I don't know about anyone else, but you would think that after 3 previous seasons the writers would finally have Lassiter lighten up on Shawn some. Hopefully in this season we will see some of that???

Well, Shawn hasn't lightened up much on Lassiter either! Even in the last episode he couldn't bring himself to say that Lassiter did a good job on something. But generally I think it's just the way they relate to each other, just like Shawn has a hard time getting along with his Dad. They're never going to be best buddies. And it has gotten better. They get along a LOT better than they did in Season 1. All of the characters are evolving which is why the show is still so good, IMHO.

Yeah, the show kinda needs their Tom & Jerry antics, but at the same time they've grown a little more trusting of one another over the years. I agree with Okapi: if anything, Shawn's the one who won't let things go. Lassie asks them to help w/ a personal matter in high noonish, & 1 episode later, Shawn insults his skills in front of everyone (when he states that the perp couldn't possibly be the person Lassie suspects). But like Tim O said in a recent interview, (paraphrase) there needs to be that animosity to keep things interesting (& both characters thinking).

Personally, I probably would not put up with someone like Shawn trying to do my job w/out credentials (first, that would be illegal, no matter how hot he was ), & then insulting me constantly on top of that. Lassie could always change departments if it really got to him.

I actually am on both sides of this. If you look at their relationship closely throughout the years, Binky's (that's what I call Lassie now...they should have known that once they aired that episode, we're NOT going to let them live that down!!!) and Shawn's relationship has changed. If you look in Season 1, Binky kind of thought of Shawn as more of a pain in the you-know-what and then as the years went by, he thought of Shawn more as a co-worker and not so much as a pain. I do however, think that they kind of need that Tom and Jerry relationship because that's where a lot of the comedy comes from.

If Lassiter DIDN'T harass Shawn, I think everyone would be surprised. Must I have a flashback to Cloudy with a Chance of Murder? :cue harp music: At this point, I think Lassiter does it because that's just how their friendship is. He's a man of order, and it's unlikely for him to change. But I do like it how he uses niceness as a way to get back at Shawn. ^-^

The antagonsitc Shawn/Binky (I laugh every time I think of that!) relationship is almost as important as the Shawn/Gus one I think. I mean do we really watch it just for the mystery? I don't think so. We love Shawn and Gus's banter, and the jabs at Binky (lol!) and James Roday(how can you not love him!!) I mean, Henry can't be alone in his trying to make Shawn behave! (I know thats phrased weird, but how else would I put it?) That's my 2 cents worth, not that any one really cares. lol ;-D