The USA Network series Psych is undeniably one of the most entertaining shows on television today, and I would argue it’s in fact one of the best shows on TV at present. Last night Psych returned with its eighth season premiere episode, and it’s a classic. “Lock, Stock, Some Smoking Barrels and Burton Guster’s Goblet of Fire” is one of the funniest episodes they’ve ever done.
It takes place in London, England, where Santa Barbara natives Sean Spencer (the psychic detective, played by James Roday) and Burton Guster (his best friend and sidekick, played by Dule HIll) are called in on a case. Well, Sean is called in on a case, by Interpol, involving a planned heist; they want him to go undercover and find out the when and where so that they can capture the villains. Gus is merely along for the plane flight because he wants to attend a Harry Potter convention, his greatest desire being to meet Rupert Grint, a cast member of the Harry Potter films. As the investigation begins, they run into old nemesis Pierre Despereaux (Cary Elwes), an international jewel thief for whom Sean has a strange admiration.
From there the plot gets amusingly complicated, and the dialogue is fully of puns and funny lines, which I won’t spoil by recounting them here. As the title suggests, there are verbal, visual, and plot and character allusions to Guy Ritchie’s caper films such as Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, plus plenty of humor based on Gus’s Harry Potter obsession. Although it’s rather a common thing for TV crime series to have a London episode, this Psych foray into Old Blighty is notable for its clever combination of both lowbrow and middlebrow English life, as well as a sprinkling of posh.
The full episode can currently be seen here at the USA Network site, and the episode will be repeated on USA Network this Saturday morning at 10 Eastern time.
For more information on last night’s episode, see the following:
Psych Season Premiere Review: Choose to Believe
‘Psych’ season 8 premiere recap: Despereaux, Harry Potter and a good ol’ heist
‘Psych’ Season 8 premiere GIFs and best lines: ‘Grint Grunt, loud and proud!’
Psych Season 8 Premiere Review: 10 Points to Gryffindor!
Also interesting is this interview with Psych creator and showrunner Steven Franks, in which he discusses this season’s episodes:
Steve Franks on Psych Season 8
Finally, James Roday talks about this season’s episodes, which seem to be a bumper crop: