What I’m Watching: Psych

Psych: Season 5, Episode 4 “Chivalry Is Not Dead…But Someone Is” (B+)

Leave it to this show to pull off some brilliant casting by having John Michael Higgins as a manners expert to square off with the very manner-less Shawn. It’s very much like when David Strathairn played a chess mastermind on “Monk,” though admittedly the results here are much funnier. His telling Shawn that he would be shaking in his boots if Shawn was wearing any buttons was hands-down my favorite line of the episode. Jean Smart was also an impressive choice to play the dame of his dreams who, for a while, was the prime suspect in the case. I liked the miniscule incorporation of Henry into the case, when the gentleman instructor pointed out that Henry had been kicked out of his class. Juliet’s emphasis on the fact that Lassie is creepy was funny, and it seemed to me as if Juliet was rather irritable this episode. I’ve read a few negative articles about how “Psych” is getting old and losing its flavor, but I disagree. I think it’s just as entertaining as ever, and it was never supposed to be taken overly seriously. I also enjoyed “Monk” for its entire run though, so what do I know? One important thing to point out that I was surprised to find missing from this episode, however, was the usually-present introduction of the episode with a flashback to Shawn and Gus as kids. I thought perhaps the hall at the beginning would transform with time to show the present, and the lack of a little Shawn and Gus caught me a bit off guard. I only started watching in the show’s second season – has this ever happened before?