Psych

That Halloween flashback was wonderful, with Henry forcing Shawn to go as a cop and Gus dressed up as Lando Calrissian. How cute was he? God, I love Gus. He was also very sweet, attempting to cover Shawn's eyes while "Scary Sherry" took her header off the balcony. Of course, it turned out that Sherry had never actually jumped. But Shawn and Gus were haunted by what they thought had happened, and even sparked an urban legend by talking about it.

This episode was helmed by John Landis (and cowritten by series lead James Roday and series creator Steve Franks), and I thought it was the perfect marriage of director and episode. Although he's been MIA for the last decade or so, he's a master of humorous horror (An American Werewolf in London) and he brought his auteur touch to this hilarious episode of Psych. The scary moments were pretty startling: the abandoned decaying mental institution, the ghostlike apparition at the window, Alice attacking Juliet at the end. No wonder Shawn and Gus ran screaming from the sorority house like a couple of babies!

The concurrent story line was also priceless. Oh, how I loved Mercedes Ruehl as Lassiter's too old, tacky temporary partner "Goochberg," aka "Gooch to people I respect and those lucky enough to have seen me naked." She made me howl in what was basically a variant on her Married to the Mob character. Lassiter truly met his match in her. He turned pale when the chief told him that Goochberg "kind of reminded me of you a couple of years down the road." (Interestingly, in real life, Ruehl is an incredibly tasteful and classy lady. I interviewed her a few years back, and we totally hit it off.)

Selected funny moments:

— Henry insisting on X-raying Shawn and Gus' Halloween candy. Now that's an overprotective dad!
— Gus' "Damn girl!" reaction when Juliet showed up in her sorority-girl disguise (ironic that her undercover outfit barely covered her).
— Pretty much everything Goochberg said. On how she finally became a detective at her mature age: "I might have failed the test a few times, 13 to be exact." And on a past injury: "I took a crowbar to an eye socket in a sangria party gone wrong."
— The dippy sorority girls: "I was lying in bed watching One Tree Hill. Chad Michael Murray is so hot." Never thought I'd hear an OTH reference on this show.
— Everyone asking Gus if he played Bud on The Cosby Show. (I don't think he looks anything like Deon Richmond).
— Shawn telling Gus that Alice was "Sharon Stone from Basic Instinct, which makes me Michael Douglas and you George Dzundza, whose name is actually Gus in the film." At the climax, Shawn added, "This is Silence of the Lambs, which means we're both Scott Glenn."
— Juliet calling Alice "You crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy bitch!"
— And my favorite moment of all: when Gus got stuck in the stairwell and took off his belt to use as a weapon. Indescribably hilarious.

Interestingly, the season finales of Monk and Psych had a lot in common. As Kat1 pointed out, they both ended with a key character in peril. Also, the theme of being there for your friends. Natalie left Monk at the hospital to go on a date, and he almost died. Alice says that the one time she wasn't here for her BFF, she died in a sorority pledge prank gone awry. Of course, Shawn didn't learn anything from this, abandoning his best bud Gus when he got stuck. He even forgot to go get him as they were leaving! Gags like that kind of bug me. They're there for a cheap laugh and are completely out of character. But I'm not going to quibble. The cast's chemistry is working really well, and this show has never pretended to be anything other than it is: mindless fun.

Sometimes I find the flashbacks at the beginning of Psych kind of silly. Young Shawn is cute and all, but the parallels between the opening vignette and the main story line often seem heavy-handed. That said, I really liked this one. Watching a preteen Shawn engage in an intense poker game with his dad's coworkers (at the police station, no less) was pretty funny. But Henry made sure his son swore off gambling once he took all of Shawn's winnings and stuffed them in a donation box. I've always wondered why Shawn hadn't put his talents to lucrative use before this whole psychic charade came along. I guess his slackerdom really was caused by a dysfunctional relationship with his dad. No matter what he tried to do, it was never good enough. So instead, he chose to do nothing at all.

Watching Shawn and Henry interact is always my favorite part of the show. So I was thrilled when Henry showed up at Shawn and Gus' office, shared his inevitable criticisms, then revealed that he was their 11 o'clock appointment. Actually Bill Peterson, played by The Wonder Years' Dan Lauria, was their actual client. His ne'er-do-well son Brandon had stolen money from him and was now missing, and he hoped Shawn could locate him. Although Henry, an old family friend, had advised him to go to the cops, he mentioned Shawn's service and Bill decided to check it out. Shawn was clearly moved by Henry's referral. "Did you vouch for me? You were bragging on me. You have a dad crush on me! Give me a hug." But Henry insisted he wanted Shawn to tell Bill to go to the police.

Of course, Shawn did no such thing (did Henry really think he would?), and soon he and Gus were sniffing around the underground high-stakes gambling scene. Brandon, a self-declared ace poker player, owed money to the wrong people. But he was sure they had cheated when they beat him. Although we were clearly supposed to sympathize with Brandon, he was a pretty awful son. After Shawn found him and drove him to his father's car dealership, Brandon insisted he would go inside, apologize to his dad and tell him everything. Instead, he ripped him off again. Even though he was right about his nemesis cheating at poker, he still came off as a total jerk.

One thing I didn't buy was the climax, when Shawn played in Brandon's stead at the poker tournament. Why in the world would Brandon agree to let Shawn bask in the glory of a win? Couldn't Shawn have uncovered the cheating scam from the sidelines? But after Henry vouched for Shawn's poker-playing ability, Brandon just faded into the background.

Since Lassiter and Juliet weren't involved in the case, they were handed a pretty far-fetched subplot. In honor of Lassiter's birthday, Juliet wanted to throw him a surprise party. Although the chief warned her against it &emdash; "You don't even want to know what we now call the Secret Santa Debacle of 2005" — she persevered. She even called Lassiter's mom to find out about his likes (none) and dislikes (many). Mama Lassiter turned out to be a piece of work, a nasty, sexist old lady. No wonder Lassiter never confided in her. Although the final gag was unbelievable — Juliet invited all of the people listed in Lassiter's address book thinking they were his friends; instead they turned out to be criminals he'd put away — I did laugh when Lassiter showed up at his house and spotted all those perps. When the chief asked him why he kept their addresses, Lassiter said, "So I can drive by and check up on them." Then he stormed into his house. Juliet asked, "Where are you going?" His response: "To pack, because now they know where I live."

Some of my other favorite lines (but not all, as per achyfakey's request):

— When Henry showed up, Shawn asked, "Don't vampires have to be invited in? Gus, you've seen Lost Boys 14 times. What's the rule?"
— Henry revealing that Shawn had "an unnatural fear of pointy things."
— The whole 227 exchange between Gus and Shawn. Apparently they watched as much bad TV as I did as a kid.
— Gus' onscreen poker name: "bigkitty75."
— After posing as a woman named "Felicia Fancybottom," Gus and Shawn ambushed Brandon. His reaction: "All hot Internet women are guys. In your case two guys, which makes it doubly weird."
— Since I've been comparing Shawn and Gus' friendship to Ferris Bueller and Cameron Frye's for a while now, I was thrilled when Shawn said Brandon's decision to face his father alone was "very Cameron Frye."
— The adorable "Psych-Out" with Juliet and Lassiter singing "Leaving on a Jet Plane" (which you can also watch online).

Although I thought the second half of Season 1 started off badly, I'm really impressed with where the series has ended up. I'm bummed that next Friday is the finale.

On a side note, I just wanted to share that my 18-month-old daughter danced like mad to the Psych theme song. It was the first time she had heard it, since she's usually asleep by the time the show airs. Does anyone else's kid love it like she does?

I'm enjoying Psych more and more as the season goes on. Tonight I thought both the banter and the mystery were top-notch (although I admit, when it comes to solving cases, I'm not Monk. Heck, I'm not even Matlock). As comic and cocky as Shawn is, I always enjoy seeing his insecure side. And boy did it ever show when Henry began bonding with Lassiter. When Henry dropped by to show Shawn that he was finally donating all of his junk to Goodwill (something he had threatened to do back in the first episode, I believe), his son was incredulous. "How come you only call me to pick stuff up?" Shawn asked. Perhaps because Henry's house is filled with all kinds of '80s memorabilia, including a Whitesnake T-shirt ("You can't throw that away. You can't get that in stores anymore!") and an Airwolf windbreaker, which turned out to belong to Gus. That led to one of my favorite exchanges of the night: Gus: "I've been looking for that for five years now! Why'd you take this? I never even saw you wear it!" Shawn: "Of course I didn't. I took it so you wouldn't. Don't put it on. Nobody had an Airwolf jacket except Jan-Michael Vincent." I don't think I've heard a Jan-Michael Vincent reference since the days when I listened to Howard Stern.

When Lassiter spotted that super-duper unused fishing rod that Henry had given to Shawn, the two cops began to bond and scheduled a "play date." Poor Shawn looked disgusted, not to mention jealous. I think he actually turned green when he saw a photo of Henry and Lassiter and their catch of the day on his dad's refrigerator. Of course, Henry played it down. "It's a picture of the fish," he insisted. "I didn't even notice Lassiter was in there."

The whole bit with Gus' company retreat was also hilarious. Thank god, I've never been invited on one of those (we here at TVGuide.com aren't the outdoorsy types). All those trust exercises: Gus letting himself fall backward into a sheet; his boss inviting him to be "the first one to hold the sharing stick in the sensitivity circle"; the green body paint. When TVGuide.comers do stuff over the weekend, we go to comic-cons.

Of course, Shawn got Gus out of the retreat by claiming his grandmother broke her hip... twice... while teaching a line-dancing class. Shawn's lies are always so far-fetched, people have to believe him. Who could make that stuff up?

The mystery itself was cool and twisty. I like that Shawn had to go to his dad to help him talk it through. The clocks being set back three hours was so odd. At first I thought it had something to do with fudging the time of the attack, but of course that wouldn't have made much sense. Everyone would have noticed. I also figured the slightly sleazy, overprotective dad had something to do with his daughter's disappearance. I totally didn't see the cop angle coming.

My other favorite moments:
— After Shawn complained to Juliet about missing Gus, he added, "Maybe we can figure out a way for me to be less lonely. Wait, I'm getting something... baby oil." He's never going to romance her with that attitude.
— Shawn saying that "the spirits can be dopey, bashful, sneezy."
— When Gus recalled giving an "eternity ring" to a classmate, Shawn asked, "How long did eternity last? Three months? I've never seen a girl lie about entering witness protection before."
— Gus constantly complaining that he didn't get to say "cool" stuff like Shawn.
— Gus getting his butt kicked by the teen tennis wiz and Shawn telling her, "Grody to the max... you've got to work with me here. I don't know what the kids are saying these days."
— Shawn telling Lassiter and the gang that he could "project Tommy Lee Jones from The Fugitive," then launching into his impression.
— Shawn sporting a Latino accent (did you catch the outtakes at the end?) was particularly amusing since James Roday's real last name is Rodriguez.
— Shawn's nerdy, pharmaceutical lab persona at Gus' retreat and his rambling about his work on "the Mono-Theo-Huxtable drug" and its side effects.
— Gus acting smug because he knew the definition of "supine."
— The way the cop/attacker described the class he took with Henry at police academy. "Uhhhhh." Shawn was glad to get some sympathy.

The one thing I didn't think worked was when Lassiter admitted to Shawn that he didn't like hanging out with his father. "He's capable of taking all the fun out of fishing!" On the one hand, Henry and Lassiter seem very much alike, and similar people often repel each other. On the other hand, Henry and Lassiter's budding friendship was a comedy goldmine that could have been milked for many more seasons. Sometimes I think Psych chooses a one-time gag over what could be a long-term theme. But honestly, I'm just quibbling. It was still way funny.

Update: For all of you who missed the Psych-Out at the end, you can find all of them on the show's official site, along with links to Gus' MySpace page and other fun stuff.

So Henry always hoped Shawn would become a lawyer. I always figured Henry wanted his son to follow in his own footsteps, but I guess at this point he's just glad Shawn is employed at all.

Of course, employed implies paid. By my count, this is the second time this year Shawn and Gus have taken a job pro bono, although this was their first court case. The hapless defense attorney, played by Michael Weston, was the worst lawyer this side of Austin Pendleton's public defender in My Cousin Vinny. Watching him work was painful. He was lucky Shawn came along to bring him out of his slump.

I just loved Donnelly Rhodes as the cantankerous old judge. "I don't buy all that psychic mumbo jumbo," he said after inquiring after Shawn's identity. Of course, Shawn quickly turned him into a believer with his knowledge of his kidney troubles. (Yay Gus for pointing them out.) The judge even followed Shawn's home remedy: He was snacking on raw asparagus in a later scene.

Lassiter and Shawn's relationship took a huge leap forward in this episode (although there wasn't enough Juliet and Shawn for my taste). Lassie actually wished Shawn good luck and meant it! And Shawn used Lassie as a character reference for the judge. "A high-ranking law-enforcement official can vouch for me: That wispy yet commanding Irish fellow who looks like he's been sucking on Sour Patch Kids." Of course, Lassiter had an ulterior motive for wanting Shawn to undermine the prosecutor's case. He never believed the defendant was guilty. Still, it was big of Lassiter to acknowledge that Shawn could influence the trial in his favor.

My one big gripe: if the weatherman had been such a ladies' man, why didn't he sleep with the secretary? She was sexy! You can't hide Keegan Connor Tracy's beauty with glasses and braids. I'm sure Shawn wouldn't have kicked her out of bed.

As usual, a rundown of my favorite lines (the ones I could catch, anyway. Shawn and Gus speak so quickly, and I'm from New York. You'd think I'd be used to listening to fast talkers):

— Shawn refusing to wait on the long line to get his motorcycle out of impound because, "It's a ticket-payment line, not Space Mountain. Plus, I don't wait in line.
— After Lassiter identified himself, the judge quipped, "Perhaps you'd like to inform the court of your favorite color as well."
— The judge asking Lassiter incredulously, "The psychic's worked on cases, and he was helpful?"
— Shawn saying he never watched the murdered weatherman because "his toupee made it seem like every newscast started with a lie."
— Gus pretending to be a news anchor (loved his vocal exercises).
— Shawn making a pesky male journalist switch places with a pretty female colleague during an impromptu press conference.
— Gus saying he was once "pre-pre-law. Sixth grade. It was an accelerated program."
— Shawn asking frequent trial-goer Lassiter if he was "the one with the shirt that said, 'Please free the Man in the Mirror.'"
— Gus balking at being called Shawn's sidekick.
— Shawn asking Gus to "retire with me to the hallway where we can converse in hushed tones."

The ending was very sweet. Three people, including his father and old nemesis Lassie, stepped up to buy back Shawn's motorcycle at public auction. Henry really should have footed the bill, considering he was the one who ratted out Shawn's bad parking habits to the meter maid. But Lassiter made it an inside job. It was nice to see Lassie, not Shawn, get the last laugh this time.

I envy the fun the cast of Psych seems to have on set. How hilarious was that "Psych-Out" at the end, with poor Corbin Bernsen pouting, "I told you I can't do that down-with-it stuff," while Dulé Hill and James Roday butchered another nostalgic tune. (I didn't even recognize the song. I had to go to the USA site to find out that it was "It Feels Good.")

Like last week, I really enjoyed this episode. I still stand by my criticisms of the mid-season premiere: It felt like a throwback to the early episodes with Shawn running around like an annoying egomaniac. The show works so much better when he's able to do more than act cocky. When he's with his father, he invariably drops his devil-may-care act. As tired as Queer Eye jokes are (the show's been canceled, people), I loved the quippy exchanges between him and Henry regarding his dad's beauty regimen. The look of horror on Shawn's face when he ran into him at the tanning salon after wondering, "What kind of a loser thinks getting a tan will help him score with a woman?" Such a wonderful Lenny and Squiggy moment. And then, when Henry likened tanning to varnishing his boat, Shawn deadpanned, "That is the single most disturbing analogy I've ever heard in my entire life. The Queer Eye guys... where are they? I know they're here somewhere. Gus, what are their names?"

During the opening flashback, Henry gave Shawn some clichéd yet valuable advice about the opposite sex. "Under no circumstances ever mention to a woman her age or her weight." That information came in handy when Shawn ended up speed-dating in order to solve the case. While Lassiter just went ahead and treated them all like potential perps — except for Juliet, whom he didn't speak to at all — Shawn had a grand old time telling tall tales ("My last name is Olsoninnerheinie. It's been a tough life") and flirting with buxom blondes. He really does make the most of every situation. And how great was the name of that bar: Shenanigans, "Home of the world-famous Blarney Stone fajitas." The Irish were never known for their cuisine, huh.

My other favorite moments:

— "Lassie face," Shawn's new nickname for Lassiter.
— Shawn quipping, "This is In the Heat of the Night, which makes me Carroll O'Connor" and Gus countering, "No, that makes you Rod Steiger, which makes me Sidney Poitier." Although I often find pop-culture references a cheap way to get laughs, they really pull out some obscure ones on this show, like...
— Shawn asking Juliet, "You, me, Burgess Meredith, Hume Cronyn and Nipsey Russell on a deserted island. Who are you going to sleep with?" Later he offered her Flip Wilson and Scatman Crothers, too. But as she wisely observed, "So it's you or a bunch of dead guys?"
— After throwing a towel to the heavy-set naked guy, Shawn said, "One size fits all... I hope."
— Gus claiming to have a tanning appointment.
— Shawn imploring Marvin the leprechaun to say, "Magically delicious."
— That house full of cuckoo clocks.
— Shawn advising Lassiter to show some chest hair. "Chicks dig the sternum bush."
— When the speed-dating manager suggested that Lassiter tell Juliet she looked pretty, the way he deadpanned, "No can do."
— The way Gus' date kept rubbing his head (looks like fun! Yes I have a big old crush on Dulé, what can I say?).
— Hearing The Raconteurs' "Steady, As She Goes" playing in the background of the bowling-alley scene.
— Henry defending his preferred method of cleaning: "Historically, real men have taken baths... John Wayne, Rio Bravo. Bath."
— Shawn's big reveal speech at the end was genius, but my favorite line was when he told his fellow speed daters that everyone deserves "someone who makes you feel safe but also a little dirty."

I still hate that the cops are too dumb to live. Like how did they miss the tire tracks in the field? Did they really need Shawn to "psychically" see them? But it's a small quibble. As has been said countless times before, no one watches Psych for the mysteries. Still, it would be nice if others could contribute to the cases. I always enjoy it when Gus is able to assist with his pharmaceutical expertise.

I do like that the potential romance between Shawn and Juliet is heating up. From the moment Shawn set eyes on Juliet, he's wanted to bed her. But when he ran into her on a date at the bowling alley, it was clear that he's come to want a lot more from her than just a one-night stand. Both of them were freaked out when they were declared a perfect, 100 percent speed-dating match. There's definitely a lot of sexual tension between them. But the nice thing is, the show isn't built around it. This isn't Moonlighting. It's an ensemble, so if they do get together at some point, I don't think it necessarily spells the end for the show.

What I really want to see is Henry with someone. He had that Internet date last week, but Shawn didn't even set eyes on her. I'd love to actually see Shawn interact with one of his dates. I also hope that Shawn's mom makes an appearance on the show. I'm sure she and Henry would have funny, bitchy things to say to each other. I was thinking about who should play her... maybe make it an L.A. Law reunion and throw Susan Ruttan some work?

Now this was the episode of Psych I've been waiting for. Shawn actually proved that he was a human being, not just a cocky, quip-slinging caricature. He'd always shown signs of it, particularly in the scenes with his father. Speaking of which, how hilarious was it when Shawn realized that Henry had a woman (whom he met on the Internet, no less) at his house? Poor Shawn didn't know how to take it. He looked almost queasy when he realized his father still had sex. And Henry wasn't the only one trying to get some. Poor, put-upon Gus finally made a move — albeit with Shawn's help — and the object of his affection, Jessica, was played by Dulé Hill's real-life looker of a wife, Nicole Lyn. Unfortunately a long-term love affair wasn't in Gus and Jessica's future.

Shawn actually did three selfless things in this episode, and he still managed to be amusing. In that first scene, he could have totally brought his rebound date back home. But when he deduced her boyfriend wasn't cheating on her, that instead he was about to propose, Shawn was very sweet to share his thoughts with her. Of course, the premature ending to his evening is what led him to poor Lassiter, drunk as a skunk and ruing the day he was born. I loved that Shawn had so much trouble calling Lassiter by his first name. But Shawn really kept his sarcasm in check as he listened to Lassiter's woeful tale of a marriage and career gone wrong, as well as his envy of Shawn's abilities. Shawn tried to boost his confidence: "You have great posture and penmanship," but it was to no avail. When Lassiter passed out, Shawn decided he had to do more to help his nemesis: solve one of his old cases, and give Lassiter the credit.

I enjoyed the chemistry between Juliet and Shawn, and I was glad she agreed to help him with his plan to get Lassiter back on track. Of course Lassiter couldn't know of their plan. Luckily he was very susceptible to suggestions. Any time Shawn or Juliet got a clue, they fed it to him and pretended he said it first.

Gus was the only one who was initially hesitant to go along, since they wouldn't make any money or get any credit. Shawn exclaimed, "That's some of the best nut-shelling I've ever heard," before goading Gus into it. As Shawn told him, "I need you like Kenickie needed Danny Zuko, and you get to be the Travolta in this scenario." (Nice subtle cross-channel promoting of Grease: You're the One that I Want, no?) Of course, Gus was thrilled when he realized that they would be spending a lot of time at one of his favorite nerdy haunts, the planetarium, where his crush Jessica worked. As he told Shawn, "She's a quality girl, which means I have to put in quality time." And with Shawn's "help" (claiming Gus won a Heisman trophy, oy), Gus did snag a date with her, even though their romance was short-lived. Suspecting your prospective squeeze is a murderess never bodes well for a relationship.

Some of my favorite bits (although in the show the funny lines come so fast, it's impossible to cite them all):

— Although I was disappointed that Richard Kind didn't get more screen time, he had one great line, when he told Shawn, "You're a smart-ass. I like that."
— When Shawn (who dubbed himself Aurora Borealis) narrated a four-minute planetarium presentation and threw around phrases like "infinitum staroctopussium." I loved that he left the audience in there for 45 minutes while he investigated the case, then returned and closed with the line, "And that's why time travel is not only possible, but may already have happened" as everyone staggered out, blinded from the lasers.
— Shawn claiming that he and Gus would "solve the case Friday at 10:01 pm and then watch some cable... or something."
— Shawn asking Gus not to "go all Vincent Gallo on me." (Doesn't "going Vincent Gallo" usually involve some kind of sexual act? Just askin'.)
— After Gus discovered Shawn had been tailing him, he said he would become "uncatchable like a jackal."
— Gus saying, "You heard about Pluto? That's messed up, right?"
— The ex-con janitor who taught Gus and Shawn how to correctly pick a lock.
— When Henry and Gus both started to tell Shawn about the poisonous properties of foxglove, Shawn saying "Dad, I have to go. I can't have two guys solving my case at once."
— Upon solving the case, Lassiter declaring, "Get me a new pair of handcuffs!"

Of course, it really wasn't Shawn's case, it was Lassiter's. At least, that's what everyone wanted Lassiter to believe. In the end, Shawn had to read Lassiter's "innermost thoughts... like your deep, deep, deep ones" to feed him the last clue. But it worked. By the end, Lassiter was back to his old, overconfident self (even though Gus' victory dance threatened to expose the entire plot). Somewhere in Lassiter's "deep, innermost thoughts" I'm sure he knew he was being manipulated. But what's a little manipulation among friends? Because underneath it all, that's what they are.

And how sweet was it that Henry skipped his date to bond with Shawn? That's when I like this series, when the characters are allowed to show some genuine emotions while still being very funny.

If you need an early fix of bickering between BFF Gus and Shawn, check out this cute webisode in which the guys try to agree on a name for their car. Poor Gus... he's just all kinds of nerdy, huh?

While it's unfair, and frankly facile, to compare Monk and Psych, it's kind of hard not to. At first I did my best to resist the impulse to do so. After all, even though they're paired together, they're quite different. Monk doesn't have the "hip" trappings that Psych does, nor does it have a Zach Braff-esque lead. What Monk does have is a flawless cast with oodles of chemistry, not to mention the brilliant Tony Shalhoub. I have tried desperately to get into Psych. There's a lot I love about the show: Corbin Bernsen, Dulé Hill (who I just interviewed, by the way). But the other supporting players are given little to nothing to do, and James Roday's shtick is really getting to me. I can't for the life of me figure out why Gus puts up with him. Now I'm starting to wonder why I put up with him, too.

Lest you should think I'm just going to rag on the show for the rest of the season, rest assured, I'm done bitching now (I think). I just had to get that out there. I feel like this show has so much potential, but Roday needs to tone it down, and Shawn and Gus' relationship needs to become more believable. Otherwise, I know I won't be watching next season.

This episode was written by Lee Goldberg, who has written a number of Monk episodes, including "Mr. Monk Goes to Mexico," as well as a couple of Monk books. He's a solid crime writer, and I thought that the mystery in this episode was pretty cool (although I'm still trying to figure out how Mort Crocker didn't suspect his wife in the murder of his lover all those years back. After all, she'd just had his baby!) I was thrilled to see Kurtwood Smith (loved him ever since RoboCop. Best. Villain. Ever.) as well as Ashley Williams as his daughter, Trish. I never watched Huff, but I've seen some of her stage work and she's infinitely more winning than her plastic sister. My heart went out to Smith as the Alzheimer-suffering Captain Connors. The way he had little Post-it notes stuck everywhere reminded me of Memento.

I giggled at the way Shawn and Gus fought over their old schoolmate Trish when they first saw her. Personally, I would go for Gus despite his faults (he really needs to loosen up). "Gus is smarter and funnier, plus he has abs like Bruce Lee," Gus said about himself. I wouldn't mind seeing those abs any time he'd like to share 'em.

Trish was completely taken in by Shawn's BS. "In high school he was always so loud and needed attention constantly and he would not shut up," she told Gus. "He was so annoying, he drove me nuts! Now he's so calm and unobtrusive. I think he's really matured." Ha!

Meanwhile Shawn's come-on was so super sleazy. "Did we ever kiss?" he asked Trish when she walked in. "That image may be coming from the not so distant future." For her sake I hope not.

I liked the parallel between the flashback, in which a poorly wigged Connors believed that Shawn didn't hurt the ostrich, and the present, when Shawn promised Connors that he believed his addled tale of a murder he had solved, then forgotten. Even without Alzheimer's I found the clues tough to spot. Although the minute I saw the wife, I was sure she did it. It's always the long-suffering wife, right?

While I know that Gus and Shawn posing as foreign veterinarians was supposed to be wacky, I didn't find it funny at all. All that clicking and Shawn saying that he, "accidentally poured hot cocoa all over" Gus' genitals... it was so lame and juvenile. And again, Shawn had to put Gus, his supposed best friend, in a terrible position by saying he would birth a warthog. Um, yuck!

There were some funny lines, though (see, I don't hate everything!):

— Gus to Shawn as they were snooping in the woods, "Closed means stay out." "In the negative-language dictionary, yes, which apparently is the only one you know."
— When Connors, in his impaired state, mistook Shawn for Henry, Shawn whined, "Oh god, please don't tell me I look like my father.... Is my hair starting to thin at all?"
— Shawn asking Gus if they could pretend to be "from the state board of medicine-cabinet inspectors."
— And of course, Shawn's usual funny pop-culture references: "Mufasa, Darth Vader, I'm Not Rappaport, they're all James Earl Jones." Thankfully Gus pointed out that that last one was the late Ossie Davis.

I'm glad that by the end, Trish figured out that Shawn had still "not grown up." Of course, Shawn claimed he alienated her intentionally so Gus could go after her. I bet. According to my interview with Dulé, Gus will get more play and his friendship with Shawn will be explored. I hope he's right!

I was so psyched (pun intended) for this episode, not only because it was the season finale (or mid-season finale — I know that Psych has been renewed, but it's unclear whether the episodes airing in January will constitute a new season), but because I love sci-fi conventions. (If you doubt me, read about my adventures at this year's San Diego Comic Con.) And yet somehow this episode left something — no, a lot, to be desired. There certainly wasn't enough Corbin Bernsen, though I say that every week (loved that he told young Shawn that "guys who wear capes... they're on angel dust"). There also weren't enough laughs. And not only did I solve the mystery at 10:36 pm, I knew exactly what Shawn and Gus would cite as proof (those O's were way too distinctive).

I've been defending Shawn and Gus' friendship from the outset as a Ferris-Cameron type of relationship. But at least Ferris was nice to Cameron once in a while; I feel like Shawn takes advantage of Gus 24/7 and to make matters worse, he's not half as charming as he thinks he is. I had hoped that by now we'd have a better understanding of why they're buddies. A few watercoolers back I said that Gus and Shawn balance each other out, but now I'm not so sure. Also, if they've really known each other since childhood, how could Shawn not know that Gus was into comics and sci-fi? C'mon, that was totally unbelievable. Not to mention that I would have assumed that Shawn was into geeky stuff himself, despite, or perhaps because of, his father's disapproval. Sorry, I know I'm ranting. I just think this show could be so much smarter and hence, funnier. (Of course anyone who uses the word "hence" so casually can't claim to know much about comedy.) Come next year, I hope the writers address some of these issues.

OK, onto the things I did like: basically, everything with George Takei. I'm a devoted Trekker and I just love listening to that deep, melodious voice of his. He's like the Asian Geoffrey Holder (aka the 7-Up "ha, ha, ha, ha" guy). His obsession with blueberries was bizarrely funny and I howled when he complained that the con was ruining his "chi." (Takei was also hilarious at the Roast of William Shatner last week.)

Shawn had some funny lines when they were looking through The Malcontent's room (by the way, was that an Action Comics I saw on his floor?). "I can tell you this much, he's been lifted up by his underwear more than once." I'm assuming Malcontent was based, more or less, on real-life Comic Book Guy Harry Knowles from Ain't It Cool News, although I was glad to see he wasn't as unhealthy. The Con itself was pretty tame, from the costumes to the pop-culture references (jokes about the Batman Forever nipple costumes? How very 1995). It kind of reminded me of the letdown when the guys from Entourage went to the San Diego Con. But every time Chekov... er, "Sulu damn it!" was on screen, I found myself cracking up. Oh, and I loved the Johnny Depp conversation, when Gus tried to make a quip about the trashed hotel room. As Shawn said, "Stephen Dorff. Always solid." If only the rest of the episode could have been so esoterically amusing. Instead we got the old water-breaking-at-the-most-inopportune-moment subplot.

So this is how we end the first season. Not with a bang, but with a roomful of wimps, or rather, geeks. I definitely think the series has a lot of potential — I'm just waiting for the writers to mine it. I guess I'll have to tune back in come January to find out if they have.

While I was glad to see him working, Frank didn't look so hot in this episode (back in the '90s, I used to have a major crush on him, which is now officially dead). But I thought he did a great job of playing two characters, er, personalities... three, if you count the killer Martin Brody at the end. That said, how lame (not to mention homophobic) was the whole transgendered-killer angle? This isn't a political blog and Psych is obviously not a political show. I just thought that cliché went out with The Silence of the Lambs (of course, now that the JonBenet suspect has revealed that he wanted a sex change, I'm sure we can look forward to a Law & Order featuring a trannie psycho).

I'm glad the casting directors have finally decided to stick with Liam James as the young Shawn. It took them three child actors to settle on James. Every week I wondered who Corbin Bernsen would be fathering. Bernsen's really not getting enough to do. Last week, that whole bit with engraving the pocket watch was hilarious, and I really missed him during this episode. I would have loved if the guys had found a reason to take him on their San Francisco road trip. Eight hours of Shawn, Gus and Henry trapped in a car: Now that would be funny.

The minute Gus started telling Shawn his ghost story about Wilting Flower, I cringed. I knew that Shawn would turn out to be Wilting Flower, although I figured he wouldn't reveal that until the end of the episode. Sometimes Gus is just a little too naive, the same way Lassiter is just too obtuse. Hey, writers, if you're listening to me (which I'm sure you're not), maybe ease up on the archetypes. Even Tom beat Jerry once in a while. Think about letting Gus put one over on Shawn for a change. (Speaking of the Psych writers, tonight was the first time I noticed that show creator, Steve Franks, also composed the theme song. How very Glen A. Larson.)

Shawn, as usual, had some great lines, and for some reason, I laughed at the most obvious ones. When Gus saw that their new administrative assistant was a model, he asked, "Does she file?" Shawn's response: "Mostly her nails." Or when Robert's ex-girlfriend asked how Shawn knew the main character in Jaws was named Martin Brody, the way he said "Because I've seen Jaws" cracked me up. And I loved when Shawn was trying to place which film centered on a house built on an old Indian burial ground. (It's Poltergeist, for the two of you out there who weren't sure. And Sally Field had multiple personalities in Sybil in case you were wondering.) I also totally related to Shawn and Gus text-messaging each other while in the same room. My husband and I IM each other when we're sitting together on the couch. Hey, typing in all caps is better than screaming. And the neighbors never even know you're fighting.

Notice that I haven't mentioned the mystery. And I don't plan to do so now. We all know why we watch this show, and the word "mystery" has nothing to do with it. Although I did spend a good deal of time mulling over Whaley's wig. He looked like the missing member of Bon Jovi.

In closing, I am so looking forward to the season finale. Anything to do with Star Trek gets me hot. OK, well, maybe "hot" is not quite the right adjective. But I am excited. George Takei! Oh my.

For me, the funniest part of this episode was when Shawn asked Gus to participate in the Civil War reenactment. Gus lowered his eyelids, glared at Shawn and asked, "And exactly what part would I play in this?" Although the word "slave" was never mentioned, it was clear what Gus was thinking. Of course, Shawn got him to agree to it by invoking the legacy of an Oscar-winning African-American actor. "I was thinking Glory. I was thinking Denzel." Poor Gus, suckered by Shawn's shtick once again. Gus ended up in a band uniform with a plume atop his head, not exactly as smart as Shawn's military garb. Although Shawn and Gus are classic antithetical buddies, race seems like the least of their differences. It's funny to note that James Roday, who plays Shawn, is Hispanic in real-life (his birth name was Rodriguez). And here I was thinking I finally had a TV crush on a nice Jewish boy.

I was glad to see Corbin Bernsen getting more screen time. The inscription he wanted to put on the gold pocket watch he gave his son was classic: "Shawn, don't lose this watch. Henry Spencer." As if that wasn't bad enough, he was too cheap to pay for all those words! So it ended up reading, "Don't lose. Henry." God, he is an awful father. I love laughing at him, just like I giggle at the gross parental negligence of Homer Simpson and Peter Griffin. But is it any wonder that Shawn turned out to be so trying? A father like Henry is liable to drive anyone to rebel. He's lucky Shawn only ended up being a sarcastic hipster. He might have chosen to be a criminal just to spite him.

Lassiter looked damn fine with 19th-century facial hair, and the uniform fit him well, too. But he so needs to lighten up. His relationship with Shawn is taking on a Chief Dreyfus-Inspector Clouseau vibe. Does he really always want to be the jackass?

The mystery was a little less silly than usual, the basic rip-yourself-off-for-the-insurance scam. There were a lot of funny lines, mostly from my boy Bernsen. When Shawn was tardy he said, "He came late at birth and he's been late ever since." When the jeweler suggested that he end his inscription with the words "Love, Dad," he replied, "Why don't you just put, 'Kissy, kissy'?" And his excuse for giving Shawn his birthday present late? "After you were born it took you four months to smile at me. That's when the clock started ticking." And I thought my dad was cold! I definitely feel like Psych is finally hitting its stride.

Thank you for enunciating, Shawn. For once I didn't have to blast the volume in order to understand your one-liners, which were pretty funny. But the mystery? You've got to be kidding me. I'm not even going to address the silliness of the serial killer's motive. (Then again, serial killers aren't known for their logic.) Still, I thought the whole murders-disguised-as-suicides plot was pretty lame.

However, that's not why we watch the show, right? We tune in to watch Shawn drive everyone crazy, something he certainly has a talent for. His cat impression, or rather his impression of the cat's impression of its owner, complete with high-pitched female voice and Fosse jazz hands, was hysterical, as was his relationship with the feline. Poor Gus was relegated to the backseat of his own car while the cat rode shotgun. Lassiter, who up until now has been a pretty one-note villain, also made me laugh a few times, and while the lines aren't funny on their own, it was the way he said them that amused me. When he ran into Shawn and Gus at the home of the first victim, he exclaimed, "What in the name of sweet justice are you doing at my crime scene?" with gleeful venom. And the way he said "nice" when he spied the cat peeing was hysterical.

Even though I could see this joke coming since the very first episode, the scene when Shawn and Gus posed as a gay couple was very amusing (and not offensive, which was refreshing considering that gags like that often end up seeming homophobic). Since Gus is uncomfortable about almost everything, his shock when Shawn put his arm around him was in keeping with his character. The look on his face when Shawn talked about them taking a "shower for two" had me cackling. As Shawn said, "I only said that so I could see your face when I said it."

Juliet's showing a little more spunk and Shawn is so interested. She is female and a size 4, after all. When he begged her to look into the victims' telephone records, she asked, "Why would I do something like this for you?" His response: "Some would say it's the hair." Yeah, right. Honestly, I could see Shawn doing really well with college ladies, but any gal over 30 is going to see right through him.

There were two fantastic lines in this episode, both featuring pop-culture references (of course). When Gus asked what Shawn was doing as he feverishly scrawled figures he said, "I don't know. But I see it on Numbers all the time. It seems to work for them." And later, when Gus asked Shawn if he noticed the stress-hotline operator's eyeliner, he replied, "That guy could be the drummer from The Cure." I loved that Mr. Eyeliner was listening to "Up, Up and Away." (As a goth chick who listens to show tunes, I totally related to him.)

A lot of commenters have been complaining that Gus' constant exasperation with Shawn is getting old. But I don't agree. For me, Gus (and Corbin Bernsen as Shawn's father, god I can't wait until they give him more to do!) is a big reason why Shawn's shtick doesn't fall flat. It may seem like Dulé Hill is all eye-rolls and pouts as Gus, but there's a lot more going on underneath the surface. Gus is intelligent and focused, but cautious and scared. Shawn is intelligent and takes risks, but he's completely lost. They balance each other out. At the end, when Gus told Shawn, "You may be my only non-work friend, but you're my best friend," it was a little sad. But it also explained why they remain buddies, even when Shawn treats poor Gus so abominably.

OK, either my hearing is going, or Shawn mumbles a lot. I found myself rewinding my tape (yes, I still use a VCR) over and over again in order to hear his dry quips. Particularly when he and Gus were in the car talking about their mutual love for Meredith Baxter Birney. I had to listen three times before I understood that Shawn said "MBB gave birth to APK."

From the outset, it was clear that Raylene was evil. Anyone that sweet is bound to be trouble. Poor Gus. It was painful to watch him fall for her. If Shawn were really a good guy, he would pass one or two of his conquests on to Gus. People have previously complained that all Shawn and Gus do is bicker and that it's hard to believe they're friends. Up until this episode, I didn't have a problem buying into their opposites-attract relationship (look at Oscar Madison and Felix Unger, or Ferris Bueller and Cameron Frye). However, when Shawn started getting flirty with Raylene (that seems to be the only way he can relate to women), I was surprised Gus didn't call him on it. He really needs a backbone to go with his "super smeller."

Although Corbin Bernsen was completely MIA except for the mandatory opening flashback, the interplay between Gus and Shawn made the episode. They had some wonderful exchanges (when I could understand them). Shawn drove Gus crazy yelling "Bingo!" so he changed to "Yahtzee!" Gus impressed Shawn with his sensitive nose. The two of them were a great team when they outwitted the dumb ex-con. The look on Gus' face as he held up three fingers was absolutely priceless.

The writers worked overtime this episode to emphasize how Maggie Lawson's Juliet is different than Anne Dudek's Lucinda. Not only did she make it clear to Lassiter that she wasn’t into any on-the-job hanky-panky, she also questioned every move he made. Meanwhile, although Gus complained that he "liked the other one better" (meaning Lucinda), Shawn replied, "Not me," while practically smacking his lips. I’m guessing Lucinda will never be mentioned again, sort of like Star Trek's Captain Pike.

I know I haven't talked much about the actual mystery. Honestly, the plots are just what the writers hang the punch lines on (in case you missed it, innocent bank robber's widow wants to know where her husband buried the money, but it turns out he's not dead and she's not very nice). And so I will end with my favorite line, from Shawn to Gus: "You're attracted to dangerous women. Joan Jett. Penny Marshall. Grace Jones. The woman who played Pinky Tuscadero." Poor Gus. He really does have issues.

A lot of people complained that last week’s episode of Psych wasn’t all that funny, yet I often found myself laughing out loud at Shawn’s and particularly Gus’ antics. This week though, I definitely wasn’t into it. The mystery was lame; Gus and Henry, my two favorite characters, had little to do; and Carlton continued to be a too-easy foil for Shawn.

I also have yet to warm up to Juliet, the new detective. I really think the creators made a mistake booting Anne Dudek for Maggie Lawson. Dudek’s character Lucinda was sleeping with Carlton and yet had a soft spot for Shawn. That would have made for a nice triangle and also bolstered Carlton’s dislike of the fake psychic. The way it plays now, Carlton comes off as a total jerk, and Juliet seems bemused by everyone. (I keep waiting for her to start talking like a spoiled California teen since Lawson looks so much like Alicia Silverstone, it’s distracting.)

Shawn’s horniness is also getting old. I know it’s just another indication of his arrested development, but I really wish we could see him collecting action figures, instead.

The episode wasn’t a total washout. There were some amusing exchanges, like Shawn’s initial conversation with Lacy, the sister/maid-of-honor/wedding planner/murderer. After Shawn observed that she wore many hats, she replied, “You should see my closet,” and without missing a beat he said, “I’m hoping to.” (Yeah, I know I just complained about his constant flirting, but that did strike me as funny.) I also liked when Shawn hid in the air vent to spy on Carlton’s case briefing. It reminded me of Judd Nelson in The Breakfast Club. And Gus had two great moments: when he criticized Shawn for inventing his fictional female pet (“Can’t I have a make-believe boy cat?”) and his awed expression when he said he got a lap dance from Patrick Swayze.

I really missed Henry and Shawn interacting in this episode. Besides the requisite flashback, they had only one other scene, with Henry yelling at Shawn over the phone to come pick up his trophies. (An interesting coincidence, since trophies also figured prominently in this week’s Monk.) If this third episode proves anything, it’s that the supporting players are as integral to the series’ success as James Roday. More Dulé Hill! More Corbin Bernsen, with or without the toupee! Otherwise the show feels more like a cipher than a psych.

This second episode of Psych made me laugh out loud several times. I’m definitely digging the humor. (See below for my favorite lines.) It’s the serious side of the show that needs tweaking, or rather toning down. Shawn’s relationship with his gruff father, Henry, is one of my favorite parts of the series. Their tense interactions are filled with details that reveal their troubled history, from Henry’s disapproving frowns to Shawn’s glib but defensive attitude. So why do the writers feel the need to spell out their past, over and over and over again? When Shawn asked his dad if he could get one of his police buddies to run some poisoned Chinese noodles through the lab, Henry demanded that he complete the doghouse he had started building in eighth grade. Henry was trying to teach Shawn, a self-declared flake, a lesson about finishing what he started. It was such a wonderful, poignant moment.... So why did the writers have to add in a flashback of young Shawn beginning then abandoning the doghouse? I think we would have gotten it without that. We also didn’t need Henry delivering the moral of the story over and over. Less is more, guys. Trust me.

But take out those needless redundancies and this is a hilarious little show. This week a new detective arrived: Maggie Lawson as Juliet O’Hara (replacing poor Anne Dudek, whom I liked). Her introduction was quite slick, with Shawn flirting with her at a diner while she was part of an undercover sting. It’s clear there’s going to be some kind of romantic tension between these two. Of course, that leaves Shawn’s hard-ass police nemesis Lassiter out in the cold. (Timothy Omundson really has the most thankless role on the show).

Since the murder mystery revolved around a prestigious regional spelling bee, Gus was actually pumped about working it, which prompted Shawn to ask, “How come I can’t get you this excited about girls?” Yes, Gus is an über-nerd. One of those guys who takes pride in using SAT words and probably collects bugs and memorizes presidential trivia (I know a couple of guys like that). Years earlier, Shawn had sabotaged Gus at this same high-profile bee, so Gus was desperate to solve the case. Some of my favorite lines:

• Gus telling Shawn to “stop hating on the bee.”
• Shawn asking Gus if he was watching “Korean porn” when he was tuned into the bee.
• When Gus said that winning a spelling bee taught dignity and poise, Shawn responding, “All things you can get at a hot-dog-eating competition. Plus, free hot dogs.”
• Gus calling his nose “the super smeller” and Shawn suggesting he name his butt, instead.
• Shawn asking one of the bee competitors to spell “onion” and someone quipping “even Dan Quayle could spell that.” (An oldie, yes, but still a goodie.)

Even the mystery was cool and twisty. Although it was obvious that one of the other spellers took out the favored player and the bee bigwig, the final reveal was fun. I also dug Corbin Bernsen’s rug in the flashback scenes (can’t William Shatner get his toupees from the same store?) and the soundtrack, which traded in last week’s Violent Femmes for riffs by Nine Inch Nails and the Beastie Boys. Much like Shawn’s shtick, Psych’s eccentric if formulaic charm is consistently winning me over.