My favorite TV show to watch when I want to laugh is Psych. It is hands-down the funniest show I’ve ever seen. I can’t count how many times I’ve watched most of the episodes, and yet I still find something to laugh at each time. One thing that Psych does very well is running gags, and today, I’m going to share a list of my favorites with you.
1. “I’m Shawn Spencer, and this is my associate…”
When Shawn introduces himself and Gus, he always makes up a ridiculous name for his partner. Here are a few examples:
- Lavender Gooms
- Ovaltine Jenkins
- Patty Sincox
- Longbranch Pennywhistle
- Hollaback Atcha
- Control Alt Delete
- Ghee Buttersnaps
- MC Clap Yo Hands
- Hummingbird Saltalamachia
- John Jacob Jingly-Smith
And here’s a couple of fun variations:
2. “Gus, don’t be…”
Gus says something that Shawn believes bring down the mood or that he just doesn’t like, so Shawn tells Gus not to be …
- a Traveling Wilbury
- principal and interest
- this crevice in my arm
- an incorrigible Eskimo pie with a caramel ribbon
- the very model of a modern major general
- a rabid porcupine
- a myopic chihuahua
- exactly half of an eleven-pound black forest ham
- the only black lead on a major cable network (which, he was at the time)
- your jury summons that I accidentally threw away last month along with something called a W-2
- Pete Rose’s haircut
- the remake of Yours, Mine, and Ours. While I’m at it, don’t be the original either.
3. “I’ve heard it both ways.”
Shawn says one word when he means another one that sounds somewhat similar. Gus corrects him, and Shawn claims he’s heard it both ways. My favorite involves the running gag from #2 as well.
4. Pineapples
There is some sort of pineapple in every episode. Be it a picture on a t-shirt, a decoration, or an actual pineapple. I have yet to find them all.
5. Val Kilmer references
Shawn periodically mentions Val Kilmer for no apparent reason. Here are two examples:
- Shawn: I’d be lying if I said I like asking my dad for case assignments, and I’d also be lying if I said Val Kilmer still looks like Val Kilmer.
- Shawn: With some people I can communicate through psychic wavelengths. My father is one of them. Val Kilmer is another.
In the show’s final episode, Val Kilmer makes a guest appearance as a frequently-referenced but never seen policeman named Dobson. It’s hilarious!
6. “I can’t do this with you right now.”
Gus starts arguing with Shawn over something fairly inconsequential, and Shawn tells him, “I can’t do this with you right now.” In at least one later episode, Gus says it to Shawn instead.
7. “Suck it!”
Shawn and Gus, and occasionally other people, often tell people to “suck it.” Sometimes, they even sing it in harmony.
8. Gus is…not Bud from The Cosby Show.
Dule Hill, the actor who plays Gus, greatly resembles the actor who played Bud on The Cosby Show. There are numerous references to this throughout the show, and they culminate in Deon Richmond, the actual actor who played Bud, guest starring as Gus’s boss in the final episode. Here’s one of my favorite examples:
If you’ve never watched Psych and you’re looking for a lighthearted, funny show, I highly recommend you give it a try. What shows do you watch when you want to laugh or unwind? Let me know in the comments. If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to see more like it.
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