PSYCH: “Shawn Interrupted”

It was bound to happen sometime. As lovable as Shawn is, it isn’t a stretch to believe he might end up in a mental institution, and here we are. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lassiter hasn’t even suggested it a number of times off screen.

This week on Psych, we open back in 1991, when Shawn arrives home from school only to learn he’s busted. The school nurse called and told Henry that Shawn tried to have himself declared insane that day. Coincidentally, it was also the day a big assignment was due. Henry knows his boy all too well.

In Present Day Santa Barbara, Lassiter throws a party to celebrate having solved a case all by himself, complete with crime scene photos above the punchbowl. Shawn thinks it’s a little over the top, and a little egomaniacal. Juliet thinks Shawn’s just jealous because Lassie solved a high profile case without him. Lassiter demands attention so everyone can see the case on the news, a billionaire businessman accused of murdering his assistant. The perpetrator, Bernie Bethel, is claiming an insanity defense. The news goes to an interview with Lassiter, but suddenly there is a breaking news announcement that the suspect was found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Lassiter is outraged. So is Juliet. They say so as they return to the precinct. Lassiter wants to go undercover in the institution to prove he’s faking it. The Chief can’t send someone in, legalities and such relating to double jeopardy, but Henry can. As head of the consulting department, he doesn’t have the same restrictions. He just has to find someone he can send. Shawn lights up, he wants this gig. Lassie insists that once it’s over he wants Shawn held an extra 24 hours for psychiatric evaluation. Henry negotiates it to 48.

Juliet is worried about Shawn being locked in the institution. What if they won’t let him out? A valid concern. The physician in charge, Dr. Elliott, doesn’t believe Bethel is a fraud. If he’s faking it he’s the best he’s ever seen. Shawn is sure he’s a fraud, and he’s going to go in there and prove it. Shawn will be wired. Juliet and Lassiter will monitor from the basement. Oh, by the way Gus, they are sending you in as the janitor. Gus never gets the glamorous jobs. He sounds like he’s ready to quit as soon as he starts until he sees a beautiful patient, Vivian, enter in slow motion with wind blowing through her hair. That always gets a guy’s attention.

Shawn people watches in the lobby. He sees Bernie’s brother, Daniel, giving him Skittles candy, but Bernie drops all of it. A nurse watches all of them from the floor above. It’s time for group therapy on the lawn. Shawn meets some interesting characters, and learns that anyone who is sent to the second floor returns unable to remember anything, even their own names. Shawn approaches Bernie, sees a patch on his neck, and tells him he can tell he’s trying to quit smoking. He tells him if he will meet him later, he can get him more Skittles. The nurse, McElroy (played by Molly Ringwald as Psych continues its quest to have every member of the Brat Pack on the show), is leading this group. Bethel is a being a bit aggressive, she orders his pill. Shawn takes note of the pill they give Bernie. One of the patients starts questioning whether Shawn is really insane, so he has to step it up a notch. He ends up in restraints.

Shawn gives Lassie and Juliet his first update, in the basement. The doctor is also present, and he chastises Gus for flirting with a patient. Shawn tells him it isn’t Gus’s fault, he’s just attracted to crazy chicks. Shawn gets back inside, waits for Bethel, and he never shows. Shawn gives up until morning, it’s lights out time.

After light’s out, Gus visits Shawn’s room. He’s still unhappy about his assignment, but the reason he’s there is that he saw Bethel sneaking to the kitchen. Gus is sidetracked on the way when he sees Vivian…make that Frank, she has multiple personality disorder. He resumes his quest with Shawn. They find Bethel in the kitchen, acting very strangely. Why would someone fake it with no one there to see it? Maybe he isn’t faking it after all.

Shawn meets with Jules and Lassie again. They aren’t happy to hear Shawn believes Bethel is really crazy. They reluctantly give him a chance to prove it. Shawn lures Bernie in with Skittles. He tells Bernie he believes he’s crazy, but since there are people who don’t, he needs his help to prove it to them. His plan fails when Bethel doesn’t act the way he thought he would. He seems fine.

Shawn approaches Bernie again in exercise class. Bernie confides that he hasn’t been well in years; he wouldn’t even leave his house. Shawn observes that Bernie doesn’t open his left hand. Bernie has degenerative arthritis and hasn’t opened it in years. He couldn’t have strangled the woman. Why didn’t this come out at the trial? It was all a blur to Bernie, he can’t recall if he told his attorney. In trying to prove Bernie’s hand won’t open, Shawn accidentally hurts him. When Bernie gets out of the infirmary, Shawn and Gus hear him arguing with the nurse. He doesn’t want to take the medication. Shawn notices the pill looks different than the one he saw them give Bernie earlier. Shawn thinks Dr. Elliott was giving Bernie different meds to make him appear insane at times. He goes to confront the doctor, but finds him on the floor, dead. Before Shawn can get help, someone knocks him out.

Back at the station, Gus arrives and tells Juliet he was fired from the institution for fraternizing with Vivian. The two of them discuss the case with Lassiter, Gus relays Shawn’s theory that Bernie couldn’t have killed anyone because of the arthritis in his hand.

Shawn wakes up in restraints. He was found in a restricted area. He remembers being hit over the head when he found Dr. Elliott dead. The doctor present says Dr. Elliott isn’t dead, he’s not even in his office. She’s adding ‘paranoid’ and ‘delusional’ to Shawn’s diagnosis. Shawn tries to tell her who he is and why he’s there. She’s not buying it. She thinks he needs stronger meds. The doctor and orderly leave, leaving Shawn restrained on the bed.

Lassiter and Juliet arrive in Bernie’s offices. They ask his attorney whether he knew about Bernie’s hand. Bernie’s brother, Daniel, is outraged the lawyer didn’t present this information in court. They want to speak to Daniel outside, away from the attorney. They ask who controls the fortune now that Bernie is in an institution. It’s in trust. They suspect the attorney.

Gus arrives to help Shawn. Vivian helps him sneak in. Vivian, not Frank. Shawn tells them Dr. Elliott is dead. They are sneaking around trying to find the body, but they see someone wheeling Bernie to the elevator. Shawn wants to stop them, Bernie won’t be able to help defend himself if they get him to the second floor and make his memories disappear. Vivian will help, she distracts orderly Collins by removing her shirt. Shawn and Gus grab Bernie and go.

Lassiter determines the attorney does not have power over Bernie’s trust. When did Jules last speak to Dr. Elliott? It’s been hours. They think he is in on it. They have to get Shawn out of there. Before they can make a move, however, the hospital calls to tell them Shawn broke out and took Bernie with him. Lassiter reminds Juliet that that is her boyfriend. It didn’t sound like a compliment.

Shawn and Gus take Bernie to Jamba Juice, where Juliet and Lassiter finally reach them on their cell phones. Shawn tells them that their lead suspect, Elliott, is dead. No worries, Shawn has another suspect in mind. Shawn and Gus (with Bernie in tow) go to Nurse McElroy’s place. Shawn confronts her about tampering with Bernie’s meds and sending him through electro-shock therapy. She never heard of the attorney they think paid her. Shawn realizes Daniel was behind it. He’s also behind Shawn…and he has a gun. He was jealous of his brother’s money. He convinced Bernie to give him power of attorney, but Bernie’s girlfriend/assistant figured it out and he killed her. Dr. Elliott found out, and he killed him, too. Shawn needs a distraction to keep the brother from killing Nurse McElroy. He remembers Bernie has phobias, one is loud noises. Shawn turns on a Kenny G cd at high volume. Bernie freaks and his brother tries to calm him. Gus disarms Daniel while he’s busy with Bernie. The crime is solved, and Shawn learns Gus is a Kenny G. fan. Gus grooves while holding Daniel at gunpoint. Lassiter and Juliet arrive just a moment too late. One look at the scene in the room and I think they may wish they hadn’t arrived at all.

Gus has one last conversation with Vivian. She’s getting better. Bernie thanks Shawn for all he did. Lassiter tells Bernie that his conviction has been repealed. He’s going to get the care he needs. Bernie isn’t in a hurry to leave the institution anyway, life is simple there. Shawn feels exactly the same. Juliet grabs Shawn and gets him out of there before he decides to stay.

And so we close on another fun episode of Psych. The one question I have to ask, did Shawn and Gus running around with Bernie in tow make anyone else think of [easyazon-link asin=”B00094ARJQ”]Weekend at Bernie’s[/easyazon-link]?