Calling all pineapple lovers! Psych turned 19 this year!
If you haven’t watched Psych before, I seriously cannot recommend a better show to start watching ASAP. I was practically raised by Shawn Spencer and Burton ‘Gus’ Guster, watching their crazy shenanigans with my parents every week on the USA Network. Psych’s humor, love, and passion for friendships is only part of the reason why it stands the test of time, and still has so many fans to this day.
If you’re a reader who is looking for a show that is light-hearted, but has it’s serious moments, is related to crime solving, features two best friends, and something that will make you laugh out loud every episode, look no further. Psych is the show that I recommend most to people, and so far, I’ve never heard any complaints. This year, Psych is celebrating it’s 19th anniversary! To me, that means 19 years of laughter, characters I adore, bits I quote to my friends and family, and love for one of my all-time favorite shows. To those who haven’t heard of Psych before, it’s like a hidden gem in the comedy world. And this is my love letter to a show that has made me, and continues to make me, so happy.
I’VE HEARD IT BOTH WAYS
Premiering in July of 2006, and ending in 2014, Psych ran for 8 seasons with the same cast coming back for more laughs every year. The show was so popular that even after it ended, 3 movies have been made that continue on the storylines for Shawn and Gus and their psychic crime-fighting business. Yes, you read it right—for readers unfamiliar with Psych, the plot revolves around Shawn Spencer, a fake psychic detective who becomes employed by the Santa Barbara Police Department. Shawn is amazing at noticing details of crimes when others can’t.
His father, renowned Office Henry Spencer, built Shawn to have immaculate observational skills since he was a child. This, combined with Shawn’s eidetic memory, means that he puts together clues in ways the police can’t understand. Hence, the fake psychic abilities. Shawn coerces his best friend since childhood, Gus, to join in on the business and the pair create a consulting agency. A fake one, but a good one. The pair often work with Detective Lassiter and O’Hara, creating messy situations that we get to enjoy every episode.
Psych stars James Roday Rodriguez as Shawn, Dulé Hill as Gus, Maggie Lawson as Juliet O’Hara, Timothy Omundson as Carlton Lassiter, Corbin Bernsen as Henry Spencer, Kirsten Nelson as Chief Karen Vick, and Kurt Fuller as Woody the Coroner.
To celebrate one of the greatest shows of all shows, let’s take a look back into some of my favorite episodes, as well as fan-favorite episodes, from Psych.
SEASON 7, EPISODE 11 “OFFICE SPACE”
“What?! Dorian Creech is dead?! Oh no! Oh nooo. Oh . . . no.”
“Office Space” is one of those episodes that super fans of a show will always list as their favorite. I know this because when I asked all of my family and friends which episode of Psych was their favorite, they all said “Office Space”. If you want one of the best depictions of physical comedy you’ve ever seen, this is an episode you need to watch, or re-watch, pronto.
“Office Space” features Gus and his work life, something we don’t see all that often in Psych. Like Shawn says, “To be honest, I didn’t even realize that you still worked there.” Gus has a fierce confrontation with his boss, Mr. Creech, about the workplace environment, then regretting his actions, returns to work after hours to find him dead. In his panic, Gus messes up the crime scene so badly . . . I can’t even describe how bad. He picks up Shawn and brings him to the scene for help, but when Shawn manages to tamper with the crime scene too, the two knuckleheads have to enlist Henry’s help.
Listed on Amazon Prime Video, the description of the episode says, “After Gus accidentally tampers with the crime where his boss was killed, Shawn helps him find the real murderer before Gus is arrested”.
SEASON 6, EPISODE 2 “LAST NIGHT GUS”
“Actually Chief, I’m on my time. I almost lost my life an hour ago, and I’m sick of it. Last night Gus had it right, and I don’t want to sit here, wasting another moment when I could be living the life I was meant to live—ballin’ and shot-callin’. So if you don’t mind, I’m gonna keep it one-hundy, and take this call.”
“Last Night Gus” is another hilarious episode full of shenanigans, amnesia, and valid crash-outs. The boys, being Shawn, Gus, Lassister, Woody, and even Henry, wake up the morning after a party with absolutely no recollection of how they got there. Shawn’s wearing a shower cap, the blueberry was somehow totalled, Lassie’s got a black eye and apparently spooned Woody on the couch, and Henry is wearing a donut shop hat. Trying to re-trace their steps since their last memory at a bar, this walking group of late-night mistakes have to solve a SBPD crime while figuring out which ones they committed.
This episode of Psych has always remained a fan favorite because we see this group of mis-matched individuals working together for once. Not only is it hilarious, but it’s got some good action, a fun plot, and guest stars Ed Lover. C’mon son, what more could you want?
“Shawn, Gus, Lassiter, and Woody leave a boring party and create their own fun. They wake up in the Psych office, without a memory of the night. They find various clues which they do not understand, and learn there is a dead man involved.” – Prime Video description
SEASON 2, EPISODE 13 “LIGHTS, CAMERA… HOMICIDIO”
“Hola. Me llamo Inspector Carlton Lassiter. Me gusta queso.”
Brush up on your high school Spanish, everyone! Well, at least Shawn. In this episode of Psych, we’re entering the enticing world of the telenovela. When a murder gets filmed during TV production, the SBPD gets onto the scene to make an arrest. When Shawn and Gus show up though, they believe that this crime has more to it than just what the lens saw. In order to get a closer look at the cast and crew of Explosión Gigantesca de Romance, Shawn joins the cast as Chad, the new delivery boy. Plots of the telenovela and plots of the murder become more intertwined with every clue Shawn finds as he plays the part of Chad and psychic detective.
If you want to laugh and watch as Shawn fumbles around on set, and off, and Gus stuffs his face with the craft table, yeah this is the episode for you.
“On the set of Santa Barbara’s most popular Spanish soap opera, life imitates art when a fictional murder turns real, making everyone involved a suspect. Shawn solves the crime from the inside while inadvertently becoming one of the show’s stars.” – Prime Video description.
SEASON 3, EPISODE 5 “DISCO DIDN’T DIE. IT WAS MURDERED!”
Shawn: “I’m having a vision.”
Gus: “I can dig it.”
Shawn, watching Henry trying to mime a clue: “Oooh, it’s a . . . it’s a big birthday cake!”
Gus: “Ooh, make a wish! . . . what?”
Get your radio tuned up with some Earth, Wind, Fire & Murder, and break out the bell-bottoms. Psych is turning back the clock to the seventies as Shawn and Gus try to solve a murder that was Henry’s biggest bust. In order to solve the case, Shawn, Gus, and Henry must work together and retrace the steps of a crime that occurred thirty years prior. The best way to do that is obviously to get your jive on and buy some satin shirts to fit the mood. With some iconic seventies songs, you’ll find yourself transported to the Psych world and questioning just how many Hawaiian shirts Henry owns.
“The biggest bust of Henry’s career just walked out of jail on a technicality, so Shawn and Gus must revisit the seventies to reinvestigate the case and put the culprit behind bars for good. Jere Burns and Pookie guest star.” – Prime Video description.
SEASON 5, EPISODE 13 “WE’D LIKE TO THANK THE ACADEMY”
Shawn: “Dude, this is so Top Gun. I’m Cruise, she’s McGillis, you’re Sundown.”
Gus: “Why can’t I be the Goose?”
Shawn: “You know why.”
Gus: “Stop hypothetically typecasting me, Shawn.”
Shawn and Gus are finally achieving one of their life goals—starring in their Police Academy 80’s dreams. After intruding on an intense SBPD stake in order to solve the crime, Shawn and Gus need to re-learn that even though they catch the bad guys, they can’t cut corners. Chief Vick signs the boys up for Police Academy training—to their utter excitement and her dismay. Ralph Macchio stars in this episode of Psych as Officer Nick Conforth, the commanding officer and trainer for Shawn and Gus. Of course, those two manage to rope Nick into their endless shenanigans as they try to solve a case while in training. Did I mention that this episode also has one of the best and funniest montages I’ve ever seen? Watch Shawn and Gus try to swing over a mud bog while hanging from the same rope and try not to laugh, I dare you.
“Shawn and Gus help the SBPD solve a case, but are soon reprimanded for their efforts because they did not follow police procedure. As a result, Chief Vick arranged for them to take a 3 week crash course at the Police Academy, but in true Shawn and Gus fashion, they end up resorting back to their rogue investigation styles regardless.” – Prime Video description.
UNHONORABLE MENTIONS
None of what Shawn and Gus do is honorable, but there are plenty more episodes of Psych that deserve a mention. Several episodes of Psych star Cary Elwes (known well for playing Westley in The Princess Bride) as Pierre Despereaux, art thief. In these features, Pierre finds ways to stump Shawn, beating Shawn’s cleverness with his own. A fan favorite series of the show is also the Mr. Yang episodes. Mr. Yang portrays an experienced serial killer that comes after Shawn personally. There are three of these episodes total, spanning over finales of seasons 3, 4, and 5. Because of the threat at hand, this mini-series really tests Shawn and his abilities, as there is a race against the clock to protect his friends and family.
Another serious encounter and cliffhanger, the episodes “Santabarbaratown” and its following “Santabarbaratown 2”. In these episodes, a new murder reveals a victim who has been missing for 20 years. This reopens old cases and new suspects, those of which are close to Henry Spencer.
On the funnier side of things, two of my favorite Psych episodes are “Shawn vs. The Red Phantom” and its later sequel, “The Amazing Psych Man & Tap Man, Issue # 2”. If you want to have a laugh at Shawn and Gus dressed as superheroes and acting as vigilantes, you’ll want to add these episodes to your list. If I had to guess, I think Psych Man’s catchphrase would be, ‘I’m sensing . . .’ and Tap Man’s would be just be *tap shoe sounds* — really sets fear into their enemies hearts.
YOU HEAR ABOUT PLUTO? THAT’S MESSED UP, RIGHT?
What’s really special about Psych now is that the cast love it just as much as we do. Just this July at the Raleigh Convention Center in North Carolina the cast was present for GalaxyCon. The convention hosted the Psych cast for the panel, with photo opportunities, autograph sessions, and questions from fans!
Since 2021, Maggie Lawson and Timothy Omundson have hosted a podcast called “The Psychologists are In”. They talk about their roles as Lassiter and Juliet by re-watching episodes, sharing behind-the-scene stories, favorite memories, and ask questions to their fellow cast-mates who drop by. You can check out their podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible!
Part of what makes Psych so fun and special to it’s fans is that it’s just consistently good. Every season of the show is a good one; every character matters and has their own story; and every episode features a hidden pineapple, so fun! If I’m in a funk and need something to lift my spirits, my heart and mind go straight to Psych. It might just be time for annual Psych rewatch to celebrate another year with my favorite characters—I suggest you do the same!
Psych is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video
