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last01standing(no, Really.)
No show has character development like Psych. And no show is less likely to have character development then Psych. I mean the very premise is Shawn Spencer, a gifted drifter, making a mockery of police proceedings. Looking at this premise you might say, why it’s impossible for the show to exist if Shawn would somehow evolve. But it happened.
Shawn Spencer episode one pretends to be a psychic to get out of a jam after he views an officer with occult paraphernalia. Coupled with his tendency for the theatrics and his photographic memory his act is convincing enough to land him a job. He doesn’t seem to take it terribly seriously but he’s Shawn. He takes nothing seriously. The only inclination that this will last any longer then his “57 jobs since [he] left high school” is the look that comes over his face near the end of the episode when he gets a confession out of a murderer. Shock and satisfaction. Before the end of the episode he’s created his fake psychic detective agency, Psych.
Despite his extroverted personality, Shawn is portrayed as a bit of a loner. With the exception of his best friend, Gus and his Dad (who disapproves of almost everything he does) he doesn’t seem to have much in terms of long term relationships. He is charming but does not appear to have ever had a serious romantic involvement. But this starts to change too. The first instance we see of this is his desire to help Lassiter solve a case to boost his confidence. There is also his growing infatuation with Juliet and to a lesser degree his rapport with the chief and Buzz.
Season three has brought by far the most noticeable shifts in Shawn’s characterization. In “Ghosts” he learns that a long time grudge held against his father for causing his parent’s divorce was unfounded. In "Murder? … Anyone? … Anyone? … Bueller?" we not only see Shawn acknowledge Gus’s friendship and help (when in previous instances such as "Shawn vs. the Red Phantom" he was far more likely to just mock him.) and get a confirmatory glimpse at Shawn’s inability to commit. “Gus Walks into a Bank” showcases how deep his friendships run with Gus as well as Lassiter (!) and Juliet.
Even as though Shawn continues to lie to the police throughout this, in “Truer Lies” we get the idea this bothers him at least a little. In this episode he tries to prove a pathological liar’s is telling the truth. The liar tracks all too easily onto how we see Shawn. By proving that this liar has some intrinsic value despite his continued deceit he somehow can justify his own charade.
In the season finale Shawn remains upbeat and joking even as a serial killer is targeting him not because he really is that big an ass but because he doesn’t know how to function any other way. In a lot of ways Shawn’s jokes and psychic charade have become infused into his character to the point where he can’t function without it.
And Shawn’s not the only one who’s changed. His partner Burton “Gus” Guster went from an almost reluctant participant who screamed and ran away like a little girl and ran at the first sign of trouble to a full participant in the proceedings of Psych and someone who (in “Friday the 17th”) actually ended up going head to head with a serial killer. Plus now he only sometimes runs away when he finds a body.
Lassiter went from a rather socially inept, friendless cop who was too proud to ever ask for help to someone with healthy relationships (in Jules, Vick and more recently Shawn) who would seek out Shawn’s help when needed. Though still the biggest skeptic of Shawn’s charade he accepts Shawn’s genuine skill and usefulness. Now, instead of being a constant stick-in-the-mud and product of Shawn and Gus’s pranks, he’s a more active participant in banter and a genuine give and take.
But all these reasons are not why Psych’s the best at characterization. No, Psych’s the best because despite the massive amounts of character growth, the characters are still the same people. Too many shows sacrifice personality of their characters in the names of increasing development. Psych doesn’t do that at all. Shawn makes his random eighties references, pretends to be psychic and is a complete ass to everyone around him. Gus may not run away when he sees a body anymore but you can bet he’s still nauseous and scared as hell. No matter how much Lassiter may secretly respect Shawn, he’s still going to be uptight and disapprove of his methods.
In conclusion: Psych WINS. FOREVER. (I cannot wait for the summer and a new season)
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(no subject)
21/2/09 21:38 (UTC)(no subject)
22/2/09 18:17 (UTC)It's true though. Forget the character archs in SPN. Psych BLOWS THEM AWAY.
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23/2/10 03:59 (UTC)(no subject)
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3/4/10 15:53 (UTC)(no subject)
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23/4/10 02:27 (UTC)