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Tested with VLC on PC and also on Xbox 360 using Playon server to stream content.
Psych is an American crime/mystery comedy television series that premiered on July 7, 2006 on USA Network. It is the network's longest running current original series. It stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer who uses his eidetic memory with the observational and investigative skills that his father ingrained in him during childhood to fake being a psychic who consults with the Santa Barbara Police Department to solve cases, as well as running a psychic detective agency called Psych. He is (reluctantly) helped in his charade by his best friend, Burton "Gus" Guster (Dulé Hill), and his father, Henry Spencer (Corbin Bernsen). He generally works with police detectives Carlton Lassiter (Timothy Omundson) and Juliet O'Hara (Maggie Lawson) and under the direction of Police Chief Karen Vick (Kirsten Nelson).
Episodes usually begin with a flashback to Shawn's youth, showcasing one of Henry's lessons for his son. These lessons are typically used or applied later in the episode.
A sixth season of the show, consisting of 16 episodes, premiered on October 12, 2011.
Overview
Most episodes begin with a cold open in the form of a flashback. These flashbacks show that Henry Spencer (Corbin Bernsen) wished that his son would follow in his footsteps and become a law enforcement officer. In preparation, Henry helps Shawn hone his powers of observation and deduction, often using games and challenges to test him. Each flashback also sets the theme for the episode, based on the challenge Shawn's father presents him.
Shawn (James Roday) originally becomes known as a psychic when, after calling in tips on dozens of crime covered on the news, which help the police to close the case, the police become suspicious of his knowledge. The police theorize that such knowledge could only come from the "inside" and they decide to arrest him as a suspect. To avoid being sent to jail, Shawn uses his observational skills to convince the police that he is psychic. The interim police chief warns Shawn that if his "powers" are fake, he will be prosecuted. With no choice but to keep up the act, and having proven himself an effective aid to the police in solving crimes, he establishes a psychic detective agency, Psych, and becomes a consultant to the police. Pretending to have psychic powers allows him to engage in strange and comic behavior as he turns real clues into hunches and otherworldly visitations. He enjoys teasing lifelong friend Gus, a pharmaceutical representative, about Gus's eclectic interests.
Head detective Carlton Lassiter (Timothy Omundson), playfully named "Lassie" by Shawn and Gus, quietly respects Shawn's crime-solving skills but doubts his psychic abilities and is constantly exasperated by his antics. On the contrary, junior detective Juliet O'Hara (Maggie Lawson) and Chief Vick (Kirsten Nelson) are far less antagonistic – with O'Hara expressing belief in Shawn's abilities, while Vick is mum on the subject – and usually willing to give Shawn the leeway he needs to solve cases. Henry and Shawn have a difficult relationship, but despite this, Henry reluctantly helps Shawn on various occasions.
Main characters
Shawn Spencer (James Roday) is a freelance consultant with the Santa Barbara Police Department, pretending to be a psychic. However, it is really his exceptional observational skills and eidetic memory that allow him to obtain his "visions". He refuses to take anything seriously, though has matured slowly throughout the seasons. He has had romantic tension with Juliet since they met, which led them to start dating in the middle of season 5.
Burton "Gus" Guster (Dulé Hill) is Shawn's best friend and business partner. He also is a pharmaceuticals salesman. Unlike Shawn, he takes his work very seriously, and usually tries to act professionally, yet usually ends up as invested in jokes and snacks as Shawn is. He is famous for his many aliases (usually given to him by Shawn), including "Magic Head", "Lavender Gooms", "Ghee Buttersnaps", and "Control Alt Delete". He is known for being attracted to all types of females, who usually end up as the prime suspect.
Carlton "Lassie" Lassiter (Timothy Omundson) is the head detective for the Santa Barbara Police Department. He is skeptical of Shawn's psychic abilities, and is extremely annoyed by Shawn's comic antics. However, he occasionally must come to Psych for help with his more difficult cases.
Juliet "Jules" O'Hara (Maggie Lawson) is a junior detective for the Santa Barbara Police Department, and is Lassiter's partner. She joined the SBPD after Lassiter's old partner got transferred in season 1, and was originally a cop in Miami. Throughout the series she and Shawn share constant romantic tension, and the two start dating in season 5.
Chief Karen Vick (Kirsten Nelson) is the SBPD Chief. She is tough but fair, usually reluctant to hire Shawn and Gus for cases, but almost always gives in. She respects Shawn's help and input but firmly keeps him in check (as much as she can) when he pushes the limits of the law or her patience.
Henry Spencer (Corbin Bernsen) is Shawn's uptight and precise father and a former police sergeant. He is usually visited by Shawn with questions about various cases, but is usually reluctant to help. He has been rehired to the SBPD to be in charge of the department's consultants, much to Shawn's chagrin. At the end of Season 6, Henry quit the SBPD and then was shot by a former police partner in the season's cliffhanger ending.
"Ghosts" Stephen Surjik Steve Franks July 18, 2008
Gus's boss (Todd Stashwick) forces him to choose between his pharmaceutical sales job and the Psych agency, so Shawn decides to save both jobs by investigating the home of the company's V.P. (Christopher McDonald), which appears to be haunted. In the meantime, Shawn must deal with the return of his mother Madeleine (Cybill Shepherd), a psychiatrist who is in town to evaluate some of Santa Barbara's finest, including Lassiter.
"Murder? … Anyone? … Anyone? … Bueller?" Michael McMurray Andy Berman July 25, 2008
At first, no one believes Shawn when he claims that a murder took place at his and Gus's high school reunion, mainly because there's no body. As he puts the pieces together, Shawn must also deal with his old flame Abigail (Rachael Leigh Cook), whom he stood up back in high school, and shows a vulnerable side of himself never seen before. Henry continues to try and reconnect with his ex-wife Madeline (Cybill Shepherd), and in the process shows up at the reunion.
"Daredevils!" John Badham Anupam Nigam August 1, 2008
Shawn suspects sabotage when he sees a daredevil (Jeff Fahey) almost die during one of his stunts. As he and Gus get into his inner circle, however, they come to realize that there is sabotage involved, but it has nothing to do with someone holding a grudge. Also, Vick tasks O'Hara with a near-impossible task: finding Lassiter a girlfriend.
"The Greatest Adventure in the History of Basic Cable" Jay Chandrasekhar Josh Bycel August 8, 2008
What starts out as a treasure hunt turns into a life-or-death situation when Shawn's uncle Jack (Steven Weber) arrives in town with a map apparently leading to an ancient Spanish treasure. Gus and Henry get involved, as well as the detectives, when all of Jack's ex-partners show up looking for the treasure, and they all have a bone to pick with him.
"Disco Didn't Die. It Was Murdered!" Mel Damski Saladin K. Patterson August 15, 2008
In 1978, Henry achieved his career bust by arresting a man who was plotting to bomb the SBPD. When the culprit's conviction gets overturned, Henry must stay out of sight while Shawn attempts to put the would-be bomber behind bars again, only to realize that the case goes way beyond one man.
"There Might Be Blood" John Badham Kell Cahoon August 22, 2008
A safety inspector's death on an offshore oil rig appears to be accidental, but Vick encounters difficulty with the Coast Guard – of which her sister (Jane Lynch) is a Commander – over jurisdiction. As Shawn finds himself as an unwitting pawn in their sibling rivalry, he finds out why the inspector was killed, and stumbles upon a missing person's case in the process.
"Talk Derby to Me" Steve Miner Tim Meltreger September 5, 2008
Juliet goes undercover as a roller derby skater after Shawn deduces that a string of robberies have been committed by one of the teams. The case takes a turn when one of the robbers (Mickie James) botches a drop, and Shawn deduces that the robberies were a cover for something bigger. In the meantime, Gus is studying to get re-certified for his pharmaceutical sales job.
"Gus Walks Into a Bank" Eric Laneuville Andy Berman September 12, 2008
Gus ends up in a hostage situation after he walks into a bank. As Shawn attempts to negotiate with the gunman (Alan Ruck), he realizes that the situation was not meant to be a bank robbery, and not only does he butt heads with the chief negotiator (Gary Cole), he discovers something about Juliet that he would rather just forget.
"Christmas Joy" John Landis Saladin K. Patterson November 28, 2008
Gus's sister Joy (Faune A. Chambers) comes to town for the holidays, and she seems very intent on continuing a past relationship with Shawn, who doesn't want Gus to know about it. When a little girl (Cassandra Sawtell) comes into Psych and asks Shawn and Gus to get a local Santa out of jail, they begin to think they've been conned, until a dead body turns up. Meanwhile, the Gusters (including Phylicia Rashad and Keith David) discover that they have been keeping various secrets from each other. Psych's second annual Christmas special.
"Six Feet Under the Sea" Steve Franks Steve Franks January 9, 2009
Shawn is none too pleased when Gus drags him to a funeral for local celebrity 'Shabby the Sea Lion' who was found dead after being released into the wild. Shawn sets out to prove it was murder and stumbles onto a bigger conspiracy.
"Lassie Did a Bad, Bad Thing" Stephen Surjik Kell Cahoon January 16, 2009
Lassiter has never liked the presence of Shawn and Gus since they became consultants in solving cases, but he finds himself in need of their help when he is the main suspect in a murder committed in his own precinct. Shawn is already certain that Lassiter is not guilty, and deduces that the killing was an inside job.
"Earth, Wind and... Wait for It" Tim Matheson Anupam Nigam January 23, 2009
An arson investigator (Milena Govich) gets no help when she suspects that a recent fire was the result of arson and not an accident, but all it takes is Shawn's intervention to reveal that an arsonist/murderer is on the loose, so he and Gus infiltrate the firehouse that put out the fire to find out how deep the case really goes.
"Any Given Friday Night at 10pm, 9pm Central" Mel Damski Josh Bycel January 30, 2009
Shawn and Gus go undercover at a professional football training camp - whose coach (Mykelti Williamson) has a history with Shawn - when the foot of the team's missing kicker is discovered. At first it appears that he was killed by Russians to whom he owed a lot of money, but as Shawn keeps digging, he learns that the case is not at all what it seems.
"Truer Lies" Martha Coolidge Victoria Walker February 6, 2009
A pathological liar Ryan (Jonathan Silverman) with a history of lying to the police is suspected of killing his super, and also claims to know about an assassination plot. Shawn is able to figure out that this liar is actually telling the truth, which leads him and Gus to an amnesiac, Tom Lieber (Jared Hillman), and the truth behind the case.
"Tuesday the 17th" James Roday James Roday and Steve Franks February 13, 2009
Shawn and Gus are hired by a childhood friend named Jason Cunningham (MacKenzie Astin) to find a missing camp counselor who disappeared near their old sleep-away campgrounds, Camp Tikihama. Suddenly, Gus and Shawn find themselves entangled in a web of murder mystery when they are all stalked by a psychotic killer. Shawn then discovers they have been invited there by Jason as "test subjects" because he is reopening the camp as a horror camp, a place where people pay to have themselves chased by a "killer". After Jason reveals the truth behind the incident, everyone present finds themselves with the roads closed, and trapped. This time, at the mercy of a real killer. When people begin winding up dead, Shawn, Gus, and O'Hara try to find out who the killer is before it is too late. Meanwhile, Lassiter has dinner with his estranged wife Victoria (Justine Bateman), but it's a meeting he would rather forget.
"An Evening with Mr. Yang" Mel Damski Andy Berman and James Roday February 20, 2009
Shawn decides to ask his high school crush Abigail (Rachael Leigh Cook) out on a real date, but he soon finds himself the target of the mysterious Mr. Yang (Ally Sheedy), a notorious serial killer who has been in exile since 1995. Shawn immediately suspects another consultant (Jimmi Simpson), but soon realizes that Yang will not be an easy catch. The feud becomes personal when Madeleine Spencer (Cybill Shepherd) is kidnapped, and Shawn must push himself to his limits to solve this case.
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