So, fitting somewhere between the bleh Blair Witch take off and, say, the really fun Twin Peaks takeoff, Psych's “choose your own ending” 100th episode Clue takeoff –- was neither horrible nor memorable. In other words, I think it was a properly wacky homage to the wacky classic. But it wasn't classic in and of itself.
Again, to me, the premise wasn't the issue. The whole “mysterious guest invites us to a mansion and there's a murder” was fine. The mansion itself had some inventive bits. It was cool to see Christopher Lloyd, Leslie Ann Warren and Martin Mull from the Clue movie. But I wasn't totally on board with the aging rock star/moron maybe seeking revenge plotline and the boring slate of suspects the actors were saddled with bringing to life. And while some of the tribute items to the movie Clue were funny –- the singing telegram, the running around, the butt smacking and the final line –- some of it sort of read like the producers had run out of ideas for the episode so they just added...running. There's a fine line between spoofing and skating.
And some jokes just fell flat. The toupee room? And warmed over versions of things that have worked in the past: Gus and Shawn doing a funny dance. Gus and Shawn loving snacks and seeking them out. They were just kind of meh in this episode. I love Psych, and I love it because it's unlike any other show on TV. It's got its traditions, its rhythm, it's weirdness. But that doesn't mean the show can just keep going to the same well, either, especially if it isn't done well. That's a lot of "wells". I guess what I'm saying is, I worry sometimes the show is going to become like a sitcom that, instead of constantly moving forward in the funny, just relies on it's characters using the same funny catchphrase every week.
And why wasn't Henry involved? That was kind of weird for the 100th episode.
I did like the bizarreness of Steve Valentine's idiot recovering addict ex-con non-murderer rock musician. And the use of Curt Smith, a classic Psych go-to, in a funny cameo was well done (other than the “he's not dead” thing being overplayed...)
I watched the East coast version where Clizby, a name which will unfortunately I'm sure go down in Psych history, was the killer. I didn't vote for him, nor for anyone, because I'm over 25. But as advertising-related gimmicks go, it wasn't exciting, but it wasn't as offensive and blatant as it might have been.
I've seen worse episodes of the show, and I've seen better.
Psychlights:
Amusing flashback where Henry, Shawn and Gus were at that crazy metal concert/sting.
Lassiter's comments to the weird suspects were some of the more amusing of the episode.
Also, great scene where he interrogated Gus and Shawn.
Steve Valentine was hilariously stupid. He's a talented dude.
The thing about the chandelier maybe falling because of G&S's dance was good mileage out of the dance, which itself wasn't all that funny.
Good job giving Garrett Morris, Lesley Ann Warren and Curt Smith decent guest roles.
Classy dedication to Madeleine Kahn (though I'd have added in the late Eileen Brennan, too...).
Clue being one of my favorite movies, I loved this. I got a kick out of all the references. Even the little running sequence, since it actually was a sequence from the movie. It's been a while since I've seen the movie but I could swear that Juliette was channeling Yvette, the maid from the movie, during many of the scenes. The only thing that would've been just tops was if they could've gotten Tim Curry into the mix.
ReplyDeleteAnd I will forever enjoy Gus and Shawn's never-ending quest for delicious consumables since it is something I can identify with greatly. Just a few minutes ago I was scouring my own house for chocolate.
Unlike Freeman, I thought Clue was one of the worst films I have ever seen. As a result, this episode just didn't work for me. In fact, I was hugely disappointed in the 100th episode of one of my go to shows for a good laugh.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I was stunned that Henry had such a small role and the fact that Vick was missing all together. I thought the "choose the ending" gimmick was just that and neither of them were particularly memorable.
I think I may have gone into this episode with my expectations too high. Be that as it may, this episode failed to reach any of them.
Couple Clue references you missed: Shawn mentioned that Gus stepped in something and the attack panther Emma (instead of the guard dogs). Also, Christopher Lloyd says "Great Scott!" (Back to the Future).
ReplyDeleteIt was funny, but it could've been better. Steve Valentine is always a hoot and I nearly died laughing at Martin Mull's incoherent drunk and Billy's translating. Like Freeman, I wish they'd been able to use Tim Curry, but he has been on the show before as another character so it would've taken some explaining.
Couple more things:
How in the world could Juliette afford a vintage Oscar de la Renta?
Gus went to Pomona College? *Is impressed.* Pomona, while tiny, is one of the most selective colleges in the country. It's known as "Little Stanford."
Great review, Beth!
Oh and I forgot the singing telegram girl, also a Clue reference. :)
ReplyDelete