Psych's Out

I’ve been remiss in commenting on the return of USA’s Psych. But if you haven’t been watching (Fridays at 10), then you’ve been remiss, too, so we’ll call it even.

I love this show. I think it works better for me than that other USA staple, Monk, because I love seeing characters having fun, and Monk ain’t exactly Mr. Fun. Don’t get me wrong, angst definitely has a place in television, with shows like Lost bringing it on regularly. But every once in a while, it’s great to kick back and watch people running around enjoying life. Getting into trouble, sure, but having fun while doing it. Part of what makes House so watchable is that, for all of his ornery, miserable crankiness, House has a great sense of humor and has a great deal of fun (albeit always at someone else’s expense).

Psych this season’s been antics as usual. Cybil Shepard has been introduced as Sean’s long-absent mom, but as always, the case-of-the-week wacky hijinks take precedence, keeping angst to a minimum. There’s definitely something to be said for shows that allow you to drop in and out as viewing habits allow without getting too mired in mythology and canon. And above all else, Psych is great fun, and really well written. And if you need a more shallow reason to watch, James Roday and Dulé Hill are totally hot. Maggie Lawson provides spunky feminine eyecandy if that’s more your style. And she and co-star/boyfriend Roday did an episode of Fear, Itself, “In Sickness and in Health”, that sadly isn’t available on Hulu. But you can watch “New Year’s Day”, a decent zombie yarn with a fun twist.

Speaking of zombies, you should also watch “I Love Sarah Jane”, a great Aussie short film. It’s Dawn of the Dead meets Lord of the Flies with a sweet, puppylove core. And zombies.

I know, I started out talking about Psych and ended up talking about zombies. That happens to me more than I care to admit.