Customer Reviews

Psych: The Complete Fourth Season

5 star:		(62)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Psych is by far my favorite show, so forgive me if I'm a little biased. This season has been great in terms of episode quality (granted some plots are weaker than others, such as the episode with John Cena, but that's to be expected). The acting by the main cast is nothing short of wonderful, and the writing, although often silly, is never stupid. The silliness give Psych much of its charm without making it annoying to watch. As far as over-arching stories go, season 4 has been great for character development, with many characters breaking new ground. We get more character back stories, especially for Juliet, which is rewarding for devoted fans.
As far as the DVD itself goes, although it has not been released, if it is the same as the last three seasons, there should be no complaint. The packaging is solid and never annoying (I actually think it's pretty cool), the commentaries on selected episodes are always very funny and enjoyable, as are the podcast and video commentaries. Any fan of Psych will want to buy this season and add it to his/her collection.

What can I say about such a series, I could call it funny, witty, and wonderful. But using these words almost underminds how great a show Psych is. It has such interesting, funny plotlines that may keep you on the edge of your seat while laughing. The show follows fake-psychic detective Shawn Spencer has he solves cases for the police department as well as others. But he can't do this alone. He gets help from his reluctant partner Gus, Junior Detective Juliet O'Hara, his dad Henry, extremely doubting detective Carlton Lassiter, and police chief Karen Vick. Season 4, itself, starts out with a great opener (Episode 4.1 Expedition British Columbia) in which Gus and Shawn take a trip to Canada for some fun, but Shawn can't help but to solve another crime using his fake psychic and real detective skills. And then there are more great episodes. But one of my personal favorites is episode 4.7 High Top Fade Out, where we learn a little more about Gus. We learn that he was in a college acapella band. And things get a little crazy when one of his ex-band mates is murdered. And then the fall finale episode 4.9 Shawn Takes a Shot in the Dark. Maybe the most exciting episodes in the series, the fall finale shows Shawn being kidnapped by- well I won't ruin the surprise for you- and everyone of his friends and co-workers pool together to find him and solve the case.

But this isn't just a review of the season, but a review of the DVD. The DVD is pretty much the same has past releases. My favorite part of the "Psych" releases, aside from the show itself, is the packaging. The packaging is unique, just like the show, coming in a cardboard open foldout, which contains a disc on each side of the foldout, which are on hinges and open like doors to show the other two discs. This season follows suit for the most part, but abandons the door-style, to just contain thick plastic that holds two discs on each side, one halfway on top of each other. The discs have a play-all option, an episode selection, commentary on a large amount of episodes, (at least one a disc), podcast commentaries, video commentaries, psych-outs, a gag real, and featurettes. Through season four, Psych is able to continue its great format of mystery, wit, and some characterization in between. Psych is a show that's is great, and has been able to maintain that through the past four years*.

*Information about packaging was added on June 15th, 2011, almost a year after the release.

Psych is like the quirky child in your family of TV shows, and with Season 4, this quirky child is gaining some maturity. The character driven plots seem to be running deeper, and we see different sides to our favorite Santa Barbara residents. There's a lot of good relationships, some movie-esque episodes, still no-need for a laugh track, more action, and another season finale that doesn't disappoint.

Can't wait to add this set to the collection. :)

I tend to think most shows hit their creative peaks in the second or third seasons and start sliding downhill from there, but in many ways this fourth season of Psych was my very favorite. (And, given how deeply I adore ALL the seasons, that's saying quite a lot!) I can completely see why some fans were disillusioned by this season's slightly more serious tone, but I feel Psych just got deeper, more layered and interesting WITHOUT sacrificing any of the goofy fun and sly humor that's always defined the show. Sure, there were a couple of relative clunkers this season---though even those had a few lines of brilliant dialogue or beautifully acted scenes---but Season 4 also gave us a lot of episodes that I'd easily rank as some of the very best of the entire series.

One reason I've always been such a crime show buff is that these shows allow you to 'visit' various interesting locations and sub-cultures every week along with the mystery-solving heroes. This season, we get glimpses into everything from an old 'Wild West' theme park to a 'Bollywood' show to a warring 'a capella' singing group Gus turns out to have been a part of to...the Army. (Don't ask!) And that's not even mentioning the utterly awesome homage to Hitchcock that ends the season.

This show is among the few (sadly, the VERY few!) on TV that can be enjoyed on so many different levels. Looking for a show that successfully pulls off ALL different types of comedy, ranging from clever, subtle wit to goofy, outrageous fun? How about a show with mysteries that can be surprisingly compelling and better paced/plotted than many of TV's so called 'serious' crime dramas offer? Perhaps you're interested in hearing the most sharp and brilliant dialogue found since Buffy and Gilmore Girls?! Maybe you just want to see one of the (in my opinion, of course!) single best friendships ever depicted on TV in Shawn/Gus or the sneakily touching and surprisingly deep relationship between Shawn and his father...yes, there's a surprising amount of real heart beneath the show's light and happy surface!

The characters are incredibly vibrant, layered and consistent (a rarity on TV these days!) and are brought to life by a cast which is not only supremely talented but seems to---*gasp*---genuinely appreciate their fans and love their jobs.

Psych is clever, mood-boosting and just plain hilarious fun, but as other reviewers and I have mentioned, there's also real emotional depth and insight lurking underneath the show's delightfully fluffy exterior!

Veteran fans: I'd love to gush about this gem of a show with you anytime! Potential new fans: congratulations on discovering the best show on TV, and welcome to this witty, spirited and mood-lifting adventure!

Psych is an all-around great show - the cast, the characters, the acting, the directing - but Season 4 was a fantastic season. As you get to see more about the relationships between the characters and they show you a bit more about how they all interact, it just gets better and better. The finale was hands-down the most amazing episode (stellar job directing, James Roday!), but some other favorites from the season are: Thrill Seekers and Hell Raisers (one of my all-time favorites), Death is in the Air, A Very Juliet Episode, High-Top Fade Out and The Devil's in the Details...and in the Upstairs Bedroom. I can't say enough about this show and I will be a fan for life. If you like a little bit of drama mixed with a hearty dose of humor and 80s references, you will love this show. I definitely recommend it!

Good series. The only gripe I have is with this DVD's Menu which is a show spoiler. The episode selection shows thumbnail images that is used to Play the episode and they all give away the criminal by showing a picture of the criminal in the act!! Being a detective series, this is a no-no. I cant believe nobody picked up on this before releasing the DVD. Quite disappointing - docking 1 star due to this.

Very quick, quirky and witty. The cast is a great ensemble. Love the 80's references. Just a lot of fun from a talented cast and writers with an attention to detail.

No matter how much time goes by, Gus and Shawn still attract the weirdest cases on TV. So unsurprisingly, "Psych Season 4" is just crammed with hilarious faux-psychic mysteries -- it gets a little dark in places and shows a few signs of wear and tear, but the rest of the season is full of werewolves, westerns and Bollywood. Well, not all in the same episode.

A Vancouver ski vacation is interrupted when Shawn (James Roday) spots the brilliant art thief Pierre Despereaux, so now he and Gus (Dule Hill) must figure out a way to thwart the perfect crime. To make matters worse, Lassiter (Timothy Ormundson) is determined to capture Despereaux himself, since he's been after the thief for years.

And back in Santa Barbara, the boys have a slew of other weird cases -- possible demonic possession, a murdered billionaire who asks Shawn to solve his murder, a haunted Wild West town, a drug lord, Gus' college a capella quartet, a soldier's mysterious death, a whitewater rafting disaster, tracking down Juliet's college boyfriend, a deadly virus, a shark attack, a Bollywood curse, and a man who believes he's a werewolf.

On the darker side of things: Shawn ends up kidnapped by a thug during the course of a case, and must find a way to tell his friends where he is. And the gang is dragged into ANOTHER game of cat-and-mouse -- Mr Yin ("dance partner" of the insane Yang) starts killing people in Hitchcockian style.

"Psych Season Four" is perhaps the most uneven season that this show has had thus far -- when it's good it's very VERY good, but a few of the episodes are kind of flawed ("Think Tank"). Fortunately, "Psych" at its worst is still a deliciously weird experience -- the writers are still exceptional at writing twisty-turny mysteries full of strange twists. AND we get to see Shawn biting a U.S. Marshal.

It also has the usual "Psych" mix: hilarious dialogue ("My first instinct is beavers, but I'm not willing to rule out those pesky Keebler elves"), funny situations (Henry stuffing little Shawn in a car trunk, to the horror of their neighbor") and increasingly strange cases that always turn out to be murder. Most of the season is comedy/light mystery, but the writers drop in a couple of more dramatic episodes -- and the finale is a brilliantly tangled web of murder, twisted trickery, and poignant loss.

Roday's Shawn is a pop-culture Peter Pan -- charming, funny, weird and goofily immature, but he gets to show his serious, sadder side in the finale. We also see Shawn actually having a long-term relationship, and struggling to deal with the demands of a selfish girlfriend who doesn't seem to respect his work.

Hill is amazing at being the "normal" guy who reins in Shawn's weirdness (while displaying a little of his own). And both Ormundson and Maggie Lawson get their time in the spotlight -- Lassiter gets sick of being overshadowed by Shawn and tries to solve a bizarre case the way Shawn would, and Juliet has to deal with her ex-boyfriend and brother being mixed up in crimes.

"Psych Season Four" has some rough spots, but it's still a delightful blend of mystery and comedy with the occasional spattering of darkness. Fun and crazy still.

"Psych" and "Veronica Mars" tie for my favorite shows of all time! I own all the seasons and have seen them all at least 3 times. Season 4 is fun, a MUST for any Psych fan, though it's definitely not their best season. Personally, I LOVE Seasons 2 and 5. You can view them on Netflix first to see if you want to see more. This season doesn't disappoint, though; I loved every minute of it. The show has "matured" with time, still filled with intelligence and funny quips, but the jokes and 80's references wittier than they were in previous seasons (not that it was bad before, but Shawn has to mature in some way over the years, right?). The cases are unique, the season-long plotlines keep you coming back for more, and the casting is just PERFECT, every character is amazingly cast! Kudos to all the actors in this show as they make it happen every week. If you've never seen Psych, go out and buy the 1st season, watch it, and you'll want to buy them all!

No matter how much time goes by, Gus and Shawn still attract the weirdest cases on TV. So unsurprisingly, "Psych Season 4" is just crammed with hilarious faux-psychic mysteries -- it gets a little dark in places and shows a few signs of wear and tear, but the rest of the season is full of werewolves, westerns and Bollywood. Well, not all in the same episode.

A Vancouver ski vacation is interrupted when Shawn (James Roday) spots the brilliant art thief Pierre Despereaux, so now he and Gus (Dule Hill) must figure out a way to thwart the perfect crime. To make matters worse, Lassiter (Timothy Ormundson) is determined to capture Despereaux himself, since he's been after the thief for years.

And back in Santa Barbara, the boys have a slew of other weird cases -- possible demonic possession, a murdered billionaire who asks Shawn to solve his murder, a haunted Wild West town, a drug lord, Gus' college a capella quartet, a soldier's mysterious death, a whitewater rafting disaster, tracking down Juliet's college boyfriend, a deadly virus, a shark attack, a Bollywood curse, and a man who believes he's a werewolf.

On the darker side of things: Shawn ends up kidnapped by a thug during the course of a case, and must find a way to tell his friends where he is. And the gang is dragged into ANOTHER game of cat-and-mouse -- Mr Yin ("dance partner" of the insane Yang) starts killing people in Hitchcockian style.

"Psych Season Four" is perhaps the most uneven season that this show has had thus far -- when it's good it's very VERY good, but a few of the episodes are kind of flawed ("Think Tank"). Fortunately, "Psych" at its worst is still a deliciously weird experience -- the writers are still exceptional at writing twisty-turny mysteries full of strange twists. AND we get to see Shawn biting a U.S. Marshal.

It also has the usual "Psych" mix: hilarious dialogue ("My first instinct is beavers, but I'm not willing to rule out those pesky Keebler elves"), funny situations (Henry stuffing little Shawn in a car trunk, to the horror of their neighbor") and increasingly strange cases that always turn out to be murder. Most of the season is comedy/light mystery, but the writers drop in a couple of more dramatic episodes -- and the finale is a brilliantly tangled web of murder, twisted trickery, and poignant loss.

Roday's Shawn is a pop-culture Peter Pan -- charming, funny, weird and goofily immature, but he gets to show his serious, sadder side in the finale. We also see Shawn actually having a long-term relationship, and struggling to deal with the demands of a selfish girlfriend who doesn't seem to respect his work.

Hill is amazing at being the "normal" guy who reins in Shawn's weirdness (while displaying a little of his own). And both Ormundson and Maggie Lawson get their time in the spotlight -- Lassiter gets sick of being overshadowed by Shawn and tries to solve a bizarre case the way Shawn would, and Juliet has to deal with her ex-boyfriend and brother being mixed up in crimes.

"Psych Season Four" has some rough spots, but it's still a delightful blend of mystery and comedy with the occasional spattering of darkness. Fun and crazy still.