# Fuck you, cowards of CBS / The Mentalist! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 19, 2008, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-cowards-of-cbs-the-mentalist/473413 "2008-11-19T03:49:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ambushed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@ambushed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ambushed)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-cowards-of-cbs-the-mentalist/473413/1 "2008-11-19T03:49:12Z")
**Fuck you, you craven cowards at CBS!** I had been led to believe that the CBS show _The Mentalist_ presented a skeptic’s point of view – that of the character Patrick Jane – such that psychic or other paranormal beliefs were to be trounced or rebutted, at least insofar as they were allegedly effective “criminal investigative” techniques. **BULLSHIT!** On tonight’s (Nov 18, 2008) episode (only the 2’nd I’ve seen, the first being very unimpressive to me so I didn’t bother again until tonight), entitled “Seeing Red”, one of the main characters was a “psychic” / “medium”. The Patrick Jane character voiced doubts as to the validity of such, but then the show’s chicken-shit writers called for a seance that showed an ominous candle gutting in response to the “medium’s” calls (and a voice apparently from the dead, but that, at least, was fortunately not played as being paranormal). The thing that intolerably rankles is that apart from the criminal denouement, CBS and the writers backed completely away from any hint – let alone revelation – of fraud on the part of the “psychic”/“medium”! They even showed the “medium” relating what were plainly meant to be genuine psychic messages from Jane’s dead wife, ending with Jane crying, the clear intent being to cater to psychic believers watching the show to the effect that the whole “medium” business was credible after all! How far has our society plunged into stinking medievalism that not one network television show – not even one intentionally designed to put reason ahead of paranormal bullshit – has the courage to follow through on that premise? **Fuck you, you craven cowards at CBS!** ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-cowards-of-cbs-the-mentalist/473413/2 "2008-11-19T04:18:40Z")
To me, he still knew she was bullshitting, but the thought of them made him happy at the end. It’s possible to still be a skeptic and be moved by the thoughts of your loved ones being at peace. It’s more nuanced, to be sure, but I don’t think for a second he believed her. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-cowards-of-cbs-the-mentalist/473413/3 "2008-11-19T05:14:48Z")
[I haven’t watched this episode yet…it’s sitting inside my PVR.] You’ve gotta be fuckin’ kidding me. I was really worried about this episode when I saw the preview last week. The entire reason I started watching this show is because it had a character on it willing to call bullshit on all of the psychic/medium bullshit. I hope they don’t start catering to the airheads who actually put stock in this bullshit. I just want one motherfucking show that doesn’t “test” the poor cold-hearted skeptic and proceed to leave him/her wondering if maybe their isn’t something else out there. These episodes are about enough to make me stop watching the series’ altogether. My only hope now is to see something that _ambushed_ missed. (no offence intended - at least to ambushed.) At least _Psych_ hasn’t done this yet. Hopefully they won’t (I’ve only seen up to episode 4 of season 3). It isn’t in Canada yet. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-cowards-of-cbs-the-mentalist/473413/4 "2008-11-19T06:14:43Z")
Yeah…after watching it, I don’t know what to make of it. I don’t think Jane bought the act, which is at least a start. Was it too much to ask to expose the psychic though? ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-cowards-of-cbs-the-mentalist/473413/5 "2008-11-19T06:15:43Z")
(WARNING \* \* \* \* CONTAINS POSSIBLE SPOILERS) Tonight’s episode was the only rotten one in the series. It’s obvious that they want to deal with Jane’s past, but this looked more like one of the old ABC After School Specials. I’m supposing that they will continue to deal with the “psychics” comments as simply informed common sense. There is no way that Jane would have bought her particular character’s BS. She touched a raw nerve though – as **anyone** could have done if they had given enough thought to the question that would have been bugging him most. You might want to double check the meaning of _skeptic_, however. Do I detect a lack of uncertainty in what you believe about psychic readings at $1000 an hour? ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-cowards-of-cbs-the-mentalist/473413/6 "2008-11-19T06:24:15Z")
To me, it was clear that Jane didn’t believe her but the issue she touched upon was too raw. This is a guy who sleeps, when he goes home, on a bare mattress on the floor beneath the happy face drawn in blood by his family’s killer, after all. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-cowards-of-cbs-the-mentalist/473413/7 "2008-11-19T11:03:04Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > To me, it was clear that Jane didn’t believe her but the issue she touched upon was too raw. Exactly. Which is making a point about “psychics” that they manipulate you so effectively that composure and rational thinking can so easily leave you despite your better judgement. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-cowards-of-cbs-the-mentalist/473413/8 "2008-11-19T12:32:16Z")
As Phil Plait (the Bad Astronomer) pointed out, the character Patrick Jane, in his former life as a John Edward-type phony “psychic” douchebag, used to do people harm by blocking the grieving process with his fake messages from the dead. Now, after losing his family, he’s doing the same thing to himself – not allowing himself to grieve and move on. The scam artist lady in last night’s episode might have actually thought she was doing him a favor, but since she was lying, and he knew she was lying, I’d say she was just meddling where she had no right to. I’d love to see her properly exposed in a future episode. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-cowards-of-cbs-the-mentalist/473413/9 "2008-11-19T17:14:16Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > You might want to double check the meaning of _skeptic_, however. Do I detect a lack of uncertainty in what you believe about psychic readings at $1000 an hour? You’re right, I WAS skeptical years ago then I went through the process of questioning and now I’m a nonbeliever. When I was referring to the “cold hearted skeptic” I was really more referring to the general state of mind, not their opinions on skeptics in particular. …those types of posts happen when I don’t take the time to take a deep breath. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-cowards-of-cbs-the-mentalist/473413/10 "2008-11-19T17:29:16Z")
She’s being set up to be a recurring “nemesis” for Jane in future episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-cowards-of-cbs-the-mentalist/473413/11 "2008-11-19T17:39:54Z")
I hope it isn’t thread-pooping to say that I have tried to watch this show three times, including last night’s episode (because I too hoped to see reason win out), but I can’t get past 15 or 20 minutes. There is zero chemistry among the regular players, and I apparently can’t be arsed to care about all these non-entities. I can’t help contrasting this with NCIS, about which there has also been a thread recently. Those characters may be broadly drawn and cartoonish, but at least they are interesting cartoons. End of poop. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-cowards-of-cbs-the-mentalist/473413/12 "2008-11-19T18:32:23Z")
It’s sad that the only televison series that was willing to consistently debunk supernatural phenomena was Scooby Doo. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-cowards-of-cbs-the-mentalist/473413/13 "2008-11-19T18:42:04Z")
> [@drm](#): > > At least _Psych_ hasn’t done this yet. Hopefully they won’t (I’ve only seen up to episode 4 of season 3). It isn’t in Canada yet. Good lord, I hope they never go there with Psych. Well, they can during an Adventures with Little Shawn and Gus or whatever those things are called. ---
**Author:** ![ambushed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@ambushed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ambushed)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-cowards-of-cbs-the-mentalist/473413/14 "2008-11-20T01:32:14Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > To me, he still knew she was bullshitting, but the thought of them made him happy at the end. It’s possible to still be a skeptic and be moved by the thoughts of your loved ones being at peace. > > It’s more nuanced, to be sure, but I don’t think for a second he believed her. I fully agree that your interpretation is a perfectly valid one for that one specific point (I see that as a small crumb to try to placate the genuine skeptics watching). But \*only \*for that one point. The larger and more important issue as I see it is that, except for a small number of comments from the Jane character, the “medium” was treated with as much respect and credibility as if she actually had the powers she claimed to have. Take away Jane’s personal and unverified comments, and it could easily have been an episode of _Medium_. The played-as-mysterious candle gutting alone was enough to implicitly confirm genuine paranormal power in the minds of the pro-paranormal audience. That there \*is \*a large pro-paranormal audience is evidenced by the show’s [website](http://www.cbs.com/forum/forums/byCategory/11.page) sub-forum described as _ **“Psychics, Seriously”** : “Have a premonition? Know someone who does? Talk about it real psychic experiences here.”_ But there’s nothing for skeptics. To me, that means that the writers/producers are abject cowards who dare not break from television/cultural orthodoxy and raise any serious doubts about the pro-paranormal bullshit they’re slinging. ---
**Author:** ![ambushed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@ambushed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ambushed)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-cowards-of-cbs-the-mentalist/473413/15 "2008-11-20T01:35:47Z")
> [@drm](#): > > [I haven’t watched this episode yet…it’s sitting inside my PVR.] > > You’ve gotta be fuckin’ kidding me. I was really worried about this episode when I saw the preview last week. The entire reason I started watching this show is because it had a character on it willing to call bullshit on all of the psychic/medium bullshit. > > I hope they don’t start catering to the airheads who actually put stock in this bullshit. I just want one motherfucking show that doesn’t “test” the poor cold-hearted skeptic and proceed to leave him/her wondering if maybe their isn’t something else out there. These episodes are about enough to make me stop watching the series’ altogether. I’m with you on that. I’ll watch one or two more and see what happens. > [@drm](#): > > My only hope now is to see something that _ambushed_ missed. (no offence intended - at least to ambushed.) None taken. Especially since this was one of only two episodes I’ve watched. That’s too small a sample to make a reliable judgment. But I’ll be watching with an extra layer of skepticism… ---
**Author:** ![ambushed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@ambushed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ambushed)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-cowards-of-cbs-the-mentalist/473413/16 "2008-11-20T01:37:41Z")
> [@drm](#): > > Yeah…after watching it, I don’t know what to make of it. I don’t think Jane bought the act, which is at least a start. > > Was it too much to ask to expose the psychic though? My thought exactly. It smacked of cultural cowardice. ---
**Author:** ![ambushed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@ambushed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ambushed)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-cowards-of-cbs-the-mentalist/473413/17 "2008-11-20T01:49:20Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > (WARNING \* \* \* \* CONTAINS POSSIBLE SPOILERS) I probably should have give the same warning, but I was angry and my thoughts were not about revealing the plot so much as revealing the lickspittle cowardice displayed by those that wrote and produced the episode. > [@Zoe](#): > > Tonight’s episode was the only rotten one in the series. It’s obvious that they want to deal with Jane’s past, but this looked more like one of the old ABC After School Specials. I’m supposing that they will continue to deal with the “psychics” comments as simply informed common sense. There is no way that Jane would have bought her particular character’s BS. She touched a raw nerve though – as **anyone** could have done if they had given enough thought to the question that would have been bugging him most. Again, though, my complaint covers much more than the last minute of the show. It’s not about the fact that Jane cried; no explanation other than grief and memory is necessary (although it’s clear the writers wanted that to be ambiguous enough to be a sop to the credulous). It’s the fact that the entire episode was deliberately ambiguous and consistently pulled its punches so to placate believers at almost every turn. I agree with **drm** : “Was it too much to ask to expose the psychic though?” > [@Zoe](#): > > You might want to double check the meaning of _skeptic_, however. Do I detect a lack of uncertainty in what you believe about psychic readings at $1000 an hour? Who are you referring to, and what makes you think that poster doesn’t understand the word _skeptic_? Please elaborate. ---
**Author:** ![ambushed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@ambushed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ambushed)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-cowards-of-cbs-the-mentalist/473413/18 "2008-11-20T02:00:26Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > She’s being set up to be a recurring “nemesis” for Jane in future episodes. Ah. That’s something that hadn’t occurred to me. Thanks for raising that possibility. CBS should send you a check, since I’ll now likely give the series another chance. As I remarked in my OP, the episode in question is only the second I’d seen. The first one I saw – involving a young woman murdered in a woods – was \*extremely \*unimpressive. Last night’s episode was the second chance I decided to give the series, with the results you’ve seen. **I’d like to ask a question of all posters:** Are most of the episodes primarily skeptical / debunking, or do they conform more to the deliberately ambiguous model of last night’s episode of striving to placate both skeptics and believers? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-cowards-of-cbs-the-mentalist/473413/19 "2008-11-20T02:54:16Z")
I haven’t seen this week’s episode yet, but I’ve watched the show since the premiere, and I think Jane is firmly in the skeptic camp. What I’ve seen so far has been very careful to stay within the parameters of what a bright, observant person with a very good memory, buckets of charisma, and big brass balls can actually do. He even explains how he does what he does. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-cowards-of-cbs-the-mentalist/473413/20 "2008-11-20T05:42:30Z")
I like the show. To expect perfection, solid key grip work, plot consistency for a TV show, well that way lies continual disappointment. Just like the CSI shows, tech tricks will only carry you so far, got to get the other stuff going to get enough viewers to keep it on. The quality so far has been such that I think the future shows with a talented & pretty opponent that is not a crook to be dispatched in one show will help carry it to more viewers. I prefer it without but if that keeps it from getting the axe, I can stand it. YMMV [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-cowards-of-cbs-the-mentalist/473413.md?page=2)