'Psych' Shawn and Gus are the dynamic duo of the century

One Friday night in 2011 I found myself in a motel room. A leaking water heater had shorted out the ground wire in my home and we could no longer safely use the electricity. My husband had gone out to get us a late night snack and I began flipping TV channels. I was pretty depressed and had no clue what the future held. I happened upon the show “ Psych” on the ION network and I was immediately hooked. Here were these two guys, one black the other white, (or so I thought), who were solving crimes in a hilarious, keystone cops meets Abbott and Costello kind of way. I was laughing until I cried and elated when I found out the show was on Saturday night as well. Psych took my mind off of my current situation and I have enjoyed these two men, as I watched their zany antics each week. It reminds me of how I rooted for soap opera super couples during the 1980’s.

I began watching the “Psych” reruns every weekend on ION until I caught up with new episodes airing each Tuesday night on USA. I taped them, viewed them multiple time, and began talking about Burton Guster and Shawn Spencer to anyone who would listen. These guys don't miss a beat and in interviews, they shared that they are allowed to go off script and adlib. James Roday Rodriguez portrays Shawn Spencer and until recently he went by the name James Roday. Because of his light complexion, he did not look Latino and was advised to change his name to get more roles. The George Floyd murder and subsequent talks on racism led him to return his birth name and embrace his ethnicity. Rodriguez directs the show and Dule Hill who portrays Burton Guster is a producer.

"Psych" ran for a total of eight years on USA and there have been two films, "Psych the Movie" and "Psych 2 Lassie come home." The dynamic between Shawn and Gus is amazing. The earlier episodes began with scenes from the childhood escapes of these two who have been buddies since grade school. Their friendship has continued into adulthood and they are closer than ever. James Roday Rodriguez and Dule Hill play off of each other very well and their characters have an endearing bromance. In the final episode of series, Gus told Shawn that he loved him as much as a man can love another man and remain friends. This duo has impeccable timing and reminds me of Laurel and Hardy or the Three Stooges. When they interact with other regular characters it comes across as if they all truly love each other. Hill and Rodriguez are also good friends in real life.

Steve Franks who created the show truly exhibited amazing genius when he cast these two men in the lead roles. During the television series, Shawn picked up amazing skills of discernment and putting clues together because his dad was a police detective. He used this talent to convince everyone that he was psychic. Gus was holding down a full time job with a pharmaceutical company so he had vast knowledge regarding prescription drugs. He also retained a wealth of information from early history as well as his college education. The two friends put it all together and it works to solve crimes. Shawn’s wife Juliet (Maggie Lawson) accepts this deep bond between these men and is not threatened by it. When Gus began dating Selene, (Jazmin Simon) she was welcomed her with open area and Selene fit right in with the zany crew. Lawson and Rodriguez dated for eight years off-screen and remain close. Hill and Simon are married and have a son.

There is a running joke that Gus looks like Bud from The Cosby Show and on the series finale, Deon Richmond actually appeared. Shawn often told strangers that Gus was Bud, and sometimes clients would ask him if he were on The Cosby Show. Shawn routinely makes comments about his buddy being chocolate or calls him brown butter. This is a part of who these two are as actors, friends, and characters and never comes across as racist. The duo loves to eat and they are always talking about their next meal, even when on a case or in the morgue. Shawn and Gus bring humor, drama, romance, detective skills, and police work together in a way that makes it so fun for the viewers.

These guys have a tremendous cast working with them who add to their unique dynamic. Corbin Bernsen portrays Shawn’s father Henry, Tim Odmonson is the police chief Lassiter, nicknamed Lassie. Kirsten Nelson plays police chief Karen Vick and Kurt Fuller is the wacky coroner Woodie Strode. Together this team makes every scene memorable and the supporting cast understand and accepts that Shawn and Gus are the stars so it all works together for every one of them. When Shawn proposed to Juliet it was Gus who said, “We accept.” When Selene popped the question to Gus in his reply he asked if they could live next door to Shawn and Juliet and she said yes. The fact that millions of fans called Psycho’s love these two and continue watching the show speaks volumes. I say Shawn and Gus have the bromance of the century.

Steve Franks stated that he and the cast decided to end the show while it was still on top. This did not go over well with the millions of Psychos who love these guys and desire to see more of them. Rodriguez and Hill have said there may be three more movies and that it will be the fans who make the decision. "Psych the Movie" recently aired on USA and can be found on Netflix. "Psych 2 Lassie Come Home" can currently be viewed for free on the new Peacock streaming service. Check these guys out and see for yourself why Shawn and Gus are the most dynamic duo ever.