DVD/TV Series Review: Psych Season 8

 

The 8th (and final) season of Psych was a shorter season (just ten episodes) that aired in the winter and spring of 2014. The show received the shortened season to wrap up the various storylines. Unfortunately, it seemed like the writers wanted to jam everything they could into the season at the expense of some of the things that made the show great to begin with, namely, the relationship of the characters. Chief Vick and Juliette were absent for most of the season, just making what amounted to cameo appearances. The writers really just went with every novelty episode that they still wanted to do, like a remake episode, in which the episode "Cloudy... With a Chance of Murder" from the first season is remade (with different twists) using the same cast members. We also get to see Gus geek out over Harry Potter in a Harry Potter-themed episode and there was an episode that was an homage to A Nightmare on Elm Street. The DVD set also includes "Psych the Musical," which is the musical episode that aired between the seventh and eighth seasons of the show. 

The DVD set is a three-disc set and, like the prior season DVD releases, includes many extras for those who like to watch them. The extras include deleted scenes, several commentary tracks, montages, a gag reel, and a making-of/farewell featurette. Overall, the season is good, but not as good as it was in prior seasons. As I said above, it seemed like the writers just wanted to jam a bunch of stuff into the show before the end but did not focus as much on writing a fitting end to the series. Of course, the show would be resurrected via now three TV and/or streaming movies, so it is not totally the end of the show. The show did have another great slate of guest stars (as well as bringing back some of the recurring characters). The guest stars this season included Dana Ashbrook, Katharine Isabelle, Carlos Jacott, Ed Lover, Ralph Macchio, Lindsay Sloane, Janet Varney, Alan Ruck, Ray Wise, Tom Arnold, The Bella Twins, Corbin Bleu, Yvette Nicole Brown, Dean Cameron, Bruce Campbell, Olivia d'Abo, Loretta Devine, Sutton Foster, Vincent Gale, Kali Hawk, Vinnie Jones, Val Kilmer, Floriana Lima, Peggy Lipton, Deon Richmond, Peter Stormare, Vincent Ventresca, Vincent M. Ward, Celia Weston, William Zabka, and Billy Zane. Yes, Kilmer and Zane finally made appearances after being referenced multiple times over the course of the series. So, even though it is not as good as it was, it is still worth watching to see how the series ended.

DVD/TV Series Review: Psych: Season 7

 

The seventh season of Psych included 14 episodes that aired in the winter and spring of 2013. The show pretty much follows the format of the prior seasons. That is, the show is a case-of-the-week procedural that does have story arcs (and jokes) that go throughout the course of the season (and there are callbacks to prior seasons). And, of course, there are the spoof/homage episodes that are a play on something from pop culture. This season, it is a spoof of the movie Clue, which also serves as the show's 100th episode. Shawn and Juliet's relationship takes a couple of turns this season, as does Lassiter's relationship with Marlowe.

The DVD set is a three-disc set with the episodes and bonus content spread throughout the discs. The extras are pretty similar to the prior seasons. There are commentary tracks on select episodes, a gag reel, a ton of deleted scenes, montages and psychouts, and an extended version of the 100 Clues episode. Note that the musical episode(s) that aired after the 7th season ended is not included in this set. Some of the guest stars this season include Parminder Nagra (from ER), Anthony Michael Hall (from pretty much every 1980s teenage comedy), Garcelle Beauvais, Jake Busey, David Koechner, Christopher Lloyd, Lori Loughlin, Cybill Shepherd, and Lesley Ann Warren.

Overall, the show continues to be good, although probably not as good as it was in the first couple of seasons. The show definitely recycles jokes, and there are only so many times it can do that without getting stale. That said, the writers do manage to keep the show fresh with the spoof episodes which give fans something to look forward to each season. The acting is always great, and the cast members either have or fake great chemistry. I assume it is the former since they all keep coming back to do the TV movies even after the show ended. So, if you are a fan of the show, this season is definitely worth watching.

DVD/TV Series Review: Psych: Season 6

 

+++Warning, this contains spoilers from the prior season, but no major season six spoilers+++

Season six of Psych included 16 episodes that aired from the fall of 2011 to the spring of 2012, including the mid-season break that lasted almost two months. The show continues with the formula that has worked well for the show up to this point. It is still mostly a case-of-the-week procedural crime comedy with a bit of drama mixed into it. It does have some ongoing story arcs. One of the big ones this season is Shawn and Juliet's relationship since they finally got together during the prior season. Another multi-episode arc involves Lassiter getting a love interest, played by the movie version of Buffy in a vampire-themed episode. And, as has been the case in all of the seasons, there are several pop-culture references, including an episode that is a total spoof on the movie The Hangover and an episode that is an homage to Indiana Jones. That episode brings back Cary Elwes' character Pierre Despereaux and brings in the nearly ageless Mädchen Amick, who was not a part of the Twin Peaks homage in the prior season but whom James Roday said he really wanted to work with. This season ends on a pretty big cliffhanger that leaves the life of one of the main characters in doubt going into the next season.

The DVD set is a four-disc set with the extras and the episodes spread evenly throughout the discs. The extras are pretty consistent with what has been released for the prior seasons. There are deleted scenes for nearly every episode, a gag reel, montages (which are almost gag reels themselves), psychouts, and commentary tracks (audio and/or video) for many of the episodes. So, if you want to go through the bonus material then there is a lot for you, although you will have to watch episodes multiple times (which, I'm guessing most people will not mind).

Overall, if you have liked the prior seasons, you will probably like this one. Yes, the show is on the sixth season and some of the jokes are getting recycled now, but on the whole, I think the writers do a good job keeping the stories fresh, and the cast seems to really enjoy their characters. The show is mostly a comedy, but does have some moments of drama mixed in that works well. So, it is definitely worth watching.

DVD/TV Series Review: Psych: Season 5

 

+++Warning, this contains a minor spoiler from the prior season, but no major giveaways from the fifth season+++

The fifth season of Psych included 16 episodes that aired in the summer and winter of 2010 (after its usual break about midway through the season). Season five of Psych continues the formula that made the show a hit for the USA network, combining a case or mystery of the week with a ton of 80s and 90s pop culture references and some ongoing story arcs. This was the first season to pull an all-out pop culture-themed show, specifically, an episode called Dual Spires, which is a combination spoof/homage of the early 90s cult classic show Twin Peaks. The show actually managed to get quite a few of the actors from Twin Peaks to play spoof versions of their characters from Twin Peaks, including Sherilyn Fenn, Ray Wise, Sheryl Lee, and more. There is also an episode that is a spoof of the Fast and Furious movies that, while not as good as the Twin Peaks episode, is still funny. The season finale continues the Yang storyline, with Ally Sheedy reprising her role and finding a clever way to include Jimmi Simpson's character, Mary, who was killed in the Yang episode in season four. The show also continues to develop all of the characters, including teaming up Gus and Lassiter for an episode and Henry coming out of retirement to be in charge of all the consultants for the Santa Barbara PD, making him Shawn and Gus' boss.

The DVD set is a four-disc set, and like the prior season releases, it has a ton of extras. There are deleted scenes for pretty much every episode, extended versions of some episodes, commentary tracks (audio and/or video) on many episodes, and a gag reel. So, if you like bonus content, there is a lot there for you. Overall, the season is very good. The acting and writing are both top-notch, and the show finds new ways to tweak the formula that makes it work. It is still playing the will-they-won't-they-together dance between Shawn and Juliet, drawing out the tease of a relationship for as long as possible. So, if you were a fan of the prior seasons, you would probably like or love this one. It is absolutely worth the time to watch.

DVD/TV Series Review: Psych: Season 4

 

+++Warning, this contains minor spoilers from season three, but no major season four spoilers+++

By the fourth season, people will really know if they love Psych or not. It is really a show that you are going to (probably) love or hate. I do not think there are a ton of people out there that are lukewarm to the show. It is about a guy named Shawn Spencer (James Roday) with extremely high observational skills who has convinced the Santa Barbara Police that he is actually psychic, and works as a consultant for them along with his best friend Gus (Dule Hill). If you combine a sitcom with a prime-time police procedural, throwing in a ton of 80s and 90s pop culture references, you would get Psych. This season continues to mostly be a case-of-the-week procedural, but there are tiebacks to prior episodes, most notably the Yin-Yang killer, with Ally Sheedy reprising her role as Mr. Yang, and Jimmi Simpson reprising his role as Mary. And we get closer to the totally pop-culture-themed episodes that the series would become known for, with a Halloween episode that paid homage to the 1930s and 1940s monster movies, and an episode that starred Ray Wise that was a total spoof on his Twin Peaks character.

For those who get the DVD set, there are a ton of bonus features that are very similar to what was included in the seasons 1-3 released. There are deleted scenes for most episodes, commentaries for select episodes, a gag reel, and several montages (usually of Shawn or Gus saying the same thing over and over). So, if you like watching the bonus content, then you get a lot (which is becoming rarer and rarer as time goes by).

Overall, the season is very good. The show continues to get a ton of great guest stars including Rachael Leigh Cook recurring in her role as Abigail Lytar, Kurt Fuller who made his Psych debut as Woody the Coroner and would recur for the rest of the series run, Ally Sheedy, Jimmi Simpson, Christopher Turner, Cary Elwes as art thief Pierre Desperaux (who would also recur through the series), Ray Wise, Jaleel White, Christine Baranski, Jim Beaver, Josh Braaten, James Brolin, John Cena, Jay Chandrasekhar, Tim Conlon, Miguel Ferrer, Azita Ghanizada, Stacy Keibler, Joshua Malina, David Naughton, Judd Nelson, Larisa Oleynik, Robert Patrick, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Lisa Ray, Michael Rooker, Jeri Ryan, Sarah Shahi, Kenan Thompson, Tony Todd, Beverley Turner, Arnold Vosloo, and Thomas F. Wilson. With the most recognizable guest stars, the show usually makes at least one or two jokes that referred to the character and/or show/movie that made the person famous. So, if you liked the first few seasons, you will most likely feel the same way about this one. It is definitely worth watching.

DVD/TV Series Review: Psych: The Complete Third Season

 

+++Warning, this contains a minor season two spoiler, but not major giveaways about season three+++

Season three of Psych actually evolved the show quite a bit. First, it branched out the storylines of having Shawn and Gus consult for the Santa Barbara police department but take on their own cases (usually with an attractive woman involved). Second, it started to incorporate serial story arcs into the show so it was not just a case-of-the-week procedural. At the beginning of the season, the tease from the last second of the season two finale is paid off, revealing Shawn's mother (played by Cybill Shepherd) has returned, and she plays a large role in the show throughout the season. Then, at the end of the season, there is the introduction of a character and a storyline that will span multiple seasons of the show. Of course, the case-of-the-week stories did remain, as did the multiple 80s and 90s pop culture references.

For those who get the DVD set, there are, again, a lot of extras, including deleted scenes for most episodes, video and/or podcast commentary tracks for many of the episodes, a hilarious gag reel, and more. The show also continues to get a ton of great guest and recurring stars including Rachael Leigh Cook, Phylicia Rashad, Kieth David (who replaced Ernie Hudson as Gus's father), Ally Sheedy, Jimmi Simpson, MacKenzie Astin, Justine Bateman, Jere Burns, F Gary Cole, Barry Corbin, Jeff Fahey, Frank Gifford, Mickie James, Jane Lynch, Christopher McDonald, Ted McGinley, Richard Riehle, Alan Ruck, Jonathan Silverman, Steven Weber, and Mykelti Williamson are among the most recognizable.

Overall, if you liked the first couple of seasons of the show, you will probably feel the same way about this one. The show does a good job of continuing to develop the characters, keeping the tension between Shawn and Juliet amped up without getting them together too quickly, and generally just being really funny. It is about 90% comedy, 10% drama, and pretty much 100% tongue-in-cheek. If you grew up in the 1980s and 1900s the jokes probably land a bit better than if you are older or younger, but that said, it is a great show that is well worth the time to watch.

DVD/TV Series Review: Psych: Season 2

 

The second season of Psych aired during the 2007/2008 TV season. Approximately half of the episodes aired during the summer of 2007 and half in the winter of 2007 into 2008. The season continues the procedural case-of-the-week format as the first season, in which fake psychic Shawn Spencer (James Roday) and his assistant Gus (Dule Hill) consult on some particularly tricky cases for the Santa Barbara police department. The season has the same kind of witty banter and tongue-in-cheek comedy as the first season ramps up the sexual tension between Shawn and Juliet (Maggie Lawson) and the outright tension between Shawn and Lassiter (Timothy Omundson) and expands the role of Cheif Vick (Kristen Nelson) promoting her to a series regular. The show almost always starts out with the young version of Shawn (and sometimes Gus) learning a lesson from Henry (Corbin Bernsen) that ties into the theme of the episode.

There are many extras for those who get the DVD set. There are multiple commentary tracks, deleted scenes for most, if not all, of the episodes, a gag reel, a find the pineapple game, a montage that shows all of the crazy names Shawn has used to introduce himself and Gus, fake scenes (called "psych outs"), and some animated adventures of Shawn and Gus as kids. A ton of stuff for those who like going through the extras. The commentary tracks are pure gold, especially those in which Roday and Hill participate.

Overall, the show continues to be great. The acting and writing are both great. While the show had not quite gotten into the homage episodes yet (those that were spoofs and/or homages to some 1980s or 1990s movie, TV show, or trend), there are plenty of pop-culture references, and the show did start getting the great guest stars that the show would become known for. They include Phylicia Rashad and Ernie Hudson playing Gus' parents, John Amos, Curtis Armstrong, Obba Babatundé, Malcolm Barrett, W. Earl Brown, Matt Cedeno, Tim Curry, Cristián de la Fuente, Amanda Detmer, Gina Gershon, Ben Giroux, Philip Baker Hall, Howard Hesseman, Telma Hopkins, Katharine Isabelle, Christopher Jacot, Bianca Kajlich, Eric Keenleyside, Melanie Lynskey, Shane Meier, Alex Meneses, Brian Doyle-Murray, Dylan Neal, Amanda Pays, Lou Diamond Phillips, Saul Rubinek, Corey Sevier, Kerry Washington, and Calum Worthy. If you liked or loved season one, you will probably feel the same about this one. It is definitely worth the time to watch.

DVD/TV Series Review: Psych: Season 1

 

Psych is a comedy series that ran from 2006 to 2014 on the USA network and spawned three movies in 2017, 2020, and 2021. The premise of the series is that a hyper-observant guy named Shawn Spencer (played by James Roday) calls in a tip about a crime to the Santa Barbara police department; he becomes a suspect because he knows more than he should. He convinces them that he is a psychic and ends up as a consultant for the department. The only ones who know that Shawn is not a psychic are his best friend Gus, who gets dragged along in the consulting business (played by Dule Hill), and his ex-cop father Henry (played by Corbin Bernsen), who taught, drilled in and fostered Shawn's powers of observation from the time he was a kid. The show is mostly a case-of-the-week episode in which Shawn and Gus are brought in as consultants to help some particular case, much to the chagrin of the detective that they are often paired with, Carleton Lassiter (played by Timothy Omundson), who does not believe Shawn is psychic but cannot prove that he is a fraud either. In the pilot, Carleton's partner was played by Anne Dudek (from the series House and Covert Affairs), but her character was written out of the show after the pilot, and when it was picked up as a series, Maggie Lawson was cast as Carleton's new partner Juliet O'Hara. The other main cast member is Kirsten Nelson, who plays police chief Vick.

For those who get the DVD set, the 15 episodes are spread across four discs. The extras include an international version of the pilot episode, audio commentaries on selected episodes that usually included the creator and then various cast members, deleted scenes for most episodes, audition tapes, an Inside the Writer's Room featurette, character profiles, gag reels, and a couple of behind-the-scenes and making-of featurettes. So, a lot there if you like watching the bonus material.

The show is mostly a procedural comedy with some suspense and drama mixed in. Each episode would start out with Shawn (and sometimes Gus) as kids, learning some lesson that was taught by Henry that would be applicable to the episode's plot. The writing and acting are great all around. There are a ton of pop-culture references, especially from the 80s and 90s (which increase in the subsequent seasons). It can definitely be silly and very tongue-in-cheek, but it usually has a good message mixed in with the comedy. It is not a conventional prime-time crime drama. It actually makes fun of those types of shows and almost breaks the fourth wall on more than one occasion. So, if you have not checked out the series, it is well worth watching.