‘The Mentalist’ season 6: What departing star may already have new TV gig?

Regardless of whether or not this is the final season of “The Mentalist,” one of the series’ stars is clearly winning out already when it comes to getting another gig that could turn into something much more.

According to a new report from E! News, Amanda Righetti is going to guest-star in an upcoming crossover episode of “Chicago Fire” and new series “Chicago PD.” What is her role? She’s going to play the part of a pediatrician … which is of course causing all sorts of rumors on its own.

What is the reason for that? Think along the lines of the fact that there could be yet another spin-off for the NBC franchise, since there are rumors about a “Chicago MD” starting up featuring Righetti in the cast. Sources are conflicting as to whether or not there are discussions about this, we’re sure that it is something that has at least been discussed. Why not think about it? This franchise may not be a smash, but the numbers are pretty solid. The only reason that we’d be skeptical about this actually working out is because of the fact that  it’s hard for any network to have three shows, and NBC already has a limited schedule thanks to NFL football being on during the fall.

Righetti is going to be departing “The Mentalist” very soon, and the show’s future is still being worked out. Yesterday, we wrote a piece suggesting that it is still very much possible that another network could pick up the show, even if it is canceled.

What do you think about this big reveal? Share your thoughts below, and head over to the link here if you want to grab some more news courtesy of our CarterMatt Newsletter. These updates will be sent to you every Sunday!

Photo: CBS