This week on Psych, Mini Shawn and Gus are been kept back after Sunday school. Father Peter Westley (Ray Wise) calls Henry to discuss Shawn’s scepticism. We see mini Gus for the first time this season, and he does well to convey “Oh nice one, Shawn” with just one look.
Despite trying to tell Shawn off - even Henry hesitates at the “wouldn’t the lions eat the zebras?” question.
The scene changes to the present. It is night and a young woman is running scared across a paved square. We see the name St Atallus College Divinity School lit up. Maybe a reference to St Attalus and the Dragon – from a 1980’s comic called ‘Tales of the Unanticipated’ - but I’m not sure. He wasn’t a real Saint, Attalus I was a Greek ruler of Pergamon (in an area of what is modern day Turkey). Attallus II was his son and heir, finally, Attalus III was the latter’s nephew. Attalus III had a cult spring up to him when he was in power maybe this is what the reference is to?
The woman is followed by a friend into the building and then up out onto a balcony. To the horror of her friend, the woman throws herself off, down onto the square below. Then, as her friend draws near to her to see if she is dead, the woman’s eyes flash wide open, then remain still as the girl dies.
Next, we see the school grounds by day. In real life, the location is the University of British Columbia Campus. It has some terrific examples of modernist architecture and this episode has used the Ladner Clock Tower in a number of stills.
This time, unlike the usual set up, Gus has persuaded Shawn to attend the crime scene, and Shawn is not happy about it. Gus was called by their old Sunday school teacher Father Westley. Shawn claims that in addition to being psychic detectives, they also do commercial jingles, “Boom, boom, boom...muff-ins”...this is the start of a great running joke throughout the episode.
In this scene the relationship between Father Westley and Shawn is reinforced, Shawn clowns around and remains sceptic, whilst Father Westley side-steps his antics with ease.
Lassie and Jules are also at the crime scene. Before Father Westley can continue, Lassie has taken him off to one side for further questioning. The Duo eavesdrop. We establish that the victim, Agatha was a model student, until about three weeks ago, when she became emotionally unstable. Shawn checks that she didn’t play GTA - a comment which is a set-up for a series of scenes with Henry later on.
Lassiter takes Jules aside to explain that Agatha was murdered, Shawn butts in to tell him he is wrong, and that he senses it was a suicide. Greatly antagonised, Lassie immediately shouts that Shawn can tell his senses to “Kiss my sweet...!” but, cowed by a couple of passing nuns, Lassie changes what he was going to say to a slightly questioning “...love biscuits?”. As everyone is considering Lassie’s ‘love biscuits’, Gus points out that it is questionable whether he made the phrase any less offensive.
As Father Westley theorises that Agatha was possessed, the incidental music hints at a Tubular Bells refrain.
Woohooo! Theme tune- but only the short version this week....boooo.
Gus makes Shawn take the case. Gus’s prime suspect? The Devil. Shawn mocks Gus, listing what they can do if, when they capture him, the devil starts acting all "devilly" (play a tune on the fiddle first, then strike a wager for his co-operation). He presents a sketch - the devil wears flares!
Gus demands that Shawn takes this seriously and claims Lead Investigator on this job. They interview Father Westley about why he thinks Agatha was possessed (Westley takes a pill with water, but no mention is made of it).
Gus does some internet research and we find out the backgrounds of this week’s characters. Shawn continues to make a joke of the situation “Boom, boom, boom...this thing!” (It’s a hole punch Shawn). Gus has found out the Father Westley is one of the top exorcists in the country, undertaking a number of high profile cases in the seventies.
Gus has also accessed Agatha’s social network “page” – i.e. it’s a Facebook-type page, which looks very similar to Facebook, but is in Psych green rather than blue, (presumably they are not allowed to use the real thing) – Psychbook! Agatha’s status updates show she was fine until three weeks ago, then the comments became more negative. Gus thinks this is the point of possession, Shawn thinks it is more likely related to boyfriend troubles. Psychbook shows that Agatha was dating someone called Cameron. Shawn forcibly takes back the Lead Detective badge (through the medium of mime).
The Duo visit Cameron, to find Lassie and Jules are already there. However, Cameron has no motive and has an alibi. On their return from Cameron's room, they find out that agatha's friend, Lucy Ryan was with her when she died.
Passing themselves off as grief counsellors, Shawn, and “Shawn” visit Lucy. Mrs Ryan sees the boys in, and as they talk, Shawn comes up with one of my favourite lines:
Mrs Ryan: “Do you think she has PTSD?”
Shawn: “I’m afraid this is far more serious than mere menstrual issues”.
They enter Lucy’s bedroom, where she is performing demonic crabstands! After checking with Mrs Ryan that she isn’t a Yogi, or an Olympic gymnast, Shawn and Gus re-enter the room. They watch Lucy’s behaviour become even more disturbed. Gus has worked out that Agatha’s demon made its way into Lucy when she died, as happened in The Exorcist. Gus defends his theory and calls out Shawn’s use of Pretty in Pink to solve a crime. When Lucy starts spouting German (she has only learnt French), it seems the evidence is weighing in on the side of possession.
Gus takes the Lead Detective badge back, which leads to a punching fight between them. So Shawn walks out. He seeks the advice of Henry, who, in a small side story, has commandeered Shawn’s Xbox in return that Shawn paints the house. Henry persuades Shawn to go back to Gus, so at sundown Shawn returns to the Ryan House to find that Gus has already called in help.
Tubular Bells starts playing and Father Westley arrives, long coat, hat on, bag in hand, at the gates he pauses, the fog swirls low, and he makes his way towards the house. Psych replicates the iconic image from The Exorcist. Classic.
Westley puts his vestments on for the service. He jokes a little, but when Shawn makes a joke back Westley immediately shushes him, which I thought indicated the authority Westley still had over Shawn, and it also made me question further whether Westley was one of the good guys or not. Everyone is nervous. They enter Lucy’s room and the exorcism begins.
Fitting in time to flirt a little and a mention of Simon Baker (hahaa) Shawn leaves, but not before Lucy demonstrates again that she knows things that she couldn’t possibly know – about Shawn and Mr Reno (and a tack and blood poisoning).
Father Bard helps to hold Lucy down and Shawn and Gus wait outside while Westley finishes up. Apparently, Lucy is back to normal, the exorcism has worked.
Shawn does not believe this, and without Gus, he goes to the SB Police Station to talk to Jules. They have the toxicology results now, and Jules explains that though the tests were negative, you have to test for something specific in order to get a result. Shawn spars with Lassie whilst he is there, and it takes Jules’ intervention, followed by a great eye-roll to shut them up.
Shawn returns to the office and consults Gus’s “Index of medicine”. He hides it from Gus when he comes into the room and their split seems to have deepened.
Instead of talking to Gus, Shawn goes to visit his Dad. Henry has been playing Grand Theft Auto on the Xbox - all night long. Red-eyed, Henry advises Shawn that if he thinks Gus is wrong, he should tell Gus in the most respectful way possible.
Of course, Shawn does the opposite. The finger guns come out and Shawn is in Gus’s face with the fact that he is wrong. Agatha tested positive for L-dopa, a medicine used by those suffering from Parkinson’s disease. It produces hallucinations as side effects for those without the condition.
Shawn explains the inexplicable: the German was a quote from Run Lola Run, Lucy’s favourite film. Their friend Stumpy posted a message on Shawn’s Psychbook page about the tack and Mr Reno incident. I loved the (deliberately awful) British accent here, and I desperately want the Psych team to do an episode in the UK.
Unfortunately, L-dopa is the medicine that Westley was taking earlier and as Gus and Shawn chat, Father Westley is being arrested.
Gus is convinced that Father Westley is innocent and visits him in his cell. Westley cannot tell Gus whom he suspects, as it is from information received whilst in the confessional. But he hints that Proverbs 11:6 may provide the answer. Gus takes his information to Shawn, who has gone to see Henry.
The place is a tip since Henry has been engrossed in GTA and the roles have been reversed, with Shawn being the more responsible one in the face of his Dad’s addiction. Shawn tries to steal the Xbox back.
The gang get Lassie and Jules and re-visit Cameron. Lucy is also there in a state of undress. Cameron claims they are just friends. Shawn and Gus point out that this is not possible between men and women and that “When Harry met Sally” taught us this. Shawn mentions that the film also taught us that women fake their orgasms, and they all turn to Juliet, including Lassiter, who acknowledges this with a nod.
Shawn explains that Lucy wanted Cameron and Agatha to break up, that she secretly drugged Agatha, in the hope that Cameron would dump her for acting crazy. Unfortunately, Lucy gave her too much and Agatha killed herself. In fear of being found out, Lucy overheard Father Westley mentioning “possession” at the crime scene, and pretended to be ill, to avoid getting caught. Shawn and Gus make up and are back together as a team again.
The end scene now, and Shawn enters the confessional with Father Westley, and we get confessions from Shawn about lying all the time as it’s the nature of the job- then also stealing- Shawn admits to stealing Gus’s food from his office draw and blaming it on the cleaning lady, Onelia. Amusingly, Gus overhears this. Shawn curses, but then offers a commercial jingle to the church- “Boom boom boom...wafers” Father Westley remains unimpressed. Shawn tries again, “Boom boom boom...Ho-leeee..Ghost”. Job done.
Corbin Bernsen takes the Psych-out spotlight this week...
Oh and P.S.
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