Psych Season 4 Preview: There May or May Not Be…

For a show that deals with murders, suicides, and other dramatic mysteries, there sure is a lot of comedy. Since its premiere episode in 2006, Psych has kept audiences entertained and laughing with complex storylines and witty dialogue and bantering between the show’s main characters, Shawn and Gus. On August 7th, Psych returns on USA for more adventures with Shawn – the fake psychic whose sharp observational skills helps him solve cases – and Gus, Shawn’s faithful friend since childhood who believes in living on the straight and narrow, but somehow finds himself sucked into assisting Shawn with his detective work.

In a recent conference call with reporters, James Roday (Shawn) and Dulé Hill (Gus) demonstrated first hand that the success of any show goes beyond showing up for work and saying a couple of lines. Both actors are very involved in Psych’s production and now serve as co-producers on the series; Roday has also collaborated with the writer’s on previous episodes and both men speak highly of their co-workers. “I love talking about my fellow castmates because I think they’re all geniuses and so talented,” says Roday. Hill gives similar sentiments explaining, “The cast is great, the crew is even greater. We have a lot of fun, and we don’t take ourselves too seriously.”

This collaborative team is bringing us what promises to be an adventure-filled fourth season unlike any other. Season four of Psych will include Shawn and Gus saving an old western town, a tribute to The Exorcist, and a werewolf episode. Cary Elwes of The Princess Bride fame will also be making an appearance on the season premiere episode. Still, there’s much more to come! Roday and Hill are teasing viewers with hints such as: “There may or may not be a continuation of a story that capped off our season last year with Mr. Yang. There may or may not be something BIG coming. There may or may not be our biggest guest star ever appearing on our show…” Make of that what you will!

As Psych’s success continues to climb (“I felt like the fourth Jonas brother!” Roday exclaimed about his recent appearance at Comic-Con) and with so much to look forward to in season four, it is no doubt an ongoing challenge for the show’s staff to keep things as fresh and interesting as possible. Luckily for Psych’s fanbase, Roday assures us by saying, “You couldn’t have a group that’s more aware of not getting complacent, of recognizing how important it is to not become predictable. We’ll always challenge each other, and make sure that everyone’s working as hard as they can.”

Another challenge presented itself to the Psych team, however, when CBS debuted their own “detective pretending to be a psychic” series called The Mentalist. This was not something that went unnoticed by fans and the Psych team, who now poke fun at the similarities in the upcoming season. Roday explained that, “No one is off limits when it comes to our show, including ourselves; we’ve made fun of our own resumes on the show. Obviously, it’s not malicious in any way, but it’s what we do, and if you’re going to go make a bigger show that’s kind of like ours and get four times as many viewers and Emmy nominations, you should expect to hear about it when our show airs!” Like most CBS primetime shows, The Mentalist is far more dramatic than Psych, whose success on the USA network can be primarily attributed to its comedy and the great chemistry between Roday and Hill.

On that note, if you’ve yet to tune into Psych, it’s never too late! Hill’s way of selling the show to potential viewers is simple: “I think it’s a great show to come, sit back, put your feet up and relax a bit and clear your mind. I think anybody who watches this show definitely laughs out loud.” And who wouldn’t want that after a hectic day?

For more on Psych, click here.

Psych Season 4 Premiere – Friday, August 7th at 10/9c on USA

Photographs courtesy of USA, NBC Universal, and Alan Zenuk