This is one of my older pieces! The new movie was released recently (if only it was available in the UK) which made me remember its existence and decide to repost it!
Psych is available in the UK on Amazon Prime.
Psych is undoubtedly one of the greatest – and most underrated (at least outside of its home country) – American ‘dramedies’ of the 2000s. Centering around the intelligent yet immature ‘psychic detective’ Shawn Spencer – whose so-called psychic abilities are in reality just excellent deductive reasoning skills paired with a photographic memory (think Sherlock Holmes) – and his childhood best friend Gus, a long-suffering pharmaceutical salesman, the show juggles intriguing mysteries and ‘whodunnit’ plots with laugh out loud comedy.
The comedy is largely provided by the masterful performance of James Roday Rodriguez, who plays the principal role, opposite Dulé Hill as Gus. The dynamic between the two characters is the lifeblood of the show – Roday’s delivery of witty one-liners, and Hill’s ‘straight man’ comedy combine to create a duo that is a joy to watch.
Their eponymous psychic detective agency is frequently enlisted by the Santa Barbara Police Department, and this is vital as it is here where the strong cast is expanded. Timothy Omundson is the sceptical Carlton Lassiter, whose intense dislike for Shawn is a great source of comedy as he is constantly outsmarted by him; meanwhile Maggie Lawson as Juliet O’Hara, a junior detective and Lassiter’s partner, provides an amusing contrast to Lassiter, and her friendship and eventual romance with Shawn is vital in the series’ progression. Karen Vick, the chief of the police department, is criminally underused, mostly left to be a generic long-suffering authority figure – but nevertheless, in the rare opportunities she is given, Kirsten Nelson delivers a strong, amusing performance, particularly in her role as an exhausted working mother.
Perhaps the most interesting relationship in the show may be that of Shawn and his father Henry Spencer, portrayed by Corbin Bernson. Spencer is well aware of his son’s lack of psychic ability, as a retired cop who himself ingrained his son with the very skills he uses to be ‘psychic’. Their relationship greatly contributes to the drama of the ‘dramedy’ – the two have a fraught relationship, with laidback Shawn contrasting greatly with his intensely disciplined father.
Complete with a supporting cast including Woody the coroner (Kurt Fuller), whose love for his job is both amusing and at times somewhat disturbing, and Buzz McNab, the friendly yet perpetually bemused uniformed officer, as well as regular flashback cold opens to younger Shawn and Gus – often holding clues to the theme of the episode – the show is as addictive and entertaining as its theme tune. And like its catchy theme tune, it is not something you’re likely to forget.