Psych: The Break-Up, review
Psych’s series finale, The Break-Up, hangs up the pineapple with a fresh mix of everything Psych-O's love.
Well it is officially over and this reviewer is pretty sad. It has been eight years of laughs and mysteries but it is finally time to tag the toe on Psych. USA Network’s longest running series is hanging up the pineapple. The finale, written and directed by creator Steve Franks, will not disappoint the Psych faithful that have enjoyed all the in-jokes that have accrued over the years. When I thought about it, compared with other series finales, this farewell episode was quite satisfying and very well done. It captured the spirit of the show and what made Psych so special. The rare mix of comedy and mystery kept viewers laughing with fresh story lines and a never ending supply of guest stars. In the end I would rather a show I love end on a high note as opposed to hanging on for a few extra years when they should have called it quits. More than anything Psych was a show that really embraced fandom and internet sensations like Facebook and Twitter. I will miss tuning in on Wednesday nights and hearing the best theme song ever but most of all I will miss the guys and the world they created for us to enjoy. Its sad that its over but I’m happy that it happened.
The final murder is more or less just a way to get the story going and is really present just to have the gang on their last hurrah as detectives. The story surrounds a real estate developer who just happens to be played by the oft-mentioned Billy Zane. The vet actor chews the scenery as the evil developer and it all ends in an excellent car chase with Shawn and Gus getting away in a driver’s ed car. I was hysterical at the dynamic duo speeding with two steering wheels and two sets of brakes—classic. Really the episode is about Shawn trying to figure out just how to tell Gus that he is leaving Psych to move up to San Francisco to live with Juliet. Shawn sets up the scenes by breaking the fourth wall and talking to the camera letting us know just what he is feeling and how scared he is of losing his best friend. It was actually pretty moving for those die hard faithful Psych-O’s.
Gus is ensconced at a new job that has him driving a sweet new company ride and a break room with a soda fountain that Shawn is enamored with. However Gus realizes that, although on paper the new gig could set him up for all of the things he has dreamed, the job is basically the same as the other one he had. His life and Shawn’s are intertwined and Psych will be wherever they are and if that means San Francisco, then so be it. And that is what happens in the end but man the ride is fun. Obviously the bar was set very high for a series finale but in an otherwise ok season the finale was perfectly executed. It encapsulates exactly what made Psych so damn special. Deon Richmond from The Cosby Show is also aboard for the finale and he steals his scene by calling Gus “Bud.” Classic. But the real home run is just who plays the elusive Officer Dobson. It is a jaw dropper but man did they sell it. No spoilers here but I guarantee that you will be shocked who the casting people landed.
Psych is that rare show that comes along that could teeter the line between laughs and a whodunnit heart. It is hard for me to think of a better tandem from the past decade and I don’t think there will be anything like them again. And that is really saying something considering how few basic cable shows ever get out of the gate and into syndication. It’s the little things that made the show what it became, which was nothing short of a phenomenon for USA. Sadly the time has passed for one of my favorite shows of the new millennium. The cast and creator did a live after show and it really spoke to how loyal the fans are with their live Tweets and Skype messages. What surprised me the most was how young some of the viewers skewed but their love of the show cannot be denied. It’s nice to see that Psych will be around for a whole other generation on DVD and on cable. It sucks but like most good things they come to an end. The catchphrases will live on as will the memorable characters that Steve Franks created. We will never look at a pineapple the same way. Goodbye Psych, you will be missed.
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Jarrett Kruse has been writing professionally since graduating the University of Wisconsin-Madison cutting his teeth writing script coverage for major movie studios like MIRAMAX, 20th Century…