Tonight, Psych makes its Wednesday debut [USA, 10/9C] – a new night coupled with the loss of the lead-in that used to be provided by the now departed Monk. That means it’s time to break out the big guns – and not just the ones masquerading as John Cena’s biceps!
When Shawn [James Roday] sees evidence that the possible suicide of a soldier is, instead, murder, it means that he and Gus [Dule´ Hill] will have to take on the Army. Enter Ewan O’Hara [Cena], Juliet’s brother, in a chase sequence – he’s the one being chased by two men with guns! Is Ewan, with his magic pass that gets him – and our heroes – onto the Army base with no questions asked, who he appears to be?
Despite Psych’s light tone, it’s interesting to note that You Can’t Handle This Episode is one of the show’s more dramatic eps. While Shawn is his usual crazy self and Gus is, as usual, unable to rein him in, the ep introduces not just Ewan O’Hara, but another, more mysterious figure. Ewan, it seems is not just the jovial soldier on leave. He has a boss whom we see only shadow – and he might not have the same agenda as the police investigating the dead soldier’s murder.
We also get to see a bit more of the lovely Abigail [Rachel Leigh Cook] and, hey, who wouldn’t want to go to a crime scene on a date? And who wouldn’t bee just a wee bit upset if her boyfriend chose to investigate a murder instead of going on a real date? Things to ponder…
Adding to the dramatic punch of the ep is Robert Patrick as the base’s CO – and a dialled back take on his role on The Unit. Naturally, he seems like a prime suspect – but then, Ewan’s behavior doesn’t quite seem on the up and up, either, so there’s the possibility that he could be more than a bit bent.
You Can’t Handle This Episode is my favorite ep since third season opener, Ghosts. Like Ghosts, the writing is sharper, slightly more dramatic than usual – which makes Shawn’s psychic shtick even more effective, and Gus’ frustrations even funnier. Lawson’s Juliet is also given a new color to play when she learns that there’s reason to believe her brother is not the mom-and-apple-pie kinda guy she’s always thought him to be.
Andy Berman’s script is tight and his dialog crackles. Mel Damski’s direction is perfect for the mix of melodrama and zaniness that makes Psych unique. Something else I especially like is the way the presentation of the way Shawn sees things has been muted. It seems like every season it gets a bit more subtle [unlike Shawn!].
Psych’s winter premiere is a solid, entertaining hour of television. It’s not quite as light as usual, but an occasional slight leaning towards drama never hurts the show – and there’s the possibility that threads set up here could lead Shawn and Gus to some very interesting places.
Final Grade: B