Before long both Carlton Lassiter and Juliet O’Hara manage to make their way on the scene. I have to admit that I find the scenes that involve either of these two with Shawn and Gus are often the best written parts of the show. It was a little disconcerting to think in the first few minutes of the episode that these two might be relegated to a side plotline or worse yet the continued awkward phone conversations from the U.S. to Canada. Luckily the Santa Barbara police department can save on their phone bill as the two were sent on a plane to join in the hunt for Despereaux. Granted, it does seem a little weak that for some reason Lassiter is one of the most knowledgeable men in the world about this one particular thief and that for some reason the city didn’t need their two best detectives to solve crimes within its’ own borders. The show further takes a leap from reality when Shawn’s dad shows up at one point to bail him out of jail after Shawn fails to steal a valuable museum piece before Despereaux is able to. Nonetheless, I’m willing to ignore these little bothersome details since the show continues to amuse me and could never really be confused with a serious drama based in reality.
Unlike most episodes of the series this one came right out in saying who the culprit was so there was no real chase for clues or deductive work to be done. In fact, Depereaux met multiple times with Shawn and told him his plans for what to steal, where and when. While this could have made the episode lack excitement some well placed jokes and acting saved it from seeming too obvious of a solution. A major part of this was Cary Elwes of Princess Bride fame who guest starred as the criminal Despereaux. He brought a certain charm and sarcasm to a role that could easily have become predictable. Personally I’m giving a lot of credit to his accent. This is a show that really is lacking in accents.
Another striking difference in this episode was the amount of action. While there may not have been any car chases or explosions this episode featured far more physical comedy then many of its’ predecessors. From the ill-fated ski chase, people should really have more than one ski lesson before attempting to capture criminals while two wooden planks are attached to their feet, to a scene featuring Gus maneuvering around laser alarms this episode notched up the excitement level with more action than the typical scenes of Shawn and Gus running away from danger. Granted both of these scenes were done with a fair amount of witty banter but part of the beauty of this show is the relationship between Gus and Shawn. It would have been a shame if the series decided to include more action and lose what it does best, the mix of friendship and competition between the two.
This episode featured some legitimate laughs with my favorite being the nod to the striking similarity that Psych shares with the CBS show The Mentalist I think we can all agree that there is plenty of room on TV for more fake psychics. Fans of the show may also get in on an inside joke in the setting for this episode. While the show takes place in sunny Santa Barbara filming itself goes on in British Columbia. For the first time the episode didn’t have to feature movable palm trees for every scene and instead could use the real sights and feel of Canada. I have to love the show for its continued acknowledgement of inside jokes and fans. Surely the ubiquitous pineapple also took time to visit Canada too.
While the episode continues to entertain I can’t help but feel a little cheated. Like last seasons opener the final reveal did not seem satisfying. The first episode third season featured a plot line where Shawn was the true culprit for a house haunting. Season four proves to be similarly less than what I hoped for. Sure, we knew all along who was perpetrating the crimes but why does the show insist on trying to place a twist with its ending by making the crime not one of about thievery or possible murder as was threatened throughout the episode but something far more common place. As Shawn bemoans while doing his reveal Despereaux’s plans were not exciting or sexy. As a viewer I have similar complaints. While this twist ending should reassure me that the writers are not going to let the show become a routine crime of the week affair solved with ease in the last five minutes it leaves me wanting. Not the good kind of wanting where you can’t wait for the next episode but the kind of wanting where you’re still waiting for episode to end in an way that ties everything together in a neat package.
I’m not really worried about the rest of the season just from one less than stellar ending. I’ve already heard tell that Cary Elwes is not the last famous guest star the show will feature throughout the season and the new clips in the shows opening song promise scenes with cowboy hats so I’m willing to believe that the rest of the season will be worth waiting for.
