Watching the Detectives

I wrote about the US TV show Psych back in December. Back then, I'd just finished watching the first series, yesterday I just wrapped up series five. Is it still holding up?

Well, yes, it is actually, which is a surprise. For one thing, I rarely have the patience for such long running shows. I lost interest in both House and Heroes after a couple of series. Like House, Psych is predictably formulaic but keeps working as a comedy drama principally on the relationships between the characters and how they've developed over 50+ episodes.

Of course, there's the continual "will they or won't they" between main character Shawn and young police detective Juliet. On a different level, there's also the issue of whether Shawn and his dad will ever come to some kind of understanding, especially since they began having to work together.

But most of all, there's the "best friends forever" relationship between Shawn and Gus. From watching it, I assume that James Roday and Dule Hill must be good friends off camera, such is the fantastic chemistry between them. Despite the fact that Shawn always seems to take advantage of his friend's trusting nature, there's a touching moment in series five that when facing what seems imminent death, Gus tells Shawn that he has no regrets and he wouldn't have changed anything.

Something that they finally address in this run is Shawn's more dickhead-ish tendencies. He finally feels a pang of guilt and tells his friend and long-time rival Detective Lassiter how important they are in his work. It's a nice touch, and hopefully lays down a path of development for the character for the future.

I can only assume that the show is doing pretty well in the States, as the number of guest stars seems to have gone up: Freddie Prinze Jnr, Mena Suvari and Ralph Macchio all crop up (the latter, of course, having the line "don't wax on" said to him) as well as Carl Weathers and Curt Smith from Tears for Fears.

Best of all, there's the episode Dual Spires, a wonderful parody of Twin Peaks that has plenty of actors from the latter guest starring and more in-jokes and references than I could possibly count, from the opening line of Shawn reading a newspaper report of someone inventing silent curtain runners... Basically, one of the best episodes of anything, ever.

Throughout the whole series, there's also the slightly worrying issue of Gus' attempts of wooing the ladies. By the time we get to the end of the series and the introduction of Lassiter's younger sister, he's pretty much verging on the creepy.

I'm envious of those in America who have already seen series six, and I wish it was shown in this country so more people could get into it. Psych is a rare show that I feel some kind of emotional involvement in. I want more of it, albeit with the catch that they can continue to maintain the standards.