What I’m Watching: Psych

Psych: Season 5, Episode 3 “Not Even Close…Encounters” (B+)

I’m often wary of non-supernatural shows doing episodes related to things like aliens that obviously won’t be proven real. “Monk” did it last season and it worked out fine, and my fears were similarly allayed with this episode. The main reason for that, of course, is how funny the investigation turned out to be. I liked Shawn and Gus flicking each other in the ear when they started to let their childish hopes get in the way, and both of them holding their hands over their ears when they realized that they had to pursue that line of questioning was great as well. Guest star Freddie Prinze Jr. was, in my opinion, a fantastic choice to play the closet geek slash childhood friend of Shawn and Gus. His girlfriend finding out at the end was terrific, as was her confession that she had to hide the fact that she had seen all the episodes of the original “Battlestar Galactica.” Shawn running around in Adama’s helmet next to Gus in Geordi La Forge’s helmet is also a cool mainstreaming of BSG. I’m enjoying the silly interactions between Henry and Lassie, particularly Henry struggling to get out of the car and then pointing out that Lassie actually has a crap list, a statement which got his name put right back on there. The funniest moment of the episode was Shawn and Gus seeing their faces on TV and Gus reacting to his name being reported as “Gurton Buster.” It seems that Shawn’s not the only one who likes to play around with his name.