TV Review: Psych 4.5 & 4.6
Posted by Kevin Carr (kevin@filmschoolrejects.com) on September 19, 2009
Psych, USA, Airs Friday 10/9c
Episode: “Shawn Gets the Yips” (Season Four, Episode 5)
Synopsis: While celebrating a softball win, the SBPD gang find themselves in a bar where a man sneaks in and randomly starts shooting at the crowd. Shawn uses his fake psychic powers to determine that Detective Lasseter was the intended target. Chief Vic opens an investigation on Lasseter’s old cases to discover the assailant.
Review: I’ve been enjoying the latest episodes of Psych simply because they have been mining the comedy from Shawn and Gus’s interactions. Like any episode, this isn’t a great mystery, but rather more of a comedy watching things unravel.
Psych has toyed around in the past with crimes hitting close to home with the characters, namely one episode where Lassie lost his badge and another when Gus was in mortal danger during a bank heist. These episodes have been a bit uneven, but “Shawn Gets the Yips” had a very even keel. Even with Lasseter in trouble, the comedy is kept fresh and the story was balanced among the lead and supporting characters.
There were some real comedic gems from this episode, including Shawn on the treadmill in an homage to Lethal Weapon 2, as well as Shawn and Gus mugging at a news camera behind Lassie during an interview.
But dammit! I never found the pineapple, and thus missed a sweepstakes entry.
Episode: “Bollywood Homicide” (Season Four, Episode 6)
Synopsis: Shawn and Gus lend their help to an Indian man (played by Heroes’ Sendhil Ramamurthy) whose brother is producing a Bollywood-themed play after his girlfriend has a brush wtih death. Finding a pattern in this situation, the fake psychics must find out who is trying to kill his lovers… and struggle to eat spicy Indian food.
Review: I have to admit that I laughed my ass off in this episode. Not the strongest story, but the show was great this week for several moment of hilarity between Shawn and Gus (including a wickedly funny scene with them eating hot food) and some excellent cultural references.
Also, kudos to Jay Chandrasekhar (who is the real-life cousin of Ramamurthy) for playing the Bollywood-obsessed choreographer.
It was also nice to see Rachel Leigh Cook show up again as Shawn’s girlfriend, with a nod at the end of the show to the fact that Shawn may not be totally over his crush on Jules.
Up Next: Gus’s former college pals (played by Jaleel White and Keenan Thompson) come to town and make beautiful music together.
Read More: TV for Movie Lovers
Did you watch Pysch this week? If so, feel free to discuss below.
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