Psych (Season 4)

There are two seasons of Psych that I would call nearly perfect, and Season 4 is one of them. It takes on a slightly darker tone without losing the humor, charm, and creativity that makes the series so unbelievably entertaining.

Season 4 of Psych doesn't quite have as much plot as Season 3, with the exception of the finale, which has more plot than the rest of the series combined. The main running thread is that Shawn is dating his childhood friend Abigail, even though Juliet likes him too. It's a fairly standard love triangle, but it's pretty effective as well, and seeing Shawn and Abigail's relationship slowly fall apart is definitely sad. Something I noticed about this season, however, is just how much more willing it was to get dark. And I mean there were some really dark episodes in Season 4, like the one where Shawn is kidnapped, the one where Buzz almost dies, and once again, the finale. Shawn spends most of the season being fairly confident, so a lot of episodes kind of dismantle this newfound confidence, with the events of said finale being the final straw. On the other hand, it never quite feels overwhelmingly dark, and I don't think a comedy like Psych should take the route of Burn Notice's sixth season. Rather than signaling a massive shift in tone, these darker episodes just further demonstrate Psych's range.

Speaking of range, the sheer variety in episodes in Season 4 is stunning. From the parodies of and homages to movies and genres, to the huge shifts in tone, to even an episode focused on Juliet, nearly every single episode this season feels different from the rest. They even managed to pull off an episode about Bollywood without it feeling poorly conceived or painfully unfunny. I feel like Psych's writers are genuinely have a great time coming up with new ideas for the show, and I'm having a great time watching those ideas on the screen. It also seems like the cases themselves are far more bizarre and entertaining than usual this season, rather than just the format of the episode itself. We've got exorcisms, love curses, werewolves, and even Gus's old singing troupe. I didn't talk much about the characters in this review since they didn't develop too much this season, but they're still a joy to watch and their chemistry is just as good as ever.

I could put over half the season on this highlights list, there are a ton of others I wish I could place, but these are the most noteworthy ones for sure: 

Extradition: When you ask a Psych fan for their favorite side character, Pierre Despereaux is usually the first one that comes up. A charming and entertaining gentleman thief whose oddly friendly rivalry with Shawn is always a ton of fun to watch. Extradition isn't the best Despereaux episode, but it does a great job of introducing the character and starting the season on a strong note.

Shawn Gets The Yips: This is a weird episode, but that's why I loved it so much. It takes the concept of Shawn trying to solve an attempted murder of a police officer and runs with it to the moon. We got bombed treadmills, we got baseball, we got Shawn having performance issues, and yet despite all the absurdity, the stakes are still high and the episode is still tense. A quintessential Psych episode that truly demonstrates its range.

High Top Fade Out: I love Gus's acapella troupe. It's an incredibly fun group of side characters that leads to a lot of funny moments for the character. Honestly, the case itself is just fine, it's just that everything about Gus singing acapella is utterly hilarious, and the ending where Shawn joins the troupe is really sweet (and kinda funny). This is also Woody the Coroner's first appearance, a super entertaining side character.

Shawn Takes A Shot In The Dark: Similarly to Gus Walks Into A Bank, this is an uncharacteristically dark halfway point for the season, with Shawn getting kidnapped and fighting for his life. This episode is really tense and scary for a lot of its runtime, but the final car chase and rescue is a light-hearted and fun moment of levity showing that this is still Psych.

Thrill Seekers And Hell Raisers: I really like the tension between Shawn and Gus in this episode, Gus having to lie to his best friend is a really compelling concept, and I like the reveal that Shawn likes to vet Gus's girlfriends to make sure they're trust-worthy. The mystery itself is also pretty fun and utilizes extreme sports in an entertaining way.

Mr Yin Presents: What a phenomenal finale. This homage to Hitchcock movies is easily the scariest episode in the series, it's tense, terrifying, and packed with crazy set pieces. Mr Yin's cat and mouse game is Shawn is far more dangerous than Mr Yang's, and the stakes are really high! Mary dies, Juliet and Abigail almost die, and things have changed for pretty much every single character. It's also one of two episodes where the bad guy pretty much wins.

Overall, Season 4 is amazing. Nearly every episode is creative and entertaining, the character work is great, and the show shows its willingness to get dramatic without losing the humor that defines it.

5/5 Stars