Season 5, Episode 13
We’d Like to Thank the Academy
"No... I go high, you go low!"
Directed by Tawnia McKiernan
Written by Bill Callahan and Todd Harthan
After interfering with a stakeout – and nearly botching it with their usual shenanigans – Shawn and Gus are sent to the Police Academy for a three-week crash course. During the course, Shawn and Gus do a little investigating on a case Lassiter’s working on; it seems a small-time gangster named Devry Longsdale has had several of his check-cashing businesses robbed by a suspect named David Arnold. Shawn is suspicious... but the more he tries to figure out the case, the more lines he crosses at the academy, even putting his own teacher’s career in jeopardy...Tropes:
- Asshole Victim: Devry Longsdale runs a check-cashing business, but it’s largely a front for his two-bit gangster activities. When someone starts stealing from his businesses, he actually turns to the police for help... since whoever’s gunning for him is still technically also a criminal.
- Back to School: Chief Vick sends Shawn and Gus to a three-week crash course at the police academy.
- Blasting It Out Oftheir Hands: How Conforth finally stops Longsdale at the end.
- Bling-Bling-BANG!: Longsdale has an obnoxious gold-plated gun.
- Class Clown: Not that anyone expected anything else from Shawn.
- The Cracker: Chris and Dickie were two college computer geniuses who found themselves Trapped by Gambling Debts to an aggressive bookie named Bazo. Desperate for funds, they stole them from a small-time gangster, then hacked into the SBPD’s systems and created a fake suspect named David Arnold to throw the police off the trail.
- Cut Lex Luthor a Check: Lampshaded when a pair of students smart enough to hack into the police database that need money attempt to get said money do so by using the hacking skills to create a cover ID to rob places. The cast notes that they were really stupid.
- Donut Mess with a Cop: Joked about a few times. Shawn and Gus clear out an entire donut display at the grocery store in minutes.
- Dramatic Gun Cock: Longsdale cocks his gold-plated pistol and says, "I don't even need to do that. I just like the effect."
- Dream-Crushing Handicap: A downplayed example in Nick Conforth. He was Lassiter’s old rival in the academy, and graduated top of his class. Problem is, for all his talent and instinct, his fight-or-flight instinct is stuck solidly on “flight”, and he bolts at the first sign of danger. He overcomes this at the end.
- Mêlée à Trois: The fight at the end, in the grocery store. Bazo got paid with Longsdale’s stolen money by Chris and Dicky. Longsdale wants it back, and he’s kidnapped Chris. Shawn, Gus, Chris, and Dickie just want to get out alive. Shawn cuts down on Bazo and Longsdale and their goons by using the store’s security cameras and PA system to pit them against each other
- Poor Communication Kills: A major misunderstanding between Lassiter and Shawn ends with Shawn and Gus nearly blowing the sting operation Lassiter spent four weeks setting up. Shawn told Lassiter the man was working out of a certain hotel for weeks, but while Shawn thought Lassiter blew him off, he was actually setting up the sting.
- Reckless Gun Usage: Shawn is a very fast, very accurate shot… but he’s not discerning at all with targets, and almost blows Gus’ head off at one point.
- Running Gag: Shawn keeps losing his police academy equipment – his hat, his radio, his gun…
- Scarily Competent Tracker: Shawn is baffled as to how on Earth Longsdale is often only minutes behind him, when he seems to be a total fool. Turns out he somehow got hold of Shawn’s police radio, and has been monitoring him the whole time.
- Shout-Out:
- A great many of them to Police Academy.
- With Conforth being played by Ralph Macchio, Shawn naturally has a line alluding to the “Wax On, Wax Off” moment from The Karate Kid (1984) and addresses him as Sensei at one point.
- They Have the Scent!: Fenway, the academy’s bloodhound. He hunts down Chris and Dickie pretty quickly.
- Training Montage: Shawn and Gus go through one, and soon prove themselves… unprepared for the academy.
- Troll: Gus uses the speakerphone to imitate an AK-47, causing Shawn to leap into an aisle terrified. While initially confused, he compliments him for being able to perfectly imitate an AK-47.
- Unishment: Frustrated at Shawn’s antics, Juliet replaces herself as Shawn’s supervisor during their training with... McNab, who’s easygoing enough that Shawn can manipulate him into almost anything. Juliet’s smile hints that she knows exactly what she’s doing.
- You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: Lassiter’s reaction at the very beginning, watching Gus pose as room service to smuggle Shawn into the room of a drug dealer.
