Totally Psyched!

The best friendship on TV; Shawn & Gus of Psych from USA Network.

Last week I did my first mini-post on Psych, the awesome show on USA.  I’d never felt the need to write a whole blog about it before, I’m sure not a ton of people watch it and probably plenty have never even heard of it.  But this weeks episode was so awesome that I thought Psych finally deserved its own blog.

Psych is about an unmotivated, unfocused man who has a photographic memory and awesome powers of observation.  One day he decides to help the police solve crimes by pretending to be psychic.  His father was a police detective who trained him growing up (we get great flashbacks of young Shawn and his father in most episodes) so he knows what to look for and uses what he sees to help the police.  His best friend, Gus, is along for the ride and he’s generally the straight man to Shawn’s comedian.  The police call them in constantly for help and the dynamic between Shawn and the head detective, Lassiter (Lassie as Shawn calls him), is a thing of beauty.  The show is filled with pop culture references from the 80’s, which thrills my inner child.  Also, it’s just flat out hilarious but touching at the same time.  The friendship between Shawn and Gus is the best on TV, hands down.  This season finale episode really showed that.

This week, Shawn gets called in to help find the Ying/Yang killer.  This killer has confounded the cops for 13 years or so and likes to leave riddles and stop watches to taunt the people after him.  He’s decided to call out Shawn, deeming him a worthy opponent.  He kidnapped a waitress that Shawn was flirting with that afternoon and left several riddles that Shawn and the cops were able to solve.

The thing that really got to me early in this case was when Shawn was being his usual snarky self at very inappropriate intervals and Gus called him out on it.  Shawn took Gus aside and told him that he knew he was being a jerk but that he had to do it to keep his mind clear so he could focus on the case.  Shawn has never really admitted to that and a light went on with this viewer and with Gus and Gus, best friend that he is, set out to help Shawn.  The case was really pushing Shawn over the edge and every time that Gus saw him get close to snapping, he channeled his inner Shawn and made the dumbest but most hilarious comments to pull his buddy through.  He did a Michael Jackson impression while Shawn was struggling to figure out what clue a rat in a cage had for him.  He grabbed a toy airplane and started commenting about how much he bigger he was than it; like King Kong.  These acts were followed by long silences and you know Gus felt like a tool but Shawn would look at him and give him a wink to let him know that it was helping so Gus kept on.  It really was awesome to see.

Gus was also there in the end when Shawn finally went on his date with Abigail, the girl that got away in high school.  He called to ask her out prior to the Ying/Yang killer contacting him and he had to keep calling her and making excuses for why he might be late.  Since he stood her up in high school, this was not very well received.  Shawn doesn’t do relationships and he was scared as hell about finally putting it out there with Abby.  Gus knew this and was there on their date, sitting in the car awaiting his popcorn at the drive-in movie.  Shawn gave him a “thank you” type of look so you knew he wanted him there.  Best friendship ever.

Back to the case, which was really one of the best they’ve had.  Shawn snapped after they solved several of the clues and they got to one where he had to answer the phone by the 8th ring or the girl would die.  Shawn found the cell phone on a pier and instead of answering he stood there trying to figure out where the person was calling from.  As Lassie and Juliet yelled at him to answer it, he just got mad and said he wasn’t playing the killer’s game anymore and hurled the phone into the ocean.  This caused an apparent rift in the cop team; Shawn told them that he wasn’t going to participate any longer and to leave.  They headed off to investigate on their own and Shawn told Gus that he wasn’t giving up, he was just taking the game in a new direction.  That direction ended up being a hotel where they found the waitress alive but a new clue; Shawn’s mother’s purse.  The killer, irritated that Shawn appeared to be disinterested in playing, upped the stakes.  Shawn nearly lost it but he held it together enough to figure out where his mom was and meet up with the killer.

Mr. Yang was played by none other than Ally Sheedy, which is made of awesome.  Last week we had Justine Bateman and MacKensie Astin, this week it’s Ally Sheedy.  This show loves the 80’s as much as I do!  She was a great raving psycho but she gave up too easily.  She told Shawn they’d meet again though and I suspect they will.  Oh, and for more 80’s goodness, Cybill Shepherd plays Shawn’s mom (and her husband was calling her Maddy, Moonlighting shout out!)  and Corbin Bernsen plays his father.  And on the rare occasions we see Gus’ folks, they’re played by Clair Huxtable and Mac from Night Court.  Also when Shawn called Abigail to invite her on the date he called himself Judd Nelson.  A fantastic shout out to the unannounced appearance by Ally Sheedy at the end of the show.

There was other stuff happening of course, and we got our obligatory Shawn and Juliet moment.  She finally asked him out while he was busy getting popcorn for his date with Abigail.  I was glad that he admitted to her that he was already on a date and that he didn’t derail his date for Juliet.  I’m not one of those people that hates the idea of Shawn and Juliet hooking up but I’m not a shipper either.  Plus, Abby is cool and she deserved her real date with Shawn, even if it came a decade later than it was supposed to be.   Of course with Gus along for the ride, I’m sure things were pretty tame.  Clearly Shawn’s not ready for a relationship and when he is I’m sure it’ll be Juliet he gets with.  The actors date in real life so it’s only a matter of time.

You really couldn’t have asked for a better episode to end the season.  The humor was awesome, 80’s abounded, Shawn/Juliet shippers got a moment, Shawn/anyone else shippers got a moment, the case was fantastic and most importantly the friendship between Shawn & Gus was rock solid.  I’m already Psyched (pardon the horrible pun) for the new episodes this summer.

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TV Roundup

I’m not really in the mood to do a whole FNL post today, so I thought I’d chat about it and a few other shows all together.  Combination post!  Before I tackle FNL, I have to address the show that I should be writing about now but I won’t and I must let it be known why.

American Idol

Yep, the only reality show I watch on a consistent basis is American Idol.  It’s one of my little shameful secrets that’s not so secret I guess, since I started writing about it last year.  But this year I refuse to write anymore than I am writing here until Tatiana, also known as the most annoying contestant ever, is off the show.  I have no earthly idea why they are keeping her around, her vocal talent is minimal and her annoyance factor is off the charts.  Which, of course, is actually why they are keeping her around.  Look at the drama queen lose her shit week in and week out!  Whoo hoo.  This bitch is worse  than Sanjaya and that chick that sounded like Fran Drescher combined.  I didn’t think it was possible, but it is.  And she’s gotten more air time than any of the actual talented contestants on the show this year, of which there are appear to be many.  Not that I know.  I have officially stopped watching the show until I hear that Drama Queen is gone.  I made this vow a couple of places but I make it here on my own blog so I can be sure that everyone knows just how done I am.  Guess I’m back to watching that insipid 90210 on Tuesday nights.   Even that is better than Tatiana.

Dollhouse

I watched Joss Whedon’s new show, Dollhouse, this morning and I really liked it.  Eliza Dushku was great as Echo, I felt drawn to her right away and sympathetic to her loss of an actual life.  I’m very curious as to what she did to get in trouble and have to serve her time.  I’m intrigued by the little flashes of memory she’s having and the FBI agent who knows too much.  I thought the assignment of saving the kidnapped girl was effective but disturbing at the same time; them implanting a memory or her having been abused worked but was awful.  I like her conflicted handler and imagine he will be instrumental to her possibly regaining more memories down the road.  I’ll be coming back for more.

Friday Night Lights

This was the first Friday Night Lights episode this season that really didn’t touch me.  It was a good episode, don’t get me wrong, but I wasn’t feeling it the way I have the rest of them so far.  It could be because I missed my Smash!  Matt officially lost the starting QB job, which was not a surprise at all.  He was angry about it but Coach wouldn’t let him quit the team.  It gave him a little bonding moment with his mom, who of course wanted to come see him play for the first time.  Maybe a bridge will be gapped there and Matt will find a little happiness.  He deserves it!

The Taylors were busy having fits over Julie getting a tiny tattoo on her ankle.  It was quite over the top, I thought.  Tammy was going to force her to get it removed but instead she told her about how she nearly dropped out of school and Coach was the guy who kept her from being stupid.  Um…okay.  I guess she thinks Tyra is leading Julie down a bad path but she’s clearly not, and getting a tattoo is not quite on par with dropping out of school either.  I thought it was a bit overdone really.

This week saw the return of Jason Street.  We got to see his adorable little baby and that he’s splitting time with the mother when it comes to raising the baby.  He’s desperate to make enough money so that he and the mom can maybe get a place and raise the kid together, but she doesn’t seem too enthused about the idea.  Jason was desperate enough to go into business with his wheelchair buddy and the Riggins boys, which is a very big sign of desperation.  They decided to buy Buddy’s house and flip it, which isn’t very bright in this economy.  Hijinks with the Riggins ensue but eventually they have the cash and Buddy won’t sell.  Jason talked him into it, because Buddy actually liked him, but Baby Momma informs him that she’s taking the kid and moving in with her parents in New York or something.

Tyra is falling harder for Cowboy Cash and skipping school and getting subpar grades on tests, which is part of what freaked Tammy out I imagine.  They had a nice talk but Tyra more or less told her that Cash is good for her.  Tyra is quite wrong but of course she’ll find that out down the road, possibly as soon as next week because some woman shows up demanding her child support.

Grey’s Anatomy

The Grey’s Anatomy/Private Practice crossover episode finally kicked into gear this week, with Sam, Naomi and Addison all descending upon Sacred Heart to get her brother, Archer fixed.  McDreamy managed to get the worms out of his brain (SO GROSS) and Archer will be just fine.  Of course, McDreamy’s other patient, a pregnant woman, was getting sick and it turned out to be her baby making her sick.  Thankfully Addy was on hand to work her magic on the baby.  Mother and child were fine but it looks like she’s having another aneurysm and next week more drama ensues.  I enjoyed the interaction between Sam & Bailey and loved Christina/Military Docs side story.  I don’t care that much about the PP stuff, some mom went psycho and tried to kill her baby.  It was not fun.  That’s about where I was with that.  I more or less stopped watching that show and am only watching now for the Grey’s part.

Psych

I have yet to write about this show but I love it to an amazing degree.  Shawn’s wisecracking humor speaks directly to my own and I adore watching him and Gus have their bromance weekly.  Best friendship on TV I think!  This weeks episode featured cameos by 80’s stars Mackenzie Astin and Justine Bateman, so of course bonus points for that.  Mac, playing Jason, invites Shawn and Gus to his camp to find a missing counselor.  Turns out that he’s playing a joke on Shawn and Gus is in on it, but a janitor turns up dead and they have to investigate that.  While I’m not so much on the potential Shawn/Juliet romance I did love that she got to save him by shooting the killer in the hand.  Shawn’s “that was hot” reaction was pretty cute.

On the sad side, Lassiter met with his estranged wife, Justine Bateman, and he thought they were getting back together.  She served him with divorce papers.  I’m not sure why that got put in this episode, it was totally separate, but I felt for dear Lassie and hope Shawn doesn’t get on his nerves too badly next episode.  Sadly, it’s the season finale, but hopefully the show will come back in summer.  USA has weird scheduling for their shows.

Supernatural

I don’t have a lot to say here but I’m very disturbed that SN is repeats for the next 4 weeks or so.  I get that March is sweeps now but you couldn’t throw us at least one new episode?  4 weeks without new Dean?  Very traumatic.  I just had to whine about it cause I already miss my boy!

That’s the big stuff on my mind TV wise this week, I’ll be back to post on Heroes Tuesday.  Til then, enjoy your Valentine’s Day, those with or without significant others.  I saw He’s Just Not That Into You, I felt that it suited the day nicely!

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