Binge Watch --- The Mentalist

 

The Mentalist was another one of those shows I stopped watching during my years-long TV hiatus. Honestly, I’m not even sure I would have finished the series had I not taken that break. By that point, I was already exhausted by the Red John storyline, which felt like it would never end. I don’t mind a long through line, but eventually it needs to end. And the way they finally wrapped it up felt so ridiculously contrived that I was ready to pack it in altogether.

What stopped me was Simon Baker. His portrayal of Patrick Jane was so damn compelling that I was loath to say goodbye. Walking away from the character for good just didn’t sit right with me, so I was determined to stick with it. And then one day, I simply stopped turning the TV on—unless it was to watch a movie, either something I owned or whatever was on TCM.

Which brings us to this recent binge rewatch, where I finally found out how it all ended. Part of me really enjoyed spending time again with Patrick and the rest of the CBI team—especially Cho. I had completely forgotten just how adorable he is, albeit in that wonderfully stoic way. Patrick was just as charming as ever, and how anyone can resist that little half-smile of his is beyond me. It’s honestly unfathomable that Simon Baker didn’t land another big, long-running show after this. Maybe I should start a petition to bring him back to our screens.

As for the cases themselves, when they didn’t involve Red John, I enjoyed them for the most part. When Red John did show up, I found myself even more annoyed this time around. Maybe that’s residual irritation from my first watch, but dear lord, that storyline did not need to be dragged out into the sixth season. It should have ended after the third—at the latest.

That said, while the Red John resolution mostly made sense to me, the later decision to shuffle half the main cast over to the FBI just didn’t work. It wasn’t what I wanted for these characters, and part of me wishes I’d stopped watching at that point. I still enjoyed my time with Patrick, Cho, and Lisbon, but the show never quite regained its sense of cohesion after that shift. And don’t even get me started on the forced romance—Booth and Bones, they are not.

All that said, I do want to give the writers their due. The mythology of the show—including Red John—was carefully constructed, and they introduced recurring characters years in advance, laying groundwork that paid off much later. That takes real skill. Even when I didn’t enjoy the direction of certain storylines, they rarely missed a beat or flubbed a connection. The casting of those characters was also spot-on: Malcolm McDowell, Morena Baccarin, Pedro Pascal, Leslie Hope, and Reed Diamond amongst them—not a single wasted actor in the bunch.

While I’m glad I spent 151 episodes with Patrick Jane and finally saw how his story wrapped up, this isn’t a show I feel the need to revisit. I love so much of it, but the elements that frustrate me really frustrate me—and I don’t think I’m willing to put myself through that again.

Binge Watch --- Grimm

 

Grimm is one of those shows I stopped watching when I abruptly went cold turkey on all TV. Grimm and Supernatural aired around the same time, so before I said goodbye, my DVR was getting a workout. Of all the shows I was watching, those were the two that were the hardest to give up—though I think my DVR was grateful.

If you’ve ever wanted to live next door to your favorite fairytale monsters, Grimm is the show for you. If you’re not familiar with it, let’s recap the premise. Nick Burkhardt, played by the uber-hot David Giuntoli, is a Portland homicide detective whose life changes when his dying aunt shows up out of the blue. Nick discovers he’s a Grimm—part of a long line of guardians who maintain the balance between the human and Wesen worlds.

If you’re unsure what Wesen are, think: the Big Bad Wolf, the Three Little Pigs, Anubis, naiads, wendigos, witches, and a myriad of other creatures from fairytales and myths. Wesen hide among us, appearing as normal humans until they woge, revealing their true selves.

Grimm lasted six seasons, from 2011 to 2017, and in my not-so-humble opinion, that was nowhere near long enough. It built an entire mythology that was not only fun to be immersed in but believable as well. That’s why I love fantasy, in all its forms—when done right, it submerges you, pulling you out of the real world for an hour or two, maybe even ten, at a time. The “reality” that Grimm creates is one of those instances.

They built a world that just feels real. While I’m watching it, I forget Wesen aren’t real. I believe the royal families are pulling the strings behind the scenes. I believe that Black Claw and Hadrian’s Wall are fighting a war that will force everyone to choose a side. I forget that Nick, Hank, Renard, Adalind, Wu, Monroe, Rosalee, and Juliette are characters being played by ridiculously talented actors. Whether I’m watching one episode or ten, I’m all in the entire time.

Before I leave you with just enough curiosity to check the show out for yourself, I have to touch upon the city it’s set and filmed in—Portland, Oregon. This isn’t the Portland of the 1980s, which was the last time I was there. This is a vibrant city full of life and beauty. I absolutely adore the Pacific Northwest, with its old-growth forests and ferns as big as golden retrievers. I love the weather and the way of life.

Grimm brings all of that to the forefront, and Portland is as much a character as Nick himself. I honestly don’t know if the show would have worked as well anywhere else. It rekindled my love for the region—and if I don’t end up moving back to the north shore of Lake Superior, it’ll be back to Oregon, on the western side of the Cascades.

And make no mistake: I’m Team Adalind all the way. After everything she and Nick go through separately, they both deserve any happiness they can find together.

I’ve heard they’re planning a movie set a decade or two after the show ended. I hope it’s a continuation of the story and the characters I love—but at this point, I’ll take whatever they’re willing to share with us. I can’t wait to be immersed in that world again.

Binge Watch --- Bones

 

I originally abandoned Bones during an odd TV boycott a few years back. This year, though, I’ve been watching more television than I have in ages—mainly to finally see how all those shows I once started actually ended.

If you’re unfamiliar, Bones is based on Kathy Reichs’s long-running Temperance Brennan novels (there are twenty-five and counting). Reichs herself is a forensic anthropologist, and the early books were reportedly inspired by her own experiences. I haven’t yet picked up the series—partly because I’ve heard the show handles character development better, and partly because I love these characters so much that I worry the books might not measure up. My TBR pile is already overflowing, so we’ll see if I ever get to them.

The show follows Temperance “Bones” Brennan, a brilliant but socially awkward forensic anthropologist at the Jeffersonian (think Smithsonian), who’s paired with FBI agent Seeley Booth. I’ll admit, I only tuned in at first because David Boreanaz was cast as Booth. As a full throated Buffy and Angel fan, there was no way I was going to miss him in a new role. But by the first half of the pilot, I was hooked—not just on Boreanaz, but on the dynamic chemistry between Brennan and Booth. Think William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles—level chemistry. Pure perfection. 

On paper, they couldn’t be more different. Brennan is analytical, clinical, and baffled by most pop culture. Booth relies on gut instinct, quick judgments, and has deep loyalty to his family. Over time, Brennan slowly grows into one of the most nuanced characters I’ve ever seen on television, while Booth remains her perfect counterbalance. Their dynamic is the heartbeat of the series, and it never stopped being a joy to watch.

Of course, I wouldn’t have made it through 246 episodes if the supporting cast hadn’t been equally compelling. Lance Sweets (a personal favorite), Hodgins, Angela, Camille, Zach, and even the rotating “squinterns” all brought depth and heart to the show. Across twelve seasons, they faced serial killers, bombers, snipers, hurricanes, complicated families—and countless murder cases. Through it all, they had each other. They solved crimes, but more importantly, they saved each other.

Binge Watch --- Supernatural

I probably watch too much TV. Actually, I know I watch too much TV. I've been this way since I was a kid, sitting on the living room floor glued to Saturday morning cartoons. Believe it or not, there was a few years where I stopped watching TV, cold turkey. I was religiously watching Grimm, Supernatural and a few other shows at the time and for whatever reason, I just stopped. I never saw Doctor McDreamy die. I never saw Rick and company leave the prison. And I damn well never saw Crowley sacrifice himself.

This year has been a year for binging, getting caught up on the shows I never finished. I've already knocked out Grimm and Bones, because that was another show I never finished, and I just finished Supernatural on my birthday, this past Friday. For those not familiar with the show, Supernatural lasted for 15 season. That means I just finished binging 327 episodes of one of the greatest TV shows of all time. 

My favorite TV show of all time is Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which I will be binging before the new Hulu series starts, so it should come as no surprise that I loved Supernatural from the moment it hit our television screens in 2005 on what was the WB Network. From the moment Dean showed up on Sam's doorstep telling him that their father was MIA on a hunting trip, I was hooked. Here was a show that had two hot guys fighting monsters, this was tailor-made for me to love it. Now, if that was all the show was about, I probably would have gotten bored at some point. Instead, this is a show about family and what a family does to support each other, no matter what that family looks like. It's a show about two brothers, Sam and Dean Winchester, who would literally die for the other. Most of all, it's a show that transcended genres. 

This time around, I found myself siding with Dean more than I did my first time. Honestly, Sam could be fricking whiny and annoying at times, the way a younger brother should be. I also remembered how much I wanted "Bloodlines" to have worked as a spinoff, which never happened. And speaking of spinoffs, the fact that "Wayward Sisters" never happened has me seeing red. I want more Jody, Donna, Claire, Alex, and Patience. I feel robbed now. 

As I was watching, I wanted to live in the Men of Letters Bunker, I wanted to hang out with Rowena (my favorite character from the show), I wanted to drive Baby, and I wanted to eat pie with Dean. I wanted to go out on hunts with them. Most of all, I want to see Dean and Castiel reunited. I want that confession to mean something. 

If you've never watched the show, you should. If it's been a while, give it a rewatch. I promise you won't be disappointed.