Extradition: British Columbia

When nothing but a cup of hot cocoa represents the line between yourself and abject poverty, you know you're in trouble. Or, you may just be Shawn Spencer. Supposedly, the man owns no worldly possessions. Of course, that's not entirely true. He owns clothes, doesn't he? (More's the pity.) And he owns a cell phone with a nifty, green, Psych cover that yours truly is truly coveting. Okay, the phone is probably on Gus' plan, but still. Anyway, at this point is anyone else wondering where Shawn sleeps? I've been wondering it for years now. Couch in the Psych offices is my best guess. I'm really surprised he doesn't live with Gus. But then again, maybe he does. Psych: After Hours. They did take that bromantic carriage ride and all.

But back to the premiere. So season 4 is here! Along with a trip to snowy Canada so Shawn and Gus could show off their (lack of) ski moves, and Juliet could wear that hideous coat. Seriously, that relic should have been left in the mid-to-late 70s where it belongs. At least Jules still managed to look cute in it, anyway. But really, thank God the show normally takes place in Santa Barbara, and consequently we're generally not forced to see Jules' ugly coat or the snow suits that Gus and Shawn donned for their trip down the slopes. Alas, I fear Lassie's new hair cut be with us far longer. No one wants to see any of that on a regular basis, not even the hair.

What I do want to see is the usual nonsense. Like ... Shawn and Gus in over their heads in more ways than one. It was obvious, of course, that skiing was not going to represent our favorite buddy detective duo's finiest moment. After all, their biggest physcial achievement is generally shrieking like little school girls and running away in some spazzy fashion that, quite often, lands them on the ground. Skiing? Really? But hey, you do what you have to do when chasing an international art thief, right? Just be sure to call Lassiter and get him all fired up to catch one of the criminals from his wall of felons. Just another typical day in the world of Psych. Ah, it's why I love this show. Random, ridiculous, and populated with eccentric characters that are still real enough to be believable. And plotlines that for any other show would be a stretch, but for this show seem just right. And all the while, there are those always enjoyable interpersonal relationships to ponder. Whether it's the love-hate relationship between Lassie and Shawn (Lassie hates Shawn, Shawn loves to torment Lassie) or the solid friendship of Shawn and Gus or the adversarial-but-loving-its-own-strange-way father-son relationship between Shawn and Henry or everyone's favorite flirts, Shawn and Jules, we always love to see what's going to happen next.

And this season sees a new development. While Shawn and Gus are obstensibly in Canada for some bro-time, it's not exactly a shock when Gus figures out that the overly-romantic nature of their activities is because the trip was originally planned by Shawn, for his girlfriend. The shock there is that Shawn Spencer has a girlfriend. Whaaat?!? And it's not even Jules. Geez. Abigail. She's cute and all, I guess, but really? It won't last. Still, it's an interesting (and probably necessary) bit of development for Shawn, who up until this point, has generally behaved as an overgrown 12-year-old. Plus, watching Shawn and Jules try to figure out how to interact now that Shawn seems to think the usual flirty-flirting is inappropriate, is a riot. Interestingly, he has no qualms checking out other chicks and excitedly asking to "read the blonde immediately." But flirting with Jules is out of the question now. Hmm. Well, it doesn't take a psychic to figure that one out. But I DO wonder if Gus will get to have a girlfriend now that Shawn has one. Ehn, probably not. I think Shawn's more girlfriend than any guy can handle.

So a trip across the border to a foreign land ("We went through immigration, Shawn") turning into the usual fiasco makes perfect sense. That they were able to incorporate the Mounties and a kissing bridge makes it so much the better. Taking a well-deserved pot shot at the copy-cat Mentalist made my night. So true, Steve Franks, so true. If only the Mentalist were funny, it would be the same show. And who doesn't love a pop culture reference? My favorite in this episode being, of course, to Remington Steele. I loved that show when I was 8. As did, Shawn, apparently. Or should I call him Laura Holt? Man, this show never fails to deliver a little bit or mystery, a little bit of action (albeit on the goofy side of the action spectrum) and a lot of laughs. From the "psychic episodes" to those pop culture references ... no show, not even the Mentalist, does it quite like Psych.