I think with every passing season of Psych I get abusive messages from fans because, as much as I love the show, I do always make the comment that the weaker episodes suggest that cracks are showing and that I worry that they will get larger. I still hold this worry of course because eventually all formulae gets stale or tired as the writers stretch for new ideas, but with season 5 (as with previous ones) the cracks are just that – very minor cracks which one only occasionally notices because most of the time you're focusing on how splendid the rest of the construction is.
Season 5 has some weaker episodes but generally it is a consistent delight, where even the weaker ones are OK and perhaps are only noticeable because they follow on the heels of a really good episode. Mostly the show has maintained its fresh feel, delightful comedy and heavily self-referential air ("Gus don't be the only black lead on a major network") and it has done it without feeling like it is working hard or that it is straining to keep it all together; indeed the sheer effortlessness of the best episodes is very impressive. For this it deserves a lot of praise and those who dismiss it as if this sort of light entertainment is easy to do (never mind do for 5 years) are doing Psych a disservice.
Viagra Falls was one of the funniest episodes and got the self-referential nature of the joking just spot-on while also delivering a solid mystery to act as a frame for the fun. The majority of the rest of the shows were close to that standard even if they were not quite as good. For me the only poor episode was Dual Spires because the Twin Peaks references in there were mostly devoid of wit and were done in a very obvious and heavy-handed manner – indeed I'm not even sure you can call them references when they are as obvious as they were. Maybe Ferry Tales was a bit so-so but otherwise though the fifth season keeps things light, pacy and fun.
Both Roday and Hill are now very comfortable with their roles and the chemistry between them remains the driving force of the show. Here and there they show signs of being a bit too familiar with the material and at times they struggle to keep it fresh, but mostly they have it down pat easily. Certainly when the material is good, these two are able to deliver with ease. Bernsen extended role in the show is used well but not overused, while Omundson remains funny in support. Lawson has a challenging place now to make her character work as the romantic side becomes more of a thing, but the material helps her by not overdoing it and herself she keeps it light so as not to let the show get bogged down in just this part. Twin Peaks episode aside, the cameos are mostly well used and do pretty well – of course with Tears for Fears' Curt Smith being the best.
Some may complain that Psych is samey or that it is all very light and inconsequential but for my money this is part of the appeal. It works on a formula and it produces regular laughs and enjoyable episodes that survive on wit, banter and entertainment value – and when it works (as it mostly does) it makes it look easy. I don't like being wrong but I am enjoying Psych proving me wrong by not tiring and keeping things this way for five consecutive years.
