Written By Steve
Score: 8/10 (Good!)
Bottom Line: Watch It
To-The-Point: Psych makes a leap towards recapturing the magic of the first two seasons, while providing a few sweet emotional moments. Although the mystery is somewhat lacking and viewers need a Master's Degree in 80's movie trivia to understand much of the humor, Psych delivers a solid episode that should attract hardcore fans, new viewers, and John Hughes devotees.
Complete Truth: Even if you've only seen an episode or two of Psych, you are probably aware that the writing tends to favor references to all things 80's. Many modern shows and marketing techniques target this nostalgic period, but at least it makes sense with the characters on Psych, unlike other shows. This episode is dedicated exclusively to every person that has pumped their fist in triumph to Simple Minds' Don't You (Forget About Me), skipped school to drive a 1961 Ferrari to Chicago, or tried to use their computer to engineer the woman of their dreams (I know I have).
"Murder?" seems to have been written primarily on the basis of finding a setting and storyline to force in as many 80s references as possible, as the plot of the episode involves Shawn and Gus attending their conveniently and awkwardly-timed 13th-year high school reunion. Shawn doesn't seem to remember much from high school, probably since he was too busy watching Sixteen Candles and TGIF among other things, but he soon recognizes a familiar face - Abigail, the girl that got away. It's here that the murder mystery is brought into focus, with Shawn luckily(?) finding himself in the right place at the right time to witness a body fall from the roof.
Hail to the Prom King, baby.
It's obvious that the writers, actors, and director of "Murder?" had a blast with this episode, as many iconic scenes from classic films are replicated throughout. Every aspect of the episode - from characters to settings to jokes - is an homage to the pop culture of a time when guys looked like girls and girls looked like...hell, even I don't know. Besides the main murder mystery, subplots explore several characters and further develop their personalities. Shawn is heartbroken about a poor decision that altered his life forever, Gus believes that he's a failure, and Jules tries to find Lassiter a date. "Murder?" balances humor and emotion with much more grace than the previous episode, mixing witty banter and observations with sweet moments mainly revolving around Shawn - talking about life with his father, realizing he is falling in love with Jules, and finally giving Gus his due.
With clever jabs at pop culture, plenty of sentimental moments, and an exploration into the past of our characters, Psych recovers from a mediocre season premiere to deliver a solid return to form of Shawn and Gus solving a murder mystery. Although the humor could've been expanded to include other targets and the mystery wasn't exactly tough to figure out, Psych still delivers.
Side Note: Miss the pineapple? There are actually multiple pineapples - all found on the refreshment and sign-in tables at the beginning of the episode.
Created by Steve Franks
Written by Steve Franks
Directed by Steve Surjik
Starring James Roday, Dule Hill, Corbin Bernsen, Kirsten Nelson, Timothy Omundson, Maggie Lawson, and Cybill Shepherd
Fridays at 10:00 pm EST on the USA Network
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