Grace Van Pelt

Grace Van Pelt is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama The Mentalist, portrayed by Amanda Righetti. Van Pelt is a Special agent in the fictionalized California Bureau of Investigation.

Character Background

Van Pelt is from a small farming town in Iowa. She tends to be overly sensitive at times, but is very intelligent. Van Pelt works with Rigsby and Cho most of the time, but occasionally works with Jane or Lisbon. She is the rookie of the team, having started her job in the Pilot episode. Grace's cousin is supposedly a psychic, causing her to sometimes argue with Jane about matters of faith. In the episode "Bloodshot", Jane makes a remark about Van Pelt's character, stating, "... you're deeply repressed and emotionally shutdown... because of a trauma in your past that you've never spoken of to anyone... ever... even yourself..." which Van Pelt's facial expression seems to confirm. In the second episode Red Hair and Silver Tape, she is used by Jane for bait due to a killer who is killing red haired people, leading to her being in an uncomfortable situation with a suspect (although it is ultimately a different woman who is kidnapped by the killers, and saved by Lisbon).

In the season 2 episode "Throwing Fire", Van Pelt talks a woman out of suicide by describing the impact that her sister's own suicide had on her. Later, when questioned by Rigsby, Van Pelt quickly claims "That just came out. I don't have a sister," abruptly looking away and changing the subject - leading the audience to believe that she did in fact have a sister and merely did not wish to discuss the matter.

Relationship with Rigsby

Van Pelt is well liked by the rest of the team, and Lisbon even lets her take the lead on one interview, even though she is still a rookie. A recurring subplot is Rigsby's infatuation with Van Pelt, we see her return the feelings for the first time in Red Scare. Later on in the next episode Black Gold and Red Blood, Van Pelt and Rigsby seem to be dating and greet each other happily at a crime scene - however Rigsby reveals to Van Pelt that he thinks that Jane may know about their relationship. Later in Red Bulls, Van Pelt and Rigsby argue about him not wearing a bulletproof vest to canvas an apartment building. Van Pelt is shot multiple times in the chest while questioning a young woman but survives with a bulletproof vest on. While she is taken on to the ambulance Rigsby states that he loves her and Van Pelt slaps Rigsby and tells him that next time he has to wear a bulletproof vest.

In the episode "Bleeding Heart", she and Rigsby announce their relationship to the team. Lisbon then says that she will take action and report their relationship to the head of the CBI. Although in the episode, "Redline", Lisbon changes her mind and tell them to not make physical contact with each other while at office.

In the episode "The Red Box", the new head of the CBI, Madeleine Hightower, mysteriously discovered her relationship with Rigsby and informed Lisbon about it, although Lisbon pretended she didn't know about it.

In the episode "Aingavite Baa" Hightower gives Van Pelt and Rigsby an ultimatum. They can either be in a relationship and have one of them leave the unit or end the relationship. As they walk out of Hightower's office they state that they love each other. Rigsby, after being in a shootout, tells Van Pelt that he will get another job for them to be together. Later at the end of the episode Grace ends the relationship by saying that she doesn't want that responsibility in a relationship. Rigsby pleads with her to talk it through but she simply says that she knows herself and walks away leaving him heartbroken. She is later seen walking into the elevator at the office crying and sobbing.

In the third season, Van Pelt is seen dating FBI agent Craig O'Laughlin, much to Rigsby's displeasure. Van Pelt and O'Laughlin became engaged in the episode "Blood for Blood", stunning Rigsby, who still loves her. In "Like a Redheaded Stepchild," she invited Rigsby to the wedding, but he refused the invitation, stating he still loves her and cannot watch her marry another man. However he helped them get the area they wanted for their wedding. In "Strawberries and Cream," O'Laughlin is revealed to be a mole for Red John. Van Pelt tells him he was a suspect after another agent became the main suspect, allowing Red John to find out their plan. Grace is shocked by his actions and more so when O'Laughlin makes it clear he never truly loved her, saying "I was starting to grow fond of you." He is shot dead by Van Pelt and Hightower after he shoots and wounds Lisbon. Van Pelt cries over his body as O'Laughlin's last act is to tear off the necklace he gave her.

During season four, she seems a little over the edge, understandably so after everything that has happened. In one episode, a man reacts when being arrested and slaps Van Pelt. Van Pelt does not take kindly to this, and punches the man in the stomach. Also, when two other agents are threatened, without hesitation she sneaks up behind the man and shoots him. She was attending therapy towards the beginning of the season, but it is presumed she no longer is. Her fellow agents all express concern for her, but she insists that she's fine.

It is shown that Van Pelt is jealous when Rigsby starts dating a public defender.