Peacock’s Psych 2, now free to watch, remembers the show at its best

Of all the “procedural crimes … but with a twist!” shows that premiered in the mid-2000s, Psychoanalyze It’s the most ridiculously comical, appealing to a demographic that enjoys silly jokes (like me), silly physical humor (also for me), and overly elaborate criminal plans (again, me). The series followed private investigator Shawn Spencer (James Roday Rodriguez), who claims to be a psychic detective, and his partner Gus (Dule Hill). The two of them are actually very perceptive detectives who were too lazy to pursue traditional police careers.

After finishing in 2014, the show followed in the footsteps of Murder, she wrote and Kojak with a Christmas-themed television movie that was picked up after the show’s events. Creator Steve Franks later announced that he would make five Psychoanalyze movies if you could, and so far, are delivering on that promise (even if you don’t involve John Cena as you mentioned in 2017). On Wednesday, Psych 2: Lassie returns home It came with the launch of NBC’s new streaming service, Peacock.

The new streaming-only sequel does an excellent job interpreting the best aspects of the show: the bad jokes, the wacky antics, the revelation of the criminal plot that requires you to just nod and follow, though fans can raise an eyebrow at the infusion of more serious topics. Focusing on the heaviest drama finally weighs down the movie, but when it sticks to sheer antics, it’s a delight.

[[[[Ed. Note: This review contains small spoilers for Psych 2: Lassie returns home]

Photo: James Dittinger / Peacock

Psych 2: Lassie returns home It begins with a literal bang when stern Detective Carlton “Lassie” Lasseter (Timothy Omundson) is shot on guard. He wakes up in a hospital and asks Shawn and Gus to investigate the attack, as he suffered a stroke in surgery and cannot recall the events of that night. Both Shawn and Gus have promised their loved ones that they will not address dangerous cases, but they agree to investigate in secret. Shawn’s wife, but Detective Juliet O’Hara (Maggie Lawson), is also hell-bent on getting to the bottom of this mystery, and Gus’s girlfriend Selene (Jazmyn Simon) decides to accompany her. As the two couples investigate the mystery separately, the case goes round and round, allowing Shawn and Gus to face their usual misadventures, including (but not limited to) hiding in the bottom drawer of a dresser, disguising his forensic friend Woody as a Cuban doctor to sneak him to the hospital and steal ice cubes from patients.

In the middle of the investigation, Psych 2 Create a fatherhood theme, albeit with the grace of a seven year old with an embroidery kit. At first, Lassie hallucinates her dead father, and the two talk about what it means to be a man, which really has nothing to do with solving the mystery of who shot him, but it’s serious. A more complex handling of the subject occurs halfway through the movie, when Shawn discovers a positive pregnancy test in Juliet’s car, then spends half the movie confronting his fears about parenthood. Conversations with his own father, and a very painful hallucination involving an old character from the show (who is also dead), get Hallmark-y. When the arc finally resolves, it’s with a bait and switch that may have been interesting if it hadn’t been so awkwardly dragged along for most of the movie’s 88-minute duration.

When Psych 2 try to be serious, or deal with serious issues when grown men poop in diapers, he wobbles. But when the film indulges in silly puns, campy costumes, and pranks galore, it’s a pleasurable return to form. Making the movie more serious simply because it’s longer than a normal episode is a disservice to PsychoanalyzeIt is a silly appeal. The tangled web of mystery doesn’t always make sense, but the best part of Franks’ series was watching two over-the-top nincompoops unravel over-the-top criminal master plans. Shawn sends Woody the coroner a human hand and decides to pack the box with some smoked meats, because, hey, shipping would be the same price regardless. The two visit an ice bar and become particular about the ear muffs they are wearing. A character is called Ova only so the “Not done” / “Yes, it’s Ova” swap. / “No, it’s not above. ” / “That it is Ovule. “Can occur.

If there is anything, the serious aspects of Psych 2: Lassie returns home achieve, is to attract viewers to the old episodes of the show. Shawn and Gus and the rest of the characters are, after all, in a very different place in Psych 2 than they were on the show, more mature and approaching big life decisions like parenthood and marriage. Even if that is delivered with a heavy hand, it is a bit bittersweet to think of how far they have come since the early days. That, along with the same general tone of mystery, could prompt an old fan to consider re-watching, and luckily all eight seasons of the show are available to stream for free on Peacock. Deliberated by NBC? Perhaps. But it is definitely still welcome.

Psych 2: Lassie returns home is available to stream for free (with ads) on Peacock.