Mental News
| Going nuts for Fox's 'Mental' Source: The Charleston Gazette
July 29, 2009
When I first saw previews for Fox's summer medical drama "Mental" (9 p.m. Fridays), I was excited. It starred Chris Vance, who I enjoyed on season three of "Prison Break," and another "Prison Break" alum -- Silas Weir Mitchell (Haywire) -- was also in the ad. However, when the show premiered on May 26, I wasn't completely wowed. In my June 11 column, I stated, "I've seen two episodes so far, and I'm not yet won over." I liked the interesting main cases and enjoyed the mystery about Dr. Gallagher's missing schizophrenic twin sister. My complaints were that "the hospital administrator and her clashes with Vance's Dr. Gallagher are way too similar to 'House.' Plus, I think most of Gallagher's staff is annoying, and I'm not crazy about the minor secondary cases thrown in, which don't seem to have much relation to anything." Since there's not much worth watching on TV this summer, and since Chris Vance is hot (yes, I'm shallow like that), I've kept watching, and now, I've completely changed my tune. It's become one of only two shows -- the other being "Burn Notice" -- that I watch on a regular basis. There's no specific incident or episode that I can pin down that made me change my mind. It was more just a gradual evolution of the show. The unrelated secondary cases have lessened or are at least more tied into the plot, and some of the characters' stories have progressed to make them more intriguing, particularly resident Arturo Suarez (Nicholas Gonzalez). In the beginning, Arturo was just this abrasive, arrogant guy. Now, it's been revealed that he's got some dirt in his past (and lies on his resume) that one of the other doctors -- who hates Dr. Gallagher -- is using to blackmail him into spying on Gallagher to get dirt worthy of Gallagher's termination. I still don't like Nora, the hospital administrator, and think that she's too much like Lisa Cuddy on "House," but I'm slowly warming up to Dr. Hayden-Jones, who resents Gallagher for getting the job she believes she deserved. Of all the secondary characters, though, my favorite is resident Chloe Artis. The more she's on screen, the more I like her. And I'm digging the relationship between Gallagher and a neurosurgeon, although that might or might not be over after last week's episode. For people who want to dismiss "Mental" because it sounds too much like "House," it is and it isn't. The basic premise of an unorthodox doctor is the same and there's the whole Nora/Cuddy thing, but that's pretty much where the similarities end. There are other minor things -- pushing residents to be the best they can be, trying risky procedures, doctors dating other doctors -- but these can be found on any medical show.
As for differences, the biggest ones are that Gallagher is nowhere near as arrogant or unpleasant as House, and he's more concerned with helping patients than being right (for House, it's the other way around). Also, the focus is more on the patients' recovery than their diagnosis. If you're not a social butterfly and find yourself at home on a Friday night, give "Mental" a chance. It might take you a few episodes to get into it, but I think it's worth it. You can also get caught up on some of the past episodes at hulu.com.ADD A COMMENT
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7/17/09
Source: Futon Critic
When 16-year-old Heather Masters (guest star Allison Scagliotti) attempts to commit suicide by lighting herself on fire, Jack and the team must work to get to the bottom of her suicidal tendencies. However, when further testing and discussions with her father and psychiatrist reveal a dark secret that has been hidden from Heather since her birth, Jack is faced with a difficult ethical dilemma. Meanwhile, the relationship between Jack and Dr. Zan Avidan (guest star Jaime Ray Newman) grows, and Jack continues his search for his schizophrenic twin sister, Becky, in the "House of Mirrors" episode of MENTAL airing Friday, July 17 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (MEN-108) (TV-14 D, L, S, V)
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7/9/09
Source: Daemon's TV
Take a sneak peek at the MENTAL Episode 7 "Obsessively Yours" airing this Friday July 10 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Also you can watch Mental Episode here . Episode Synopsis: MENTAL Episode 7 "Obsessively Yours" -When Veronica’s former patient Craig (guest star Rob LaBelle) returns to Wharton Memorial, Veronica finds his Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Tourette’s syndrome have advanced and become worse than ever. When Craig’s wife, Mimi (guest star Nina Siemaszko), pushes for an invasive, unproven brain surgery to treat his condition rather than have him undergo therapy in the mental ward again, Jack and Veronica become skeptical of her wishes. As they attempt to dissuade Mimi from moving forward with Craig’s operation, the team discovers Mimi may have some serious issues of her own. Meanwhile, Jack becomes infatuated with a neurosurgeon named Zan (guest star Jaime Ray Newman), and the rest of the team questions their own love lives in the “Obsessively Yours” episode of MENTAL airing Friday, July 10 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Cast: Chris Vance as Jack Gallagher; Annabella Sciorra as Nora Skoff; Jacqueline McKenzie as Veronica Hayden-Jones; Derek Webster as Carl Belle; Marisa Ramirez as Chloe Artis; Nicholas Gonzalez as Arturo Suarez; Edwin Hodge as Malcolm Darius Washington Guest Cast: Warren Kole as Rylan Moore; Bob Boltin as Denny Jones; Jaime Ray Newman as Zan Avidan; Rob LaBelle as Craig Peters; Nina Siemaszko as Mimi Peters; Lex Medlin as Thom Hygard
ADD A COMMENT | 7/2/09
Source: IGN
FOX's top shrink joins Miami spyfest. June 30, 2009 - According to EW.com's Michael Ausiello, Burn Notice is about to get a visit from a shrink.
Chris Vance (Prison Break), who can be seen currently (and then possibly nevermore) as the lead on FOX's Mental, will be joining up with the sizzling cast of Burn for the second half of Season 3, which will air in January 2010.
Vance will be playing "Gilroy, a sophisticated and ruthless former MI-6 bigwig who now oversees freelance black ops." His character is set for a four-episode arc.
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