Which drama would win the battle between Amazon’s latest adaptation of Patricia Cornwell’s Scarpetta books, vs Bruno Heller’s cult favourite, The Mentalist? If you want to know if either are worth watching, read our deep dive to learn more about each series, from their similarities to their differences.
A cult favourite procedural crime drama that ran between 2008 to 2015, The Mentalist won the hearts of its fans with its easy-to-follow whodunit format, witty script, and charming cast of characters including protagonist Patrick Jane in his investigative endeavours. On the other end of the scale is Scarpetta, Liz Sarnoff’s eight-episode prestige series which follows forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta as she attempts to unravel two connected cases from past and present.
While both shows are procedural in nature and focus on solving crime using alternative, creative methods, they are inherently different in style, storyline, and tone, leading to two different viewing experiences that are uniquely enjoyable in their own ways.
Scarpetta vs The Mentalist: Similarities and cast reunions
Portraying the eponymous mentalist in the Bruno Heller-led series, Simon Baker’s return to the fictional crime-solving scene as FBI criminal profiler Benton Wesley was met with much delight among fans. Yet, Baker was not the only Mentalist alumnus in the cast of Scarpetta. Joining him was American actress Amanda Righetti, who had previously portrayed CBI agent Grace Van Pelt on The Mentalist.
For Scarpetta, Righetti stepped into the shoes of Dorothy Scarpetta, portraying the younger version of Jamie Lee Curtis’ character and delivering an explosive performance that showcased both her range and acting chops.
Being on different timelines, Baker and Righetti do not intersect on-screen in Scarpetta. However, the Mentalist reunion was immediately noted among fans of the series, with many lauding the return of Baker’s crime-fighting persona on social media. But while both Baker’s characters of Patrick Jane and Benton Wesley share traumatic pasts and the unique position of working with the FBI, that is where the similarities end.
Inspirations and fundamental story arc
Like many classic mystery-solving shows of the era, The Mentalist — and the character of Patrick Jane — were both inspired by the genius fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. Additionally, creator Bruno Heller drew inspiration from real life mentalists like Gary McCambridge when conceptualising his lead character, ultimately presenting Jane as a hybrid of detective and charlatan who solves crimes using the powers of observation, psychology, body language, and cold reading rather than technology.
As the lead character of the series, Jane’s overall arc is informed by his tragic past. Notably, the former Carnival conman-turned fraudulent psychic-turned consultant detective is driven by a desire for revenge, and he spends much of the series hunting down a serial killer, Red John, who is responsible for the murder of his wife and daughter.
In contrast, Scarpetta draws its inspirations from award-winning author Patricia Cornwell’s series of crime novels, centring fictional forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta, who leverages cutting-edge techniques to help the authorities solve murders. Interestingly, the character of Scarpetta herself was inspired by a real-life forensic pathologist — Dr. Marcella Farinelli Fierro, a trailblazer in her industry who was formerly the Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
As a character, Scarpetta is driven by the unfair disadvantages of her gender, and her story arc often celebrates her successes in spite of this. Like Jane, she derives motivation from a tragic past, involving the death of her father, who was murdered in a robbery gone awry when she was a child.
Themes and tone
While it deals with darker themes like crime and vengeance, particularly surrounding Jane who is driven by revenge, The Mentalist often relies on lighter moments to juxtapose the darkness, incorporating humour in a precarious, but perfectly executed balancing act. Interspersed between the darkest impulses of humanity are genuine connections between the cast of characters, ultimately portraying morality in shades of grey that feel real, but with the gloss of 2000s television, which prioritises easy entertainment over thrills and twists.
Ultimately, The Mentalist bears the hallmarks of all other procedurals of its era — think CSI, Criminal Minds, Bones, and so on. It’s not particularly difficult to follow individual episodes, and the individual cases themselves possess enough meat to keep it interesting throughout.
Scarpetta, however, is filmed with the familiar polish of 2020s prestige projects, particularly those with Amazon Prime funding. From the beginning, it is made clear that Scarpetta is meant to impress; its cast is composed of established multi-award-winning luminaries in television and film, with both Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis boasting Academy Award wins. The colours are darker and moodier, and the storyline, ambitious, twining together two timelines to bridge the divide between two separates, but connected cases. There are stomach-knotting twists at every turn, such that it is impossible to follow the series if one isn’t giving the episodes their full, undivided attention.
Is Scarpetta easy to watch? No. Is it worth the time, anyway? Yes, if you like your brain tickled with thought-provoking premises that force you to think.
Episodes, seasons, and format
Spanning 151 episodes over 7 seasons, each between 40 to 50 minutes long, The Mentalist follows a procedural format blended with a long-term serialised story arc. With exceptions here and there, each episode features a new crime to be solved, with new victims and suspects to interrogate. While Scarpetta also follows a procedural crime thriller format, it centres two key cases that bridge two timelines, incorporating twists and turns throughout.
Scarpetta vs The Mentalist: Which one should you watch?
While Scarpetta and The Mentalist both share similarities in some regard, the shows feature enough unique points that set them apart. Both are enjoyable additions to the procedural drama that deserve your time; however, while The Mentalist is a great show to play in the background while you’re busy with other things, Scarpetta requires your full, undivided attention to truly grasp.
The Mentalist is available to stream on Netflix, while Scarpetta is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
(Main image: The Mentalist/TheMovieDB, Scarpetta/TheMovieDB; featured image: The Mentalist/TheMovieDB, Connie Chornuk/Prime/Amazon Content Services LLC)
This story first appeared here.
Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
