Season 1, Episode 8
Shawn vs. the Red Phantom
The episode opens in 1986, with young Shawn running down a beach with a red towel around his neck. Shawn arrives home to discover his father sitting on the porch holding some comic books. Apparently Shawn got them from Gus, and Henry doesn't approve of comics. Henry asks his son to become a cop if he wants to be a real hero.
In the present Julie answers her phone, it's Shawn. After some verbal banter, Shawn tells Julie that he's sitting in the chiefs office (she's out of town with Lassiter at a seminar), where Julie soon joins him. Julie shows Shawn the details of the case she's working on, a teenager named Malone Brayfogle has been missing for the last day. Julie can't begin looking for Malone until he's been missing for 48 hours, but she'd like Shawn to look into the case sooner. Julie promises that when the case becomes official, she'll make sure Shawn is brought in.
Shawn and Gus go to the Brayfogle's house, where Mrs. Brayfogle make's them pancakes. Malone's been distant for the last few days, even after landing a internship at a computer company. His oldest friends, Rob and Don, have also been quiet, though that's because they're both at computer camp. Shawn examines Malone's room, which is covered in comic's and various nerd detritus, and announces that the answer is in the light. After flicking it on and off a few times, Shawn removes the light from it's socket, revealing a lot of money hidden in the wall.
Gus asks Shawn how a 18 year old could get that much money. Shawn theorizes that Malone's involved in some sort of shady dealing. Rob, and Don are probably with him. Shawn doesn't have any idea where they could all be though. Gus tells Shawn, after some gloating, that a 18 year old comic nerd with tons of disposable income would obviously be going to the huge comic convention in town this weekend, Tri-Con. Gus also found directions to the convention center in Malone's wastebasket.
We cut to Lassiter, and the chief, driving down the highway. Lassiter attempts to make conversation, poorly complementing the chief, and comparing her to the former chief, and is taken aback when the chief says “I love you”. The chief then turns her head to reveal a phone headset.
Gus and Shawn arrive at the convention center, but since they don't have tickets Gus says they won't be able to get in. Shawn sees a poster advertising a signing by George Takei, and hears that there is a issue with his food demands. Shawn tells the gate security that they are employees of Mr. Takei, and intimidates him into getting onto the con floor. While wandering through the con they encounter two studio executives, a man and woman, who give Gus and Shawn some promotional material for the new Red Phantom movie. Gus remarks that most people don't think the movie is going to be very good, because of a online reviewer going by the name “The Malcontent”. After some more dismissive comments from Shawn, Gus tells Shawn to let him do the talking as this is “his turf”
After Gus stops to get a comic signed by the creator of “The Green Spirit”, Hiltz Kooler. Gus mentions the failed Green Spirit movie, which Shawn gleefully remembers involved a hero with prominent nipples. Shawn confesses that he can't take much more of this, and crashes a stage to draw the attention of the boys they're looking for. Shawn introduces Gus as his side-kick “Magic Head”, and begins cold reading the crowd. Eventually Shawn draws Rob, and Don, and quickly gets their room key, before scaring them off by saying he “knows what they're hiding.” Just as Shawn and Gus are leaving they're stopped by George Takei, who demands to know why Shawn is telling people he's his assistant. Shawn sticks to his story, inventing various things he's done while under the employ of Mr. Takei, and eventually asks if he can go solve the “blueberry crisis”. Mr. Takei seems confused, but sends Shawn on his way.
In Rob and Don's trashed hotel room Shawn finds a flier advertising The Malcontent, and Shawn realizes that The Malcontent is Malcolm. Gus notices a piece of paper with the words “One down two to go” written on it among the debris, and says that his theory that Malcolm is just out on a spending spree seems less likely now.
Later at the police department Gus tells Shawn that Malcolm has been bashing the Red Phantom movie fairly hard recently, which is strange because he originally praised it. Shawn theorizes that the studio payed Malcolm to praise the movie, but he eventually decided to go back on the deal. The movie executives might have had something to do with Malcolm's disappearance. Shawn tells Julie that he's picked up Malcolm's astral trail and gives Julie the number of the hotel room.
Back with Lassiter and the chief. Lassiter attempts to make more small talk, when suddenly the chief's water breaks. After asking the chief to move his briefcase out of the way, Lassiter puts a flashing light on the roof, turns on the siren, and speeds off to the nearest hospital.
At the convention Shawn has landed a date with the lady studio executive, but is stopped, again, by Mr. Takei as he hasn't solved the problem with the blueberry's, and his green room is in the wrong part of the hall. Shawn blames Gus for the problems, which placates Mr. Takei. Gus is a little upset, and Shawn says he'll invent a third imaginary assistant to take the blame next time.
Shawn walks down the beach with the female executive. She talks about how the studio really wants this movie to do well, and have pulled out all the stops for the premiere at the convention which will involve lasers, a sound system, and pyrotechnics. Shawn reveals his identity as a psychic working for the police, and talks about his theory about the studio kidnapping Malcolm. The executive agrees to take Shawn to her male counterpart so he can prove their innocence, but she is very angry with Shawn about the accusation. By the time they reach the office of the male executive, the room has been trashed, and the male executive has vanished! Shawn finds a paper with “Two down one to go” written on it among the debris.
Later Gus tells Shawn that The Malcontent's blog is still updating with Red Phantom slams, Gus thinks that the kidnapper has taken control, and he just posted that “The guilty will pay.” After fielding another call from Mr. Takei Shawn and Gus head off.
At the hospital Lassiter and the chief deal with the reality of childbirth. The chief declines a epidural, and tells Lassiter to stay with her for the birth.
Back at the con Shawn proposes that the kidnappings could be a publicity stunt as the entire case has been a little over the top. Julie arrives, and asks Shawn who the kidnapper is, as Gus said on the phone that Shawn had seen him. Shawn recovers by saying that he say “through the kidnappers eyes” and that the female executive is the kidnapper, or possibly the next victim. Julie says she saw her outside a moment ago, but when they go to talk to her she's gone. Shawn notes that the executives cellphone has 9, and 1 dialed, and finds a note reading “Judgment Day”.
Shawn remarks that the note was melodramatic, but is still focused. He tells Gus that they need to find who would stand to gain from the disappearance of the three victims, and who would want the Red Phantom movie to fail. Gus realizes that the comic he had signed has a note in it that is exactly like the ones they've been finding, and that the story ends with the villain setting his victims on fire. Shawn tears part of the comic out, and walks off.
Back at the hospital, Lassiter is told to make the chief focus, but his usual techniques aren't very effective. The chief gives birth to a girl, Lassiter is allowed to cut the umbilical cord. Lassiter muses that his ex wife separated because she didn't think he wanted children.
At the Con Shawn and Gus need to get the attention of Juliet, so Shawn hijacks George Takei's speech for another “Psychic” performance involving Gus as “Magic Head”. Shawn explains that the kidnapper was the creator of The Green Spirit, Hiltz Kooler, angry over the studios mistreatment of his creation. He decided to ensure the failure of their next comic based movie, and has been kidnapping everyone in the guise of the villain of his comic. Heilt was the one who left the notes behind at the scenes. Shawn shows everyone that the signature he tore from Gus's comic has a distinctive letter O, that is present in both the real, and comic notes. Finally Shawn tells the police to look in the pyrotechnic display under the stage, where they find all the victims bound and gagged.
At the hospital Shawn tells Lassiter about the case, subtly mocking Lassiter's slightly less impressive story. Lassiter asks Shawn to tell them which baby is the chief's, but Shawn speculates that one of the baby's is evil, and blocking his powers. The chief arrives and points out her daughter. Shawn suggests she take a vacation until January.
Later at Henry's house Shawn arrives, and shows posters for a one shot comic that was just published at the con, Psych-Man, and Magic Head! Shawn thinks the comic is “dope”, Gus and Henry are less then impressed.
Tropes in this episode:
- Always Murder: Averted. This is the first episode of the show that does not involve someone being (successfully) killed.
- Broken Pedestal: Gus was a huge fan of Hiltz Kooler right up until he and Shawn figure out that he was planning to murder three people over his comic book's dreadful film adaptation.
- Call-Back: Chief Vick's pregnancy chair makes a reappearance.
- Disproportionate Retribution: While it's somewhat understandable that the Villain of the Week goes after the movie executives who ruined the adaptation of his creation and turned him into a laughing stock, this is less true for his third intended victim, the Caustic Critic. He's targeting the guy for writing horrible reviews about the movie based on his comic even though the very fact that he's targeting the studio executives shows that he agrees the movie deserved to get savaged.
- Evil Gloating: "My plan's already in motion and there's nothing you can do to stop it."
- Fan Convention: The episode takes place at the fictional Santa Barbara Tri-Con.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: The kidnapper wasn't always a masked villain. He used to be Hiltz Kooler, a simple comic book creator for "The Green Spirit". But by a cruel twist of fate, "The Malcontent" and a group of other people ruined the comic and all it stood for. Thus, Kooler became "The Kidnapper"!
- Gaslighting: Shawn not only bluffs security into thinking he and Gus are George Takei’s assistants, he manages to confuse Takei himself into believing it.
- Noodle Incident: Apparently, the autobiography reading that George Takei did in San Antonio has a lot of similarities to the shenanigans in the episode, which include Shawn gaslighting him into thinking he and Gus are Takei’s official assistants and blowing their cover onstage to expose a kidnapper.
- Rage Breaking Point: Gus finally has enough of Shawn ragging on comic book fans and gives a truly epic rant.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Gus's huge rant telling Shawn to take his geek-hate and shove it.Shawn: ... Snap.
- Serious Business: Henry really doesn't like comic books. Gus really likes them.
- Shout-Out: Two convention employees advertising for the Red Phantom movie are named Talia and Dent.
- Special Guest: George Takei as himself!
- Start of Darkness: Almost in comic book fashion, the episode acts as the kidnapper's start as a villain.
- Take That!: To the bat-nipples of Batman & Robin.
- Wham Episode: Downplayed. It's nothing dramatic, but this is the episode where the Chief finally has her baby.
