Hey everyone, I hope you are having a great day and are staying safe!

During the last two years, we’ve all been spending more time at home. For me, that meant playing video games, making art, and finding new shows to watch. Well, I landed on a gold mine when I finally discovered what has become my favorite show: Psych.

Psych is a show about Shawn Spencer, a man who has an eye for detail and thinking outside of the box. He uses this to give the police information, but ultimately, it lands him in trouble. Thinking on his feet, he gets himself out of it by claiming he is a “psychic” (which he isn’t) and goes on to open a Psychic detective agency with his best friend Burton “Gus” Guster. They solve crimes with the SBPD while also hiding the fact that Shawn is really a fraud.

I highly recommend watching this show, because it’s been one of the highlights of the last year. But if the premise alone isn’t enough to get you interested, I’ve got ten more reasons you need to start watching it.

These are in no particular order, and although I’m including specific episodes with each point, it’s best to watch the show in order. So a spoiler warning is in affect for any of the episodes listed.

Okay, let’s get right into it!

It’s Lighthearted

I’m normally not a fan of crime shows, but Psych is different. Psych focuses more on the characters and the hilarious hijinks that ensue because of them. Wether it’s Shawn’s constant 80’s references, Gus trying to flirt, or Lassie just being Lassie, you’re going to have a good time watching them catch the bad guys. It’s a feel good show that never fails to keep you smiling.

Prime Examples:

• Viagra Falls- Season 5, Episode 6
• Last Night Gus- Season 6, Episode 2
• Truer Lies- Season 3, Episode 14

The Characters

The characters in this show are fantastic. They each have their own arcs, their own backstories, and their own conflicts and obstacles. One of the things that I love about this show is how the characters grow in a natural way, it isn’t forced and it isn’t extreme. I will say that Lassie has the best arc, and grows the most out of the group. Even the side characters have their own arcs, such as McNabb. 

Prime Examples:

• The Polarizing Express- Season 5, Episode 14
• Lassie Did A Bad, Bad Thing- Season 3, Episode 11
• In For A Penny- Season 6, Episode 7

The Writing

This show is brilliantly written. It’s goofy and a bit cheesy at times, but the stories are awesome and the jokes are well written. The show understands it’s characters, and doesn’t go against their previous traits. The highlight isn’t the murder investigation, but how they go about it, and what happens in those moments. The writers are able to balance that humor, the crime they are solving, and the character growth and arcs in a way that doesn’t feel forced or off-putting. And they know how to write emotional scenes too. Just the amount of creativity and thought they put into each episode is amazing.

Prime Examples:

• Lights, Camera… Homocidio- Season 2, Episode 13
• Right Turn Or Left For Dead- Season 7, Episode 7
• Santabarbartown, Santabarbaratown 2- Season 6 Episode 16, Season 7, Episode 1Ams

The Guest Stars

When a show can have every one from Cary Ewles, to Ralph Machio, to Molly Ringwald, you know there’s something special about it. The fact that so many different actors and musicians wanted to be a part of this show proves how well loved it is. And a lot of them make several appearances. Even one of my favorite artists, Mei Yu, makes a cameo appearance!

Prime Examples:

• Extradition: British Columbia- Season 4, Episode 1
• High Top Fade Out- Season4, Episode 7
• Shawn 2.0- Season 5, Episode 8

The Ships

OH MY GOD this show has two of the most amazing ships in it!!! You probably know at least one of them if you watched my video of my original song “Juliet”. SHULES is everything, they are forever and they are amazing. But there is another ship in this show that is just as good and healthy, but it doesn’t show up until season six, so I won’t spoil it too much. Let’s just say Lassie gets a girlfriend!

Prime Examples:

• Extradition II: The Actual Extradition Part- Season 5, Episode 10
• This Episode Sucks- Season 6, Episode 3
• Neil Simon’s Lover’s Retreat- Season 6, Episode 9

The Quotes

The best shows always have those lines that you can never stop quoting. Psych is probably one of the best examples of this, because the amount of quotable lines never ends. You have Gus’ pick up line, the infamous replies to people, and Lassie’s I’d rather’s. What’s probably the best recurring bit is the countless names Shawn use to introduces Gus, such as Ghee Buttersnaps and M.C. Clap Yo’ Hands.

Prime Examples:

• You Can’t Handle This Episode- Season 4, Episode 10
• From The Earth To The Starbucks- Season 1, Episode 10
• 100 Clues- Season 7, Episode 5

The Pineapples

Another great thing about Psych is the rewatch ability of the show. There is a pineapple hidden in each episode. Sometimes it’s an actual pineapple, sometimes it’s a pineapple flavored item, and it can often be just the mention of a pineapple in the conversation. But it’s there. There is always at least one pineapple in EVERY episode. It’s been fun for me to rewatch the show and try to look for all of them!

Prime Examples:

• 9 Lives- Season 1, Episode 5
• Rob-A-Bye Baby- Season 2, Episode 8
• Death Is In The Air- Season 4, Episode 13

The Off Screen Chemistry

One of the reasons the show is so great, and why the characters have such chemistry, is because of the chemistry off screen. They are all friends, and love the show and the fans. All you have to do is watch one interview to see it. In fact, Maggie Lawson and Timothy Omundson just started a new podcast about Psych together, and they are inviting all of their friends from the show to join in. It’s a lot of fun and you learn a lot about how the show came to be, as well as how much they truly do love and appreciate each other. And that translates so well to the screen. 

Prime Examples:

• Romeo And Juliet And Juliet- Season 5, Episode 1
• We’d Like To Thank The Academy- Season 5, Episode 13
• The Break Up- Season 8, Episode 10

The Parody Episodes

I think some of my favorite episodes are the ones where they parody other shows or movies. They go all out, and the amount of references or nods to the original is insane. For example Dual Spires. Just take a guess at what the parody is, because they killed it. They don’t just do parodies, they also give subtle nods to pop culture. These subtle nods are my favorite, with a few being the amount of Phineas And Ferb references, Shawn’s obsession with 80’s movies and Val Kilmer, and the subtle nod in the season 8 opener to Norm Macdonald’s impression of Burt Reynolds in the Celebrity Jeopardy SNL skits. He also mentions that he loves Wow Wow Wubbzy.

• Dual Spires- Season 5, Episode 1
• No Country For Two Old Men- Season 7, Episode 4
• Shawn vs. The Red Phantom- Season 1, Episode 8

It Can Also Be Serious

Although it is a lighthearted show, there are episodes where they explore situations with serious tones. Probably the best examples are the season enders. They go all out with the “Moriarty” style villain for Shawn, having them mess with his mind, putting him in a rough situation where he has to make hard choices. I honestly think that the Yin and Yang episodes deserve an award for just how brilliant they are, because they are perfectly executed and a great example of how to do a show in a different style than normal. Some other examples are the season one ender with Jules at the center, the two part finale Santa Barbara town, Dual Spires, Right or left for dead, and Psych: The Musical. I love that this show isn’t afraid to break out of it’s normal set up, and uses these episodes to explore the deeper tones and sides of these characters. They also make for great finales and add a sense of conflict that isn’t always felt in the other episodes. 

Prime Examples:

• An Evening With Mr. Yang- Season 3, Episode 16
• Scary Sherry: Bianca’s Toast- Season 1, Episode 15
• Yang 3 In 2D- Season 5, Episode 16

These are just some of the reasons you should start watching Psych, and I could go on and on. It’s just an all around good show, and it deserves more love and credit.

I hope you enjoyed reading the post! I had a lot of fun writing it, if you couldn’t tell. I love this show so much that I even wrote a song about it- which you can check out below!

By the way, you may have noticed all of the pineapples in this post. Comment below how many pineapples you can spot! Make sure you are subscribed to my mailing list, because the first 10 commenters who guess correctly will receive an email with a digital download inspired by the show.

Until next time 🙂