(S01E17) "This is a goat turd about six months old." -- Cho, about Jane's "fossilized worm"

Ah, a few things I love about The Mentalist showed up in tonight's episode: a quote from Cho, a setup from Jane, and Lisbon and Jane banter. Top that off with a couple of my favorite guest stars and you've got yourself a fun episode of The Mentalist.

Oh, and we can't forget Jane doing his Jane things: trying to get Rigsby and Van Pelt together in a car for three hours, monologuing about the beauty of the desert, teasing Lisbon and Faulk (the "Boom!" line) and smiling throughout everything.

When you're a ratings-challenged fledgling network like the CW, you're going to do anything you can to get a leg up on the competition. Releasing sex-filled advertisements for your most high-profile show is a good start, but that alone won't get the job done. To that end, the CW has just announced that it's moving its fall premiere dates up to September 1st, well ahead of the beginning of the traditional broadcast season.

The idea behind the move is that you're already going to be hooked on Gossip Girl and Top Model by the time the other networks get around to premiering their fall shows, sometime around mid-to-late September. The season isn't the only thing the CW is starting early, however. Starting in November, they're also extending prime time, with original programming beginning at 6:30 on Sunday nights.

Check out CW's full premiere schedule after the jump.

(S03E05) The episode started with a young woman jumping into the Thames... a suicide attempt. After she arrived at the hospital (unconscious, but alive), we learned that she, Emily, was one of Stacie's good friends. Not only was she a kind friend, but she led a children's charity and had devoted most of her life to it. Emily's severe depression was caused by a vicious tabloid's claim that she had defrauded her own charity and had embezzled loads of money. Stacie went to visit Emily and, after seeing what a poor state she was in, vowed to seek revenge on the Weekend World.

(S03E04) The episode started in the middle of a con, while the gang was having lunch with the mark. Stacie appeared in a traditional Indian dress, quite the vision. There was talk about a movie investment. The mark was an Indian fellow named Samar. He was extremely unkind and, as he left, Mickey remarked that he never wanted to take anyone's money so badly. Samar rode away in a limo, chaffeured by Danny. Suddenly, he said that everything was too perfect... "You're all con artists!" Danny turned around to try and make some excuse, but ended up driving into a stationary car. Crap.

I really enjoy this show. The stories are entertaining, the cast is great, and it's good to see Robert Vaughn doing something besides those commercials. And now season one of the show is coming to DVD on September 5.

It's only 6 episodes, but there are going to be two DVDs for some reason. I guess the "Assembling The Team" featurette is a little longer than I thought it would be.

The episode started right in the middle of the gang's latest cons. Stacie was just about to work her "sex kitten" act when she stopped dead in her tracks. She just spotted someone that she recognized... her ex-husband, Jake. A crazy twist within the first two minutes? Bravo, Hustle. Anyway, Stacie's ex-husband ran out on her years and years ago, taking all their savings with him. To exact revenge on this jerk that betrayed their beloved Stacie, the gang decided to make her ex the new mark. Stacie explained some of his background to the group and they decided that, by working off his love for poker, they would fool him with a bent Hold 'Em competition.

This episode started at an auction house, where a bidding war over some prized comic book artwork was reaching its climax. It was down to two gentlemen, who brought the price up to £100,000. Ash, disguised in some cool glasses and a little facial hair, jumped in at the last minute and offered £110,000. The two other gentlemen looked crushed as the auctioneer finally banged his gavel. The team looked slightly worried about their new investment as well. What could they possibly do with £110,000 comic book artwork?

We're currently three episodes (including this one) into the new season and there have been a few changes... I've noticed some stylistic switch-ups, including more creative angles and a lot more of the characters winking or speaking directly to the camera/viewer. Plus, the stories have grown a little more far-fetched, which is really saying something because the first season had some material that was way too bizarre to believe.