Season 7, Episode 12
Dead Air
"Aww, yeah, Santa Barbara. You are now entering the Smooth Storm, KJAD's new after-dark talk. I'm your host, a Player Named Gus. So, sit back and chillax with me, as I take you on a funky ride."
Directed by Saladin K. Patterson
Written by Saladin K. Patterson and Kell Cahoon
While listening to the popular radio DJ Crock “Crockpot” Daniels at Henry’s barbecue, Shawn, Gus, and Henry hear a man burst into the radio station and shoot Daniels dead. Now, the police and Psych find themselves searching for a killer, and for motivation. Not only that, but now the radio station has a sizeable time slot to fill up. Shawn initially tries to fill the role with his persona of “Shawn Spence-air”, but Gus’ “A Player named Gus” persona proves to be far more popular. While investigating, Shawn discovers Daniels was enormously successful and popular, pulled in a massive paycheck that took money from everyone else at the station, and made a number of enemies as a result… but finding who’s really responsible will be plenty difficult.Tropes:
- Broadcast Live: The radio broadcasts all are, since they take live callers.
- Dead Air: Gus briefly leaves the recording studio in the middle of his broadcast to call out Shawn when Shawn makes a prank call. Turns out Shawn deliberately made the call to attract Gus’ attention to some evidence he found. Then a furious Miranda shows up and tells Gus to get back to the show immediately.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Miranda Sherrod, the station’s attractive manager, is frigid towards Shawn but quickly warms up to Gus thanks to his knowledge of how the modern radio business works… and then she starts going a little too far, much to Gus’ increasing frustration. Gus tries using the obvious attraction to pump her for information on a dinner date, but even when she figures it out, she keeps pursuing Gus to the point where he’s extremely uncomfortable.
- Distinction Without a Difference: Lassiter suggests setting up a sting operation to catch the killer. Shawn suggests that luring the killer into a trap so the police can arrest him might be a better option.
- Dumbass DJ: Daniels was one, and somehow became enormously successful. He was so obnoxious that his sound technician thanks Shawn and Gus for not making him do anything humiliating by the end of their first broadcast.
- Flashback: The episode starts out with one, where it’s revealed that Shawn and Gus had guest appearances on Daniels’ show in 2009.
- Groupie Brigade: Daniels had one, with several somewhat obsessive female fans.
- Large Ham Radio: Shawn and Gus deliberately play it up. “A Player named Gus” is surprisingly successful.
- Not-So-Imaginary Friend: The episode has a surprising Twist Ending: Laura claims that a stalker named Bob is responsible for threatening her and Gus and possible killing Daniels, but after a series of uncanny close calls, Shawn decides that the mentally-ill Laura has a Split Personality named Bob… until the real Bob shows up at the very end, threatening Gus.
- Once Done, Never Forgotten: During his stint as a College Radio DJ, Gus fell asleep during his 3 AM timeslot. Shawn never let him forget it.
- Put on a Bus: Rachael apparently has some legal problems with her immigration to the US, and has to return to England for six months to get everything sorted out. This is her last in-person appearance on the show.
- Red Herring: Played for Laughs with a radio host actually named Red Herring, who seems to be an obsessive hunter and mildly unhinged. He shows up for a single scene, and is never mentioned again.
- Stalker with a Crush: Laura turns out to have one of these, in the form of a stalker named Bob who’s obsessed with her.
- Wham Shot: Near the very end – far enough into the episode that a viewer might be fooled into thinking the show’s over – the real killer, thought to be a figment of Laura’s imagination, abruptly shows up at Gus’ house with a gun.
