Mexican Standoff, Review: Psych - "Santabarbaratown 2"

Season 7, Episode 1

Air Date: Wednesday, February 27, 2013, 10/9c on USA

Rating: ★★★★★

“You gotta save him, that’s my dad.” -Shawn

Shawn has a plan, what could go wrong?

“Santabarbaratown 2” picks up right after Henry is shot and the first thing we learn is that Shawn (James Roday) witnessed the shooting. Henry is rushed to the hospital as Shawn rambles on about all kinds of gunshot facts, none of which are true. “I’m pretty sure like 90% of gunshot wounds are psychological,” a nervous Shawn tells his unconscious father.

Shawn’s dialogue at his father’s bedside is great and had to be a difficult thing for the writers—having to create a comedy around a somber event. But they nail it with the right blend of humor and seriousness. This is especially true with Shawn and how he copes with the situation, not to mention how it impacts some of the decisions he makes. Breaking up the somber atmosphere is a great scene with Woody (Kurt Fuller) that is hilarious, and, as he puts it, “awkward.”

I love the return of Chelsea (Arden Myrin), who we last saw in season six’s “Neil Simon’s Lover Retreat.” She is just one of the Psych characters that is are so likable and so annoying at the same time. In “Santabarbaratown 2,” she just so happens to be trolling for older men at the hospital and takes it upon herself to help nurse Henry back to health. What’s so nice about her character’s return is I never see it coming yet it fits so perfectly, I can’t see Henry’s recovery playing out any other way. Henry’s reaction upon waking up and seeing her face is priceless.

I knew it was only a matter of time before Gus’s (Dule Hill) gluttonous eating habits would catch up with him, causing severe consequences. Has Gus learned his lesson and stop eating food he finds laying around? Somehow, I don’t think so. For whatever reason, Gus finds it necessary to continue this behavior.

Lassiter with a better plan

I doubt I was the only one surprised to see Shawn getting guidance from Lassiter (Timothy Omundson). When he asks him why he is helping, Lassiter explains he would do the same thing if he were in Shawn’s shoes, referring to Shawn’s rogue behavior. This is one of the things that makes this episode so enjoyable; the tone of some of the scenes allow characters to take a minute to take a break from much of the silliness and have serious moments, including one between Shawn and Lassiter. While the tender moment doesn’t last long, it adds to each character’s growth.

My one complaint is the whole gun-running subplot kind of gets lost in the narrative, especially when viewing parts one and two of “Santabarbaratown,” back to back. The two episodes feel like two separate stories rather than having this season premiere as the culmination of last season’s finale (other than Henry getting shot). Sure, it provides for some funny moments, especially the possible demise of Gus car, “The Blueberry,” and introducing us to his new loaner vehicle, “The Cranberry,” but there is nothing of real substance in this subplot.

As I said in my Advance Review, I enjoyed the slightly different version of Shawn’s psych visions. Now, we are given a 3-D type effect that practically pulls what Shawn sees off the screen into our homes.

Eleven months has been a long time for Psych fans to wait in between seasons. However, any doubts I had about Psych’s seventh season have been put to rest. Psych is back and so far, it has hit the ground running. The writing feels fresh and re-energized. The big question is: Can it keep getting better or will it run out of steam?

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Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.