Anyone Psych fan who reads the TV listings for tomorrow night will recognize immediately that the show’s fourth season finale, Mr. Yin Presents… [USA, Wednesday, 10/9C] features the return of serial killer/basket case, Mr. Yang [Ally Sheedy]. Those listing may well include mention of the finale’s Hitchcockian influences. What they won’t tell you is just how well the ep, directed and co-written by series star James Roday, works.
One of the best things about Mr. Yin Presents… is the return of not only Ally Sheedy as the now institutionalized Mr. Yang, but also Jimmi Simpson as the contrarily named Mary Lightly. Mary, the expert on Mr. Yang goes from helping Shawn and Gus solve the Mr. Yang murders to becoming a suspect after he convinces the two that Mr. Yang has a partner, Mr. Yin. Both Simpson and Sheedy are delightful – he for his tightly wound Lightly and she for her completely unwound Yang.
When a murder is discovered the morning after Shawn and Gus attend a Hitchcock festival and encounter Mary, it’s obvious that we’re in for a tale that will involve twist, turns and homages of the Hitchcock variety – interspersed with much less of the patented Psych silliness than might be expected.
Aside from saying that Shawn finds himself facing a Sophie’s choice of sorts, I will say no more on the plot of the ep – except to note that there are recreations of scenes from a handful of Hitch’s best [and best known] films that are adroitly directed by Roday – and that an autographed copy of Mr. Yang’s book plays into the proceedings in unexpected ways.
The script, by Roday and Andy Berman, is sharp, witty and darker than even the darkest non-Mr. Yang eps. Roday does a nifty job of keeping the suspense up through pacing, misdirection and music. The manner in which Roday and Berman set up the premise that Mr. Yin is the opposite of Mr. Yang, in terms of methodology [and possibly gender], is carefully thought out and very smart.
Just when Psych reaches an acme of genial silliness, it always pulls back into a slightly more dramatic ep. With Mr. Yin Presents… the series reaches its dramatic acme – with more wit and less silliness. It’s the best ep of the season and will leave fans with an unexpected bit of poignancy to carry through until the series returns.
Final Grade: A-