6.3 This Episode Sucks Firstly, in these days of Twilight-fever, it was marvellous to see a vampire-themed episode with nary a tube of glitter in sight. As is usual with Psych, this episode was firmly rooted in its appreciation for all things 80s and 90s, and so we had callbacks to both Interview With The Vampire, Blackula, and (somewhat unexpectedly) Top Gun. In fact, probably the closest we came to an acknowledgement of the current trend towards pop culture bloodsuckers came with Gus’ run at True Blood. It’s been a little while since we’ve seen Gus so enthusiastic about anything, but his childish glee at the realisation they might have been dealing with a vamp was a welcome opportunity for Dulé Hill to stretch his comedy wings. Coupled with his response to Shawn’s slap-based attempts at breaking him out of a catatonic state, it’s clear that (despite the episode being co-written by James Roday) there’s been a conscious effort to ensure that everyone gets their share of the laughs. Finally, the guest casting. The show has an excellent record when it comes to matching actors with episodes, but having Kristy Swanson – the original Buffy The Vampire Slayer – playing a character who may or may not be a creature of the night (let alone a murderer) is a stroke of genius. Better yet is just how seamlessly she meshed with the plot, completely failing to seem like a weekly gimmick that will never come up again. The thought of Lassiter waiting around for six to 18 months was both ridiculously sweet and – somehow paradoxically – completely in character, which stands as a testament to the script that Roday and Harthan put out; in fact, it’s precisely that adherence to five years of character development that made it such a joy to watch. It’s not the first sign we’ve seen of Lassie’s soft centre, but after five years of disastrous relationships and stoic self-dependency, it’s nice to see him finally make a connection, especially in a way that ensures we get plenty the chance to see Timothy Omundson continue to grouch his way through the show. Thankfully, it’s expected that the two of them will return in an episode later this season, complete with Gus’s old musical group, the delightfully-named Blackapella. Personally, I can’t wait. If this is the standard the new series is reaching for, roll on next week. You can read our review of Psych season six episode two here.
