From characters to set designs, Psych went through some changes since the original pilot episode. But which have proven to be the best ones?
With the release of the third Psych film this past November, Psych-Os are going back and re-watching their favorite show. Over 8 seasons and three movies, many of them are shocked to see just how much the show has changed. While character evolution is an obvious one, there are more subtle changes such as set designs and even discarded character traits.
Although many of these changes evolved as the series progressed, there are some that were altered as early as the following episode. When going back to re-watch the exploits of Shawn Spencer and Burton Guster, fans found enjoyment in picking out all of the changes, subtle or otherwise, and realize just how much the show has evolved over the years.
One of the biggest shocks to newcomers could be the revelation that Juliet O'Hara, one of Psych's best female characters, isn't present in the first episode. In her place, is Junior Detective Lucinda Barry (portrayed by Anne Dudek). While Jules would go on to become Shawn's main love interest, Detective Barry is revealed early on to be the love interest of Lassiter. Shawn outs their secret relationship when he is "proving" himself to be psychic.
The character was written out of the show by simply stating she had to be transferred when the department discovered her secret affair with Carlton, and Jules came to the SBPD in her place. Behind the scenes, the character wasn't a hit with test audiences and was replaced for the following episode. While Dudek proved to hold her own against the zaniness of Psych, Maggie Lawson's addition is where many fans agree all the pieces fell into place.
Throughout the series, Shawn only has eyes for a few women - namely his high school sweetheart Abigail, and, of course, Juliet. The pilot episode, however, implies that Shawn is a player who constantly has a girl in his apartment. The first time viewers see him, he is seen entangled with a girl who he evidently met that night. While he does occasionally hook up, this bachelor lifestyle was not built upon.
This is one of the better changes as he has eyes for Jules almost instantly, and this would have taken away from that drastically. Shawn Spencer is very much an immature man-child, but thankfully, this is one cliche his character can survive without.
The Santa Barbara Police Department Headquarters is just as iconic as all of the "Gus, don't be..." lines seen throughout the show. In the pilot episode, however, the police station looks drastically different. Many memorable scenes took place in the halls of the SBPD, so seeing a totally different location can be jarring at first.
After becoming familiar with the better-known police station for eight seasons, the station seen in the pilot episode seems out of place and even weird. From the lobby to the integration room to Vick's office, the entire set got an overhaul as the series went on, and many agree this was for the better.
Henry's house is perhaps one of the most sentimental locations in the show, as not only is it Shawn's childhood home, the final season also sees it become the Lassiter homestead. The first episode, however, sees a home completely different to fans, gone is Henry's beloved lawn as well as the beachfront. The house only briefly appears in the episode, but it is enough to make fans long for the house that comes later.
Thankfully for them, they don't have to wait long as it appears in all the two-story glory in the following episode. This house has become almost as likable as the most likable characters on the show, and fans love seeing it appear.
The most recognizable location from the show is the Psych office. The building sees Shawn and Gus goof off more than work and that's what fans love about it. Psych-Os love it so much, they can probably describe the entire layout of the building. In fact, they can probably describe the office seen after the pilot episode because the first appearance is drastically different.
The office is noticeably smaller for one. And while the following episodes see Shawn expanding it, that still doesn't explain how different it looks in the first episode. Even the logo seen on the window is a different color, being blue instead of the later iconic green.
A character that only appears twice early in the series is Officer Martha Allen. Allen appears in the pilot episode and only once more, making her slip out of the minds of many fans. Besides this, she is actually one of the most important characters in the show.
While waiting to give a statement, Shawn notices how superstitious Allen is. He later uses this to his advantage, by tricking her into thinking he is psychic. While having a seemingly small role, Allen is the entire reason Shawn thought of the idea of claiming to be a psychic to prevent being arrested. Without Allen, Shawn would have likely been arrested and fans would have no show.
Another one of Shawn's quirks that were abandoned after a while was his motorcycle. Shawn's biggest character trait is that he refuses to grow up and his refusal to buy a car is proof of this. Throughout the first season, Shawn states multiple times how much he loves his bike and is even in a pretty serious accident at one point.
While the bike occasionally appears or is mentioned throughout the series, it is never as big of a deal after the first season. Shawn doesn't get a car until the movies, and even then it is a student car with two wheels proving that he still refuses to grow up.
Gus has always been annoyed by Shawn's antics. If he had it his way, he would just live a peaceful life of a Pharmaceutical Rep without the pesky intrusions of murder. However, as the show went on, he became less resistant. While he was never as gung ho as Shawn was, Overtime Gus became more used to the idea that, like it or not, he was a key member of a psychic detective agency.
Gus cares for Shawn, even if he is consistently at odds with him. The fact that he becomes more okay with the idea of living a stable job behind to solve crimes with his best friend proves as much. To many, Gus is the main character of Psych, and this character arc shows that the fans who think this may be on to something.
To say Shawn and Henry's relationship was strained at the start of the show was an understatement. Henry was hard on Shawn growing up. That mixed with the fact that Shawn mistakingly thought that Henry was responsible for Shawn's mother leaving further added to this strained relationship.
As the show went on, however, Shawn learns that everything Henry did was purely out of the love for his son. In turn, Henry learned that just because his son isn't exactly like him, doesn't make him a screw-up. The Spencer men learned a lot throughout the course of the show, and it is some of the best character development on television.
At the beginning of the series, Lassiter was a cold, no-nonsense detective who wanted nothing more than to personally throw Shawn Spencer behind bars. By the finale, Lassiter had arguably some of the most drastic changes of all. Between starting a family, becoming Chief of Police, and dealing with Shawn for so long, Lassie has softened quite a bit.
He is still the same man he has always been, but he is much more open and even considers Shawn a friend, even if he would never admit it out loud. It is important for characters to learn and grow throughout a story, and Lassiter should be held a gold standard of how to do it right.
