Season 2, Episode 8
Rob-a-Bye Baby
"..."
Directed by Paul Lazarus
Written by Tami Sagher
Shawn and Gus are excited to get a new personal assignment from Chief Vick… but Shawn’s a bit disappointed that she wants him to psychically find her a new babysitter. The last one left, Vick hasn’t slept in days, and she’s growing increasingly snappish and deranged. Lassiter and Jules actually have an interesting case, one involving a string of home invasion robberies. The robberies happened during the day, and only to houses that had security systems, which the thieves were somehow able to bypass. Shawn, however, notes a connection between their assignments: all the houses burgled were right near houses tended to by the same nanny agency, the Red Balloon. Shawn starts looking into the police case harder when the latest robbery ends in a murder…Tropes:
- Animal Motif: As Chief Vick becomes more sleep-deprived and irritable, Shawn compares her to a raccoon: she’s got rings around her eyes and is lashing out at everyone.
- Cold Open: Young Shawn asks his dad where babies come from, which he hesitates to answer.
- Deadly Euphemism: Shawn refers to the tea-drinking murder victim as getting “steeped”, “brewed”, and “teabagged”.
- Gilligan Cut: When Gus refuses to drive Shawn anywhere in the blueberry until he gets back on track with helping the chief find a new nanny, Shawn replies that he doesn’t need anyone to drive him anywhere… cut to Shawn being driven through a suburb by Henry.
- If I Wanted You Dead...: A variation. Suspicion for the burglaries initially falls on the StarTek security company, since some of the homes burgled had their security systems in place. A snarky employee points out that StarTek has security systems in much wealthier households than the ones burgled, and those would naturally be the first targets for any employees interested in robbing anyone.
- I Just Like Saying the Word: Shawn initially asks Henry for a ride because he lost his pet kinkajou, before admitting the truth. When Henry asks why he didn’t fess up immediately, Shawn admits it’s just fun to say “kinkajou”.
- Improvised Weapon: The thief killed a homeowner who surprised them by grabbing a nearby lamp, and cracking him over the head with it.
- Masochist's Meal: At one point, Shawn somehow gets his hands on pineapple-and-popcorn-flavored jellybeans as a snack. A more literal example than most, as Shawn mentions they’re absolutely disgusting, but he can’t stop eating them.
- Mistaken for Pedophile: Gus and Shawn try getting a nanny by poaching one from the local playground. Gus tries to be friendly, and chats with children and nannies alike, but the result is unintentionally creepy enough that someone calls the police on both of them.Buzz: We got a call about two really creepy guys.
Gus: We haven't seen anyone, but we'll keep an eye out.
Shawn: Yeah, it's just been us, lurking in the bushes... Oh. - Mundane Utility: Chief Vick uses the freelance detective who’s been very useful collaring dangerous criminals in the past… to find a nanny that she can trust.
- Sinister Surveillance: Downplayed. The Red Balloon nanny agency puts security cameras in the homes of their clients, ostensibly so their parents can log in at any point during the day and see how their children are doing. In reality, the Red Balloon’s management also has access to the camera feeds, and is using them to covertly scout out nearby houses with security systems so that they can rob them.
- Sleep Deprivation: Chief Vick is having a hard time getting her infant son to fall asleep, and doesn’t have a nanny she trusts, which means she can’t get any sleep. She grows increasingly desperate and unhinged over the course of the episode.
- Sleeps with Both Eyes Open: Shawn bursts into the chief’s office to explain that he’s figured out that nannies are somehow involved in the string of robberies… and gets absolutely no response. Turns out she was doing this at her desk. She mentions she trained herself back when she was working stakeouts.
- Suspicious Spending:
- Lassiter recognizes the Red Balloon’s “baby bonding” cameras as retailing for over $10,000 a pop, further proof that the agency has access to a lot of money from somewhere shady.
- Shawn suspects a nanny of being a burglar because she wears expensive designer sunglasses. It turns out she used to work at the store selling those sunglasses, meaning she's innocent and either got the sunglasses with an employee discount or stole them.
- Take Our Word for It: At the playground, one of the nannies yells at two children to “Get your foot out of that dog!” We don't see exactly what she means, but we hear barking, and Shawn looks unnerved.
- The Talk: Henry tries giving this to young Shawn in the Cold Open, when the latter asks where babies come from. Henry’s explanation involves a hydraulic lift.
- Terrible Interviewees Montage: Gus tries interviewing multiple nannies in one of these. He finally finds someone excellent by the end.
- Undercover as Lovers: Shawn and Juliet go undercover as a “married couple with a child” to snoop around the Red Balloon nanny agency. It results in lots of Unresolved Sexual Tension.
