PSYCH: The Amazing Psych-Man and Tap Man, Issue No. 2

We open this week of Psych with a flashback to Gus and Shawn as kids, going to a comic convention. Little Gus has created the character Tap Man, whose arch nemesis is River Dance Man. Little Shawn is hoping that his costume does indeed hide his true identity, since he’s going out in public with Tap Man. That’s okay, we know the grown up Shawn has embarrassed Gus plenty of times. He’s probably even one up on him by now, or possibly a hundred or more.

When we get back to the present, Shawn and Gus are running and in pursuit of perpetrators unknown. They fall down, and it appears the men will escape, but a masked stranger emerges from the darkness and takes out the entire gang. They are bound and left on a loading dock by the time Shawn and Gus get the SBPD on the scene. The masked man left behind a calling card, his name is the Mantis. As the suspects describe the masked man to Lassiter, Gus sees him on a building top watching them before diving off and disappearing. At this time we cue the special edition intro fashioned for this episode, appearing as though it was taken straight from the pages of a comic book. Quite possibly my favorite Psych intro ever!

Back at the station, the police are briefing the press. The men captured are part of a gang, Camino, thought to be moving drug shipments. Shawn is jealous of all the attention and praise the Mantis is getting, especially from Juliet. Shawn recognizes the dates of previous Mantis arrests as matching dates on Gus’s desk lunar calendar. Based on that cycle, he knows when the gang will make their next movement, which he announces to all present at station. When they move in for the sting, they find the Mantis has beaten them there. Shawn suspects it has to be someone on the police force, because he obviously has insider information.

The top suspect is the new kid on the block, er, the new cop on the Santa Barbara beat, Officer Reynolds (former New Kid on The Block Joey McIntyre). He just transferred from Ventura (where one of the previous arrests occurred). They have an uncomfortable exchange, with Shawn feeling his muscles and making comments that end up being misconstrued as Shawn hitting on him. Shawn also manages to insult the guys grandmother. They aren’t getting off on the right foot.

Shawn has an awkward date with Juliet, where the two discuss how they don’t see eye to eye on the Mantis issue. Juliet is called regarding a new tip and exits to go to work, Shawn goes out to try and trip up the Mantis somehow. This time, when police arrive on scene of the crime, they find an incapacitated Mantis. Well, it’s actually Shawn. Mantis knocked him out and switched his clothes so he could sneak out of the building in Shawn’s street clothes unnoticed. Shawn is more convinced than ever that Mantis is getting inside information from the station.

A messenger returns Shawn’s clothes just before Mantis calls Juliet at the station. He tips them off to another pickup in two hours. They go to the site early, hoping to beat him there, and instead find him standing over a dead body. He escapes. Later, back in the Psych offices reviewing the reports, Shawn realizes that Mantis didn’t kill the victim after all, he had rolled him onto his back trying to determine whether he was still alive or possibly trying to revive him.

The Mantis unknowingly provided Shawn a clue that enables him to track him down. When he returned the clothes, there was a dry cleaning tag inside the shirt. Shawn and Gus find the cleaner and manage to get the address of the customer. After picking the lock at the apartment, they find a hidden room, complete with Mantis costume. It’s not Officer Reynolds’s place at all. The Mantis is actually one of the reporters from the station, Reginald, and he returns home to find them there. The dead man, Carlos, was his inside man with the Camino’s. They found out about him and killed him. Shawn and Gus agree to help him clear his name, and they are off to stop the drug shipment, the trio of the Mantis, the Catch and Tap Man.

After an impressively intimidating entrance, or at least it was until Tap Man started dancing, there is an epic battle that pays homage to Batman, complete with the words “Pow” “Zap!” and “Whiff” flashing across the screen before being revealed to be background signs. The trio of super heroes take down the Camino gang, with the help of the Santa Barbara Police, and Gus uses his ‘toss sand in their eyes’ super hero power to help Mantis escape.

Back at the precinct, the Chief congratulates them on a job well done, but tells them it’s far from over. The Camino‘s drug money is still missing. As they disburse, Shawn goes to Reginald’s to return his suit. The apartment is totally empty, cleared out. Shawn goes over all the events in his head and realizes that Reginald pulled one over on them. He wasn’t bringing down a crime syndicate, he was just after their money. Shawn goes after him and finds him Carlos’ garage, packing up his car with the stolen money. Reginald takes down both Shawn and Gus (who ran in to assist Shawn once the fight broke out) and bolts as Lassiter and Juliet enter the warehouse. Shawn gives chase and trips him up outside….then has to catch his breath, because Shawn’s not really in his best super hero shape these days. Even out of breath, though, Shawn has managed to save the day again.

As a fun ‘aside’, at the end of the episode we are treated to Joey McIntyre doing the NKOTB pendulum dance with James and Dule` as they sing “[easyazon-link asin=”B00136LT96″]You Got It (The Right Stuff)[/easyazon-link]”. Good episode, good fun, good times. I can’t wait to see what Steve Franks and company have cooked up for us next week.

Psych airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on USA.