For a show that premiered in 2006, there are surprisingly few problems withPsych, the beloved comedy-detective TV series that’s captured hearts for years. Starring James Roday and Dulé Hill as Shawn and Gus, best friends and partners at their psychic detective agency,Psychcombines the best elements of crime procedurals and sitcoms. It’s acclaimed for its many themed episodes and parodies of other TV shows and films that fall into the crime genre. With witty writing and charming characters,it’s easy to fall in love withPsychand to rewatch it for a dose of comedy and comfort.
Thebest episodes ofPsychare a good reminder of just how well the show has aged in many ways, though there are some aspects worth examining. Even when it first premiered,Psychwasn’t perfect, and many issues that stand out today are of their time. Many of these problems are minor and aren’t universally true in every episode, but they appear enough times that audiences might pick up on these jokes and moments that haven’t aged as well. However,this is something to acknowledge, along with the many parts of the show that stand the test of time.
10Shawn’s Treatment Of Women
At the beginning of Psych, Shawn is a bit of a womanizer
Though the relationship between Shawn and Juliet (Maggie Lawson) that develops over the years inPsychis one of the most endearing parts of the show,Shawn doesn’t always have the best track record in romantic relationships. As a handsome, charming, and observant young man, it’s easy to see why many people fall for Shawn throughout the series. Though his flirtations are mostly harmless and often played for laughs, the women he interacts with are often undeveloped and one-off characters.
Psych 4: Will It Happen? Everything We Know
Psych 4 could bring Shawn and Gus back for another feature-length adventure on Peacock, but the movie hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Shawn never does anything overtly bad or crosses the line with the women in the show. However, he has a revolving door of girlfriends and dates in the early seasons who don’t make a big impression.Eventually, Shawn falls for Juliet, and he starts to grow out of his womanizing ways,maturing and becoming a good partner to Juliet. It’s ultimately nice to see Shawn grow so much over the course of the seasons and learn how he wants romantic relationships to fit into his life.
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9Some Of The Jokes Haven’t Aged Well
There are some stereotypes that Psych plays for laughs
Like most of thebest TV show procedurals from the 2000s,Psychwasn’t immune from playing into cultural, racial, and gender stereotypes throughout its run. This is especially an issue in the early seasons of the show, and it’s always uncomfortable to see these types of jokes appear onscreen. Whilethere are many instances whenPsychwas poking fun at the fact that these stereotypes existand the way that other series used off-color jokes, sometimes this self-awareness doesn’t fully come through, which can feel like the show is punching down.
In the world of the show, there are characters who aren’t as accepting of others, and when they make these kinds of jokes, the protagonists typically call them out. However,this doesn’t mean thatPsychwas immune from being insensitive at times,and it’s important to be aware that these issues appear throughout the show when watching it through a contemporary lens. The way comedy plays out on television has changed a lot sincePsychfirst premiered, and many of the more recent additions to the franchise recognize this.
8The Female Characters Are Underutilized
While there are some amazing female characters, they aren’t always centered on Psych
It’s true that the most important dynamic inPsychis the friendship between Gus and Shawn, meaning these characters would be elevated throughout the series. There’s nothing wrong with this, asShawn and Gus are a great team and hilarious to watch.However, it would have been nice to see some of the other leading female characters get a similar chance to shine in some of the episodes. Juliet and Karen Vick (Kirsten Nelson) were the two most prominent female characters inPsych. They often played the role of the straight man in the comedic moments.
When Juliet or Vick did get to experiment with their characters a little more or be as goofy as Shawn and Gus were, it was always a fun addition to the show.
There were plenty of great female characters who got to play criminal masterminds or charismatic secondary love interests, like Ally Sheedy, who had a fantastic turn as the infamous serial killer Mr. Yang. However, most of the character development and evolution inPsychwas given to the leading men. When Juliet or Vick did get to experiment with their characters a little more or be as goofy as Shawn and Gus were, it was always a fun addition to the show.
7Juliet & Shawn’s Breakup Comes Out Of Nowhere
This plot development felt like a moment of unnecessary drama
It takes a long time for Juliet and the rest of the Santa Barbara PD to realize that Shawn has been lying about his psychic abilities. When Juliet realizes he’s been misleading her for years in season 7, episode 7, “Deez Nups,” Shawn can’t charm her into forgiving him, and the couple spends a long time apart.After waiting years for Shawn and Juliet to finally get together, seeing their relationship crumble like this is devastatingand shocking after all they’ve been through together.
Ultimately,both Shawn and Juliet come out of the breakup better than everand more ready to embark on a mature and healthy relationship. However, when the breakup first happened, it blindsided the audience, making them question whether Jules and Shawn were going to get their happily ever after. While it makes sense that this reveal would shake the foundation of their relationship, this plot development could be interpreted as creating conflict for the sake of tension onscreen.
6Lassiter Isn’t A Very Good Detective
One of the funniest characters on the series isn’t great at his job
Timothy Omundson is hilarious as Detective Carlton “Lassie” Lassiter, one of the detectives who’s the most skeptical of Shawn’s psychic abilities. Though Lassie is right to question Shawn, this doesn’t mean he’s the best detective in Santa Barbara, asmore often than not, Lassie jumps to the wrong conclusion when solving a case,and it’s up to Shawn and Gus to prove that Lassie is wrong. While this creates many opportunities for funny moments and lets Shawn and Gus be the heroes, it makes the audience question how competent Lassie is at his job.
In terms of comedy and the show’s structure, it makes sense that Lassie would typically drop the ball in these situations.
Lassie delivers some of thebest quotes inPsych, as his unique style of crime-fighting is quite memorable and leads to many hijinks. In terms of comedy and the show’s structure, it makes sense that Lassie would typically drop the ball in these situations. However, whilePsychisn’t a series heralded for its realism, it stands out that Lassie isn’t a top-notch detective. This becomes important later on in the series as well since Lassie is promoted to more prominent roles in the department.
5People Would’ve Caught On To Shawn’s Lies Earlier
It becomes a little unrealistic that no one questions him
InPsych, it’s an open secret that everyone is quite skeptical of Shawn’s so-called psychic abilities. However, since he’s such a natural crime solver and has such good observational skills, Shawn is able to convince many people that his talents fall into the realm of the supernatural. Juliet is the first one to find out that Shawn isn’t psychic in season 7, and Gus is aware of the charade from the beginning. Despite the fact that characters slowly discover the truth throughout the show,Shawn maintains his act until the end of the show.
Shawn Spencer’s “Psychic Powers” In Psych Explained
Shawn and Gus run a detective agency in Psych, but the former’s claims of psychic powers are questionable at best, despite their results.
By the final season,it starts to get hard to believe that all of these smart and capable detectives are still going along with Shawn’s claims.While his results speak for themselves, this doesn’t mean that the characters would’ve continued to trust him so completely for eight seasons. It slowly becomes clear that many individuals, like Lassie and Vick, have their doubts, but for the sake of the show’s structure and the humor of the psychic conceit,Psychnever delves into deeper questions about why people believe Shawn.
4Shawn’s Relationship With Abigail Was A Waste Of Time
It was a stalling tactic to keep him and Juliet apart
It’s easy to letwill-they-won’t-they TV relationships go on too long, as striking the perfect balance for these onscreen romances is notoriously difficult. When it came to Shawn and Juliet,Psychdid a good job keeping them apart while maintaining the tension of their dynamic. However, even shows as skilled asPsychsometimes have to use transparent tactics to keep their main couples apart, and Shawn’s relationship with Abigail (Rachael Leigh Cook) is an example of this. Though Roday and Cook had great chemistry and a fun dynamic,audiences knew that Shawn was meant to be with Jules.
For most of the Shawn-Abigail relationship, viewers were simply waiting for them to call it quits.
Since Jules and Shawn finally get together in season 5, and most of Abigail and Shawn’s relationship happens in season 4, it’s clear that their romance was created to keep Shawn and Jules separated. Though this did create some strong tension between the characters and form an unexpected love triangle, it was agony waiting for Shawn and Jules to act on their feelings. For most of Shawn and Abigail’s relationship, viewers were simply waiting for them to call it quits.
Though Psych was a comedy, its writing lent itself to some great serious episodes
The niche of comedy-crime television is a fun genre, andPsychis one of the best examplesof a series that perfectly blends both elements. However, some of the best episodes ofPsychtone on a more serious tone, pushing both the actors and the writers to drive the plot forward in exciting ways. While few of the episodes were ever completely devoid of comedy, it was refreshing to see the characters demonstrate how much they care about each other and grapple with intense stakes.
Including more stories like those in “Santabarbaratown 2” and “Mr. Yin Presents,” or any of the Mr. Yang episodes, would have been a compelling addition toPsych. Whilethe series is often at its best when it lets the characters have fun and solve an incredible crime,as the show progresses, the writers start exploring the depths of the relationships onscreen. Having a few more “serious” installments would have been an interesting addition toPsych.
2Shawn’s Early Relationship With His Father Is Tough To Watch
There’s a reason why the father-son duo have a lot of healing to do
WhenPsychbegins, Shawn is a bit of a slacker and doesn’t use his observational skills for good, and when the audience gains insight into his backstory, the reason for this becomes clear. Growing up, Shawn’s father, Henry (Corbin Bernsen), trained him in his image to become a detective, and it didn’t take long for Shawn to start rebelling. As a result, the pair begin butting heads when Shawn enters his teenage years, andHenry even goes so far as to have Shawn arrested to teach him a lesson.
Watching Shawn and his father come to terms with how they’ve hurt each other and realize that they’re not as different as they thought is a touching aspect ofPsych.
It’s clear that Henry is trying to raise Shawn and prevent him from going down the wrong path to the best of his abilities, but he doesn’t always go about this in the best way. However, this strained dynamic at the start of the show allows Shawn and Henry to have one of the best relationship arcs of the series. Watching Shawn and his father come to terms with how they’ve hurt each other and realize that they’re not as different as they thought is a touching aspect ofPsych.
1Shawn Takes Gus For Granted
Gus is a fantastic character who deserved more from Shawn and Psych
Hill’s turn as Gus inPsychis one of the best parts of the series,and while he and Roday become a more even leading pair by the end of the show, there’s no question that Gus deserved better. While there are some sweet moments when Shawn drops his sarcastic act and shows how much he cares for Gus, he always assumes that Gus will go along with whatever harebrained he’s come up with. This puts Gus' jobs and relationships at risk many times throughout the show.
Though there are occasional episodes when Gus calls Shawn out for his behavior, Shawn rarely takes these criticisms seriously and doesn’t change his behavior toward Gus. As close as the friends are, Shawn thinks of himself as the hero and leading man and of Gus as the sidekick. WhilePsychdoes give Gus some great main character moments and elevates his role throughout the show, it would’ve been nice to see Shawn acknowledge all of Gus' sacrifices more often.
Psych
Cast
Shawn Spencer happens to possess some uncanny powers of observation thanks to his father, Henry, a former police officer who taught his son to remember even the smallest details of his surroundings. When Shawn is accused of committing a crime that he actually solved, he convinces the cops that he’s a psychic – and with the reluctant help of his best friend, Gus, Shawn starts solving cases for a skeptical but increasingly impressed police force.
