TV-Reviewed

When Gus is visited by his uncle Burton, he and Shawn are forced to switch jobs at Psych. It seems Gus has told everyone on his mother’s side of the family he was a psychic detective, not the assistant to one.

This week’s case dealt with the death of a food critic. He appears to have been poisoned by someone. Gus, Shawn, and Uncle Burton learn all they can about the critic and realize there are a lot of people who would benefit from the food critic’s death. Despite having one of the easiest jobs at the newspaper, the critic was very harsh and critical of the food he ate and angered nearly every chef in the area. When Shawn notices a box of poisoned food in the critic’s refrigerator, the police arrest the chef of the restaurant, Chef Antonio.

The case takes quite a turn when Shawn catches a glimpse of the critic’s review of the food. He stated the risotto was served cold, something never done in a five-star restaurant. He also remembered the mushrooms were sliced in cubes, as opposed to strips, as Chef Antonio does. This means someone else prepared the meal and framed Chef Antonio.

After additional research at the newspaper’s office and a visit to a local mushroom grower, Shawn and Gus come to the conclusion that the murderer worked at the newspaper. The killer wanted the food critic job, but the job wouldn’t be available for a long time.

I loved seeing John Amos play Uncle Burton in this episode. Amos worked with Dule Hill on The West Wing several years ago. Being a fan of The West Wing, I am all for Hill bringing in other alumni. Uncle Burton wasn’t a particularly funny character but was an incredible encyclopedia of old detective shows. Watching Shawn and Gus switch jobs was fun, but the show wasn’t quite as funny as it usually is. That being said, I still thought the show was very good.

Psych - Meat is Murder, but Murder is Also Murder
Original Air Date: August 17, 2007

Rating: 7.9