Listen up, Psych-o’s! The best fake psychic detective duo of Shawn Spencer (James Roday Rodriguez) and Burton “Gus” Guster (Dulé Hill) return for another adventure in the “sequel to the sequel,” Psych 3: This is Gus.
This is Gus delves further into heavier themes than the other movies or the series, but the comedic mayhem remains in full force. The film reflects Shawn and Gus’s maturity. Well, it reflects that they are maturing, however slight. It sees everyone, not just Shawn and Gus, face more mature concerns: the evolution of relationships, uncertainty about the future, and personal priorities.
The movie opens as groomzilla Gus prepares for impending marriage and fatherhood, while his fiancé, Selene (Jazmyn Simons), attempts to find her husband and get a divorce. Shawn, attempting to protect Gus from another in a long line of questionable relationships, takes matters into his own hands and seeks to find Selene’s husband, only to learn Selene herself doesn’t exist. As Shawn ropes Gus into his investigation, chaos ensues.
While Shawn and Gus get themselves into some difficult situations complete with disguises, Selene enlists Juliet (Maggie Lawson) and Chief Karen Vick (Kirsten Nelson) to track down her husband, save Shawn and Gus, and possibly take down a dangerous criminal in the process. Meanwhile, Henry Spencer (Corbin Bernsen) helps Chief Carlton Lassiter (Timothy Omundson) to face his new reality. Gus gets his wedding and the birth of his child in the span of about ten minutes.
In addition to the main cast, we see some familiar faces again. The foolish yet lovable coroner, Woodrow “Woody” Strode (Kurt Fuller) makes a brief appearance, apparently facing legal troubles after impersonating a doctor in Psych 2: Lassie Come Home. Curt Smith, renown for Tears for Fears, makes a cameo, playing himself, as Gus attempts to loop the musician into playing his wedding. Ray Wise also makes an appearance as Father Westley. Unfortunately, not appearing in the third installment is Jimmi Simpson’s Mary Lightly.
As always, nicknames are a must, and the new ones do not disappoint. They create chaos but somehow find a way to clear it up. The movie playfully pokes fun at the parent company, NBCUniversal. When a character asks Shawn and Gus if they’ve seen Peacock, they appear confused. When asked if they’ve seen USA Network, Shawn responds to the latter with “not since 2014,” (when Psych ended on USA Network) and Gus makes a comment about the later seasons of Suits (Dulé Hill played Alex Williams from 2017-2019). Shawn also wonders aloud if Meghan Markle invited all of the Suits cast to the wedding, to which Gus responds, “Nope, she did not.”
In true Psych fashion, the movie ends with a fantastic homage to the 80s. Curt Smith forms “Curt Smith’s Wom UL.” The team stars in a music video for his debut song “Previous Holiday,” a hilarious spoof of “Last Christmas” by Wham!, with 80s wardrobe and hair galore.
Some of the narrative lines do feel unresolved. For example, the conflict between work and family that Karen Vick endures. This thread seems to fall to the wayside of the larger storyline. However, this could be simply setting up new narratives for future movies. During the wedding scene, Father Westley’s confusion over whether it was a wedding or an exorcism was a bit overplayed.
Overall, Psych 3: This is Gus did not disappoint. The movie stays true to its roots, but it shows that doing so does not mean that it cannot also grow and evolve. It features greater character development for Shawn and Gus as they attempt to handle entering new phases of life. If you love Psych, you don’t want to miss this movie.
Psych 3: This is Gus premieres Thursday, November 18th exclusively on Peacock.
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