When Psych premiered in 2006 after a long promotional buildup, most didn’t know what to expect other than “fake psychic, real detectives.” The pilot follows Shawn Spencer (James Roday Rodriguez) and Burton Guster (Dulé Hill), lifelong best friends with one big problem: Shawn. One night while watching the news, Shawn’s expert observation skills get him in hot water with Detective Lassiter (Timothy Omundson) and the Santa Barbara Police. Rather than find himself in prison, Spencer lies and claims he’s psychic. Shawn’s father, former Detective Henry Spencer (Corbin Bernsen), warns his son against the lie, but Shawn is determined to prove he can carry on the façade in Psych.
The real fun begins when the childish and charming Shawn opens up a detective agency named Psych, and drags “Gus” into his antics. With Lassiter and his new partner, Detective Juliet O’Hara (Maggie Lawson) following Shawn’s lead with suspicious hearts and thoughts, Shawn has to continuously find new ways to wiggle out of trouble.
Most of the high jinks throughout the series are perfectly timed, well-written, and quick-witted, a testament to the incredible chemistry of the cast. Any combination of the cast on screen grabs your attention, and for a comedy show to pull off such a feat is nothing short of amazing.
The stories weren’t farfetched most of the time, but watching Roday bring to life Spencer’s investigative prowess while giving psychic plausibility to each case is the real treat. The boy-like charm of Roday and the series-long “will Shawn and Jules hook up already?” keep you engaged in every episode.
However, Psych wasn’t just laughs all the time. Shawn’s rivalry with Mr. Yang, Henry getting shot, and the real reason why his parents split up are all heavy moments that add such depth to a show that you don’t expect it from.
In later seasons, things continue to get complicated for the group, Jules finds out the truth, Shawn’s mother (Cybil Shepherd) returns, Abigail (Rachael Leigh Cook) and Shawn dating thwarts the budding romance between Shawn and Jules, and there’s even time for a musical.
The series finale puts a nice little bow on the gift that is Psych, but the fun doesn’t stop there. Since its end on USA, Psych has released three movies on Peacock, with a fourth supposedly on the way. The series is completely watchable from start to finish a decade later–you will laugh, cry, and rejoice through 120 episodes of comedy gold.
The Best Episode: “Dual Spires” (Season 5, Episode 12) – Roday’s love for Twin Peaks shines through in this unforgettable episode of the series. Many of the original cast from David Lynch’s masterpiece show up, and with actor Ray Wise already a part of the cast, this trip down memory lane was hilarious and heartwarming with all the melodrama of its predecessor.
The Best Line: Receptionist: Mr. Guster? I know you said you didn’t want to be interrupted, but there’s a Lieutenant Crunch here to see you.
Gus: Crunch?
Shawn: Actually, I’ve been promoted. It’s Captain Crunch.
The Best Season: Season Four
The Best Fight: Shawn vs. Yang in a trilogy of episodes.
The Worst Episode: Sadly, for the second feature in a row, it’s the Pilot episode. We get some sense of how the show will operate, but until Maggie Lawson shows up, this show was incomplete.