Psych (TV Series) Scary Sherry: Bianca's Toast (2007) User Reviews

"Wanna split a pineapple?"

[bensonmum2 · 9/10 · 14 November 2020]

Shawn and Gus agree to help Juliet investigate the apparent suicide of a young sorority sister who may have thrown herself from the window at a supposedly haunted and abandoned asylum. The girl's death is eerily similar to one Shawn and Gus witnessed years earlier at the same location. Meanwhile, Lassiter is forced to work with the world's worst rookie officer.

I'm slowly working my way through Psych for about the third or fourth time. I can't seem to get enough of it. From Season 1, "Scary Sherry; Bianca's Toast" just might be my favorite episode. Why? Well, first of all, the subject matter appeals to me. A lot of the horror movie tropes I enjoy are here - a maniac with an axe, a spooky old asylum filled with lit candles, and a ghostly figure. Add to that Shawn and Gus screaming like little girls at the first sight of something weird, Juliet getting too into her undercover persona, Shannon Woodward in a supporting role, the truth behind one of Santa Barbara's most notorious urban legends, and the clever title, and you end up with a real winner. The comedy here is first rate. For instance, I think I laugh-out-loud everytime I watch the frightened Gus getting trapped all alone in the creepy asylum Finally, there's the bit with Lassiter and Detective Goochberg. Mercedes Ruehl is a riot! Overall, one of the best.

9/10

So good!

[AnnaPagrati · 10/10 · 10 October 2021]

I love this Halloween episode, one of the spookiest ever!

Season 1: Impressively on-point and fun from the very start

[bob the moo · 22 May 2009]

Shawn Spencer may not be the most career-driven of men, but his sharp powers of observation see him calling in many spot-on tips to the police simply from watching the local news. Of course this raises suspicions in the local police and Shawn finds himself under suspicion for the crimes he tipped on. Thinking quickly, he claims to be psychic and uses his powers of observation to "psychically read" some of the people in the station. Whether they believe him or not, they buy his story, giving him and his friend Gus a great chance to work for the police – albeit having to continue to dress up Shawn's observational skills as being mystical rather than good police work.

I mentioned in my review of season 2 of Psych that season 1 hadn't really worked for me but, tellingly, I also said that I watched it in a very "non-committed" way. The end of season 3 and the lack of new episodes of fun light entertainment made me and my girlfriend pick up season 1 and many things about it surprised me. The first thing that surprised me was how much of the season that neither of us had seen (although I suppose this is why I never reviewed it before) despite both quite liking the show. The second thing that impressed me more than surprised me was how it hit the ground running – pretty much doing all the things that I like about it two seasons later, but from the pilot stage. I am used to some shows taking one season to bed in (Battlestar Galatica being the most recent example I can think of) but here we have everything from the theme music to the overall approach of the show in place.

The irreverent tone is the thing that makes it for me and, although season 1 is a bit more careful and guarded with it, it is still present and still works. The heavy stream of references and confidence in its own comedy is not quite there yet though and some of the episodes rely on the cases more than they do the fun swagger of the show. This makes for some weaker episodes where the "fun" isn't quite there even if they are still quite entertaining. The cast are a big part of taking this fun from the page and putting it onto the screen. I'm sure at some point Roday will have to find another job and struggle to build on his success here but at the moment Shawn is a role he fits like a glove, making it all seem so easy and effortless. He is charmingly funny and he takes the viewer with him. Hill is just as good and it is hard to imagine the show without both of them together. Omundson plays it simple in season 1 but is quite effective for it, while Lawson turns out to be a more fitting bit of casting in regards the "light, fun" style of the show than Dudek would most likely have made. Nelson is so-so and lumbered with a seemingly unnecessary pregnancy for most of the season. Bernsen is fun in the flashbacks and the modern setting, even if the kid doing Gus in the flashbacks is not as good as in later seasons.

Season 1 of Psych is a pleasant surprise looking back but also a very good start for anyone coming to the show. Although seasons 2 and 3 come harder with the confidence, references and swagger than makes the show such fun, season 1 does still have them as a firm base that makes the majority of the season really enjoyable. One or two weaker episodes tend to come from the script not putting enough material onto Shawn and Gus but regardless it is a surprisingly "on-point" season that hits the ground running in terms of formula and fun.

It's very rare for me to rate a Psych episode under 7

[jpapanone · 6/10 · 22 March 2021]

But a heavy dose of Juliet...already is a hit against this one. Add Mercedes Ruehle to the episode in one of the top 5 worst guests in the entire Psych run (Another one being Mira Sorvino at the tail end). This is one episode I either skip or almost skip on my rewatches. The cons outweigh the pros.