What I’m Watching: Psych (Season Finale)

Psych: Season 5, Episode 16 “Yang 3 in 2D” (B+)

It’s interesting to me that this show has chosen to come back to a particular plotline in the final episode of each of the last three seasons, never addressing it in any other installments. Perhaps it’s some sort of attempt to show people that this show is capable of actually being serious as it goes off the airwaves for a few months, but I suppose the pre-mortem bickering between Shawn and Gus sort of negates that theory. Even so, it works well enough, and it’s intriguing to see the characters try to get serious for the hour. I was surprised to see Mena Suvari as the kidnap victim slash serial killer apprentice, having last seen her in the heinous December 10 theatrical release “Hemingway’s Garden of Eden.” It’s good to see that Suvari is still capable of good acting, even in a small, somewhat thin part. I was thrilled and impressed (and unaware of prior to seeing the episode) with the casting of Peter Weller as Mr. Yin. Weller has played big bad guys on both “24” and “Dexter” recently, so why shouldn’t he be the mastermind here as well? I very much enjoyed Gus’ questions about what he was being injected with and how he was going to die, which led to both him and Shawn explaining their reasons for wanting to die first. Shawn’s desire to go play badminton with Yang after she went back to jail reminded me of how Monk wanted to go visit his friend Andy Richter after he got arrested for trying to kill him. Different motivations and levels of awareness, sure, but still entertaining. In July, I do hope to see much more of Juliet and Shawn’s relationship, but it’s been a good year just like always.

Season grade: B+
Season MVP: James Roday