Top 15 Psych Episodes

Having completed Psych recently, I thought I'd make a list of my favorite episodes. Skeptical at first at the show's premise (a psychic detective comedy) and the network (USA) it was on, I immediately fell in love with the show. The lead is constantly making jokes and tv/movie references and his partner is hilarious neurotic and obsessed with food. Anyway, here it is. They're in order of season, not favorite.

 

1.       Weekend Warriors (Season 1, Ep 6)

-          Civil War Reenactment. The episode itself isn't hilarious, but I enjoyed it like it were an episode of SVU; the case intrigued more so than the comedy.

2.       Shawn Vs. the Red Phantom (Season 1, Ep 8)

-          Comic book convention

3.       Black and Tan: A Crime of Fashion (Season 2, Ep 15)

-          Shawn & Gus go undercover as male models

4.       Murder? Anyone?...Anyone?...Buell… (Season 3, Ep 2)

-          High school reunion. This episode probably has one of Psych's first dramatic moments, as Shawn encounters his high school crush (Rachael Leigh Cook - smoke show) who he stood up for a date ten years prior.

5.       Tuesday the 17^th (Season 3, Ep 15)

-          Friday the 13^th parody

6.       An Evening with Mr. Yang (Season 3, Ep 16)

-          The first in a three-part series involving a diabolical serial killer.

7.       High Noon-ish (Season 4, Ep 3)

-          Shawn and Gus try to save a Western theme park sort of place.

8.       Mr. Yin Presents… (Season 4, Ep 16)

 

       - The second part of the trilogy. The series of clues are based on films directed by Alfred Hitchcock, the master of horror.

9.   Viagra Falls (Season 5, Ep 6)

 

      - Henry's old cop buddies rejoin the force to solve a crime. Their chemistry and senility are what make the episode.

 

10. Cog Blocked (Season 8, Ep 5)

 

       - Someone who closely resembles Gus (in both appearance and lifestyle) and no one seems to care. This sets him off, as he tries to solve the crime to prove that someone like himself would never commit suicide.

11.   This Episode Sucks (Season 6, Ep 3)

-          Vampires. Shawn does a hilarious impression of Tom Cruise from "Interview with the Vampire".

12.   The Amazing Psych-Man and Tap-Man (Season 6, Ep 4)

-          “The Catch” and “Tap-Man”. Shawn and Gus fight crime as their stupid but amusing superhero personas.

13.   Shawn Interrupted (Season 6, Ep 6)

 

      - Parody of the film "Girl Interrupted". Shawn "pretends" to be insane to go undercover at a mental institution.

14.   Indiana Shawn and the Temple of the Kinda Crappy, Rusty Old Dagger (Season 6, Ep 10)

           - Guest starring Cary Elwes (who pretty much died after the mid '90s. What happened to him?  Princess Bride. Robin Hood Men in Tights. Then...) Some of my favorite quotes are from this episode.

15.   Office Space (Season 7, Ep 11)

 

      - Gus's boss dies in the office and they try to solve the crime before he becomes a suspect. His reaction to learning of his boss's death is priceless.

 

Honorable Mentions: Lassie Jerky (documentary in woods), Last Night Gus (Hangover parody)

Top Psych Quotes

1.       “Not for Spiderman. What? He wouldn’t even need his webs, he could just scale it with the sticky crawl. What the heck am I talking about?” – Burton Guster, Season 7

2.       “Stealth mode? Hit the Jackyl switch.” – Burton Guster

3.       “That’s your problem, Gus. You brought a funeral program to a knife fight.” – Shawn Spencer, Season 6

4.       “You want to bumble with the bee.” – Burton Guster, Season 6

5.       “You tell me where that chocolate room is right now or I will kill you myself.” – Burton Guster, Season 7

6.       “Ha! That is where you are wrong, sir. What you’re smelling are buffalo wing-flavored Snyder’s pretzels of Hanover…It’s America’s pretzel” – Shawn & Gus

7.       “Watch out for the stuffed mushroom appetizers. It’s a scam job. It looks like there’s sausage inside, but it’s really all vegetables.” – Burton Guster, Season 7

Top 20 Randy Marsh Episodes

The following is a list of what I think are some of the best South Park episodes that feature my favorite character, Randy Marsh (Stan's dad). While he didn't gain a strong role until around season 9, I see Randy as the lifeblood of the show. Whenever a new season approaches, I always wait for the 1 or 2 episodes that feature Randy. He is the funniest, most outrageous character on the show (Cartman is right up there with him). Even in the dullest episodes, Randy manages to shine above all the rest. So here's my list, feel free to comment or share your own favorites. I know I'm not the only Randy lover out there.

1. The Losing Edge (Season 9)
 - This is where it all began. While Randy had a supporting role and sometimes a strong role in the first 8 seasons, after this episode, Randy began frequently to get his own episodes. And why wouldn't he? He gets wasted at Stan's baseball games and, in a thin parody of Rocky, fights other dads, ending in an epic battle against "Batdad".

2. Bloody Mary (Season 9)
 - Randy has a real problem with alcohol addiction. And when he's told that alcoholism is a disease, he takes it seriously and tries to find a cure. And for some reason he shaves his head and gets a wheelchair.

3. Medical Fried Chicken (Season 14)
 - In order to legally buy marijuana, Randy deliberately gives himself testicle cancer. The results: abnormally large balls. From bouncing on his huge balls, to carrying them in a wheelbarrow while singing "Buffalo Soldier", Randy is at the top of his game in this one.

4. More Crap (Season 11)
 - Randy takes the biggest crap and is ever so proud of it. The episode also disses U2's Bono, which is a big bonus, as South Park claims, he is the biggest piece of crap.

5. Crème Fraiche (Season 14)
 - Randy becomes obsessed with the cooking channel and has a sexual affair with food, basically. Crème Fraiche is what really sets him off.

6. Over Logging (Season 12)
 - The internet is down and the Marsh family travels to California to find some. We get a glimpse into all of Randy's weird sexual fetishes, ending in the most disgustingly awesome ways imaginable.

7. Something Wall-mart This Way Comes (Season 8)
 - Randy becomes obsessed, or rather, mentally controlled by the new Wall-mart in town. It causes him to quit his job as a geologist so he can get a discount at Wall-mart. He also has dreams about it at night and presses his naked chest against the window because of how it makes him feel.

8. Spontaneous Combustion (Season 3)
 - One of the earliest Randy episodes. Randy solves the spontaneous combustion crisis and is hailed a hero. Until other problems arise. The highlight of the episode is the fantasies that overcome Randy and how he is in a way compared to Christ.

9. With Apologies to Jesse Jackson (Season 11)
 - Randy says the "N" word on national television and is ridiculed and alienated from society.

10. About Last Night...(Season 12)
 - Obama wins the presidential election and Randy celebrates by parading in the streets and getting hammered. He sings various songs while inserting Obama into the songs (celebrate good Obama, come on...hey Obama-bama...Hey Obama, you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind, hey Obama...who let the Obama out). During his celebration, Randy tells his boss off in the worst of ways, only to end up getting fired.

11. Freemium Isn't Free (Season 18)
 - Not a great episode in general, but some of Randy's greatest moments. He accuses Stan of having an addiction, all the while displaying his obvious alcohol addiction. But it's not an addiction if you're sampling various wines, right? Even if each wine is in a huge glass and Randy downs each glass in a second.

12. The Cissy (Season 18)
 - Randy is secretly Lorde. Enough said.

13. Cock Magic (Season 18)
- While the episode as a whole is pretty weak, Randy's part in it is absolutely hilarious. We find out that Randy is a sort of magician...but dirtier.

14. A Nightmare on Facetime (Season 16)
- Randy buys a Blockbuster around the time of Halloween and no one comes. Randy loses his mind in the same vein as Jack Nicholson in The Shining.

15. Night of the Living Homeless (Season 11)
 - There is a homeless epidemic sweeping across South Park. Randy is the town's only hope, despite shooting a friend's head off simply because he asked for "some change".

16. Broadway Bro-Down (Season 15)
 - Randy discovers the secret behind going to the theater and gets in "bro downs".

17. Informative Murder Porn (Season 17)
 - Randy and his wife become obsessed with crime shows.

18. My Future Self n' Me (Season 6)
 - Not exactly a "Randy episode", but Randy makes it memorable when he cuts off a man's hand so that it would happen in the future as well.

19. Something You Can Do With Your Finger (Season 4)
- Again, not a Randy episode, but Randy is in true form here. We find out he was a pop star when he was young, which he makes evident when he smashes his head into a case of glass. He also makes a comeback, singing with his son and his friends in a mall.

20. Make Love, Not Warcraft (Season 10)
 - Randy joins his son and friends in the game of Warcraft, although he sucks at it. His embellishing during the game, such as when he dies, is a riot.

Honorable Mentions: Black Friday trilogy (Season 17), Two Guys Naked in a Hot Tub (Season 3), Guitar Queer-o (Season 11)

My Top 25 Favorite It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Episodes

Though every episode is awesome and hilarious, here is the closest I've come to the top 25 best episodes. This list is for Always Sunny lovers only.

1.       The Waitress is Getting Married (Season 5)

-  This is one of my favorite episodes primarily because of Charlie. Between his dating profile in which he reveals he likes “little green ghouls” and hates “people’s knees” and his hilarious date where he tries to switch shirts with Dennis in the bathroom, this is an episode I can watch over and over again. The relationship between Frank and Artemis has also gotten increasingly weird and funny in this episode.
 

2.       Charlie Rules the World (Season 8)

-   Everyone brings a little humor to this episode. Frank pretends to be a woman in order to get free peaches, Mac’s body dysmorphia is triggered, Charlie becomes obsessed with his video game tribe, and, my personal favorite, Dennis tries to seek real-life human interaction. British Dennis makes the episode.
 

3.       Frank’s Back in Business (Season 8)
  -  This episode belongs to Frank and Dennis. Frank shows his clean, business side, trying to show Charlie the ropes (failing epically). Dennis pretends to be someone else and pushes himself to the edge in order to “get off”; a dead finger triggers the climax.

4. Sweet Dee's Dating a Retarded Person (Season 3)

-  This is the birth of both Dayman and Nightman, culminating in a song that is hilariously epic. We also see Charlie dressed as and singing like Bob Dylan.

5. The Nightman Cometh (Season 4)

-  The play that Charlie creates from his Nightman/Dayman songs is amazing. Frank plays a troll whose mispronunciation of one of his lines is a riot, Mac loses himself in his karate “skills”, and Charlie’s play is a comic hit.

 

6. The D.E.N.N.I.S System (Season 5)

-  Here we see Dennis at his best: manipulative, diabolical. We see his system he uses to “win the hearts of women”. We also get to see the M.A.C. system as well as Frank’s, in which he drops his “monster condom” for his “magnum dong”. This is an instant classic.

 

7. A Very Sunny Christmas (Season 6)

-  Frank sews his naked self into a couch. Mac and Charlie learn the horrible truths behind their Christmas memories; Charlie’s mom is a prostitute and Mac’s parents are criminals, although we already sort of knew that. The whole episode is classic. And it’s topped off with an animated Christmas scene.

8. The High School Reunion (Season 7)

-  This is a two-parter, but I’m counting it as one episode. In these episodes, we find out (A) the real name of both Mac and The Waitress (b) Dennis was not one of the cool kids in high school and shown to be as delusional as the rest of the gang (C) Dennis may in fact be a serial killer – we see him explode with rage as he goes to his car and retrieves his “tools”: duct tape, rope, handcuffs, etc.

 

9. Charlie Kelly: King of the Rats (Season 6)

- Charlie is the obvious highlight of the episode. His dream book and the gang's interpretation of what they mean makes the episode.

 

10. The Gang Reignites the Rivalry (Season 5)

-   Dennis’s vanity and self-delusions ride high in this one. After all, he is a legend. Frank gets hilariously weird after doing a bunch of drugs and Charlie tries to “pull a Good Will Hunting”, with hilarious results. Flip, flip, flipadelphia.

 

11. Reynolds vs. Reynolds: The Cereal Defense (Season 8)

-  There is a hilarious mock trial, the highlights being the further explanation of Frank’s past at the nitwit school, and Mac’s attempt at disproving evolution – because science makes everyone look like a bitch.

 

12. The Gang Runs for Office (Season 2)

- This episode displays the gang for who they are; a bunch of back-stabbing, self-serving assholes. Everyone screws one another over. The highlight is when Dennis reads the speech written by illiterate Charlie (which is, from what I’ve gathered, entirely improvised).

 

13. The Gang gets Analyzed (Season 8)

- We see every character at their best (or worst?). Dee’s delusions about her acting abilities reaches an all-time high. We get a better glimpse into Mac’s body dysmorphia. Dennis reveals the psychological profiles he has compiled of the gang over the course of their lives, proving that he just as disturbed and delusional as the rest. Frank’s bit is the best, in which he unravels and talks about his childhood memory of attending a nitwit school, where he befriend a “frog kid”. He also claims that the twins were supposed to be triplets and that Dennis and Dee devoured him.

 

14. The Gang Buys a Boat (Season 6)

-   The implication. Also Charlie’s theory about their being an underwater horse massacre.

 

15. Charlie Gets Crippled (Season 2)

-   Everyone pretends to be crippled (except Charlie). Frank rigs a Stephen Hawking-like contraption, Charlie acts like Cruise in Born on the 4^th of July, and Dennis has a polio backstory. This is also the episode we're introduced to Frank.

 

16. Storm of the Century (Season 7)

-  Dennis shines the brightest in this one. If by bright, you mean psychotic. He has a devious plan to get girls back to the bunker during the storm, and when the women reject him, he loses his mind.

 

17. Mac's Banging the Waitress (Season 4)

-   This episode is different in that only Mac, Charlie, and Dennis are in it. Charlie gets wasted, pisses everywhere, and we get some insight into Dennis’s infamous sex tapes.

 

18. Flowers for Charlie (Season 9)

-    Charlie takes a pill and starts getting smarter, but in reality, he's delusional. He thinks he's speaking Mandarin but it's jibberish and he fakes a limp and a weird accent that is quite amusing.

 

19. Mac Day (Season 9)

- We see Mac rub oil on muscular men and get his ass handed to him in a karate match, yet he is still delusional about his homosexual tendencies and his extreme lack of ability to fight. Seann William Scott guest stars, so that’s enough to be an instant favorite

20. The Gang Gives Back (Season 2)

-  I’ve always regarded this as my favorite episode, but after recently watching it, I’ve realized that the bulk of the episode is only on par with the other episodes. It remains on the list because of the one hilarious scene where Charlie gets wasted and referees the children’s basketball game.

 

21. Thunder Gun Express (Season 7)

-   The whole gang tries to make it to a movie, each one of them getting left behind one by one. Frank gives a boat tour of Philly, sharing all his adventures with Charlie while knowing nothing of the city itself. Charlie wants to get naked in the sewer and Dennis reassesses his seduction process.

 

22. Mac and Charlie Die (Season 4)

-   Dennis explores the weirdness of his sexuality – from glory holes to half-nude buffets. Mac and Charlie live like hobos, but not before they fake their deaths in a funny way. Frank doesn’t cope with the loss of Charlie, as he creates a new fake Charlie mannequin that he brings with him everywhere. Charlie believes he saw Frank bang it.

23. The Gang Solves the Gas Crisis (Season 4)

-  Charlie makes this episode. His impersonation of a Texan oilman is probably one of his best personas, right up there with his Serpico persona.

 

24. Bums: Making a Mess All Over the City (Season 3)

-   I’ve never thought of this as a favorite until recently. We see Dennis and Frank impersonate cops and Charlie undergo his best persona to date: Serpico. Why more Al Pacino personas haven’t surfaced is beyond me (only other I recall is his “Attica” moment taken from Dog Day Afternoon).

 

25.   Underage Drinking: A National Concern (Season 1)

- A perfect display of the gang's complete disregard for the law and morality in general.

 

Honorable Mentions: The Gang Beats Boggs, Mac and Charlie Write a Movie, The Gang Hits the Road, The Gang Group Dates

 

 Breakdown of Top 25 by Season

 Season 1: 1
Season 2: 3
Season 3: 2
Season 4: 4
Season 5: 3

Season 6: 3
Season 7: 3
Season 8: 4
Season 9: 2