'Psych' by Steve Franks Review: A creative, and very enjoyable detective series

Psych is a television series combined of shows we've all seen before. Containing elements of the numerous crime shows in which a group of characters must solve a mysterious event each episode, as each episode's writing explores different characters and their strengths and weaknesses. There's elements of The X Files in its mystery at times. There's even hints of the show Monk in which the protagonist is constantly out-of-place and providing comedic elements to each episode.

Psych, however, is one of my favourite shows due to its ability to be everything at one and still remain very good. It's a show that went on for a total of 120 episodes without ever really dropping its quality; and it's a show that you probably won't see again for a long time due to the increase in television show production costs and the world of fast content. Eight entire seasons is a long time for a cast to stick to a single production, and it's even more surprising that a production kept it going well beyond a fourth season. I should also add that they've made three additional films based on the series since its conclusion!

There's a good chance you've never heard of Psych, though. While it is highly acclaimed and ran alongside Monk, it never really reached audiences outside of Canada and the United States; Canada being where the majority of the series was filmed.

Psych

Psych follows two main characters: childhood friends that are actually very different people. Shaun which holds the ability to be very observational of his surroundings and pick up on the smallest details, and Gus who has a rather average adult life without Shaun. The two create a fake psychic detective company in attempt to solve crimes for money. Shaun, being the immature one, is often the one bringing Gus into numerous strange scenarios where Gus serves as a backup.

Before each episode starts, we see flashbacks to when the two characters were children, and see the many lessons Shaun had to learn from his father, who ultimately taught him how to pick up on the little details in life with simple observational awareness and people reading skills. These clips of the past allow for some context and additional depth into the characters as we see the frameworks behind who they are today and how they solve various issues, both personal and public.

Unlike the many series you'd find today, Psych has no main narrative. Each episode follows a different story and set of issues to solve. Often with many new characters being added to those stories. Due to this, the show is incredibly flexible in how it portrays its characters and character development; there's often episodes with problems that show a particular character's strength or weaknesses which add to their development and depth.

While there's still some drama in each episode, and in the main characters, there's plenty of room for the dialogue to take reign and find ways to connect our characters to their issues, all while providing plenty of witty lines referring to aspects of pop-culture and general life that make our characters not just a little more relatable, but displays their lack of general maturity despite the situations they find themselves in.

This disconnect from the serious elements of the narratives in each episodes is great. It provides a dynamic in which characters seemingly luck themselves in and out of all kinds of situations that typically take a lot of thought, time, and risk to address for the average person. These situations are still rather serious and there's always the lingering threat of potentially some malicious intent from killers and general criminals, but it's the balance between comedy -- or perhaps idiocy -- and seriousness which makes the episodes stand out alongside their more serious influences.

Writing and atmosphere

Psych mostly takes part in a sunny part of California, where things are typically very peaceful and relaxed. Though each episode features some narrative surrounding some type of crime that has been conducted. Often enough there's some little twist within the narrative that the characters have to pick up on through numerous tests that slowly lead them in numerous directions before finding the truth. This allows for each episode to feel unique to the last one, but also sets up the show for numerous locations and and environments for these characters to flourish in. Through this we're also given more insight into these characters and seeing them on a more human level in which we're capable of connecting to as an audience.

Not only does this change the pacing of each episode, it allows us to see the characters with different elements that alter our prior perception of them as they adapt and grow alongside new challenges. Sometimes we see the characters around specific events which call for increased set design, and during such moments the directing, writing, and cinematography adapt to that environment to set the atmosphere. Episodes that appear to have supernatural aspects in their narratives use more comedic style of music in the background, so you're never taken too far out of the comedy.

Music also plays a big part in adding to the witty lines in which things are strange or confusing. There's notes that are played to add to the obscurity in the two main characters as they come across different people and figure out creative ways to sneak into places they shouldn't be in or to get out of situations in which they've been caught doing something.

The cinematography often reflects these moments with close-up perspectives or certain angles that promote the idea of fear or regarding the unknown to the characters. In times, it's actually very creative and there's a lot of attention to the details of how each episode is themed. It's clear that a large amount of the budget went into ensuring that the episodes had both style and substance even with a single camera setup.

This structure allows for the show to be incredibly enjoyable. You'll notice that hours have gone by and you're still watching as the episodes continue to roll. Even at a runtime of about 46 minutes per episode.

A show of the past

It's clear that Psych is a show that wouldn't be made today; it's simply far too good with a cast that was completely unheard of back when it began to air. It has so much attention to detail and each episode has a quality (and maybe budget) higher than most entire shows you'd find today from streaming services. It's very well put together and there's certainly some passion in it. Its comedy is done incredibly will without it being too specific to certain events or periods of time, meaning it very rarely feels dated and out of touch with a modern viewer.

I can't begin to count the number of times in which I've returned to this show and rewatched it, only to feel as if I never had seen it before. Somehow, it always manages to pull me back in for another viewing, and each time I enjoy it just as much as I did before.

Its cast is perfect, and each performance is unique enough to allow each of these characters to sit with you without you ever feeling tired of their onscreen presence. Psych is simply one of those rare shows which has been crafted to near perfection.