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4.0 out of 5 stars
I know, you know, that I'm not tellin' the truth, Mar 22 2007
Actual detective shows are kind of hard to find now -- let alone a funny, well-written detective series with a hilarious twist. That's where "Psych" comes on, on the heels of "Monk." While it could use a bit more ironing, this clever series does a good job blending comedy and mystery, and gives us some lovably fradulent guys to follow the adventures of.
Shawn Spencer (James Roday) was trained to be ultra-observant and intelligent by his strict, humorless father Henry (Corbin Bernsen), who wanted him to be a cop. And though he is determined never to be a cop (he doesn't even have a steady job), Shawn can glimpse clues and details that nobody else notices -- even the police.
But it backfires when he reports his observations to the police, and is arrested as a suspect. To save himself, Shawn pretends to be a psychic -- and the gimmick works so well that he decides to do it professionally. So he drags his very reluctant pal Gus (Dulé Hill) out of a boring job, and they end up regularly hired by the police chief, despite the skepticism of Carl Lassiter (Timothy Omundson), who doesn't buy their act.
And so they set out into a variety of cases: death at a spelling bee, a haunting at a sorority house, a wedding tainted by theft and murder, a ghostly stalking, a cat used as a witness, Civil war reenactments, a comic book convention (where they mess with George Takei's head), alien abductions, speed dating, underground poker, and organizing a surprise birthday party for Lassiter.
Most shows aren't really able to strike a balance between comedy and mystery, but "Psych" does. The mysteries are light and fun, and the people making it actually seem to be enjoying themselves -- no hardcore crimes, gore and grimness. That's what makes it so enjoyable.
The mysteries are well done, but each one has enough funny dialogue ("My name is Ichabod Fletchman, Sticky-Icky to my boys") and kookiness to keep it from ever being dull. Between kooky mysteries -- usually with Shawn flailing around in his pseudo-mystical act -- we get to see what turned him into such a weirdo, and his current tenuous relationship with his sarcastic father.
There is a slight flaw, though -- a disproportionate number of the guilty parties seem to be pretty young women. Fortunately this starts lessening as the season goes on. The mysteries get progressively tighter, and the writing cleverer and funnier ("I'm never doing anything blindly with you again! I learned that at the Mexican border. Twice!").
Roday is hilarious and brilliant -- charming, funny, likable, pleasant, and completely devoid of any dignity ("IIIIII hear a voice!"). Shawn is one of those people who is half luck and half talent; no matter how outragous he gets, things somehow always work out.
Hill is equally great as his intelligent, responsible, geeky sidekick who tries to keep them out of serious trouble, while the crusty Timothy Omundson and tentative love interest Maggie Lawson round off the cast. Corbin Bernsen also makes regular appearances as Shawn's semi-estranged dad, who considers his son a walking freakshow.
"Psych's" first season is a delightfully frothy mix of comedy and mystery, with solid scripting and likable characters. Definitely a good show to keep an eye on.
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