Episode Title: “Dual Spires”
Writers: Bill Callahan & James Roday
Director: Matt Shakman
Story:
After receiving a mysterious email about a cinnamon festival in a small town, Shawn (James Roday) and Gus (Dule Hill) head out to sample the sweets in Dual Spires, population 288.
Although pleasant enough, everything seems slightly off-kilter in Dual Spires. Cell phones, cars and television all appear to be out of fashion (except for the occasional “Everwood” reruns we later learn) in this isolated community. And things get even stranger when the dead body of a missing teenager named “Paula Merrel” turns up on a riverbed.
Town sheriff Andrew Jackson (Lenny von Dohlen) suspects Merrel, who was raised by her uncle, Robert Barker (Dana Ashbrook) and his wife, Michelle (Robyn Lively), drowned after a night of swimming. Oddly, Shawn is able to get reception on his cell phone near the river where Paula was found. He reaches out to Jules (Maggie Lawson) and continues to receive clues from the mysterious emailer who sent the boys to Dual Spires in the first place. When Shawn has Jules run Paula’s name, he discovers that the teen allegedly died of drowning seven years earlier. Robert reveals that he had Paula fake her death years ago in order to get her away from her drug-addicted mother.
After questioning Paula’s boyfriend and the “Cinnamon King” of Dual Spires,” Randy Jackson (Scott Lyster), as well as her best friend and blind photographer, Jack, the boys set their sights on Maudette Hornsby (Sherilyn Fenn) the town librarian who had a curious relationship with Randy. But upon reaching the librarian, Shawn and Gus find Maudette hung and their theory starts to unravel.
Moments later, Shawn has one of his usual breakthroughs, when he discovers an Internet connection running into the library. He posits that Maudette was the one sending the clues their way, too scared to speak out on Paula’s murder, for fear her relationship with Randy would be exposed. Shawn soon pieces together that Sheriff Jackson is the man behind the murder. When Jackson, obsessed with protecting Dual Spires from the outside world, learned that Paula wanted Randy to leave town with her, he set out to kill her so that his son would stay behind to lead Dual Spires when the time came.
Shawn and Gus confront Jackson with the truth, who pulls a gun on the pair. But like clockwork, Jules and Lassiter (Timothy Omundson) arrive on the seen to save the boys and arrest Jackson.
Breakdown:
With so many reboots and remakes comprising much of current “original programming,” and in some cases, smearing the legacy of the truly original series they’re based on, it’s great to see a true classic like “Twin Peaks” get a proper tribute from another classic, “Psych.”
To be sure, “Dual Spires” is a “Twin Peaks” homage through and through, bringing together an impressive number of original cast members like Sherilyn Fenn, Robyn Lively, Dana Ashbrook and Laura Palmer herself, Sheryl Lee.
But even if an entire episode’s worth of “Twin Peaks” references and in-jokes (the reworked opening theme and the over-dramatic reactions to the discovery of the dead body of Paula Merrell, an anagram for “Laura Palmer,” were my favorites), there was enough of the usual brand of “Psych” humor and hokey mystery to entertain those uninitiated into the cult of “Twin Peaks.”
“Dual Spires” may have been a “Twin Peaks” tribute, but this is “Psych” we’re talking about, which means plenty of pop culture references all around. Shawn’s insistence on making “Pretty in Pink” references while debating with Gus and Father Westley over which left-of-center small town from a popular movie Dual Spires resembles kept the tone of this “Twin Peaks” love letter in true “Psych” character.
Of the many things that made “Twin Peaks” one of the most captivating serialized dramas in television history was it’s brilliant blend of darkness with colorful camp stands out the most. Which is why “Psych” is the perfect candidate for a tribute. A murder-investigation procedural about a fake psychic? That’s a premise just oozing with macabre camp. And this episode played to both ends perfectly. The aforementioned scene at the riverbed, with just about everyone except Shawn, reduced to hysterics and Sherilyn Fenn’s silly, sexy librarian act with Gus were the kind of scenes “Psych” executes best.
“Dual Spires” not only made me love “Psych” more but long to revisit the little Washington town of “Twin Peaks,” and for some reason, have an “Everwood” marathon.
Crave Online Rating: 9.5 out of 10.
