u/RecognitionBig9248

After months of constant applications, final‑stage interviews and things not going my way, I’ve finally been offered a job. I’m relieved because my mental health really needed a break from all the rejection – but I’m also quite disheartened about the role itself. It's not what I want, but I don't have much choice.

I’m now at the contract stage, and they’re pushing pretty aggressively for me to sign. There’s one outstanding issue: The contract says no travel expenses will be reimbursed unless agreed in writing. The role does involve some travel, so I’ve asked for clarification, but they’re taking ages to respond.

I’ve never worked anywhere that doesn’t reimburse business travel. Has anyone else dealt with this? Is it normal, or is it a red flag?

Grateful for any insight or experience.

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"It's gonna get hot in here..."

Robin Tunney giving Simon stick for being voted 'Sexiest Man on TV' never gets old.

(it's not about Kim lol)

If you could sneak some extra moments into The Mentalist, what they be? Those tiny non‑canon wishes that you always hoped for, something you would've loved.

My own wish‑list:

• I’d have loved to know more about Jane’s mum – she’s such a mystery
• More of Cho’s personal life. I will never stop wanting that.
• Slightly spicy take, but I wanted one last check‑in with Kristina Frye before the show wrapped. Did she ever get back on track?

What about you? Big dreams, micro moments explored, one more scene...

Amanda Righetti as Grace Van Pelt is the real MVP here. Simon Baker’s work is exceptional – this scene never fails to move me – but it’s Van Pelt’s quiet presence that really stands out. At this point, she’s seen as the rookie, sometimes a bit impulsive, but here she shows real emotional maturity. The way she reads the situation, gives Jane space, and gently steps away without drawing attention to herself is such a subtle, beautiful piece of acting.

If you’ve got time for just one episode of The TV Police Podcast (they’re all bangers), watch the one with Owain, Tim, and The Mentalist production assistant, Dano.

Dano is so instantly likeable – fully relaxed, golden-labrador energy, no ego, just happy to be there. And then he casually drops this story.

It’s literally his second day on the job, he has no idea about production etiquette, and he just… walks straight into Bruno Heller’s office (the show’s creator – the top guy) like it’s completely normal.

Not to do anything dramatic – just to say, “Hey, we’ve got someone in common, how cool is that?”

Except the “someone in common” is Bruno’s former writing partner… who Bruno believes is dead.

Dano, meanwhile, has no idea about any of that. He’s just cheerfully like, “Yeah, I think he’s my friend’s dad.”

Turns out… he wasn’t dead.

So on his second day, Dano accidentally reunited these long-lost writing partners through sheer confidence and zero awareness.

Owain’s nearly spitting out his water, Tim’s gone, head back laughing – absolute chaos.

Bring back Dano! This human is pure joy.

S1E16 (VIDEO): Bloodshot – The Mentalist Rewatch

Something that always stood out to me in Red Scare (S2E05)…

Toward the end, when the widow has that really vulnerable moment with Jane, you can tell he’s not okay with her bringing up his family – and I completely get that.

But when she asks (and she’s clearly genuinely distressed) if the people we’ve lost know how we feel… his answer just feels so cold. That quiet “no” and then turning away from her really stuck with me.

I understand what the show was going for – that a pre‑trauma Jane would have leaned into that moment, maybe even taken advantage of it – but here he almost swings too far the other way. He just shuts down, and she’s left with nothing.

I feel like he could have offered something – even a small kindness – without betraying who he’s become.

Am I missing something here, or did it land a bit cold for anyone else too?

Still obsessed. Still rewatching. Just quietly side‑eyeing these three choices. 👀

1) The pink dress situation
Lisbon has to pick from three dresses that Jane’s chosen for her and I was internally screaming the green one! It would’ve looked incredible with her eyes. Instead we got this pink, no‑shape monstrosity and those heels… I might be misremembering but I swear they were metallic gold. Girl. They did you dirty. 👑

2) Lisbon + Walter Mashburn
Eeeeeeek. Cover your eyes! Did that really happen? What was the appeal – his reflection in his car collection? I’d take Oscar Ardiles over Walter in a heartbeat (erm, for Lisbon of course 😇).

3) The Washington socks
The pale woolly ones Lisbon gave Jane. Yes, it’s sweet he wears them to death because they’re from her. Visually, though, with the suit? And they look unbearably hot. I tried. I can’t. Don’t hate me. 🥵

I’d leave them all in though – perfection’s overrated (the socks, however… 🤷‍♀️)

Hee!

Spoiler alert – obviously.

>!There are so many Jane moments, but one I absolutely love happens in 'Red Sails in the Sunset' (S5.8). Jane goes to enormous trouble to stage the perfect fake car crash – straight into the tree, everything going exactly to plan, him lying there groaning convincingly – and then comes the curveball.!<

>!Bob Kirkland turns up. Something Jane clearly did not factor in.!<

>!For just a beat, Jane completely drops his guard. The jealousy slips out before he can stop it – “Who’s that guy?” – and I LOVE this moment. It’s such a small but very human crack in the performance.!<

>!Then he quickly clocks himself and goes back to groaning – which probably wasn’t entirely faked at that point, but was definitely performed just enough to lock in Lisbon’s concern for him, and away from the whereabouts of Lorelei.!<

>!Just a brilliant mix of meticulous planning, emotional leakage, and rapid recovery. Jane, being very Jane.!<

(Favourite moments… part 2 incoming 😄)

I didn’t see this coming. I didn’t expect to get LaRoched. I was a fool for thinking it was possible for JJ LaRoche to pass through my viewing life quietly and leave no lasting impact.

It started with noticing things: The intense, socially awkward stillness, the dry humour that lands almost by accident, the sense of someone always slightly out of step but fully aware of it. Then the vulnerability slipped in – asking whether a friendship was real – and suddenly I was paying attention in a way I hadn’t agreed to.

And somehow, all of that made the flashes of silliness even more unexpectedly lovable. Watching him awkwardly attempt the lovey theatre type while only just pulling it off? Painfully endearing.

No spoilers, but LaRoche’s way of remembering his mother has permanently altered my feelings about Tupperware, and not in a good way.

Add in quiet bravery, terrifyingly competent investigator energy, recognising a true equal in Cho without ego, big man/small dog devotion, miniature figurines, and the clear implication that this is a man who knows his way around a Swiffer, and that was that.

I didn’t ask for this. I wish there’d been more. But against my better judgement: JJ LaRoche has my heart. 💛

Red, White and Blue (S5E17) has such a cute opening. After Jane and Lisbon sing Kansas City together (adorable), when Patrick turns to the army officer I was convinced he said “Harmonies too.” The subtitles, however, say “Army of two.”

Which makes more sense (I guess)… but it really made me giggle that for a moment I thought Jane was wearing that disarming smile while thinking about him and Lisbon in perfect unison (musically and otherwise 😄). My brain clearly went where it wanted to go.

I tend to love shows that linger and make me think – when I’m in the mood for that. The Mentalist was a bit uneven for me at times. Some episodes felt like filler, where I wasn’t fully invested and was happy watching with half an eye. Then Lorelei showed up, and suddenly I was locked in again. 👀

I really loved her character. She sharpened everything – because she exposes Jane at his worst. He’s spent so long refusing to be emotionally honest and from season 4 onwards, the manipulation is relentless. He withholds, misdirects, runs the long con, and somehow everyone around him is expected to absorb the fallout. He honestly annoyed me quite a lot. The manoeuvring was off the charts, even by his standards. But paradoxically, that’s also what made the vulnerable moments hit harder. When his guard cracked – even slightly – I was completely transfixed. That contrast did a lot of heavy lifting.

The Red John arc smouldered for years, then ended in a brutal, high‑speed crash – and I couldn’t look away. I loved when the show leaned into moral tension and didn’t always protect the viewer’s feelings. That said, the consequences didn’t fully stick long-term, and this softened the impact for me. It links to that wider pattern with Jane – the withholding, playing his own game, deciding what Lisbon 'needs to know’ – which makes sense for his character, but is hard to unsee once you notice it.

There are so many characters I really liked. But Jane and Lisbon as a relationship frustrated me more as the show went on. Even when they’re together, there’s still that sense of distance. From a character point of view, it absolutely makes sense – given everything he’s been through, that control is basically a survival mechanism. Letting go would mean vulnerability and trusting someone not to be taken away again. That’s a huge leap. But equally… Lisbon deserved more, and I’m not sure the show fully reconciles those two things.

I struggled more with the post–Red John time jump. It felt like a huge amount of change all at once – Jane drifting around in what looked like a jumble sale outfit, still the shirt (but now crumpled) and was that really a skirt of some sort? 😅 A beach setting? No Lisbon, no familiar characters to anchor things. The faux date with the undercover agent felt jarring given everything unresolved. Then suddenly we’re in Texas, new team, new dynamic, FBI… it was a bit of narrative whiplash.

I’m really glad I stuck with it though. There are some genuinely strong episodes later on in season 7. Cho is always worth my time. Wylie was a standout (I would’ve loved more of him), Vega’s arc was heartbreaking, and Abbott’s development was excellent – he ended up being one of my favourites.

I love a good crime story, and when The Mentalist leans into that – the misdirection, the fake-outs, the darker arcs like JJ LaRoche – it really works. Overall, uneven at times, messy and compelling in equal measure. But when it worked, it really worked – and it’s definitely stayed with me. I’m already rewatching! 😄