Working for the Weekend. Recap: Psych - “Cog Blocked”

Season 8, Episode 5

Air Date: Wednesday, February 5, 2014, 9/8c on USA

Rating: ★★★★★

“There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that I’ve been murdered.” – Gus

Shawn (James Roday) and Gus (Dule Hill) arrive at a crime scene where Gus meets his doppelganger, John “Russ” Russell. The two are similar in almost every manner — from the way they dress and eat, to the style and look of their apartments. There’s only one problem…Russ is dead.

Lassiter (Timothy Omundson) and Shawn both think Russ killed himself but as Gus searches though the apartment, he realizes how much he and Russ were alike. Convinced neither of them would ever commit suicide, Gus believes Russ was murdered.

Gus: “Find me a clue; find me a clue, now.”

Shawn: “There are no clues; I can’t just make stuff up.”

Gus: “That’s all you ever do.”

Gus takes the lead to prove he, or should I say, Russ was murdered. The first stop is Russ’ employer, California Coast Insurance (CCI), which looks surprisingly a lot like Gus’ employer, Central Coast Pharmaceutical. There, Gus is shocked to learn the employees of CCI aren’t upset about Russ’ death at all.

Quan Phung (Fane Tse), an employee who seems all too eager to call dibs on Russ’ things, prompts Gus to give an emotional speech in front of the employees at Central Coast Pharmaceutical—oops, CCI about grieving the loss of a coworker. “A man has died and you must at least let his hard drive cool before you may claim his computer as your own.”

The investigation leads Shawn and Gus to a club where they meet Emanuelle (Kali Hawk), a mysterious private investigator whom Russ had hired to help him look into an insurance scam.

Together Shawn, Gus, and Emanuelle team up, not only to solve the mystery behind the insurance scam but, more importantly, to find out who killed Russ.

I enjoyed “Cog Blocked” simply because it’s a rare Psych episode that makes you think. What would happen if you were to die? How would those around you view or remember your life? Gus’ dedication to the case, however, is less about the murder and more about trying to find validation in his own life by examining Russ’ life and comparing it to his.

“Cog Blocked” is the beginning of the end for Psych and it is no surprise that the episode is followed by a special announcement from Roday and Hill about the March 26, 2014 series final. Although “ rumor” has it, this will not be the last we see of Shawn and Gus.

Ending a series is always difficult and with only five episodes remaining, it is interesting to see the direction the writers are taking. All of a sudden, Gus seems to be making some major changes in his life, and Juliet (Maggie Lawson) appears less involved in Shawn’s life other than that random phone call.

The big disappointment is what the writers seem to be doing to Shawn’s character — reverting him back to the way he was in the “Pilot.” Shawn has come a long way from being the lazy slacker who bounces from job to job, ignoring responsibility. Shawn’s behavior in “Cog Blocked” is annoying, and for that reason, I am thankful Gus is the focus of the episode. I am not sure I could have handled Shawn’s exasperating behavior for the entire episode. I wish the writers would take a different approach because it would be a shame if Psych ended without some kind of growth and maturity from Shawn. *hint hint*

Tweet me @staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about “Cog Blocked.”

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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.