Psych: Difference between revisions

*** A [[Sink or Swim Mentor]] whose forcing the training on a young boy against his will.

* [[Accidental Aesop]]: Invoked during the second season episode "Zero to Murder in Sixty Seconds," where Henry gives Shawn a piece of advice, which Shawn uses to solve the case. As Shawn is getting increasingly excited while putting it all together, Henry tries to stop him.

* [[Accidental Pun]]: "You [[Daft Punk]]." Note: This was said by a Simon Cowell parody.

* [[Actor Allusion]]:

* [[Awesome By Analysis]]: Shawn was drilled so often by his father that he can remember even minute details.

* [[Awesome McCoolname]]: Pretty much every time that Shawn introduces Gus. Gus does it himself once or twice.

** Subverted just as often, also by Shawn.

* {{spoiler|[[Back for the Dead]]: Played straight with Despereaux in "Indiana Shawn," but then subverted.}}

* [[The Barnum]]: Shawn, and given his circumstances, can you blame him?

** Lassie might also just be a huge [[Not Good with People|animal lover.]]

** He's also pretty defensive about Ronald Reagan's presidency.

'''Lassiter:''' [[Out-of-Character Moment|I'm not going to]]--<br />

'''Shawn:''' Ronald Reagan was a horrible President.<br />

** "You know that's right."

** *Gus walks into any given room* "Shawn!" [[Lampshaded]] in the Episode Commentary of 'Mr. Yin Presents'.

** "We can't do this right now."

** Gus's "You heard about Pluto? That's messed up."

** Also contains the running gag of Shawn and Henry getting each other gifts. Well, Henry gets Shawn a gift. Shawn (always successfully) tries to guess what Henry got him.

* [[Chronic Backstabbing Disorder]]: Shawn's uncle, Jack Spencer.

* [[City of Adventure]]: Santa Barbara, of all places. The real city is a small town of less than 100,000 people that has 1-2 murders a year. While not all episodes feature murder, and not all episodes that do feature murder take place in Santa Barbara, the murder rate in ''Psych'''s Santa Barbara must be at least a couple of magnitudes higher than that if the police need Shawn and Gus's help on a dozen murders per year. On top of that, the city has whatever backdrop is needed to make the plot town, such as a thriving illegal drag racing scene or a war brewing between Asian gangs. Given that the writers treat Santa Barbara as a much larger city than it is, one wonders why they didn't just go with a big city in the first place. Also, Mr. Yang is described as "the most notorious serial killer [Santa Barbara] has ever seen." So, how many has it had?

** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXVdaPejxBE Everyone assumes Santa Barbra is a nice town...]

** Lampshaded during "An Evening With Mr. Yang," where Shawn's callous goofy jokes over the kidnapping of a waitress and later {{spoiler|his mother}} seem like crossing the line even by the show's very loose, wacky standards. Shawn confides in Gus that if he starts taking the case seriously, then he'll be playing by the killer's rules instead of his own, which would allow the killer to win, and would likely cause Shawn to actually have to ''deal'' with the incredible amount of fear he was mentally blocking out.

* [[Comically Small Bribe]]: Lassiter tries to bribe the kid he's supposed to [[Scare'Em Straight|scare straight]].

* [[Contamination Situation]]: the season four episode, "Death is in the Air"

* [[Continuity Nod]]: Shawn and Gus dig up a dinosaur skeleton in "65 Million Years Off." In "Shawn (and Gus) of the Dead," the dinosaur skeleton is shown in the museum with a plaque bearing Shawn's name and photo. In yet a later episode, a photo of Shawn and Gus from the latter episode in an article about the psychic detective agency lands Gus in hot water at his regular job. Also used as the reason why one client chose Shawn's agency in an episode. Brought up again in "Indiana Shawn and the Temple of the Kinda Crappy, Rusty Old Dagger."

** Lassiter also falls under this trope. It turns out he has eight guns in various parts of his house, including the shower, the toaster oven and a bowl of nuts. Revealed in an episode where Lassiter is suspected of killing an FBI witness in a big drug case. He has to go through the whole [[Turn in Your Badge]] trope and his apartment is searched over, revealing various hidden gun spots. Shawn and Gus then react appropriately: with slightly disguised surprise and creeped-out looks. {{spoiler|Turns out the FBI missed one, which Lassiter used to take down the real murderer.}}

** Lassie has also made plans for whose organs he would want in case he ever needed a transplant, who he would eat first if he was trapped in an Alive-esque scenario, and who from the department he would procreate with if they were the last two people on Earth. Even Shawn is a little weirded out by this.

** Lassie yet again, when he reveals that he's been [[Acquired Poison Immunity|building up a tolerance for chloroform]] over the last several years.

* [[Credits Gag]]: Seen occasionally. In one episode featuring Spanish soap opera stars, the song is in Spanish. In another about Bollywood musicals, it's in Hindi. In the following episode, which dealt with Gus' old a capella singing group, it was sung by Boyz II Men. For the Christmas episodes, there's a version with cheery holiday instrumentals and snowflakes superimposed over the screen. Also, there's a longer version of the song that airs occasionally. When Curt Smith of [[Tears for Fears]] made a guest appearance in Shawn 2.0, he sang the theme for that very same episode. [[The Shining]] tribute episode also has a unique version of the credits.

* [[Defective Detective]]: Shawn's lackadaisical approach tends to cause people to refuse to take him seriously or consider him a nuisance to be shooed away so real people can get things done. He's something of an aversion, though, being for the most part a pretty well-adjusted (if oddball) guy.

* [[Department of Redundancy Department]]: In "Chivalry Is Not Dead... But Someone Is":

'''Juliet:''' Yes. }}

* [[Depending on the Writer]]: The Shawn/Henry relationship. Shawn often claims it's a bad one, and a few of the flashbacks show Henry overreacting wildly, but most of the time they seem to get along okay, even in many of the flashbacks. (Of course, the divorce didn't help the relationship.)

* [[Dramatic Gun Cock]]: "We'd Like to Thank the Academy." One of the villains, described as "[[Depraved Homosexual|a fabulous Emmett Smith]]," cocks his gold-plated pistol and says, "[[Lampshade Hanging|I don't even need to do that]]. [[Rule of Cool|I just like the effect]]."

* [[Dude Not Ironic]]: Shawn is a little unclear on the definition.

'''Gus''': What's ironic is that you have to keep asking me what irony is. }}

* [[Earn Your Happy Ending]]: A major theme in the Shawn/Juliet relationship, referenced in Juliet's speech at the end of "An Evening with Mr. Yang" and Shawn's speech at the end of "Death is in the Air."

* [[Getting Crap Past the Radar]]: All the time!

** From "We'd Like To Thank The Academy"

'''Shawn:''' You might want to rephrase that. }}

* [[Give Me Back My Wallet]]: At the end of a [[Christmas Episode]], a little girl/con artist thanks Shawn for helping her dad, and hugs him... and Shawn immediately asks for his wallet back.

* [[Hot Librarian]]: Maudette in Dual Spires

* [[Hurricane of Euphemisms]]: In "Santabarbaratown", when Shawn and Gus are interviewing someone connected to the case:

'''Shawn:''' [[Entendre Failure|Meaning what?]]<br />

'''Ida:''' His juice had no pulp. His seed wasn't fruitful. He was pouring decaf. Pumping unleaded. His Hall had no Oates. He was sterile!<br />

** It's often played with as having such a talent also requires the proper knowledge and/or skills to connect the pieces together. Shawn has referred to Gus on his knowledge of pharmaceuticals many times. Another time he joked that he identified a poisoned sandwich because the number of sesame seeds on the regular hotel sandwiches were much different (it was actually the style of toothpick to keep them together). He remarked that he was observant, not [[The Rainman]].

* [[Hypocritical Humor]]: Allison when Juliet figures out she's lying. [[Self-Deprecation|Though she could also talking about herself]].

 

 

== I-P ==

* [[If You Ever Do Anything to Hurt Her...]]: Non-romantic version delivered by Lassiter when {{spoiler|he finds out that Juliet and Shawn have been dating behind his back, promising that if Shawn ever does anything to her, he will "discharge his pistol."}}

'''Lassiter:''' [[Slasher Smile|Repeatedly.]] }}

* [[Ignored Enemy]]: Yin has {{spoiler|Shawn and Gus strapped to chairs and is about to inject them with something to kill them. They start arguing over who Yin will kill first, and whether he plans on sterilizing the needle between uses.}}

* [[It's Not You, It's My Enemies]]: [[Inverted Trope|Inverted.]] After Abigail is kidnapped and nearly drowned by Yang, Shawn is ready to compromise and make a stronger commitment to their relationship, but she breaks up with Shawn because she can't make a difference in the world if she's dead.

* [[Insult Backfire]]: Played with in Canada.

'''Canadian:''' None taken. I like your suit. }}

* [[Irony]]: Lassiter, a detective that looks down at all criminals, no matter how big or small their crimes are. {{spoiler|actually enters a relationship with one}}.

** "Viagra Falls" not only lampshades old buddy cop show, it also lampshades Psych itself and the various gags the show uses.

** From "He Dead":

* [[Leaning on the Fourth Wall]]: in the Shining tribute ep, Shawn suggests that Lassie is letting his imagination run away with him saying "it happens to Gus and I once every seven days".

* [[Last-Name Basis]]: Everyone calls Burton Guster "Gus" and Lassiter "Lassie".

* [[A Minor Kidroduction]]: The young Shawn intros in nearly every episodes.

* [[Missing Trailer Scene]]: A variation for the season 5 premier. The joke shown in the commercials for one scene was entirely different in the show itself than for the commercials.

'''Joke from the actual episode:''' [[I Know Mortal Kombat|I have beaten all 7 levels of]] ''[[Shaq Fu]]'' on Nintendo! }}

** Though both jokes are in the episode if you watch it on Hulu.

* [[N-Word Privileges]]: Played with. An eyewitness questioned by Shawn and Gus in a recent episode is a white man who speaks with a very pronounced Thai accent. They accuse him of mocking Asian-Americans, but he explains that he was adopted and raised by a Thai family, so in a sense he ''is'' Asian-American - and, incidentally, that "offensive accent" is how he actually speaks.

* [[Once an Episode]]: Shawn giving Gus an absurd pseudonym. [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshaded]] in a recent episode where Shawn introduces Gus to a convicted killer using their full real names.

'''Gus:''' ''Now'' you wanna use my real name? }}

** In "Feet, Don't Kill Me Now", Lassiter introduces Gus by his full name. Gus's reaction makes him ask what's wrong, to which Gus says that he's not used to being introduced by his real name.

* [[Pac-Man Fever]]: Shawn's dad apparently plays ''[[Crackdown]]'' with an NES light gun.

* [[Palette Swap]]: In "We'd Like To Thank The Academy", Shawn shoots two civilian cardboard cutouts in a training exercise. His justifications:

* [[Papa Wolf]]: Henry shows shades of this.

* [[Paralysis by Analysis]]: "Shawn Gets The Yips"

* [[Parental Abandonment]]: The [[Missing Mom]] variation. We find out from an offhand remark by Henry what happened to Shawn's mother: {{spoiler|she left, and Henry's ''very bitter'' about it.}}

* [[Perma-Stubble]]: Shawn's facial hair self regulates to a cozy five o'clock shadow.

* [[Pet the Dog]]: Invoked and parodied. "Barbie and Clyde" the robbers are perfectly willing to lie, cheat, steal, ransack . . . you get the picture. ''But''--

* [[Phony Psychic]]: Does it really need to be said?

* [[Planning with Props]]: A favorite of Shawn's (more accurately "Reconstructing with Props" in this case) used in "Weekend Warriors" and "Shawn Gets the Yips."

** Gus's credit card. Note to whoever wrote that bit: Showing it being used to make unauthorized purchases does not make people want it.

** In the episode "Think Tank" [[It Makes Sense in Context|Shawn is trying to safely maneuver a billionaire through a hotel hallway]], when he sees a small bottle of Axe shampoo in a cleaning ladies cart,

** In ''Ferry Tale'' Gus manages to distract Shawn by giving him a Snickers bar. Twice. After mocking Shawn for being easily distracted.

** Shawn namedrops Snyder's of Hanover-brand pretzels on a couple occasions. One episode even includes a lingering close-up shot of a pack.

*** This is similar to the season one episode where Shawn insisted on rubbing Gus' "magic" head while getting his psych on.

** Lampshaded in a recent episode when Shawn deduces something about his father and gets into his psychic position.

*** And again by Gus in "Feet, Don't Kill Me Now":

'''Gus:''': *about a minute later, when Shawn does it again* Dude, you're doing it again! }}

** Although it is notable that this is just an exaggeration of Shawn's natural mannerism when he's focusing on a memory. You can see him do it in the first flashback from the pilot.

** Not to mention the fashion show episode, where they masquerade as Black and Tan, two (made-up) supermodels. Shawn's Black. Gus is Tan. How dare you assume otherwise.

** Lampshaded in "Shawn Gets the Yips" when Shawn assigns all the characters items found in a restaurant:

** And in "High Top Fade Out" when Gus creates the false last names "Brown" for himself and "White" for Shawn. It's debatable whether Shawn's reaction was over this trope or the lack of creativity compared to Shawn's false last names.

* [[Samus Is a Girl]]: {{spoiler|'Mr.' Yang is actually a 'Ms.'}}

* [[Sink or Swim Mentor]]: Henry Spencer would often give Shawn an ultimatum to enforce his skills on him.

* [[Small Reference Pools]]: Averted by the show itself, but in the town of [[Twin Peaks|Dual Spires]], much to Shawn's annoyance, the only references they get are references to [[Everwood]].

'''Shawn''': Thank you. }}

* [[Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace]]: Played with in one episode. Shawn's objection has absolutely nothing to do with the couple getting married, but the opening it presents is the only opportunity he has to do [[The Summation]] and expose the criminal.

** Also, the killer in "Let's Get Hairy" is named after {{spoiler|Ken Tucker}}, a TV critic for {{spoiler|Entertainment Weekly magazine}}, who has criticized the show in the past.

** Done in Daredevils, at the later ''[[Die Hard]]'' sequels:

** "What is the deal with [[One Tree Hill]]? It's like a poorly executed [[Dawson's Creek]]."

** "I think CGI has ruined movie story telling for all of us. I don't wanna say it's completely [[Michael Bay]]'s fault, but that guy needs to be stopped because it's all his fault."

** When Shawn notes that he and Gus are being played as pawns in a game, Gus replies, "I'm no pawn, Shawn; I'm a queen!"

** In "We'd like to thank the Academy":

'''Shawn:''' You may wanna rephrase that, sir. }}

** Memorably, Lassiter about the SBPD in the first season: "We don't have balls."

** The season 6 finale (ahem) plays with this a bit:

'''Witness:''' Nice. I voted against [[wikipedia:California Proposition 8|Prop 8.]]<br />

'''Gus:''' (scoffs) We're partners in a detective agency.<br />

* [[Vomiting Cop]]: Gus...[[Catch Phrase|ish]].

* [[Waking Non Sequitur]]: In "The Polarizing Express." We get it, Gus doesn't.

'''Shawn:''' What? }}

* [[The Watson]]: Between his extensive general knowledge, comparatively level persona, relative lack of observational prowess, and his status as usual recipient of [[The Summation]], it's hard not to think Gus is somewhat inspired by ''[[Trope Namer|the]]'' [[Sherlock Holmes|Watson]].

* Wouldn'tHitAGirl: Shawn and Gus according to "Shawn and Gus in Drag (Racing)."

* [[Worthy Opponent]]: Many criminals, but Desperaux calls him this. Yin calls him his "most admirable foe."

** Also said by Mr. Yang.

* [[Wrong Genre Savvy]]

** Gus thinks he's the main character.

** Looking for a (suspected) vampire:

'''Shawn, Gus, Jules''': (in unison) "Where's Lucien?" }}

* [[Xanatos Roulette]]: Mr Yin's and Mr Yang's masterful plans. They pretty much have to be to get around [[Hyper Awareness|Shawn]].