Psych: #119 A Nightmare on State Street (S8E9)

Ah, Psych.  That enigma of a show, brainchild of Steve Franks, that started out as a crime-comedy show, tried its hand a bit at drama and decided drama was for losers, experimented with realism, then decided that realism is also for losers, and finally in the last few seasons threw its proverbial hands up in the air and shouted, "What the heck?  We've made it this far; we can do whatever we want, so let's add zombies and food trucks and terrible British accents, and no one can stop us!"  Remember that show?

I love Psych.  I discovered it years ago when I was watching The Hardy Boys DVD I'd recently gotten - yes, the late 70s/early 80s show starring Shawn Cassidy and Parker Stevenson in all his man-perm glory - and one of the commercials was for this detective show where the main character is hyper observant and pretends to be psychic.  I found it on Netflix, and I was sold.

The show is many things: funny, stupid, goofy, silly, sometimes serious, occasionally deep, sweet, awkward, endearing, frustrating, immature, outlandish, exciting, and just an all-around good time.  The show has a cast of deeply memorable characters with incredible chemistry.  Personally, I'm most invested in the father-son relationship of Shawn and his dad Henry, the frenemy relationship between Shawn and Detective Lassiter, the budding but just out of reach romance between Shawn and Juliet, the hilarious bromance of Shawn and Gus, and the ever-solidifying friendship between Detectives Lassiter and O'Hara.  And I know that I just listed almost every major character in the show.  Just goes to show how expertly put together Psych and its cast are.

Now, there are some episodes that I hate.  There aren't many of them, but those that I genuinely do not like will be dealt with first.  I'll be going from my least favorite episode all the way up to my favorite, so even though things may look grim now, be at peace, for there is light ahead!

Without further ado, I present to you the first blog post in my Psych: Ranked! series.

Episode Title: A Nightmare on State Street
Episode Number: S8E9

Ranking: 119 of 119
Ranking Category: The Banes of My Existence…Pointless Remakes, and Zombies.

Summary: Gus begins to have trouble separating dreams from reality when uncertainty about his friendship with Shawn and his future begin to plague him.

TV.com

Quotable Moment: "As much as I try not to take my work home with me, when I'm alone in bed, and I turn out the light... I see them.  They talk to me.  They tell me how they wish they made a different choice in life.  How they wish they had taken a different path to work that final day, or, or made absolutely sure they locked the front door.  We all come into this world the same way we go out.  Alone." -Woody (directly after this he gets eaten by a zombie)

Highlight: Probably the moment between Shawn and Gus in the Psych office after Gus's dream therapy session, in which he claims not to need Shawn but Shawn's still there for him anyway.

Lowlight: Zombies.

The Hat Game: I've watched most of the Psych episodes at least two, maybe more times.  "A Nightmare on State Street" isn't one of them.  I've only seen it the one time, and I'm not exactly thrilled to be watching it again.  Why?  One word: Zombies.  I hate zombies.  My husband's tried to convince me that zombies are awesome, at least in video games, where you can blow them up.  My best friend's tried to convince me that Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies is worth watching.  They both failed.  Well, partially.  I can handle the zombies in the video game The Last of Us because they look like fungus more than the undead.  And I still refuse to watch Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies, though I did give in and watch Pride & Prejudice (which I loved).  But I digress.

From what I remember from "A Nightmare on State Street," it's really a very poorly written excuse to throw zombies in the mix.  There's no real plot, no depth, no meaning.  What makes it even worse is that it's the second-to-last episode of the entire series, and what should be a monumental episode leading up to the finale is stupid, gross, and not engaging.  And it's a dream.  I greatly dislike dream episodes (oddly enough, I'm going to be covering a Wild West dream episode in my next MacGyver post) because they contribute nothing to the plot, ultimately mean nothing to the story, and are, in my opinion, a waste of time.  The only exception would be episodes like "The Polarizing Express," where Shawn goes on a weird It's a Wonderful Life adventure in order to deal with an internal crisis.  But episodes like this, where it's just a frivolous excuse for stupid jokes and gratuitous amounts of the undead?  For turning these beloved characters into zombies themselves?  It adds nothing to the story.  Changes nothing.  It's forty-some-odd minutes that never actually happen, and so are pointless.

Most of my reviews are not going to be this negative.  And I'll probably find a few things I forgot about that I enjoy as I re-watch this episode.  But overall, from what I can remember, this is dead last (or should I say undead last, har har) on my list because (1) zombies are gross and (2) dream episodes are pointless.




Observations, Questions, Opinions & Nitpicks:

• I accidentally clicked on the deleted scene for this episode in the DVD menu instead of the actual episode itself.  So imagine my confusion when I got a minute-long scene with no context at all, that made no sense whatsoever.  Whoops!

• The episode opens with Gus having another one of his crises about his inability to keep a woman and how he's going to die alone.  This is par for the course, but Dule Hill never fails to disappoint in his comedic acting, and the banter between Shawn and Gus while Shawn tries to distract Gus from his distress is classic Psych.

• Oh, right, and here's the reason for the zombie dream: they pass a zombie run marathon thing, which I've never really understood.  I admire people with the fortitude and determination (and physical capabilities) to run a marathon, but why would you want to do so dressed as the undead?  All that gross make-up melting off and making your skin gooey when you start to sweat, never mind that you're running as a zombie.  Correct me if I'm wrong, because I'm not a zombie fan at all, but don't zombies kind of drunkenly hobble around?  

• See, I told you!  I've already found a moment that I'd forgotten about that made me laugh.  When Gus (now in a dream) looks in the rear-view mirror and sees the zombie ambling toward his car, he rolls his eyes and says, "White people."  

• The way that zombie moves, groans, and growls as it does so is really scary.  I'm watching this as I'm home alone (it's not even night though; it's like 3 p.m.) and I'm getting freaked out.  Zombies don't even scare me; I just think they're nasty.  But still, Captain Undead is pretty freaky.  At least this episode got the tone and atmosphere of a zombie movie right (I think?).  

• Oh, hey, look who pulls up beside Gus in the gas station's parking lot - it's running joke Curt Smith from Tears for Fears.  I'm pretty sure that the last time we saw the singer (who is now listening to his own music on the radio), he was being mauled by a mountain lion ("100 Clues").  He's like that guy who got turned into a newt in The Holy Grail - "I got better."

• What is a bunuelo?  From context clues and syntax, I get that it's a Mexican food, but I've never heard of it.

• Of course there's a zombie nun.  What is it with people always trying to make nuns scary?  I mean, they're sweet little ladies who have dedicated their lives to God.  I just don't get the horror movie industry.  (To give you an idea, my favorite movies are Moana and Guardians of the Galaxy, and the scariest thing I'll watch is Stranger Things which is more eerie than scary.)  I'm totally out of the loop, not to mention my comfort zone, here.

• Okay, I can't help but laugh at the English gentleman looking zombie who still has a giant cigar hanging out of his mouth.  That's pretty funny.

• And now Curt Smith is being mauled by zombies.  This guy has it rough.

• You've got to love Gus's way of helping.  He sits in the car, looks out the window, and says, "Get up off of Curt Smith!"  Really helpful, Gus.

• Even Gus's high-pitched scream doesn't make the detached wiggling zombie fingers any easier to stomach.  It's not even that gross, it's just dumb.  Pirates of the Caribbean did the gag way better.

• Gus wakes up in the sleep therapy place with a doctor guy played by Bruce Campbell (which I think is supposed to be funny because Bruce Campbell was in some sort of cult-classic zombie movie), who has a giant flyswatter that he uses to wake Gus up...?  What in the world even is this episode?  I'm good with goofy, silly, and even, occasionally, stupid, but this is so out there with absolutely no context, and it's much too far removed from any semblance of reality for me to enjoy. 

usanetwork.com

• I really like the interaction between Shawn and Gus in the Psych office after the appointment.  Gus is in denial that his dreams are about his fear of Shawn's leaving, so when Shawn offers to help him with something, Gus outright refuses, saying that he doesn't "need" Shawn for anything.  The acting is great - you can actually see a bit of hurt confusion in Shawn's eyes for a split second - and it's a really fun scene.  What can I say - even in episodes I dislike, I'm a sucker for bromance.  

• "We're men, Gus.  The world is our toilet."  Ew.  Really, Shawn?

• I thought this was a zombie-themed episode, so why is Gus hearing a disembodied ghostly voice from the car radio, seeing a creepy doll seated in the living room, a clown doll rocking at the top of the stairs, a chainsaw on the table, and rotten food all over the kitchen in the creepy house?  This is like a mash-up of a lot of scary tropes all in one.  

• It's official: The most terrifying part of this episode is where the zombie outside of the creepy house gets on all fours and starts doing some sort of stunted bounding toward the window where Gus is.  I don't think I'll ever unsee that.  And what's with the kabuki mask zombie that attacks Gus?  Maybe this is trying to reflect the fluid and utterly nonsensical state of dreams - and if so, I certainly respect that, because dreams are hard to emulate and easy to get lost in - but still... there's so much going on that it's hard to tell what is happening half of the time.  It's confusing, and I have still no idea if there is actually a plot to this episode or not.  Good on them for trying new things, but this is a bit too out there for me.

psychusa.wikia.com

• I had completely forgotten about Brannigan, the detective who came in after O'Hara left.  She's pretty hilarious.  Any character who's going to render Shawn Spencer speechless is pretty great in my book.  Also, in this scene, I love the comedy between Shawn and Lassie.  As soon as Lassiter sees Shawn coming, he immediately turns on his heel and tries to escape, but to no avail.  Another classic moment!

• Good grief, they bring back the Shawn and Gus as a couple ruse all the way from season one to get information out of a suspect.  Like in the first season, I love how much fun Shawn has making Gus feel uncomfortable, and how freaked out Gus is by the charade.  There are quite a few funny moments in this episode that I'd forgotten about.

• On the playground, what's with the two downcast and slightly creepy ginger girls slowly brushing their dolls hair?  Does this teacher have something against gingers?

• Shawn calls Gus, "Baby girl," and I'm trying my best not to snort in laughter.  Not because I'm afraid of being judged, but I don't want to scare my cat, who's chilling out on my footrest.  

• Again with the mixed horror movie signals.  Disembodied children's laughter, a ball rolling back and forth on its own... the whole dream sequence in the boiler room is so bizarre and stupid (and the CG is awful).  I get that it's supposed to be a dream, but this is waaay too strange.

• If the whole dilemma about Shawn and Gus's relationship were in any other context, I'd love this episode.  I really enjoy their friendship, and this fear of Shawn's leaving - of the possibility of growing apart - is an issue that I would absolutely love to see expanded upon.  But not in this context.  It's immersed in so much stupidity and senselessness, it barely makes an impact - emotional or otherwise - on the viewer at all.  It's a shame, because this is some great emotional material being sorely misused.

• About 29 minutes in, Woody the mortician gives us way too much information, but then uncharacteristically says something incredibly profound right before being attacked by zombies.  What fun.

• Yet again, we have another scene, this one between a burnt-out Gus and his mom, that has the potential to be incredibly sweet and moving ... and it's ruined by more dumb antics when his mom gets eaten by... um ... Audrey II?  It seriously looks like the sink monster that pops in and gobbles Mrs. Guster up came straight from Little Shop of Horrors.  And I have no idea what is happening at all anymore, because there are so many scary movie tropes squeezed into this forty-minute episode that I can't tell up from down anymore.  Aside from the fact that it's a dream episode about zombies, I also greatly dislike this episode because of its lack of foundation or a plot of any kind.  If you want to tell a silly story, tell a silly story.  But don't string a bunch of bad jokes and scary tropes together, dress it up in a few pseudo-serious moments and think you can call it a story.  

• Suddenly, we've gone to black and white, and there are zombies laying siege to the Psych office.  This whole scene is, like the rest of the episode, really pointless, but I did get a chuckle out of Detective Brannigan slapping the zombies on the backs of their hands to keep them at bay.

• As Lassie is being dragged away by a hoard of zombies: "See?  This is why we should never legalize marijuana."  Double-take... whaaaa...?

• Okay, I also cracked up at Brannigan's cry after Lassiter gets taken: "Lassie, come home!"

pintrest.com

• The gag where Henry lights the match and then a zombie behind him blows it out is pretty great too.

• I'll say it again: I hate the way zombies move.  So creepy!

• Let's just take a moment to appreciate that Gus just slammed a door in Shawn's dad's face, leaving him to be eaten by zombies.  Gus, the heroic sidekick all fake psychics need.

• The zombie Shawn is the single most disturbing thing I've ever seen.  'Nuff said.

• Of course they had to have a totally contrived jump scare at the end - no, make that two.  This whole episode is just contrived, to be honest.  And they could have actually had a somewhat legitimate and sweet ending if they hadn't had that weird jump scare at the very end where Shawn and Gus turn around and their eyes are all creepy.  

My Conclusion?

Although I did come across some fun and sweet moments that I had forgotten about, they in no way make up for the sheer stupidity that is this episode.  Like I said, I enjoy a silly episode now and again, but this was way too offbeat even for me.  And as a writer, the elements of story are extremely important to me, and it is really upsetting to me when I see a story that is contrived purely for comedy's sake, for a shock, or simply to fill in space.  There's no real story to "A Nightmare on State Street."  Nothing substantial.  It's just a bunch of jokes and scares and pop culture references strung together with a few deep moments nestled in there to make it seem more legitimate.  This is my main problem with this episode.  

I realize that there are a lot of people out there who love zombies and scary movies and that they may enjoy this episode because of that, unlike me.  And that's fine.  I'm not going to put this episode at the bottom of my list just because it's got zombies in it (although it was tempting).  It's at the bottom of my list because it has no purpose, no plot, no depth, nothing to keep me invested in it.  So I agree completely with my original assessment, though I won't completely write this episode off, because it did have its moments - few and far between though they were.

Just For Fun Tallies:

"Suck It" - 0

"C'mon Son" - 0

"Don't Be a ____" - 0

"This is my partner, ____" - 1

• "I'm Shawn Spencer, and this is my life partner, Burton Guster Black-Spencer."

"I've Heard It Both Ways" - 0

"Wait for iiiiiiiiiiiit" - 1

• For once, it's not Shawn or Gus doing the "Wait for it" bit - it's Lassie's time to shine.