Is The Mentalist appropriate for children?

# The Mentalist - Parent Guide *The Mentalist* is a crime drama where a former psychic uses observation skills to solve murders for California law enforcement. While rated TV-14, it contains strong violence including graphic crime scenes that may disturb younger children. Mild language and sexual content are present. Best suited for mature teens who can handle intense criminal investigations.

What age is The Mentalist suitable for?

Our verdict for The Mentalist is: Not recommended. See the age grid on this page for specific recommendations by age group.

Is The Mentalist safe for children? | ScreenWise Parent Guide

Content breakdown

🔫

Violence

Strong

🗣️

Language / Profanity

Mild

🔞

Sexual Content

Mild

👻

Horror / Scary

Mild

About this TV show

Type

TV Show

Released

2008

Rating

TV-14

Genre

Crime, Drama, Mystery

Synopsis

Patrick Jane, a former celebrity psychic medium, uses his razor sharp skills of observation and expertise at "reading" people to solve serious crimes with the California Bureau of Investigation.

Cast

Simon Baker

Patrick Jane

Robin Tunney

Teresa Lisbon

Tim Kang

Kimball Cho

Rockmond Dunbar

Dennis Abbott

Full cast on IMDb ›

Stimulus level

Medium stimulus

This crime drama has standard TV pacing with dialogue-driven scenes, but contains mature themes and occasional intense moments that make it unsuitable for infants and toddlers regardless of stimulus level.

Stimulus rating reflects pacing, visual complexity, and sensory intensity — factors associated with attention development in children under 3. Learn more

Age suitability

Under 6

Not yet

Ages 6–8

Not recommended

Ages 9–12

Not recommended

Ages 13+

Not recommended

Where to watch

🎬 Find on Amazon

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Parents also checked

Ratings based on MPAA/TV classification and TMDB metadata. Updated March 2026.
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