The Significance of Transport in Psych (The Pilot Episode)
(hi! doing a LONG and i mean LONG post here discussing mostly Shawn's motorcycle vs driving the blueberry and what that means for the characters. hopefully some of it makes sense and im not stating the obvious hgshds)
In the beginning of the pilot episode of Psych, Shawn arrives on his motorcycle to SBPD in order to collect the check for the crime he solved. At this point, it serves to show that Shawn Spencer is The Cool Guy (тм) with his Cool Leather Jacket and his Cool Motorcycle, he's charismatic and has no trouble with women. Notably, James Roday Rodriguez didn’t want to ride the motorbike, although for the show he was offered lessons (as stated on The Psychologist Are In podcast in their first episode with JRR), so because of that fact alone The Cool Guy image, that the writers initially had in mind, transforms ( later in the series they even make a reference to it – Shawn saying “Have you ever seen me actually ride it?”).
The second vehicle we see in the show is the famous Blueberry – just a nameless company car for now, but it already reveals more about the characters. Gus drives a company car, has a job, wears a full-on suit, and he’s presented as a contrast to Shawn, who drives a motorcycle, can’t or won’t hold down a job and doesn’t need to dress formally. And yet, they are friends, Shawn is perfectly comfortable in the passenger seat of Gus’ car, that’s his place, next to Gus.
And then, when the case they're investigating becomes too much, Gus drives away and leaves his best friend stranded to investigate alone. Because Gus is done with Shawn’s antics and he’s his own person and can do whatever he wants.
A scene later, Shawn breaking into Gus' house and convincing him to help him again, the bond between Shawn and Gus re-establishes, when Shawn says “Let’s go, I’m driving, where are your keys? Nevermind, I got them!”.
Gus driving away in his car and leaving Shawn proved that he has autonomy, now that scene shows how close Gus allowed Shawn to get to him, how much Shawn is ingrained into his life and how much he trusts Shawn. Indeed, in the next scene, Shawn is behind the wheel. It also demonstrates that they are equals – both of them can be in the driver’s seat despite the fact that the car belongs to Gus, Gus trusts Shawn enough with the car despite Shawn being portrayed as very much not the most responsible person, especially compared to Gus.
Third transport Shawn is seen in is the police car, Lassiter is behind the wheel, Lucinda Barry and he are driving both Shawn and Gus to the crime scene. Shawn is backseating Lassiter and telling him where to drive, Gus supplies the correct details, and this is pretty much the dynamic of the show in a nutshell. Lassiter is seemingly in charge, but he has to rely on Shawn to direct him, and Shawn has to rely on Gus to keep him on track.
Lassiter also provides the means to support Shawn’s antics – the car, same as Gus, but he’s also the one who’s able to execute Shawn’s plans, he has the power, the authority that comes with being the head detective that Shawn doesn’t have. And Shawn doesn’t need to have it because Lassiter has it, and Shawn has Lassiter. Much like at this point Shawn doesn’t need a car – Gus has a car, and Shawn has Gus.
Later in the episode,Shawn drives to Henry on the motorcycle. Instead of inviting Shawn in, Henry says : "I was on my way out to lunch. You can come with me, if you don't bring this thing [the motorcycle]”. The motorcycle is Shawn’s means of being independent and showing that independence, the way Shawn lives his life is tied to it. Henry disregards that, he judges Shawn’s way of living, while Shawn is with his father he has to play by his father’s rules, thus, leaving the bike. Henry sees the fact that Shawn drives the motorcycle as a sign of his immaturity, in his eyes, a person who drives a motorcycle is not a reliable person, and that defies everything Henry thought his son should be. So, the fourth venicle Shawn gets into on screen is Henry’s truck.
The “company car” is mentioned once again when Shawn tells Gus he needs to tail someone and he can’t use his motorcycle, since it’s not very “stealth-like”. This could be an example of how Shawn’s life is changing. In this instance the motorcycle becomes impractical, unusable for Shawn’s purposes, for his new job as a "psychic" consultant. That scene results in Shawn on the passenger seat, yet directing Gus where to turn. When Shawn and Gus sit in the car, Shawn uses his binoculars and says to Gus that they need to stop on their way back and buy new ones. Guster replies “Why don’t you just take your big loud motorcycle?”. And one hand, it’s Gus bantering with Shawn, making a callback to their earlier conversation, but it also serves to show that Shawn needs Gus. For the job, for the car, but most importantly, because Gus is his best friend. So by asking Gus for the car he includes him in his life, which is especially important because Shawn has been gone for so long. Gus’ feelings towards the motorcycle, similar to Henry, might also be negative. He may not judge Shawn and critique him as much as Henry does, but in my opinion, Gus might very well despise the motorcycle because it’s what allowed Shawn to get away, what allowed Shawn to leave him. And as long as Shawn has his motorcycle, who’s to guarantee he won’t leave again? And so he's taunting Shawn, reminding him that they need each other (subconsciously, at least, in my interpretation).
From this perspective, a scene later, Shawn trying to steal the bag from Katarina McCallum, becomes more than just comedic. Shawn gets out of the car to get the bag, then with it runs back to the Blueberry – but there’s no-one in the driver’s seat, Gus and he collide. This exchange happens:
Shawn: You were supposed to stay in the car!
Gus: You didn’t tell me!
So, to break it down: Shawn runs off somewhere without telling Gus, which is a very in-character thing of him to do. Now, keeping in mind the fact that Shawn left Santa Barbara for several years, Gus’ reaction is very interesting. He is shown as the most responsible, sensible person of the duo, and yet he leaves the car, blindly following Shawn to help him. Gus has been abandoned before and he’s not getting left behind this time. Unfortunately for them, it ends badly: Katarina catches up to them while they’re stumbling and the smooth escape becomes impossible.
To summarize: firstly, Shawn needs to work on his communication skills, secondly, Shawn’s and Gus’ dynamic works better when on of them – primarily Gus – stays on the ground. In this instance, Shawn doesn’t need someone who follows him, he needs someone he can come back to. And he will come back, but Gus has to wait and let Shawn do it on his own.
And building from that context, in the next scene Shawn stays in the car while Gus goes to retrieve the bag. He shows Gus that he’s here, he’s back.
Until he leaves the car. Without telling Gus. Because Gus was a decoy. And yet, it works – the scene ends with Shawn jumping in the car head first while Gus is hurriedly driving away and making their escape, because ultimately, Gus always has Shawn’s back.
Almost at the end of the episode, Lassiter tries to force Shawn in the police car. That scene is also very telling for both of their characters – Lassiter trying to control Shawn, to make him play by the rules, because that’s how Lassiter lives. But Shawn stays unchanged, Lassiter’s attempts practically don’t affect him. Shawn stays a “free spirit”, he doesn’t let people contain him. The struggle between Lassiter and Shawn is, no doubt, extremely physical, but it also shows their dynamic on several other layers.
The scene ends with both Shawn and Gus leaning against the police car. The door through which Lassiter attempted to shove Shawn stays open.
Now, the pilot episode started with Shawn riding the motorcycle. It ended with Shawn and Gus, together, in the Blueberry, Shawn behind the wheel.
---
also, some statistics:
the blueberry is seen on 5 separate occasions, Gus and Shawn always together in it
the motorcycle – 2 times
the police car – 2 times, Lassie&Lucinda&Shawn&Gus and Lasiter trying to shove Shawn in the car
Henry's truck – 2 times, we don't see Shawn drive with him, in the end of the episode Henry also drives alone (with the newspaper that has an article about Shawn)
which again, proves how important Shawn&Gus is :")
@ap-philophobia hey man good tags 👁️👁️
i actually know nothing about motorcycles, so that's a really interesting insight, thank you!!!
and 100000% YES to what you said about Henry and Lassie, ohhhh Lassie needs to keep up an appearance soooo bad
Why thank you!! I (sadly) adore bikes, so I've got a bit too much knowledge stuck up in my head. I'd have to check again why type of bike he rides, but from what I remember it's pretty hefty. Also the fact Shawn never wears actual protective gear when riding- like just jeans, just that shitty helmet is like a whole other thing... something something the flippedness in how you view yourself and the value of your life/safety.
And yes!! You just reminded me his car is the same name as his ex-wife... so good. And the fact it's a Ford Crown Victoria, like come on now. Love
ZERO PROTECTIVE GEAR and then he gets driven off the road and in the hospital in the second episode (of the first season) 💀 god he's just so edgy... ( when he's in the blueberry tho? seatbelt ON)
EX-WIFE. RIGHT. ex. i forgot. I'm living in the past... just like Lassiter.... unable to let go 😔
The Significance of Transport in Psych (The Pilot Episode)
(hi! doing a LONG and i mean LONG post here discussing mostly Shawn's motorcycle vs driving the blueberry and what that means for the characters. hopefully some of it makes sense and im not stating the obvious hgshds)
In the beginning of the pilot episode of Psych, Shawn arrives on his motorcycle to SBPD in order to collect the check for the crime he solved. At this point, it serves to show that Shawn Spencer is The Cool Guy (тм) with his Cool Leather Jacket and his Cool Motorcycle, he's charismatic and has no trouble with women. Notably, James Roday Rodriguez didn’t want to ride the motorbike, although for the show he was offered lessons (as stated on The Psychologist Are In podcast in their first episode with JRR), so because of that fact alone The Cool Guy image, that the writers initially had in mind, transforms ( later in the series they even make a reference to it – Shawn saying “Have you ever seen me actually ride it?”).
The second vehicle we see in the show is the famous Blueberry – just a nameless company car for now, but it already reveals more about the characters. Gus drives a company car, has a job, wears a full-on suit, and he’s presented as a contrast to Shawn, who drives a motorcycle, can’t or won’t hold down a job and doesn’t need to dress formally. And yet, they are friends, Shawn is perfectly comfortable in the passenger seat of Gus’ car, that’s his place, next to Gus.
And then, when the case they're investigating becomes too much, Gus drives away and leaves his best friend stranded to investigate alone. Because Gus is done with Shawn’s antics and he’s his own person and can do whatever he wants.
A scene later, Shawn breaking into Gus' house and convincing him to help him again, the bond between Shawn and Gus re-establishes, when Shawn says “Let’s go, I’m driving, where are your keys? Nevermind, I got them!”.
Gus driving away in his car and leaving Shawn proved that he has autonomy, now that scene shows how close Gus allowed Shawn to get to him, how much Shawn is ingrained into his life and how much he trusts Shawn. Indeed, in the next scene, Shawn is behind the wheel. It also demonstrates that they are equals – both of them can be in the driver’s seat despite the fact that the car belongs to Gus, Gus trusts Shawn enough with the car despite Shawn being portrayed as very much not the most responsible person, especially compared to Gus.
Third transport Shawn is seen in is the police car, Lassiter is behind the wheel, Lucinda Barry and he are driving both Shawn and Gus to the crime scene. Shawn is backseating Lassiter and telling him where to drive, Gus supplies the correct details, and this is pretty much the dynamic of the show in a nutshell. Lassiter is seemingly in charge, but he has to rely on Shawn to direct him, and Shawn has to rely on Gus to keep him on track.
Lassiter also provides the means to support Shawn’s antics – the car, same as Gus, but he’s also the one who’s able to execute Shawn’s plans, he has the power, the authority that comes with being the head detective that Shawn doesn’t have. And Shawn doesn’t need to have it because Lassiter has it, and Shawn has Lassiter. Much like at this point Shawn doesn’t need a car – Gus has a car, and Shawn has Gus.
Later in the episode,Shawn drives to Henry on the motorcycle. Instead of inviting Shawn in, Henry says : "I was on my way out to lunch. You can come with me, if you don't bring this thing [the motorcycle]”. The motorcycle is Shawn’s means of being independent and showing that independence, the way Shawn lives his life is tied to it. Henry disregards that, he judges Shawn’s way of living, while Shawn is with his father he has to play by his father’s rules, thus, leaving the bike. Henry sees the fact that Shawn drives the motorcycle as a sign of his immaturity, in his eyes, a person who drives a motorcycle is not a reliable person, and that defies everything Henry thought his son should be. So, the fourth venicle Shawn gets into on screen is Henry’s truck.
The “company car” is mentioned once again when Shawn tells Gus he needs to tail someone and he can’t use his motorcycle, since it’s not very “stealth-like”. This could be an example of how Shawn’s life is changing. In this instance the motorcycle becomes impractical, unusable for Shawn’s purposes, for his new job as a "psychic" consultant. That scene results in Shawn on the passenger seat, yet directing Gus where to turn. When Shawn and Gus sit in the car, Shawn uses his binoculars and says to Gus that they need to stop on their way back and buy new ones. Guster replies “Why don’t you just take your big loud motorcycle?”. And one hand, it’s Gus bantering with Shawn, making a callback to their earlier conversation, but it also serves to show that Shawn needs Gus. For the job, for the car, but most importantly, because Gus is his best friend. So by asking Gus for the car he includes him in his life, which is especially important because Shawn has been gone for so long. Gus’ feelings towards the motorcycle, similar to Henry, might also be negative. He may not judge Shawn and critique him as much as Henry does, but in my opinion, Gus might very well despise the motorcycle because it’s what allowed Shawn to get away, what allowed Shawn to leave him. And as long as Shawn has his motorcycle, who’s to guarantee he won’t leave again? And so he's taunting Shawn, reminding him that they need each other (subconsciously, at least, in my interpretation).
From this perspective, a scene later, Shawn trying to steal the bag from Katarina McCallum, becomes more than just comedic. Shawn gets out of the car to get the bag, then with it runs back to the Blueberry – but there’s no-one in the driver’s seat, Gus and he collide. This exchange happens:
Shawn: You were supposed to stay in the car!
Gus: You didn’t tell me!
So, to break it down: Shawn runs off somewhere without telling Gus, which is a very in-character thing of him to do. Now, keeping in mind the fact that Shawn left Santa Barbara for several years, Gus’ reaction is very interesting. He is shown as the most responsible, sensible person of the duo, and yet he leaves the car, blindly following Shawn to help him. Gus has been abandoned before and he’s not getting left behind this time. Unfortunately for them, it ends badly: Katarina catches up to them while they’re stumbling and the smooth escape becomes impossible.
To summarize: firstly, Shawn needs to work on his communication skills, secondly, Shawn’s and Gus’ dynamic works better when on of them – primarily Gus – stays on the ground. In this instance, Shawn doesn’t need someone who follows him, he needs someone he can come back to. And he will come back, but Gus has to wait and let Shawn do it on his own.
And building from that context, in the next scene Shawn stays in the car while Gus goes to retrieve the bag. He shows Gus that he’s here, he’s back.
Until he leaves the car. Without telling Gus. Because Gus was a decoy. And yet, it works – the scene ends with Shawn jumping in the car head first while Gus is hurriedly driving away and making their escape, because ultimately, Gus always has Shawn’s back.
Almost at the end of the episode, Lassiter tries to force Shawn in the police car. That scene is also very telling for both of their characters – Lassiter trying to control Shawn, to make him play by the rules, because that’s how Lassiter lives. But Shawn stays unchanged, Lassiter’s attempts practically don’t affect him. Shawn stays a “free spirit”, he doesn’t let people contain him. The struggle between Lassiter and Shawn is, no doubt, extremely physical, but it also shows their dynamic on several other layers.
The scene ends with both Shawn and Gus leaning against the police car. The door through which Lassiter attempted to shove Shawn stays open.
Now, the pilot episode started with Shawn riding the motorcycle. It ended with Shawn and Gus, together, in the Blueberry, Shawn behind the wheel.
---
also, some statistics:
the blueberry is seen on 5 separate occasions, Gus and Shawn always together in it
the motorcycle – 2 times
the police car – 2 times, Lassie&Lucinda&Shawn&Gus and Lasiter trying to shove Shawn in the car
Henry's truck – 2 times, we don't see Shawn drive with him, in the end of the episode Henry also drives alone (with the newspaper that has an article about Shawn)
which again, proves how important Shawn&Gus is :")
@ap-philophobia hey man good tags 👁️👁️
i actually know nothing about motorcycles, so that's a really interesting insight, thank you!!!
and 100000% YES to what you said about Henry and Lassie, ohhhh Lassie needs to keep up an appearance soooo bad
Why thank you!! I (sadly) adore bikes, so I've got a bit too much knowledge stuck up in my head. I'd have to check again why type of bike he rides, but from what I remember it's pretty hefty. Also the fact Shawn never wears actual protective gear when riding- like just jeans, just that shitty helmet is like a whole other thing... something something the flippedness in how you view yourself and the value of your life/safety.
And yes!! You just reminded me his car is the same name as his ex-wife... so good. And the fact it's a Ford Crown Victoria, like come on now. Love
The Significance of Transport in Psych (The Pilot Episode)
(hi! doing a LONG and i mean LONG post here discussing mostly Shawn's motorcycle vs driving the blueberry and what that means for the characters. hopefully some of it makes sense and im not stating the obvious hgshds)
In the beginning of the pilot episode of Psych, Shawn arrives on his motorcycle to SBPD in order to collect the check for the crime he solved. At this point, it serves to show that Shawn Spencer is The Cool Guy (тм) with his Cool Leather Jacket and his Cool Motorcycle, he's charismatic and has no trouble with women. Notably, James Roday Rodriguez didn’t want to ride the motorbike, although for the show he was offered lessons (as stated on The Psychologist Are In podcast in their first episode with JRR), so because of that fact alone The Cool Guy image, that the writers initially had in mind, transforms ( later in the series they even make a reference to it – Shawn saying “Have you ever seen me actually ride it?”).
The second vehicle we see in the show is the famous Blueberry – just a nameless company car for now, but it already reveals more about the characters. Gus drives a company car, has a job, wears a full-on suit, and he’s presented as a contrast to Shawn, who drives a motorcycle, can’t or won’t hold down a job and doesn’t need to dress formally. And yet, they are friends, Shawn is perfectly comfortable in the passenger seat of Gus’ car, that’s his place, next to Gus.
And then, when the case they're investigating becomes too much, Gus drives away and leaves his best friend stranded to investigate alone. Because Gus is done with Shawn’s antics and he’s his own person and can do whatever he wants.
A scene later, Shawn breaking into Gus' house and convincing him to help him again, the bond between Shawn and Gus re-establishes, when Shawn says “Let’s go, I’m driving, where are your keys? Nevermind, I got them!”.
Gus driving away in his car and leaving Shawn proved that he has autonomy, now that scene shows how close Gus allowed Shawn to get to him, how much Shawn is ingrained into his life and how much he trusts Shawn. Indeed, in the next scene, Shawn is behind the wheel. It also demonstrates that they are equals – both of them can be in the driver’s seat despite the fact that the car belongs to Gus, Gus trusts Shawn enough with the car despite Shawn being portrayed as very much not the most responsible person, especially compared to Gus.
Third transport Shawn is seen in is the police car, Lassiter is behind the wheel, Lucinda Barry and he are driving both Shawn and Gus to the crime scene. Shawn is backseating Lassiter and telling him where to drive, Gus supplies the correct details, and this is pretty much the dynamic of the show in a nutshell. Lassiter is seemingly in charge, but he has to rely on Shawn to direct him, and Shawn has to rely on Gus to keep him on track.
Lassiter also provides the means to support Shawn’s antics – the car, same as Gus, but he’s also the one who’s able to execute Shawn’s plans, he has the power, the authority that comes with being the head detective that Shawn doesn’t have. And Shawn doesn’t need to have it because Lassiter has it, and Shawn has Lassiter. Much like at this point Shawn doesn’t need a car – Gus has a car, and Shawn has Gus.
Later in the episode,Shawn drives to Henry on the motorcycle. Instead of inviting Shawn in, Henry says : "I was on my way out to lunch. You can come with me, if you don't bring this thing [the motorcycle]”. The motorcycle is Shawn’s means of being independent and showing that independence, the way Shawn lives his life is tied to it. Henry disregards that, he judges Shawn’s way of living, while Shawn is with his father he has to play by his father’s rules, thus, leaving the bike. Henry sees the fact that Shawn drives the motorcycle as a sign of his immaturity, in his eyes, a person who drives a motorcycle is not a reliable person, and that defies everything Henry thought his son should be. So, the fourth venicle Shawn gets into on screen is Henry’s truck.
The “company car” is mentioned once again when Shawn tells Gus he needs to tail someone and he can’t use his motorcycle, since it’s not very “stealth-like”. This could be an example of how Shawn’s life is changing. In this instance the motorcycle becomes impractical, unusable for Shawn’s purposes, for his new job as a "psychic" consultant. That scene results in Shawn on the passenger seat, yet directing Gus where to turn. When Shawn and Gus sit in the car, Shawn uses his binoculars and says to Gus that they need to stop on their way back and buy new ones. Guster replies “Why don’t you just take your big loud motorcycle?”. And one hand, it’s Gus bantering with Shawn, making a callback to their earlier conversation, but it also serves to show that Shawn needs Gus. For the job, for the car, but most importantly, because Gus is his best friend. So by asking Gus for the car he includes him in his life, which is especially important because Shawn has been gone for so long. Gus’ feelings towards the motorcycle, similar to Henry, might also be negative. He may not judge Shawn and critique him as much as Henry does, but in my opinion, Gus might very well despise the motorcycle because it’s what allowed Shawn to get away, what allowed Shawn to leave him. And as long as Shawn has his motorcycle, who’s to guarantee he won’t leave again? And so he's taunting Shawn, reminding him that they need each other (subconsciously, at least, in my interpretation).
From this perspective, a scene later, Shawn trying to steal the bag from Katarina McCallum, becomes more than just comedic. Shawn gets out of the car to get the bag, then with it runs back to the Blueberry – but there’s no-one in the driver’s seat, Gus and he collide. This exchange happens:
Shawn: You were supposed to stay in the car!
Gus: You didn’t tell me!
So, to break it down: Shawn runs off somewhere without telling Gus, which is a very in-character thing of him to do. Now, keeping in mind the fact that Shawn left Santa Barbara for several years, Gus’ reaction is very interesting. He is shown as the most responsible, sensible person of the duo, and yet he leaves the car, blindly following Shawn to help him. Gus has been abandoned before and he’s not getting left behind this time. Unfortunately for them, it ends badly: Katarina catches up to them while they’re stumbling and the smooth escape becomes impossible.
To summarize: firstly, Shawn needs to work on his communication skills, secondly, Shawn’s and Gus’ dynamic works better when on of them – primarily Gus – stays on the ground. In this instance, Shawn doesn’t need someone who follows him, he needs someone he can come back to. And he will come back, but Gus has to wait and let Shawn do it on his own.
And building from that context, in the next scene Shawn stays in the car while Gus goes to retrieve the bag. He shows Gus that he’s here, he’s back.
Until he leaves the car. Without telling Gus. Because Gus was a decoy. And yet, it works – the scene ends with Shawn jumping in the car head first while Gus is hurriedly driving away and making their escape, because ultimately, Gus always has Shawn’s back.
Almost at the end of the episode, Lassiter tries to force Shawn in the police car. That scene is also very telling for both of their characters – Lassiter trying to control Shawn, to make him play by the rules, because that’s how Lassiter lives. But Shawn stays unchanged, Lassiter’s attempts practically don’t affect him. Shawn stays a “free spirit”, he doesn’t let people contain him. The struggle between Lassiter and Shawn is, no doubt, extremely physical, but it also shows their dynamic on several other layers.
The scene ends with both Shawn and Gus leaning against the police car. The door through which Lassiter attempted to shove Shawn stays open.
Now, the pilot episode started with Shawn riding the motorcycle. It ended with Shawn and Gus, together, in the Blueberry, Shawn behind the wheel.
---
also, some statistics:
the blueberry is seen on 5 separate occasions, Gus and Shawn always together in it
the motorcycle – 2 times
the police car – 2 times, Lassie&Lucinda&Shawn&Gus and Lasiter trying to shove Shawn in the car
Henry's truck – 2 times, we don't see Shawn drive with him, in the end of the episode Henry also drives alone (with the newspaper that has an article about Shawn)
which again, proves how important Shawn&Gus is :")
Psych is such a weird show bc in a lot of ways it's constantly asking, "can you forgive your father? even tho he could never forgive you, can you forgive him?" and the thing he could never forgive you for was not meeting his exact very specific expectations. And the answer keeps being yes you can, because not doing so is worse. You tried and it hurt more. You tried and it made you more miserable. You forgive him because he's all you have most of the time, and its somehow less complicated than whatever you have going on with your mom. You can forgive him but you can't forget, and then one day he realizes that he was wrong and there was nothing he should have taken as a slight about you, but you both just never acknowledge this paradigm shift in your relationship bc it'd be more awkward then fighting again for the millionth time. So things get better but you never say why, you never acknowledge it unless forced and somehow you forgive him more than your mom who you were never even half as mad at.
But also it's about breaking and entering into sea world and making a janitor think you killed your best friend so you can escape, it's about gaslighting your coworkers into thinking you are the dumbest man alive, it's about only closing a mystery when it's as funnt as possible and making sure everyone else around you is as baffled as possible. It's about childhood and nostalgia and growing up in the most chaotic way you can. It's about people being killed with a t-rex skull, it's about slapstick and committing to the bit and being the silliest messiest bisexual on tv in 2006-2014.
It's about a son and his father and forgiveness and somehow also they are in a circus tent trying to find out why a corpse was launched from a cannon. And also there's an extended musical episode that makes it onto my personal Spotify year after year
Something I find so beautiful about this show is that duality it manages to contain. It is so strange, correct, but balancing both these heavy parent-child relationships and still making you laugh is just wonderful to me. Every show like this takes the cake.
This post makes me recall what I find so interesting the more I watch: how I find so much of my personal relationship with my own parent mimicking Shawn & Henrys relationship.
The "things get better but you never say why" part really shines. You still hold so much resentment and anger but this parent is the only one you have- so you try to push it aside. Easier than whatever is going on with the other parent... Begrudgingly having a parent to hold you, even for a second to comfort you, is 10x better than being alone. The strange shift where things are getting better, you can have dinner together and it's not a huge fight, but somehow it's more weird and uncomfortable than just fighting is very real. How as you both age, your parent realizes that you honestly turned out alright even if you didn't reach any of their insane expectations, and suddenly chills out and you just have to be fine about it? You can't bring it up, neither of you will, so you just settle in the strangeness that is... mutual agreement? And the scale you have to balance as a child, to hold both that anger and care-
UGH, good story line. it's what makes me I adore this show the longer I watch.
Accompanying all of that with seventeen jokes about Val Kilmer and tap dancing to relieve stress and bisexual messes and ENDLESS Malapropisms for gags.... cherry on top.
i think we should be ridiculing them more for this. you don't get to try and go all "queer website" when your staff likes to go on nuking sprees targeting the trans fem users
would be remiss not to mention that the rainbow notably straight up just removed the trans flag colors from it. like they’re gone. it’s the progress flag minus the trans flag colors.
Beach episode... I think they all deserve a nice slushie daiquiris and some sunshine 🙂↕️💚🍍
(If you want to read some side tangents below, I needed to share these little things for my sake )
- Big fan of giving Shawn some love handles... he deserves a soft stomach.
- Also yes I did give Lassie short-shorts with a tan line you're welcome 🙂↕️
- Beautiful Gus in an ugly ass Hawaiian shirt you are real to me 💛
- I don't remember Cosmopolitan being such a "sexual" magazine? Trying to find a cover for Vick's magazine that wasnt "HOW TO GIVE YOUR MAN A BLOWIE HE'LL NEVER FORGET" was incredibly difficult.... I guess they switched gears in 2010? Or am I just confused?
- The first one I sketched traditionally and scanned in to color, and the second was straight digital. It's fun to see the difference !! Mostly via line weight I feel.
- Lastly, trying to free myself from the shackles of full rendered pieces... and it's so nice. I render enough in my paintings let my fanart be free 🙏
It has been finished (2/3 parts to be exact).... This is technically a continuation of my last fic, "Of course Mele Kalikimaka can be played year-round" but they can be read separately! (Thanks for all the love on that one btw, it was so sweet <3)
Save a Prayer and Click To Read
This time, I've relished in my favourite interest: writing men argue as foreplay. Some classic Shassie with maybe a bit too much build-up, but lots of sloppy makeouts and a sweet resolution make up for it. (And, a bit of polyclue-ness lingering about as a cherry on top)
annaxmalina
kaledo-art
pixelskylines
gummygunk
