Psych: Season 7, Episodes 1 and 2 “Santabarbaratown 2” and “Juliet Takes a Luvvah” (B-)
I have mixed feelings about USA Network. I used to enjoy all of their shows and watch them religiously, but I easily gave up on both “White Collar” and “Suits” last month since there was much more dramatic and compelling fare airing on other channels. Now, the longest-running USA show still on the air, and the only one not to air this summer when the network was functioning at full capacity on multiple nights a week is back, and I’m unsure of how I feel about it. Seven seasons in, the show has gotten somewhat ridiculous, and it’s becoming more and more obsessed with outright parodies than with actual cases that can have funny elements inserted to enhance them. The premiere episode of the season was extensively overdramatic in terms of Shawn’s pursuit of his father’s shooter, and mixing the actual concern Shawn has for his father with the comedy of their relationship and the presence of Chelsea doesn’t always lead to effective results. The case itself was quite interesting, and I liked how it played out on its own. Episode two was wholly over-the-top with Juliet’s infatuation with Mr. Possibilities, not to mention the Chief’s. Shawn is getting much less perceptive, and it’s frustrating to see him fail to realize the simplicity and ultimate inaccuracy of his discoveries. Living with his parents and walking in on them having sex was an unnecessary distraction, and it’s about time that he moved in with Juliet, however unlikely that relationship remains. Parminder Nagra’s Rachel is an intriguing addition to the cast, and I think that Gus actually could handle dating someone with a kid, since it’s arguably better than dating a serial killer. This show was renewed in December for an eighth season, which makes me less inclined to stick with the show than if it was in its final year. We’ll see if the next few episodes improve or if this is another one that doesn’t need to be mandatory weekly viewing anymore.
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