Posted in: NBC, streaming, Trailer, TV, USA Network, YouTube | Tagged: cable, comedy, drama, Dule Hill, james roday, Mystery, nbc, peacock, psych, psych 2: lassie come home, streaming, television, tv, usa

Psych: Why Gus & Shawn's Shenanigans Still Slap After All This Time

Are you a fan of hilarious television shows? Of course, you are, and just like me, you're also a fan of USA Network's Psych (and next month's sequel movie, Peacock's Psych 2: Lassie Come Home. It's a police procedural, yes, but it is so, so much more. Each role is perfectly cast and acted, the writing is witty and the show never takes itself too seriously. Need more proof? Fine, be a gooey chocolate chip cookie then, Gus.

Creative Crimes Call for Silly Solutions

Kidnappings direct from the pages of a comic book? Check. Diamond heist at a wedding? Double-check. Musical episode? You know that's right. Through the course of its eight seasons, musical special, and movie (with that second one releasing through NBC's upcoming streaming service), Psych has endeared itself with viewers from the very beginning with witty writing, snappy one-liners, and comebacks, and of course, creative problem-solving. No spoilers here, but the solution to each week's crime is always an unexpected journey with an ending that both wraps everything up nicely and does so with charm and penance for showmanship.

Psych Is A Masterclass in Comedy

The physicality James Roday brings to the role is some of the absolute best work on television – it helps keep a show about solving crimes lighthearted and entertaining, despite the whole "murder every episode" thing. Of course, the wacky comedic character doesn't work quite as well without a straight man, and that comes in two forms in this case: Dulé Hill and Timothy Omundson.

Hill was fresh off of The West Wing when he started Psych, and watching him go from such a dramatic role to the comically pseudo-serious Gus is life. At first, Gus is a reluctant partner to Shawn's shenanigans but as the series progresses, his character grows into a full-fledged partner-in-shenanigans enabler, along with Detective Juliet O'Hara (Maggie Lawson). This relegates full time "straight man" duties to Omundson's Detective Lassiter, which makes for some glorious comedy gold.

Omundson is an absolute gem (as always) but he really shines in this role in particular. Lassie is a grumpy, slightly bumbling police detective who allows the more absurd characters of this universe to be wild and wacky while he's the one that grounds the series and characters in reality. Along with police chief Vick (Kirsten Nelson) and Shawn's dad (Corbin Bernsen), Lassie keeps things real and grounded in real police work (well, as real as can be expected from a television show about a fake psychic).

Recurring Guest Stars Bring Even More Comedy Each Time

While the series regulars are fantastic, that's not even close to where the stellar performances stop. The show is great to its guest stars, even bringing them back over the course of a season or more. I mean, with guest stars like Phylicia Rashad, Tim Curry, Ally Sheedy, Cybill Shepherd, Jimmi Simpson, Kerry Washington, and John Cena (just to name a few), is it any wonder the guests mesh perfectly with the main cast to deliver some standout episodes? When all those pieces come together, it creates a perfect storm of hilarity, heart, and of course, pineapples. Though the series may have been off the air for six years, not counting the movie in 2017, it still endures in the hearts of fans and casual viewers alike. So, we know you're gearing up for a rewatch of Psych ahead of the new movie on Peacock (in case you missed the mega-marathons taking place earlier), but now the only question left is: should I slice up this pineapple for the viewing party?

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