Lucy (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
luciazephyr) wrote2007-01-26 11:47 pm
luciazephyr) wrote2007-01-26 11:47 pm
I haven't had Deep Fannish Thoughts like this in ages.
Initial reactions to the latest Psych episode are very positive, I notice. I have to say, FList, I'm wondering if we were all watching the same show. I'll take this time to emulate ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
miriam_heddy, the woman who made me hate Numb3rs, and tell you what I thought of this episode.
Miriam, if you read this, I am totally kidding. I love your reviews and would still read them if I hadn't totally given up on N3.
The Good
-Opening scene of the episode was very good. Shawn playing rebound for the poor gal, then turning it around for her so she didn't lose her soon-to-be-fiance? Excellently done, and I tend to roll my eyes at Shawn's rapid solutions. This one was sweet and his little self-depreciating, "well, I'm not getting any tonight" smile was... I was impressed for some reason that he let the pretty girl go so easily. He was being a Good Guy, and in this episode? That just doesn't jive with me, but more on that later. I'm trying to go in order here.
-Lassiter. Oh, Lassiter. Someone give TO a prize for, in one short scene, showing so much about his character. Oh, I luff. He's the kind of drunk who can carry on perfect conversation and probably complete a cop's line test until he just has that one too many and he's suddenly very open about his troubles. Oh, I love. Sitting on his own and the bitterness but cold-hearted acceptance in his voice. Lovely. I got the impression that despite being in what should be his prime on the police force, he's just tired. Maybe move back to New York, back new his family, start over, open a bookstore. But the insanely complex backstory I have in my head for Carlton is not the point. Leave that for another time.
-Shawn commenting on Lassiter's eyes. THANK YOU. TO has fucking gorgeous eyes. Love.
-The running gag with stalking was very fun to me. Gus being sneaky is fun and the rapport between Gus and Shawn was in top form. Shawn just loves to drive Gus nuts and Gus is so lassiez faire about it at this point, it kinda rolls off him.
-Janitor Guy was just fantastic. Heh, he's weird so obviously he killed the guy? And he's a kleptomanic! And he's all cute and fits the Socially Awkward Scientist mold more than the actual scientists.
-RICHARD EFFIN' KIND. HAHA. I did not know he'd be in this episode, but was so happy to see him. Yeah, he can be annoying and (especially to SGA fen) creepy as fuck, but I liked him here.
-Final scene between Shawn and Lassiter in the office. I'll contradict myself when I start on about the Bad in this episode, but one thing I did like in this scene was, again, Lassiter. When he hauled Shawn aside, I immediately thought back to my favorite scene in the series thus far in "Woman Seeking...", when Lassiter grabbed Shawn and literally yanked him out of the office. This time, though, shows a great deal of growth for Carlton and a HUGE change in his relationship with Shawn. Sit down, slashers, that's not what I meant. I mean he's not intimidated by Shawn anymore. He doesn't look at Shawn and think "MUST ARREST THIS LITTLE BASTARD, RAWR" anymore, but actually has a calm, collected conversation with Shawn concerning both his wife and how he's warming up to Juliet. If it escaped your attention... *smacks all of you* Lassiter confided in Shawn, ya'll. Ladies and gentlemen, we have Character Development. YAY.
-Gus solved the case. Kinda.
The Bad
-This episode upset me, from it's set-up to it's ending. This entire episode revolved around Shawn's increasingly annoying God Complex. Let's go through what happened, without the show's usual rose-tinted lenses, shall we?
-Shawn messing up Gus's date. I'd have punched him and I want Gus to, in any upcoming episode, snap and totally pwn Shawn. Please.
Final Thoughts:
I desperately want to think that the TPTB are intending to take Shawn down this path, but I highly doubt it. Chris said that there needs to be an episode around season two in which Shawn's constant manipulation completely and totally backfires. I'm prone to agree because, really, the show needs to stop pimping Shawn out as the panacea to all problems. He's not. I'd appreciate the writers treating me with an ounce of respect.
That said... if next week has an awesome, smart, clever Lassiter who's rebounded from his depression well? I'll forgive this episode. I want my Lassiter to rock the cashbah, plz.
^ = if you get this joke, lemme know. I'll he utterly floored if anyone catches the reference.
*steps off soapbox, has a cup of tea*
-Luce
miriam_heddy, the woman who made me hate Numb3rs, and tell you what I thought of this episode.Miriam, if you read this, I am totally kidding. I love your reviews and would still read them if I hadn't totally given up on N3.
The Good
-Opening scene of the episode was very good. Shawn playing rebound for the poor gal, then turning it around for her so she didn't lose her soon-to-be-fiance? Excellently done, and I tend to roll my eyes at Shawn's rapid solutions. This one was sweet and his little self-depreciating, "well, I'm not getting any tonight" smile was... I was impressed for some reason that he let the pretty girl go so easily. He was being a Good Guy, and in this episode? That just doesn't jive with me, but more on that later. I'm trying to go in order here.
-Lassiter. Oh, Lassiter. Someone give TO a prize for, in one short scene, showing so much about his character. Oh, I luff. He's the kind of drunk who can carry on perfect conversation and probably complete a cop's line test until he just has that one too many and he's suddenly very open about his troubles. Oh, I love. Sitting on his own and the bitterness but cold-hearted acceptance in his voice. Lovely. I got the impression that despite being in what should be his prime on the police force, he's just tired. Maybe move back to New York, back new his family, start over, open a bookstore. But the insanely complex backstory I have in my head for Carlton is not the point. Leave that for another time.
-Shawn commenting on Lassiter's eyes. THANK YOU. TO has fucking gorgeous eyes. Love.
-The running gag with stalking was very fun to me. Gus being sneaky is fun and the rapport between Gus and Shawn was in top form. Shawn just loves to drive Gus nuts and Gus is so lassiez faire about it at this point, it kinda rolls off him.
-Janitor Guy was just fantastic. Heh, he's weird so obviously he killed the guy? And he's a kleptomanic! And he's all cute and fits the Socially Awkward Scientist mold more than the actual scientists.
-RICHARD EFFIN' KIND. HAHA. I did not know he'd be in this episode, but was so happy to see him. Yeah, he can be annoying and (especially to SGA fen) creepy as fuck, but I liked him here.
-Final scene between Shawn and Lassiter in the office. I'll contradict myself when I start on about the Bad in this episode, but one thing I did like in this scene was, again, Lassiter. When he hauled Shawn aside, I immediately thought back to my favorite scene in the series thus far in "Woman Seeking...", when Lassiter grabbed Shawn and literally yanked him out of the office. This time, though, shows a great deal of growth for Carlton and a HUGE change in his relationship with Shawn. Sit down, slashers, that's not what I meant. I mean he's not intimidated by Shawn anymore. He doesn't look at Shawn and think "MUST ARREST THIS LITTLE BASTARD, RAWR" anymore, but actually has a calm, collected conversation with Shawn concerning both his wife and how he's warming up to Juliet. If it escaped your attention... *smacks all of you* Lassiter confided in Shawn, ya'll. Ladies and gentlemen, we have Character Development. YAY.
-Gus solved the case. Kinda.
The Bad
-This episode upset me, from it's set-up to it's ending. This entire episode revolved around Shawn's increasingly annoying God Complex. Let's go through what happened, without the show's usual rose-tinted lenses, shall we?
+Shawn finds a discouraged, sloshed Lassiter and does his best to cheer the man up. While that is very sweet, we discover that the case Lassiter considers his latest great success was solved by Shawn. Before they even worked together, Shawn was controlling the cases. After, Shawn reassures him again, but the writers just have to dig that knife deeper by making Lassiter's work seem even more pointless (re: "all those numbers and letters" comment from Shawn).
+Shawn takes it onto himself to solve Lassiter's case, but do it in such a way, Lassiter thinks he solved it. Okay, back the fuck up. One, since when is a veteran police detective that gullible? And two, the big one: Shawn's playing the role of a well-intentioned god. This'll be fun.
+Episode passes with Juliet and Shawn playing Lassiter, someone we are supposed to assume they care about, like a two dollar banjo. All the major breakthroughs are fed to him through the dynamic duo, leaving him with little of his own work. This greatly upset me because, really, the writers need to back the hell up before I smack them the hell up. You do not Do This. Not to Lassiter. It's the equivalent of a vote of no confidence, saying he can't solve anything without Shawn's help.
+Now, after talking to Chris, she pointed out that, hey, Shawn's trying to do something nice. And, yes, the cause he takes up in this episode is great in theory, with the whole working for free, doing it just for Lassiter, and so on. But the road to Hell is paved withfrozen door-to-door salesmen^good intentions. He may mean well, but he still completely screwed Lassiter over here by taking his job away from him, as if it were something fragile and Lassiter were a two-year-old. I really don't like that, especially how pleased everyone was with the outcome. Speaking of which...
+Juliet has never impressed me and anyone who reads my fic might know that already, but this was really low for her. Again, she's pandering to Shawn's whims and even lets him off the hook about another unsavory deed. For the love of Christ,, Juliet, you are an officer of the law. ACT LIKE IT.
-Shawn messing up Gus's date. I'd have punched him and I want Gus to, in any upcoming episode, snap and totally pwn Shawn. Please.
Final Thoughts:
I desperately want to think that the TPTB are intending to take Shawn down this path, but I highly doubt it. Chris said that there needs to be an episode around season two in which Shawn's constant manipulation completely and totally backfires. I'm prone to agree because, really, the show needs to stop pimping Shawn out as the panacea to all problems. He's not. I'd appreciate the writers treating me with an ounce of respect.
That said... if next week has an awesome, smart, clever Lassiter who's rebounded from his depression well? I'll forgive this episode. I want my Lassiter to rock the cashbah, plz.
^ = if you get this joke, lemme know. I'll he utterly floored if anyone catches the reference.
*steps off soapbox, has a cup of tea*
-Luce
no subject
But I totally agree that there needs to be a backfire episode. Shawn has been right too many times. It'd be great to see him wrong and maybe even have consequences to his action. that could make the show go a bit darker than usual and wouldn't be right for it now. But he definately needs to mess up somewhere. He's working on inferences, not true fact.
Or something like that.