Archives for April 2010

I love both of these shows and I wrote introduction posts for both of them on my blog. But being a big fan who refuses to miss even one episode, I decided to write more on this fun topic. And after realizing many similarities between the shows, I decided to make this joint post.

If you need background info, you might check out my posts on The Mentalist and Castle. So, let’s roll with the fun similarities:

1. Both Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) and Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) are really good looking. They know it and they like it.
2. Both men love mind games. They also have a wicked sense of humor and they love misbehaving.
3. However Patrick is much less responsive to attention- since he lost his wife and kid a while ago.
4. Both  men “consult” on the murder cases. Castle relies on his background information and his writer’s instincts.  Patrick Jane is an awesome “mentalist” who is just great at reading people.
5. Both California Bureau of Investigation (CBI- assisted by Jane) and NYPD (assisted by Castle) have closed many cases, thanks to the main characters- whether their teammates accept it or not.
6. Even though their teams don’t always agree with them, they like their unorthodox helpers and have gotten used to the situation.
7. Both guys have very personal motives in helping the cases. Castle first needed to step in because a copycat murderer was committing the crimes as depicted  in Castle’s novels. Then he realized the female detective and these cases would make for a great inspirational source. Patrick’s motives are can be considered more noble. He is after the serial killer who killed his wife and child. He is assisting the other cases for redemption and to have a sense of purpose.
8. Both Castle and Jane love being inappropriate: asking too direct questions, eating at the crime scene, enjoying the idea of being involved in a murder case… Both are originally good guys who just happen to like the thrill.
9. Both get to get in the investigation room. Simon Baker’s Patrick Jane however gets to use more “inappropriate” methods such as hypnosis. Not that he is allowed but it does get confessions.
10. They make a great team with the “boss”- the female detective in charge.
11. In both cases, team members provide comic relief in addition to the lead characters’ fun behavior.
12. Both men have a flirty/friendly relationships with the female detectives.

There are obviously many differences:

–          Such as Castle is a happily divorced man (yes, he couldn’t be happier he is divorced) and his only daughter is alive and well.

–          Castle provides the same amount of comic relief  in each episode. The Mentalist is more of a drama/thriller so some episodes can get heavy- especially if it is about the serial killer Jane’s after.Castle also gets the right idea about the case by brainstorming with her daughter or just simply through a conversation.

–          The attraction between Castle and Beckett is obvious. Jane and Lisbon are more friends than anything else. Jane is still mourning. Even though Castle and Beckett have feelings for each other, they just don’t act on it.

–          Beckett’s boss is fond of Castle and loves having him around. Lisbon’s bosses? They are not exactly crazy about Jane.

If you have anything to add, please comment away.