Why ‘The Mentalist’ Was Canceled After Season 7, Explained

The Mentalist starred Simon Baker as Patrick Jane, an astute observer who consulted for the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Formerly a high-profile psychic medium, Jane’s purported abilities infuriated serial killer Red John, who then killed Jane’s wife and daughter. After six successful seasons, CBS announced that the seventh season of The Mentalist would be its last. Some say the show was canceled, while others contend it had simply run its course. Season seven of The Mentalist had only 13 episodes, a stark contrast to the previous seasons, which all had more than 20 episodes each.

After announcing that The Mentalist was ending, fans clung to the hope that Warner Brothers would find a new home for the show. That did not happen, and many fans were left wondering why The Mentalist got axed.

Once ‘The Mentalist’ Revealed Red John’s Identity, There Wasn’t Much Left to Do

The Mentalist was renewed for a seventh season in October 2014, although it was widely believed it would be the show’s final run. The Mentalist had slipped in the ratings, but Season 6 contained several significant episodes that brought its Red John story to an end.

The identity of Red John was revealed to be Sheriff Thomas McAllister (Zander Berkeley), a character who had first appeared during Season 1. As Red John killed victim after victim, Patrick Jane and the CBI chased him, never quite able to catch him. When Jane finally figured out the true identity of Red John, McAllister told him that he was also the founder of the Blake Association, a group of corrupt law enforcement officers who helped him succeed.

After the revelation about Red John, The Mentalist creator Bruno Heller said he wasn’t sure exactly when he decided McAllister would be the villain. Simon Baker, for his part, was “satisfied with the way” Jane killed Red John but also felt, “A level of disappointment because, like anything when there’s a mystery, you paint a picture in your head of what it’s going to be, particularly when it’s a mystery that holds you underwater so long, the mystery of who it is mythical.”

Audiences were split about McAllister being Red John. Entertainment Weekly’s James Hibberd said that McAllister as Red John “stumbled” as much as how the great unmasking was carried out. Hibberd ultimately couldn’t understand, “Dragging out the mystery if Red John [he] was just going to be an unremarkable “disappointing” minor character, somebody who means nothing to Jane.” As explained by Baker in 2008, his character faced “such an enormous tragedy,” leaving him with “nothing left to live for, except for a form of revenge and justice.” That’s what Patrick Jane ultimately got with the death of Red John.

The Slow Decline in Ratings Didn’t Bode Well for ‘The Mentalist’

Few shows had the same premise as The Mentalist — a detective with keen observational skills claiming to have psychic abilities — making it unique among other primetime offerings. It maintained fairly steady ratings for its first four seasons, but the show did slow down in terms of popularity. By Season 5, The Mentalist saw a marked decline in viewership. While the success of the show was clear, the reality of The Mentalist’s slow loss of viewers during Season 5 is often overlooked.

The changes seen in The Mentalist during Season 6 were intended to revitalize the show. Patrick Jane’s efforts to identify Red John would come to an end, hopefully allowing The Mentalist to tackle new cases and move the overall show forward. This ultimately proved unsuccessful.

When The Mentalist’s final season was announced, CBS also stated that the last episodes would run earlier than expected. The Mentalist’s last episodes substituted in for The Good Wife on Sunday nights in late 2014 and then moved to Wednesdays until the finale aired in February 2015. CBS executive Kelly Kahl explained, “One of the goals this season was to keep expanding our lineup of year-round, original programming and have fewer repeat cycles.” With inconsistent ratings, The Mentalist filled gaps as CBS adjusted its overall programming schedule.

‘The Mentalist’s Stars Didn’t Count Out Coming Back for More at Some Point in the Future

By the end of The Mentalist, Patrick Jane and Teresa Lisbon, played by Robin Tunney, had revealed their relationship to their colleagues and walked down the aisle. Lisbon also announced that she was expecting Jane’s baby. As another aspect of the show, it had fans on the edges of their seats weekly. Bruno Heller explained that the nuptials were “the natural consummation” for the characters.

Tunney was also happy for her character when it came to impending parenthood. She said that if the show was tapped for more episodes, “Of course, and I also love the fact that we’re going out with people still wanting more. I think it’s the best way to finish.” Heller seemed open to it, as well, but made it clear “that’s entirely up to Simon and Robin.”