the mentalist

Talk about a nice Christmas present: 'The Mentalist' star Simon Baker has signed a new deal with Warner Bros. TV that will net him a producer credit and a nice $30 million payday.

According to Deadline Hollywood, Baker extended his six-year contract by one year, and will get a cut of the syndication profits. The CBS drama was sold to TNT for $2.2-2.3 million per episode for Warner Bros.

Baker's producer credit will begin in season 5.

In other TV news ...

• Conan O'Brien has apologized to Jimmy Kimmel for making a similar Sarah Palin joke. O'Brien issued his apology on air, saying he was unaware of Kimmel's joke from earlier this month. [WSJ]

• Chloe Sevigny said she would do another TV series once 'Big Love' ends. "I'm not opposed to another series but I don't think I'd do one in Los Angeles," she said. "I'd like to do a half-hour comedy on a cable network in New York where I play someone really glamorous and really goofy. That's my dream job!" [EW]

• 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' star Lisa Vanderpump said she was verbally attacked at the Polo Lounge. "Last night at the Polo Lounge my friend, Robert Kovacik, was viciously attacked by an aggressive drunk...I am shocked and upset, merry Xmas," the star tweeted. [TV Guide]

It's Christmas, that time of year when we're constantly told that it's better to give than to receive. Some people probably don't really believe that, but it is nice to go out and buy a present for a loved one, with no expectation that you're going to get something from them.

Look at it this way: if you buy someone else a gift, you'll probably get one too!

And since we consider TV characters almost like a part of our family here, we decided to find the perfect gifts to suit their personalities. Because even fictional people want to receive nice gifts this time of year.

This is Spoilers Anonymous, a weekly column here at TV Squad where we supply you with the dirt on some of the more popular shows on the air. We'll never put spoilers up here on the main page in order to help the reformed stay unspoiled. If you have anything to add to the group, feel free to step up and let yourself be heard, either with our tips form or by e-mailing us at tvsquad@gmail.com. Your anonymity is guaranteed, if you wish to remain as such.

This week we have spoilers for: '30 Rock,' '90210,' 'Castle,' 'Fringe,' 'Gossip Girl,' 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Law & Order: SVU,' 'Private Practice,' 'Smallville,' 'The Big Bang Theory,' 'The Event,' and 'The Mentalist.'

This is Spoilers Anonymous In-Depth, a weekly column here at TV Squad where we discuss and give our two cents about recently released spoilers and how they may affect the storylines, shows and fans.

This in-depth version of the column goes hand in hand with our weekly spoilers column, in which we supply you with the dirt on some of the more popular shows on the air.

This week, we discuss spoilers recently released for the upcoming two episodes of 'The Mentalist.'

Julie Benz, meet your new TV mom: Cybill Shepherd!

That's right, the veteran TV actress is heading to ABC's new superhero show 'No Ordinary Family.' According to TV Guide, Shepherd will play Barbara Crane, mom to super speedster scientist Stephanie. Look for Stephanie's parents to not have warm feelings towards Michael Chiklis' Jim.

"They don't know yet about what's happened to the family," Benz told TV Guide. "So we have to decide if it's best to clue them in or keep them in the dark."

In other TV news ...

• TNT has renewed freshman drama 'Memphis Beat.' The series starring Jason Lee and Alfre Woodard has averaged 4.5 million viewers over its 10-episode season. [Live Feed]

• HBO is bringing 'Hung' back for a third season. The show about Thomas Jane as a downtrodden high school teacher/male prostitute drew 2.5 million viewers last week. [Deadline Hollywood]

• 'Heroes' star Jack Coleman is headed to 'The Mentalist' on Oct. 14. Coleman will play Max Armstrong, a wealthy and arrogant man who just so happens to catch Patrick Jane's eye and becomes the prime suspect in a murder case. [TV Guide]

This is Spoilers Anonymous, a weekly column here at TV Squad where we supply you with the dirt on some of the more popular shows on the air. We'll never put spoilers up here on the main page in order to help the reformed stay unspoiled. If you have anything to add to the group, feel free to step up and let yourself be heard, either with our tips form or by e-mailing us at tvsquad@gmail.com. Your anonymity is guaranteed, if you wish to remain as such.

This week we have spoilers for: 'Bones,' 'Brothers & Sisters,' Castle,' 'Chuck,' 'Desperate Housewives,' 'Dexter,' 'Drop Dead Diva,' 'Glee,' 'Gossip Girl,' 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'House,' 'How I Met Your Mother,' 'NCIS,' 'Private Practice,' 'The Mentalist,' 'The Office,' and 'The Simpsons.'

This is Spoilers Anonymous, a weekly column here at TV Squad where we supply you with the dirt on some of the more popular shows on the air. We'll never put spoilers up here on the main page in order to help the reformed stay unspoiled. If you have anything to add to the group, feel free to step up and let yourself be heard, either with our tips form or by e-mailing us at tvsquad@gmail.com. Your anonymity is guaranteed, if you wish to remain as such.

This week we have spoilers for: '90210,' 'Bones,' 'Castle,' 'CSI: New York,' 'Desperate Housewives,' 'Dexter,' 'Fringe,' 'Glee,' 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'House,' 'How I Met Your Mother,' 'Parenthood,' 'Private Practice,' 'Supernatural,' 'The Big Bang Theory,' and 'The Mentalist.'

This is Spoilers Anonymous, a weekly column here at TV Squad where we supply you with the dirt on some of the more popular shows on the air. We'll never put spoilers up here on the main page in order to help the reformed stay unspoiled. If you have anything to add to the group, feel free to step up and let yourself be heard, either with our tips form or by e-mailing us at tvsquad@gmail.com. Your anonymity is guaranteed, if you wish to remain as such.

This week we have spoilers for: '90210,' 'Big Love,' 'Castle,' 'Chuck,' 'CSI,' 'Desperate Housewives,' 'Dexter,' 'Glee,' 'Gossip Girl,' 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Law & Order: SVU,' 'Lie to Me,' 'Modern Family,' 'Private Practice,' 'Smallville,' 'The Good Wife,' 'The Mentalist,' 'The Middle,' 'The Office,' 'The Vampire Diaries,' and 'V.'

This is Spoilers Anonymous, a weekly column here at TV Squad where we supply you with the dirt on some of the more popular shows on the air. We'll never put spoilers up here on the main page in order to help the reformed stay unspoiled. If you have anything to add to the group, feel free to step up and let yourself be heard, either with our tips form or by e-mailing us at tvsquad@gmail.com. Your anonymity is guaranteed, if you wish to remain as such.

This week we have spoilers for: 'Bones,' 'Brothers & Sisters,' 'Castle,' 'Chuck,' 'Desperate Housewives,' 'Drop Dead Diva,' 'Fringe,' 'Glee,' 'Law & Order: SVU,' 'The Mentalist,' 'The Vampire Diaries,' and 'Weeds.'

Now that some time has passed, here's a few thoughts about a few season finales -- including two series finales -- and what writers and producers might learn for future programs (Warning: Spoilers ahead!).

1. Stick to your strengths: 'The Big Bang Theory' smartly addressed the ongoing romance of Penny and Leonard in the finale, but kept us laughing at his and her frustrations over it. They didn't promise a reconciliation, but it sure implied that there's still a lot of simmering romance there. It wouldn't be surprising if they get back together in season four or not. That's smart writing.

They also stuck to their strengths by saving the best gag, Sheldon meeting the female Sheldon, for the pseudo-cliffhanger ending. You don't expect cliffhangers in sitcoms, but this one works. You can't wait to see if Sheldon will have a new relationship with this woman, or if it's just a fleeting social experiment for the scientists.

Investigator Patrick Jane may have uncanny powers of observation, but they don't necessarily keep him out of harm's way. In fact, his intuition brought him into a life-threatening predicament on 'The Mentalist' (Thu., 10PM ET on CBS).

[Spoiler alert.]


In an abandoned and derelict hotel, Jane found himself in the middle of "sick little movie," about to be killed on camera.

Jane had nearly talked himself out of trouble, until gunshots fired. Red John appeared, saying, "If there's one thing I can't tolerate, it's cheap imitations of my work." Uh-oh.

(S02E23) "I'm becoming what I was supposed to be. Your children's children will worship me." - Red John

Technically, Red John did not say that quote but he could very well have. Red John is twisted enough to believe he'll one day be worshiped for his killings. He can add one potential fan to his list as one important character claimed that Red John could redeem himself!

I say "he" when speaking of Red John, but it could very well be a woman, no? And based on the new tidbits we got about Red John this week, I'm still not 100 percent sure RJ is a man. You?

Tonight is the season finale of CBS' 'The Mentalist,' and the promos promise that Patrick Jane will finally get to meet Red John face to face. Of course, promos have been known to lie before, so maybe this is just another person doing Red John's dirty work and a plot to trick Jane.

But it's the season finale and we're in season two, so maybe it's time for the show to reveal who Red John is. But I think I figured it out.

It has to do with Jell-O.

(S02E22) "There's no such thing as psychics." - Jane

I wonder if 'The Mentalist' will ever stop with the episode titles that have the word "red" in them or a reference to the color red in them. Wouldn't it be funny for next season's episodes to suddenly have the word "blue" in them? This would mean an endless array of episode titles to choose from. Later seasons could focus on yellow, then black, then maybe peach.

Until that happens, we have "Red Letter," an episode that was half good and half meh.

(S02E21) "I didn't know it was a crime to be intelligent, Agent Cho." - Oliver

A 'The Mentalist' episode title without the word red, or pink, or crimson? How could they?! Maybe it looks like it at first sight. However, it is not the case. You just need to do some rather quick investigation to find out that the numbers spell the word "red". If A = 1 and Z = 26, then 18 = R, 5 = E, and 4 = D. A fitting title since this week's case involved the death of a mathematical genius.

Sadly, finding out the meaning of the title was as easy as discovering who the murderer of the week was.