“The Mentalist” is driven by a large mystery: Who is the serial killer who murdered the wife and child of Patrick Jane (Simon Baker)?

Creator Bruno Heller says the answer won’t be coming soon and compares the plot to the one-armed man on “The Fugitive.” “You want hold off getting there until somewhere near the theoretical end,” Heller said.

The end won’t be coming soon. CBS will offer a new episode of “The Mentalist,” the season’s breakout freshman hit, at about 10 p.m. Sunday after the AFC Championship Game.

Why has this show become such a hit?

Baker wasn’t going to try to answer that question.

” Leave well enough alone’ is kind of the thing I keep hearing my Nana saying to me in my head,” Baker said. ” ‘When everything is going really well, just keep out of the way of yourself, Simon. Don’t get in front of yourself.’ I don’t want to touch it. It’s good. We are really happy.”

The nation’s TV critics visited the Warner Bros. set where “The Mentalist” films.

Crime procedurals are booming for CBS. Baker attributed the trend to a desire in society.

“We are in a time where people sort of look for closure,” the star said. “With a procedural show, you do get closure at the end of the episode.”

Robin Tunney, who plays agent Teresa Lisbon, agreed. “Osama bin Laden, they didn’t find him, whereas procedurals, we would have gotten him, right?” she said.

“Next season,” Heller said.

I asked Heller how he describes the relationship between Patrick Jane and Teresa Lisbon.

“Jane is a rule-breaker, and Robin is playing someone who is all about the rules, has to be,” Heller said. “So there’s an underlying dramatic tension there that drives that side of their relationship. On the other hand, they respect and love each other.”

What would Heller say to viewers who read more into that relationship or see more potential in it?

“That’s nice,” he said. “I think seeing it and reading it as opposed to having it is the fun bit.”

source: orlandosentinel.com