arloGet the appShows like The Mentalist
2008 · Series · TV-14 · your starting pointIf The Mentalist is the itch, these scratch it — some louder, some quieter. Free ones first.
Shows like The Mentalist, ranked
1. Psych (2006)
Patrick Jane's con-artist charm meets Shawn Spencer's improvised theatrics—both protagonists weaponize misdirection and cold reading to outthink criminals while hiding deeper vulnerabilities beneath their performances.
2. Criminal Minds (2005)
Patrick Jane's mentalist facade mirrors how Criminal Minds' profilers read suspects through psychological manipulation and behavioral analysis, both using deception as their investigative tool.
3. Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001)
Detective Goren's obsessive psychological profiling and cryptic interrogation tactics mirror Patrick Jane's manipulation of suspects, both using intellectual superiority and calculated observation to extract confessions rather than physical evidence.
4. Monk (2002)
Patrick Jane's tactical manipulation of suspects through cold reading mirrors Monk's methodical deconstruction of crime scenes, with both protagonists weaponizing their psychological peculiarities to outthink adversaries while nursing unresolved personal vendettas.
5. Person of Interest (2011)
Patrick Jane's con-artist methodology mirrors the calculated deception Reese employs—both protagonists manipulate situations through psychological insight rather than traditional detective work, wielding charm and misdirection to outmaneuver adversaries.
6. Maigret (2016)
Maigret shares the same methodical approach to investigation, where careful observation of human behavior and psychology matter far more than procedural shortcuts or violence.
7. Inspector Lewis (2006)
Patrick Jane's gift for reading people through micro-expressions and body language mirrors Lewis's methodical deduction, both protagonists solving murders by understanding human nature rather than relying solely on forensic evidence.
8. Balthazar (2018)
Balthazar's forensic pathologist uses unconventional deduction and sardonic wit to outmaneuver suspects much like the con artist protagonist of your favorite show, combining cerebral mystery-solving with a darkly comedic investigator who masks deeper trauma beneath his professional facade.
Tell me what kind of night it is — I'll pick the one for you.