Otherwise known as Psych! The best show EVAH!
Frankly, I was going back through my old posts and I realized something… I never made a post dedicated to one of the greatest detective shows to have ever been aired:
Psych. I've been rewatching it lately so I decided now was as good a time as any since I'm refreshing myself.
To start off for those poor ignorant few out there who have no idea what this amazing show is about… it centers around a guy, Shawn Spencer, who is hyper-observant and has a photographic memory. His abilities are so unnatural that he manages to pass himself off as psychic to the police as he solves crimes with his best friend, Gus.
I remember how I began watching this one. My family started watching it while I was away at college (it was on Netflix and I'm pretty sure someone had recommended it to them). When I came home for the holidays, they were still watching it, somewhere near the end of the second season I think. I sort of ignored it at first, thinking it was just another TV show and I already had my own amazing ones to focus on. However, I did catch glimpses of episodes here and there and I had to admit, it seemed a little intriguing. It looked upbeat, fun, plus it was a mystery show. But I still didn't want to sit down and watch it with them. Then one night (I can't remember exactly why), I sat down with them for an episode. I even remember which one it was, 3x02 "Murder? Anyone?… Bueller?". That was the first episode I saw all the way through… and it was enough. After that I went upstairs to my own computer and sought out the show to start from the beginning. Then I was hooked. I ended up surpassing my family. I'm now the only one who's seen the end of the show (which ended this year *tear*)
Where to start with my ravings? I guess the characters. They are all awesome! Seriously! All of them are hilarious in their own way. Just the way they all bounce off each other and the way they deliver their lines, ridiculous or not. So much love!
First there's Shawn, our "psychic".
He's the epitome of hilarious, witty randomness. Like I said, he's hyper-observant with a photographic memory, so that's how he manages to pass himself off as a psychic. Like he manages to recreate a crime scene board entirely from memory after seeing it for only like three minutes ("yeah, three
whole minutes"). Or he can remember what's in a missing photograph that he saw for only a second even when he wasn't focusing on it. A criminal profiler described him as "highly intelligent, but you’re shameful of that fact so you play it down with the use of inappropriate behavior, and you live in fear of showing your weakness so you hide behind a constant barrage of jokes and sarcasm". That sums him up very nicely. He also took the detective exam at age 15 and got a 100%. In the pilot episode, a detective who did a background check on him commented that he could be running IBM to which he responded "why would I want to do that?". He is very sarcastic and a complete smart-aleck, and it's hilarious. Some of the things he says, his comebacks, the way he stalls, his tangents, they're so great! Sometimes they're so random and not even witty in the slightest, but they're just so stupid and/or delivered so seriously that they just… go. He acts extremely immature all the time much to Gus's chagrin (and especially Lassiter's). But he almost always comes out on top. This is why he is awesome!
Next there's Burton "Gus" Guster, Shawn's best friend and partner, and one of the few people to know Shawn's secret.
He's sort of the straight-man of the duo, although they both are pretty silly. He often gets sucked into Shawn's crazy plans and shenanigans, protesting all the way. He even got kidnapped (as he claimed) by Shawn once because he slipped six allergy pills into his milkshake while Gus was peeing, and then took him on a road trip to investigate a case Gus already said he didn't want to go on. He works two jobs, Psych and as a pharmaceutical salesman. He tries so hard to balance both, but it seems like he spends a lot more time at Psych than his other job (which is joked about in later seasons when a crime happens at his office "you still work here?"). He has the "super smeller/sniffer" which is often utilized in cases, he can't stand the sight of dead bodies/blood, and believes in spirits, curses, ghosts, etc. He and Shawn have an absolutely impenetrable bond. Although they often joke about leaving each other behind, making the other go first, or using the other as a shield, I think if it really came down to it they would sacrifice their life for the other. And even though Gus gets upset at getting tricked into doing all sorts of crazy (sometimes even life-threatening) things, he always forgives Shawn at the end of the day. Shawn's not the only manipulative one though. Although it may not always be as crazy, Gus sometimes manages to get Shawn to do something he wouldn't normally do (like attend a sea lion's funeral, for example). We love Gus, girly screaming, tap dancing, sympathetic crying, and all.
Then Detective Carlton Lassiter, affectionately nicknamed "Lassie" by Shawn and Gus.
He's the head detective of the Santa Barbara police department and the only person in the show who consistently does not believe Shawn is psychic. He's not a bad guy in the slightest, but he is constantly antagonistic towards Shawn and Gus because he finds their antics irritating and unprofessional. He did once admit to Shawn while drunk that "you astound me", and over time he slowly came to quietly respect their abilities as detectives and even on occasions would willingly team up with them. He's very tightly wound, almost always plays by the book, has very little tolerance for ridiculousness, and is in love with his gun and his job. In fact, he was put in charge of a trainee detective who was an absolute nightmare (she was cantankerous, constantly discharged her weapon, suspected
everyone of crime) and Lassie wondered why he was put in charge over her. The Chief told him that everyone thought they had a lot in common, and he realized how people perceived him. He lightens up a bit in later seasons, but not too much because his uptight personality is why we love him.
Next is Detective Juliet O'Hara, Lassiter's partner.
She serves as Lassie's foil a lot of the time and they balance each other out. She's the "good cop" of the duo, I think. There's even an episode where they're trying to out-do each other and are timing each other in the interrogation room using their own style, and it's literally the good cop/bad cop routine. She's very friendly, sensitive, and open-minded as opposed to Lassiter's rigid, gruff, no-nonsense persona. She's also a total boss in addition to being funny, smart, and beautiful. She shares a lot of romantic tension with Shawn through the seasons. It's the classic will they/won't they scenario, but it's pretty played down and not so dramatic like in a lot of TV shows. At first it was mostly Shawn just flirting at her occasionally (which he did with every attractive woman he came across), but then it morphed into them actually starting to have feelings for the other, which then morphed into even deeper feelings which I will not get into (but it was far too wonderful for words). Anyways, Jules is an amazing character!
Then there's Henry Spencer, Shawn's dad and the other person who knows Shawn is not psychic.
He's the reason Shawn is the way he is. He taught Shawn how to hone his skills of observation at a young age by playing a game where Shawn would close his eyes and Henry would quiz him on certain things they saw like how many hats there were in the room. As an ex-cop, he also taught Shawn several life skills growing up such as beating a lie detector, escaping a car trunk, etc. It was his wish that Shawn would follow in his footsteps and become a cop. However, after Shawn's rebellious teenager phase and a falling-out with a stolen car mixed with a divorce, they became estranged and Shawn never did move on to become an officer. A bit like Lassiter, Henry is a little tightly wound and likes to play by the book. Shawn often goes to him for advice whenever he's stuck on a case. Henry seems to get in his son's way a lot by denying his requests, not going along with his plans, or whatever. However, his intentions are always well-meaning. Even when he purposefully got Shawn's motorcycle impounded, his ulterior motive was because Shawn had got in accident and he was worried for his safety. Like Gus, Henry often unwittingly gets pulled into Shawn's crazy schemes (usually when they need his fishing boat, or his house, or his truck). He does usually, but begrudgingly go along with it because in the end he knows his son can get the job done. Even if he is sometimes a sour-puss, Henry is great and we love him for it!
Lastly there's Chief Karen Vick, chief of the police department.
There's not much to say on her except she's awesome! She always sticks to protocol and keeps everything running smoothly (at least as much as she can with Shawn and Gus around). She even stated herself that what she ultimately cares about in the end are the results, and if that means not following the book perfectly to the letter in between then so be it. Shawn points out that she's a "pretty kick-back lady if you give her a chance". She is very authoritative and you just have to respect her. She puts up with so much crap, especially from Shawn and Gus, but in the end she still always does what she can to uphold the law and make sure justice is served. I love her.
So yeah, if the characters weren't as awesome as they are, the show wouldn't hold. But then there's the writing. Holy moly, is it hilarious! Too many quotes! I can't even pick a favorite! I mean, it's a crime/mystery/detective show, which those are usually tough, gritty, dramatic shows. But not
Psych. They keep it so upbeat and casual. It's just this quirky, immature guy (with crazy skills) and his best friend solving crimes. I mean, yes there are deaths, there are action scenes, there's shooting, and stuff like that, but it's not TOO graphic or dramatic. Don't get me wrong, there are some dramatic moments, heck, there are entire dramatic episodes, but they're not TOO extreme, like what you'd expect from a typical detective show.
Now down to criticisms. My one criticism is with the later seasons (which is often the complaint with TV shows, right?). They sort of lost the grasp of their original concept. In the first couple seasons, Shawn was this silly, sarcastic guy, but he was still very smart, he just tried to cover it up. In some areas he was clueless, like vocabulary for example, which Gus would then gloat about and take over ("Just tell me what supine means" "You know. Su… supine. Suuu…") and that was fine. But then in the later seasons, Shawn seemed to get dumber. Like he actually didn't know anything for real and wasn't just covering up his intelligence. It sort of bothered me.
Also in earlier seasons, Shawn's "psychic visions" were a lot more dramatic and more… psychic-y? and he gave plausible reasons for them. For example, when he realized a secretary faked people's handwriting on some documents (something others probably wouldn't notice), he made his hand go crazy, scribbling in the air and then said something a little vague like "the answer is in the ink". In later seasons, he would notice something completely obvious like a footprint on the ground or something, then he would just put his finger to his head and say "I'm sensing the killer went that way". See? Earlier he noticed small, easy-to-miss details (this is why he's hyper-observational), put them together, then would give the police kind of vague and charismatic hints making it seem like he was actually having a vision. Whereas in later seasons, he notices very obvious things that people without hyper-observation could notice and then just states the obvious while merely putting his finger to his forehead.
While all this was a definite disappointment for me, it's not enough to put me off the show. The characters and the writing are just so brilliant you HAVE to keep watching. You get so attached to it all in the beginning, you just have to continue. There's not really any major story-arcs, just one new mystery per episode, nothing inter-connected. There's a couple small arcs in the later seasons, but nothing too huge. Which is weird because usually a TV show needs a progressing story to keep the viewers interested like "ooh! What's going to happen?". But that's how good the writing is here. We're just so invested in these characters's lives and how they're going to deal with their next situation (whatever it may be).
Here's a trailer for this lovely show (in the style of the
Pineapple Express trailer [the fact that that movie was chosen is so much funnier once you've seen the show… pineapple XD].)
So to end this rather extensive post, here's some random quotes. (I can't say favorites, because they're all favorites):
Receptionist: There is a Lieutenant Crunch here to see you.
Gus: Crunch?
Shawn: [enters, dressed in a Civil War uniform] Actually, I've been promoted. It's Captain Crunch.
Shawn: How can you tell that someone's a compulsive liar? I mean, assuming that their pants aren't on fire.
Gus: Wasn't Howie the victim at one point?
Shawn: Gus, that is so forty minutes ago. I bet you're still telling your friends to chillax.
Gus: How do you just eat when there's a dead guy laying there?
Shawn: What, is that rude? Am I supposed to share?
Lassiter: You missed something. We found prints.
Shawn: Was he in a little red corvette?
Gus: Under a cherry moon?
Lassiter: FINGER-prints!
Lassiter: I'm gonna crack her like a bad back!
Chief Vick: Please don't.
Shawn: [about Henry's shirt] It's like a genocide of color... somewhere a rainbow is weeping.
Shawn: [sees Lassiter and gasps] It's a miracle!
Gus: Thank God you're alright!
Shawn: We heard a cop named Lassie died. Jules, tell me you got the flowers.
Lassiter: Lassie III was a retired police dog.
Gus: From the obit, it's amazing what you two had in common: strong, dedicated, loyal.
Shawn: Bouts with ringworm, expressive eyes, goes like this after he poops.
[theatrically wipes his feet on the ground]
Henry: Well, that's a stupid house to rob.
Shawn: Does anyone live up to your expectations? Maybe we should get the robber's phone number so you can call and tell him how disappointed you are.
Shawn: You said it was important.
[surveying Henry's tight black turtleneck] Clearly, you're about to shoot an Old Spice commercial.
Lassiter: I thought I told you no.
Shawn: But your eyes said yes.
Shawn: If I were just some average guy with no super powers I'd say
[muttering dumbly] "I dunno, why're you asking me?" But as the head psychic for the Santa Barbara Police Department I say "I don't know. Why are you asking me?"
Lassiter: Give me the victim's name.
Shawn: Shabby.
Lassiter: What, is that a street name or something?
Gus: It's more of a given name.
Lassiter: Last name.
Gus: He doesn't have one.
Lassiter: Do not play with me.
Shawn: Can I spell it?
Lassiter: I don't care.
Shawn: [spelling] T-H-E… S-E-A… L-I-O… N.
Lassiter: Thesealion? Is that French?
Gus: …Pinniped.
Shawn: How do I look, Jules?
Juliet: Like my 11-year-old nephew in his Peyton Manning pajamas.
Shawn: Your 11-year-old nephew is ruggedly sexy? That's weird.
Gus: You know what they do on those massage tables? They massage men. Big, hairy men. Let me be very clear: these hands are not touching anybody. I only use these hands to touch myself. ...Uh, let me rephrase that.
Shawn: Please stop speaking. And no more fist bumps for the rest of the day.
Henry: I saw the shooting on television, I been trying to call your cell phone. It keeps going to voice mail. I've been worried to death.
Shawn: I... forgot to turn on my phone.
Henry: Gus, let me ask you something. What was the very first thing you did right after the shooting?
Gus: I called my folks to tell them I was okay.
Henry: And what's the first thing he did?
Gus: He ate a banana.
Henry: [to Shawn] You ate a banana.
Shawn: I sure I did. You know why? Because it makes me think of you, because you're my big old papa monkey.
Shawn: Are my eyes seeing what my brain is telling my eyes that they're seeing?
Bad Guy: But know this: one stupid move, and I've got more than enough plastic bags for your body parts.
Shawn: Note to self: call Hefty with commercial idea.
Gus: The thing is, I have something big to tell you.
Shawn: You know you can say anything to me, Gus. We've known each other forever and there's absolutely nothing that could dent our impenetrable bond.
Gus: I have a secret girlfriend.
Shawn: You're dead to me.
Lassiter: Come on, Chief, let me run with this one.
Henry: [seated in a corner] What if we let them work together? Separately, but together?
Shawn: [pointing at Henry] That lonely bald guy in the corner makes no sense.
Shawn: [in a hostage situation] Why don't you let the women, and children, and men, go?
Juliet: Are you asking me on a date beside this dead body?
Shawn: Yeah, but I figured it would be okay since it doesn't really smell.
Shawn: Come on, let's hug it out.
Lassiter: I'd rather shower with a bear.
[After Juliet locks Shawn and Gus in the back of the police car]
Shawn: That's why she let us come along, to keep tabs. That crafty little doodle pumpkin.
Shawn: [to unconscious Henry in a hospital bed] I just… I don't think now is a good time for you to go, you know… I love you...r french toast.
Lassiter: I have slowly, methodically, been building up a tolerance to chloroform over the last fifteen years.
Shawn: Dear God, why?
Lassiter: For a night like this, Spencer.
Gus: I don't believe it... it must have been some other kind of chemical.
[Gus picks up a handkerchief, sniffs it, and immediately passes out]
[Shawn has just accidentally ingested speed]
Gus: Why are you talking so fast?
Shawn: Why are you hearing so slow?
Juliet: You're acting like a child, Shawn.
Shawn: I AM NOT ACTING!
Shawn: Well, much like Lady Gaga, I was born this way.
Shawn: Just because you put syrup on something don't make it pancakes.
Shawn: Well, the plot, unlike your hair, continues to thicken.
And my all-time favorite…
Shawn: Excuse me, I’m here for a class.
Desk clerk: This class?
Shawn: Yeah, I believe it starts in...
Desk clerk: Five minutes.
Shawn: Right. Five minutes... from now. See I’m usually ten minutes early so I’m already feeling behind.
Desk clerk: This class is for five to eight year-olds.
Shawn: Yes. Yes it is. And uh that is what I call...
Gus: (from behind) Discrimination.
Shawn: That’s right!
Desk clerk: Discrimination?
Gus: Yes. And ageism.
Desk clerk: Who are you?
Gus: (steps forward) I’m his lawyer.
Desk clerk: You brought a lawyer?
Shawn: I keep a lawyer on retainer at all times. There is so much injustice in the world that you practically can’t leave home without one. And apparently today it paid off.
Desk clerk: Okay. Well I will see you in court then. Now--
Gus: Perfect. Now I’ll need a statement from you and as we plan to try this in both civil and criminal court, I’ll need the police here as well. Can I use your phone? Or do you only let the white people use that?
Desk clerk: Who said anything about white people?
Gus: You just did.
Desk clerk: The words “white people” did not come out of my mouth.
Gus: There they are again. Luckily I had my hand recorder on for that one. By the way, I am now disclosing that this conversation is being recorded.
Desk clerk: Recorded? Okay this is crazy!
Gus: Crazy? You want to know crazy? I sued 300 business last year alone. I sued a hotdog cart and got everything, but the wheels and the buns, which won in the civil case two months later.
Shawn: (whispers) Dude.
(Gus turns around) I think he gets it now.
Gus: (whispers) I know. But the words are coming out of my mouth faster than I can think of them.
Shawn: (whispers) Bring it home.
Gus: Now if you don’t mind, before I can start snapping evidence photos, I’m a little parched. So can you tell me which one of these fountains I’m allowed to use?
Desk clerk: (points to taller drinking fountain) That one.
(catches himself) I mean... y-you pick, sir.
