With plenty of action, puns and celebrity guest stars, Psych has finally aired its last episode after eight seasons. Deon Richmond, Val Kilmer and Billy Zane guest starred, and the writers managed to fit in plenty of running jokes and references to earlier seasons and still have a decent plot.
But the real plot of this episode isn't where Shawn and Gus end up, or whether or not the mystery is solved or whether or not the quota of obscure 80s references is reached. The real plot is whether or not Shawn will finally come to grips with his inability to confront his problems. Throughout the series' eight season run, Shawn has used his antics to avoid dealing with his real-world problems. Yes, it's a comedy, but it's also an almost tragic story of the eight year journey of a man who came dangerously close to losing everything and everyone he cared about on more than one occasion -- because he couldn't take responsibility or face his fears. While there's no inclination that Shawn will fully abandon his reckless charm or quirkiness, this episode at least provides a bit of closure to that story arch.
— Mike Ciandella is Research Analyst at the Media Research Center. Follow Mike Ciandella on Twitter. [1]