matchmaker, recently widowed, in the episode "Every Rose Has Its Thorn."

** [[{{NCIS}} Fornell]] is the director of a NGO.

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: Fans have been accusing Creator/{{CBS}} of this since Season 5. First they put the series in a graveyard shift (10 PM Sunday), then every so often they force it to compete with football and other highly-rated shows. At the same time, the series itself has seen its share of critics increasing since Season 4, who accuse the writers of pulling TheChrisCarterEffect with its Red John MythArc.

* HeyItsThatGuy: The appearances of the following people:
** StacieLeahRippy, from ''TrueBlood'' (where she was a vampire), a one-time bit-part actor, now getting major roles.
** Also, Jessica from TrueBlood has a small role in the episode "Red Brick and Ivy".
** Jaime Murray, from ''{{Hustle}}''.

** [[{{Firefly}} Simon Tam]] is a mayor's aide moonlighting as an environmental terrorist.

** [[KylaPratt Penny Proud]] is the sister of a murdered real estate agent and former gangbanger, who worked at the same agency as [[OneLifeToLive Kevin Buchanan]] and [[MySoCalledLife Delia Fisher]].
** [[WesternAnimation/{{Thundercats2011}} Cheetara (2011)]] is now serving an evil force as Lorelei Martins.

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: Fans have been accusing CBS of this since Season 5. First they put the series in a graveyard shift (10 PM Sunday), then every so often they force it to compete with football and other highly-rated shows. At the same time, the series itself has seen its share of critics increasing since Season 4, who accuse the writers of pulling TheChrisCarterEffect with its Red John MythArc.

** The show is loaded with former ''Series/TwentyFour'' cast members. Just a couple examples are Gregory Itzen (Charles Logan) as Virgil Minelli and Leslie Hope (Teri Bauer) as Kristina Frye. Carlo Rota (Morris, Chloe's husband) also appears as a Russian red herring suspect named Dimitri Zubov.

** When [[Series/{{Firefly}} Sean Maher]] shows up as an antagonist to Jayne - ahem, Jane - he says the speech that the VictimOfTheWeek was going to give was about River rafting...

* ActorAllusion: [[spoiler: Red John's last appearance, where he talks down to Jane and tries to kill him, only for Jane to gain the upper hand and kill him as he resorts to pleading to live. Sounds a lot like [[Series/{{Nikita}} Percy's death]], especially since Xander Berkeley played both characters.]]

** Also, since Lisbon (Robin Tunney) is best known for being Sarah in ''The Craft'', the whole episode "Red Rum" had a bit of this.
*** And Lisbon's crazy looked remarkably Tourette's-ish, Tunney's other major role being the lead in ''Niagara, Niagara.''

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: Fans have been accusing CBS of this since Season 5. First they put the series in a graveyard shift (10 PM Sunday), then every so often they force it to compete with football and other highly-rated shows. At the same time, the series itself has seen its share of critics increasing since Season 4, who accuse the writers of pulling TheChrisCarterEffect with its Red John MythArc.

** [[WestWing Josh Lyman]] is [[spoiler: Red John]].

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: Fans have been accusing CBS of this since Season 5. First they put the series in a graveyard shift (10 PM Sunday), then every so often they forces it to compete with football and other highly-rated shows. At the same time, the series itself has seen its share of critics increasing since Season 4, who accuse the writers of pulling TheChrisCarterEffect with its Red John MythArc.

** [[Series/{{Grimm}} Captain Renard and Monroe]] have shown up as the husband of a murder victim and a serial killer respectively.

** [[spoiler: Extremely not; he turned out to be [[Series/TwentyFour George Mason]]. Then again, given that he was also [[Film/AirForceOne a traitorous Secret Service agent]] and [[Series/{{Nikita}} the head of Division]], is that much of a surprise?]]