Psych Out

One of the things I like about Psych is that it never takes itself too seriously, even going so far as to make fun of its own level of insanity. At the same time, though, I’ve really enjoyed some of the darker fare, specifically the episode “Tuesday the 17th , which star James Roday directed. This episode was a change of pace in that it put our stars in credible danger and offer grisly violence.
Since then PSYCH has gone back to its normal routine, until this season’s finale. The finale began with the revelation that Sean (Roday) had been shot and was missing.
My initial reaction was one of excitement. I really believed this could be done well and offer some genuine excitement. It gave the cops a chance to finally do their job, offered unique pairings and presumably would require Sean to stifle the inane pop culture references for a second. Ok, I was actually hoping the last one wouldn’t come true. But basically it offered a new direction that could be very striking in contrast to the normal direction of the show.
Unfortunately the episode merely fizzled out and never really sparked my interest. It began with a compelling tie in to Sean’s youth, as the lessons he learned from his neurotic father become very relevant while on the run. This storyline dies off too soon, much like the rest of the episode, which is too condensed and isn’t given time to properly unfold. This finale deserved two hours, just so we could watch the underrated Juliet (Maggie Lawson) explore her feelings for Sean, the pairing of Lassie and Spencer Senior, and maybe let Police Chief Vick get some face time. Is she even on the show anymore?
The lack of Juliet/Sean/Abigail intrigue was dismaying, and the little taste was unsatisfying. It didn’t get enough time to stew and I would have liked a bigger portion.
All in all the episode was a miss. It was too simple. Broke too quickly.
Essentially the episode got trapped in that limbo between drama and comedy, in which it fails to do either well. This is a problem for other USA shows like Burn Notice or Royal Pain, and I’m worried that Psych is going that way. Ok, not really worried, but disappointed that they fell in that hole. They obviously felt they could take from both worlds and were wrong.
This episode is not indicative of this season or the show in its entirety. PSYCH is my favorite show that USA has spawned. From its constant mocking of copycat THE MENTALIST to every expression Gus (Dule Hill) wears, this show is always on. It tries to be funny, and with the exception of the finale, always is. It takes a certain amount of self-awareness to watch this show and appreciate it, which explains its limited appeal and why it wouldn’t work on a network, but I think that’s why I like it. It’s not for everyone, just (if I do say so) the enlightened few who appreciate a running dialogue of 1980s pop culture and “I’ve heard it both ways” jokes.
I honestly can’t sing this show’s praises loud enough. James Roday deserved an emmy nomination for best actor in a comedy and Dule Hill should go over to Jon Cryer’s house and just take this year’s best supporting actor award. Honestly, he is amazing.
Dule Hill is especially interesting, based on the fact he is one of the few black actors who has been given a major role in a television comedy. This is more of an observation of the fact that there are few funny parts written for black actors. J.B. Smooth on CURB is one of the few actors I can think of off the top of my head. Obviously there’s Stanley on THE OFFICE, but I saved him because like Gus, his characters isn’t written as a “black” guy. They’re just guys. That’s an important distinction to make, as minority actors are still written into narrow clichés and I find that disappointing. End of rant.
What was I talking about? Oh yeah, PSYCH. Watch it. Love it.