There was something weird about Wednesday night’s Psych, and it wasn’t the new night. Sure, Shawn and Gus had their moments, including some scenes with Shawn and his girlfriend-we-rarely-see. It’s just the whole thing seemed, well, like the psychic detective and his trusty sidekick were second-stringers on their own show while their guest star, WWE superstar John Cena, became the main player. It was as if the episode was a back door pilot for a John Cena series. That, or the enormity of John Cena made it feel like it was his show.
For those of you not familiar with the term ‘back door pilot’ I ask you to get your mind out of the gutter while I explain. A back door pilot is an episode of a currently running series that is used as a pilot for a new program. For example, several episodes of Grey’s Anatomy became a back door pilot for Private Practice. In another instance, nearly all of the last season episodes of The Practice were a setup for Boston Legal. The greatest example of this format was an episode of The Brady Bunch titled “Kelly’s Kids” that featured Ken Berry adopting a multi-racial group of boys. Lots of Ken Berry and the kids, not as much of the Bradys.
That’s exactly how this week’s episode of Psych felt. It started from the moment Cena appeared on screen. How many times has another guest star been given so much solo screen time so early in the episode, and an action scene to boot? Then there were the scenes where Cena took calls from his mysterious boss (played by someone whose voice I knew, but I couldn’t place). And though he was charged with attempted murder (by his sister, which was strange in itself) Cena’s character seemingly escapes. Which means he’s out doing more mercenary work for his unknown supervisor.
It all smacked of an introduction to a potential series. Not that it would be a bad thing. For a WWE performer, who’s acting normally consists of beating the imaginary crap out of another person and screaming pretend threats into a microphone, Cena was a pretty decent actor. He had emotion, he had voice control, and he was even humorous at times. Plus, there was enough of a back story for his character, and a mystery as to what he did and who he really reported to, that it could make for a interesting USA series. I’d watch it, only to hold Cena back from coming to my house and pummeling me with my own arm.
What was your feeling about this episode of Psych? Did it seem like a normal installment or was it setting up something else? Phone lines are open.
Clacked by Richard Keller 
on Jan 29, 2010 @ 13:00 EST5EDT
I didn’t see the episode, but any time a dramatic or comedic role is given to a wrestling star, it’s a loss for real actors and certainly for the audience.
I think the boss’s voice was done by Lassiter.
I watched 10 minutes and was reminded in abundance why I can’t stand “Psych” anymore. It’s all over-the-top gaga. Everything’s a gimmick. Nothing ever makes sense, everything that happens just happens and is a setup for the next quip by one of the actors. There’s not even time for any setup anymore. The episode starts with the whole gang just standing there at a crime scene, half a sentence is dedicated to the date which just serves as device for a couple of jokes and then on with the Cena who’s “dodging bullets while being the size of a Mac Truck” than you could imagine.
On the other hand – on the A-Team we had Mr. T and he was dodging just as many bullets without getting hurt so maybe this show is extremely great but I’m just not twelve anymore. Then again I still enjoy the A-Team reruns because the show doesn’t take itself serious at all which I think “Psych”, “Burn Notice” and “Chuck” all do. But again – maybe I’m wrong.
I think Cena’s performance was up-to-par with what he does in the WWE wrestling ring. I mean what do you expect – they are acting there, he’s acting here. The Rock can do it why shouldn’t he be able to? Which reminds me of Hulk Hogan’s TV show which was also so extremely cheesy. And I loved it.
I don’t know I don’t really understand why I can’t stand Psych. I loved the first two seasons but now it’s just annoying… *shrugs*
Okay, I’ll give you “Burn Notice,” but do you really think “Psych” and “Chuck” take themselves seriously? I mean, seriously? I’m flummoxed, flabbergasted and everything but speechless that anyone would think “Psych” or “Chuck” take themselves anywhere NEAR seriously.
Are we even watching the same shows? I mean, seriously?
It’s not really serious it’s… I don’t know. I think it’s the “look at me I’m funny” attitude. There’s no or not enough irony present. Look at this episode of “Psych”. Shawn comes in, is bored, and tries to get the thing over with fast, does his schtick and all because he notices some things, namely the dog tags and the chair. Even the show itself now acknowledges that other people see those things so why is he there in the first place? For a couple of jokes it seems. It’s that the show itself isn’t serious at all in other places for it to leave the parts that are supposed to be funny anywhere near funny at all.
I think that’s why “The A-Team” worked for me. There were always serious parts where people talked about there feelings, their problems, and even though nobody ever died from bullets, people usually died because of things the bad guys did before the A-Team was called into action. There was always a serious background. On “Psych” and “Chuck” there are “supposed to be serious” things happening but they themselved don’t take them serious at all anymore. When Sarah killed that guy to protect Chuck, it seemed totally out of place. Suddenly there was seriousness where before, for weeks and weeks, nothing serious ever happened. Another reason for me not to believe that there’s any true love between Chuck and Sarah. He just wants something and is unhappy he doesn’t get it and when he gets it he tossed it away for the next best thing. It’s just annoying.
And on Psych it’s always banter, all the time. Some goes to “Monk”. Can’t watch that show anymore either. You know it’s not that I didn’t watch “Psych” (2 Seasons) or Monk (5 seasons) at all, it’s that I just can’t take the whole formula anymore.
At least Stone Cold was good on Chuck :)
If Cena gets his own show, it should be called “Guns.” Jeebus, those biceps are monstrous!
Between him running secret missions and a nearly faceless boss giving him orders, it had me thinking of a gender-flipped “Charlies Angels” with slightly worse acting.