During season's 1 &2 i have been a pretty die hard fan. Loved the show. Sure it was a bit campy but I found it original, fun and most of all interesting in the way they solved cases. It was a good mix of humor, originality & quirkiness. The question for me is WHAT HAPPENED? Someone clearly took the show in a different direction and ir RUINED the show. I can't say this strongly enough. I have watched each and every episode so far this season hoping, praying that it would return to its old form. I own both season 1 & 2 on DVD but tonight will likely be my last episode. I can't stress this enough. The show now has lost everything that made it fun and original. I am so disappointed. It had a really good formula and they ruined it. I actually signed up and logged on tonight for the sole purpose of expressing how much I think this show was fantastic and how much i think its now been ruined. I actually took the time to get a login ID just so I could express how pissed I am that one of my favorite shows on television now no longer exists. I hope whoever is running the show will see posts like this one and bring my favorite show back. There was more entertainment value in Psy vs. Psy than all the episodes of this season put together. My wife's brother and his wife feel exactly the same way. I imagine we aren't the only ones.

I agree. I've been waiting and hoping for it to get back to form, and some eps have been better than others--but the spark it had in seasons 1 and 2 is gone. I loved it so much before--and now... sigh.

What is it you think has changed. It seems very similar to me from last two seasons

Its kind of hard to describe but in my view they have removed all the humor and tried to make it more serious, with action scenes, and they seem to have tried to pull Corbin Bernson into a bigger role. But in general it seems to me the've tried to make it more serious and a bigger budget spend but in doing so lost the charm that made it interesting. I haven't really laughed once this season and most of the time find myself checking my watch. In season's 1&2 time would fly by and I couldn't wait until the next week. Anyway. not sure that answers your question but in my view the quirky originality has been replaced by a desire to broader the mass appeal, and in doing so destroyed what made it fun.

Wow I couldnt agree with your more. Seems to me like the jokes are flying as fast as ever. Havent watched this week's yes but the treasure episode last week with Uncle Jack had a whole spoof the 70s along with some fun action. The show needs a mystery and some action to balance the jokes - its not a sitcom

WHOOPS. Meant to write "couldn't DISagree with your more"

The show still has "jokes" but it no longer has quirkyness or charm. The first 2 seasons set up this entire atmosphere and world that was immensely appealing to be part of, and that's lost. It used to make me smile just to see the characters onscreen, and now I'm bored. It's a lame action sitcom now.

While I agree with some of your disappointment and concerns, I continue to be hopeful for the show and that they'll come back to the original formula that made the first two seasons so memorable. I mentioned this to my brother just the other day, and while I'm still entertained by the show, it doesn't have the same feel that it used to. I think the main problem I've had lately is that it's lacking the interactions between Sean, Gus, Lassy and Julia. Simply put, the first two seasons involved Sean getting involved with a case in one fashion or another and working on solving it at the same time that Lassiter and Jules were. A lot of the comedic moments came out of Carlton and Sean bumping heads, or Sean just working to annoy him while solving the case right under his nose. In the new season, they're hardly ever even working on the same case, and in fact seldom even see any face to face interaction between them. It's almost as though they've tried to work in seperate storylines for the two groups of characters in each episode; with Sean and Gus doing their own thing while Carlton and Jules work on something completely different. I wish they'd just take it back to where Sean shows up at the scene and sneaks around behind Lassy's back, or Jules lets them in on the case while they're supposed to stay away from it. I've also noticed that the Juliet/Sean relationship has pretty much been sidelined after the prom episode this season. Again, they really don't see much face time together in the episodes and I think that this has helped to add to the feeling that the show has taken a completely different (and unfavorable) direction. Just my opinion, but I do wish someone would realize that they've strayed far from the original working formula and try to pull the show back on track.

I'm enjoying this season but I can see that some might have problems with it. Unlike others, however, I don't think that the problem is the more serious tone in some episodes. If you look back at Seasons 1 and 2, there have been moments of introspection or conflict. The real change I see is the characters of Juliet and Lassiter. Lassiter has become a cartoon of his by the book earlier self. The writers dwelling on his love life will have to end in a nervous breakdown or a justifiable shooting (his own, by Buzz, if we're lucky!). Juliet has lost all of her earlier sweetness. It's like she's become a caricature of police arrogance. In seasons 1 and 2 she was kind and caring and intuitive. This season they've been like Keystone cops. Maybe the producers decided if they injected more seriousness in the Shawn component, they would have to balance that with added silliness on the other side. I'm rolling with it though and hoping for a denouement. On par with a Biblical parable, Juliet and Lassiter will get their comeupance.

i agree with just about everything everybody has said so far but I am still watching waiting for the writers to pick it back up...unfortunately psych has such a short season, this season is close to halfway over.

there have been some good episodes this season, the breakfast club one and i loved the way greatest adventure in basic cable didn't run in chronological order.

shawn and gus don't seem to be as goofy and shawn's lines never seem to ramble on anymore. gus' wisecracks to shawn seem to be said with a serious tone of voice and not as original..."i dont need you or your misplaced prepositions"

that line brings me to another thing i've noticed. the opening scenes of shawn and gus as kids arn't that funny and they are usually the set-up for the entire episode.

and the biggest thing ive noticed....the writers seemed to almost remove the way shawn solves cases with his arm and personality taking over and doing ridiculous things over and over during each show trying to trick people into thinking his a psychic while solving the case and coming to the grand conclusion of what went down.

if you've seen roday's tryout tape, you know he is a goofball by nature, and the writers need to let him just be himself and not try and tone him down.


oh, and i thought last nights episode actually seemed more like the older ones, the show will return to form

I think the show is clearly missing some of its old spark. Shawn just doesn't seem quite as excited to be doing what it is that he is doing. The charm of these characters used to be their enthusiasm for everything. Gus and Shawn weren't jaded in the least, and they absolutely loved the pleasure of sneaking in on a police case when they weren't really allowed to be there. For these two guys, even the most serious cases were nothing more than a chance to have some fun. I think the characters have lost some of this excitement, which could be attributed to any number of problems--maybe the writers are going through a dry spell, or maybe the actors have just gotten too comfortable with this routine. I'm hoping something comes along soon to shake them up and remind them of the fun, charming, quirkiness that used to epitomize Psych. The characters just aren't badgering each other enough. They aren't playing with each other. But I do have hope. I thought last night's episode was great, and The Greatest Adventure in the History of Basic Cable was absolutely hilarious and perfect. So that's good, because it means the writers still have what it takes--they just aren't consistent in delivering it. Hopefully they'll get back to old form soon enough. I have hope, and I'm sticking with it. Even a second-rate Psych is better than just about everything else out there!!

Yes, last night's show DID have the old feel to it. Shawn and Gus sneaking around investigating with humor thrown in.

I think you have summed it up pretty well. I too love the show dearly and I have enjoyed this season so far but I have noticed the change as well. There are a few things though that HAD to change. In season one, a lot of the scenes were hysterical for the sole reason that most of the characters didn't know each other very well and Shawn's ability was this brand new creation and he was having a blast fooling people. Well, that can't last forever because as time goes by it would get old and repetative. The characters have grown together and they have accepted Shawn's "gift" and use it to thier advantage when needed. THey aren't so doubtful anymore. It seemed like Season One and Two where all about the Psychicness and now the psychic moments are less dramatic and fewer and farther inbetween. Almost as if he's not that Psychic anymore. That being said, I too have watched some of the old episodes and have noticed that Shawn seems a lot more grown up(mentally) and is not as goofy as he was. He used to go into character a lot (the spellmaster, Dr. Jorgensen, Jerry Hathaway? the Central Coast guy, etc.) Now it seems more like a detective show with humor. The flipping and flopping and crazy hand movements seem to be a thing of the past as well. I agree with the first poster, the humor and uniqueness of the first season and most of the second season is not there, but I still like the show. I checked the writers out and they are all of the same people from the past so it's not new writers, I think they even said that they wanted to go in a new direction with the show. I would think that they will notice if people arent' as "thrilled" with the new style. Like I said, I do miss the craziness between Shawn and Gus and hope more of that comes back. I would hate to see the show get canned because of this cause you know they could go back to the old style of writing. I also agree about Juliet and Lassiter, she seems to be stiff and crabby at times and Lassy really really needs more air time. His scenes with Shawn in the past were priceless. It would be a real shame if things go south for Psych, the potential is still there, it's still a new show sort of.

I agree sort of. It has lost a little bit of it's spark but I don't think it will stay this way. The season is going to half it's midseason break soon and I have a feeling that when it returns it will be the same again. Once the writers maybe read some of this and see that the ratings might be going down they might just go back to normal(some what). I know that all of you are frustrated but keep watching the next two episodse and then tune in when in returns in January and just see what happens.

I agree that the show has changed, but I think it's a great improvement. I think Shawn is finally maturing a little which can only help the show. I was really surprised at the end of the reunion show when he gave that whole speech saying how Gus was his best friend for so long. I was a fan for the first two seasons and bought both DVD sets, but this is the first time I could see why Gus put up with Shawn for so long. Shawn was funny before but he's becoming a human being now. Lassiter is an improvement too. Before he was a cardboard cutout with no personality. Just a token suit. But now he has a history and a background and a personality. Much better. If the powers that be read these posts, keep up the new approach. The characters after the third season and up need some more dimension or the show won't last much longer. If you just want to appeal to teens, then fine, but if you want a more solid audience, we're going to need more of this new approach. Much better. Keep up with Shawn being a human being finally.

Don't tell me that this show is going the same way that RIPTIDE went after 3 or 4 seasons. It was also a detective show that didn't have alot of shooting and when the y put in more shooting in than the A-Team it was cancelled and gone forever. I believe it was on nbc but maybee cbs. Not sure.

BUT YES this is now my favorite show but for some reason the episodes were NOT replayed for the months between the 2nd season and the 3rd season. SO I knew something wasn't right about it.

I didn't feel like the show had changed that much until I read this reply. I agree with stillhopin, I enjoyed the show more when there was more interaction between Sean, Jules, Lassi and Gus.

Thank you for writing that. Sometimes for me, it is hard to put down in writing exactly what the problem is or how I feel. I already posted but your statement of the excitement in Shawn and Gus(mostly Shawn) being gone is right. You hit the nail on the head!! I sort of said that in my post but yours seemed to get the point across better. Shawn's case solving is much more toned down and he's not running and jumping as much. I don't know if they did that on purpose or what. I guess you can't keep the same tone as season one forever. I mean the thrill of the job has got to wind down a little but I agree with your last sentence, it's still better than a lot of programs on t.v. right now.

I agree that Psych changed, but I noticed it happening in season 2. I imagine it was difficult to write that type of humor consistently week after week.
I do miss the quirky and far less mature Shawn. For me, the funniest scene of all time was the "grocery list" spelling bee from season 1.

Shawn and Lassiter becoming semi-friends was a detriment to the show. I was so mad. The insults Shawn used to come up with were priceless. And the Shawnisms campaign? All the good ones came from season 1, when Shawn made it his mission to be as weird as possible. The good old days.

Now, I still love Psych, don’t get me wrong. I have no intention of giving up the show. I look forward to it in fact. The season premiere had me worried, but it’s been making up for it ever since. Ironically, it also had the funniest scene of the season to date, in my opinion, when Gus was dragging Shawn through his workplace. Definantly season one type humor. Gus’ nose also made a comeback, although it’s gone unnamed this time.

And no matter what, I will always looove the theme song.

I KNOW YOU KNOW...

Well said

I have to agree with Former_Fan. Sad as it is for me to say - because this was easily my most beloved show - this season is just on the wrong tack.

They're trying to deepen the characters, and broaden their characterization, and - while that *can* actually be well done in this show - they're taking it way too far. The exploration of Shawn's relationship with his dad should happen in little, tiny increments -- not in several dozen uninteresting minutes with Cybill Shepherd. You can explore characters in this show, and indeed you should, because the more we care about them, the better -- it's just being done wrong.

The appeal of this show is in its zaniness, surprises, and in the true comedy it so effortlessly sparkles with.

The formula is perfect: a mystery story and a comedy. The pacing was great, and the characters were/are wonderful.

Another issue I have is that Gus is buying into Psych way too much. Part of the comedy is that he's a straight man, and he's only ever reluctantly helping Shawn.

Also, I agree with the notion that Lassiter and Shawn need to return to their old combative relationship. Following Lassiter and Juliet around in a storyline completely separate from Shawn and Gus', is just plain uninteresting.

Also, we so little of Shawn's gift now! He's supposed to be a genius detective that solves cases by breaking all the rules -- that's where we get the great tension (and therefore perfect hotbed for comedy)!

I'm with you all in hoping that this show returns to form. It should be pretty simple, unless something (or someone) is in the way.

Go PSYCH!!

Here I am again, Selenity has summed it up very very well. The juvenile, crazy, spontaneous Shawn moments have seemed to disappear. I just happened to watch "9 Lives" from Season 1 the other day. It had the Dazzle and Stretch scene, hilarious, and other crazy Shawn moments too. It was then that I realized again how much things have changed. I think Shawn has changed the most. He just seems more mature now. Although I still love him . The other thing I realized too that has changed a lot, is what parsifal mentioned. The Shawn/Lassiter relationship. That was a HUGE deal in season one, they had that love hate relationship and played off each other well and funny. Now they seem to be equal partners. I also do agree that Season 2 had a different flavor to it. Somewhere in between 1 and 3. The craziness needs to come back more. But like I was thinking, if we all feel this way, others must as well. Maybe in season 4 the writers will go back to their older ways of writing??? Still a number one devoted fan.

It is sad that a few hardcore fans are no longer liking the show as much as they have before. Well, there's really no forcing them to like the show when they no longer do.

I have expressed my disappointment over two episodes in this season so far, "Ghosts" and "Daredevils". Ghosts because it was too serious, and too out of balance, and quite simply unresolved. Daredevils because it just really wasn't well done. But I've really dug every other episode.

But I do vehemently disagree that there are no longer any hysterical moments on this show. Even though I too felt the change in direction, or more aptly at least in my opinion, expansion, I still like the show as much as I did before. It's still funny, it's still fun, and I count a lot of the changes as a natural growth for the characters. Of course Shawn and Lassiter can't be on combative terms forever. Of course Gus can't always be Shawn's devil's advocate. These characters *have* to grow and develop. I would certainly hate it if Lassiter still treated Shawn the same at the end of Season seven. That would just be plain wrong.

i agree. the characters have to grow for us to keep enjoying them. i personally have enjoyed season three. i have felt like the epsisodes were funny and well done. the only thing i dont like is that they are changing the opening somewhat. i like seeing gus and shawn in the begining as kids doing somethign silly or stupid. other than that i have enjoyed this season as much as the last two. sorry to those who have not.

nicely said! i still LOVE psych, and it's still funny. but i would like for shawn to do more of his old 'psychic episodes' and just being goofy.

ITS BETTER

I miss the wildness of the first two seasons. It was funny. They need a bit more humor or I just don't get this season jokes.

After reading this thread, like "Former Fan", I had to register to add my two cents. I don't think the show is ruined and I'm still going to watch it. As mentioned before, it's better than most stuff on TV. But, I do agree that I enjoyed more interaction between Shawn, Gus, Lassiter, and Jules. I also know that characters should grow but was not looking forward to seeing overly serious issues about Shawn and his parents.
I can tell you the exact moment I knew something was wrong with the show. In "Disco Didn't Die, It Was Murdered," when Shawn, Gus, and Henry are in the records office wanting public records and Gus doesn't say a word for the whole scene! I sat there thinking, "What's going on? Why isn't Gus saying anything?". I was relieved when in the Psych-Out moment Dulé Hill actually comments that he didn't have any lines. You can tell that if they can't write anything for Gus to say in that moment between Shawn and Henry then he either shouldn't have been there or something has changed with the writers.
I also think the writers missed an opportunity to do a fun scene between Shawn and Gus when they decide to turn in the gold coins to the museum in the "treasure hunting" episode. Something about how Gus can get all the credit since Shawn discovered the T-rex bones and Gus got no credit for it.