''Season 5, Episode 2'
Feet Don’t Kill Me Now
"Lassiter, I wanted you to realize how hard it was. I didn't want to make you quit. Especially because I believe that people who carry guns should do what their therapists say."
Directed by Mel Damski
Written by Saladin K. Patterson
When the body of a young woman named Desiree Blake is pulled out of the river in her car, the police discover she was taking a number of experimental fertility pills, and was in a rocky relationship with a man named Ben. The usual investigation is broken up by squabbling between Shawn and Gus, and between Lassiter and O’Hara. Shawn teams up with Juliet, and Lassiter teams up with Gus to solve the case. Along the way, Lassiter learns tap-dancing from Gus, and quickly discovers that tap-dancing helps him relax his mind, and make new connections on the case. The investigations take the detectives and police to an experimental lab where new drugs are being tested… one with a number of secrets…Tropes:
- The Atoner: Ben cheated on Desiree before she was murdered. According to him, he was horrified by what he’d done, broke it off with the other woman, and decided to make amends as best he could.
- Barrier-Busting Blow: When the police and detectives arrive at Ben’s house, he abruptly smashes through his garage door in his car and speeds off.
- Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick: Lassiter sympathizes with Gus having a partner who doesn’t know when to keep quiet. In his words, “O’Hara usually just blurts out her opinions. As if I asked for ‘em… or wanted ‘em… or needed ‘em… because women ruin everything…” Cue a nervous glance from Gus.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Apparently, tap-dancing inspires these in Lassiter. At the very end, he figures out a totally unrelated case during a recital.
- I Can't Dance: Lassiter’s therapist told him to try something out of his comfort zone, and he tries Gus’s tap-dancing class. Unfortunately, Gus is a very advanced dancer, and Lassiter almost knocks half the class over.
- If I Can't Have You…: Lillian murdered Desiree because she wanted Ben to herself. When Ben refused to be with her, she murdered him the same way she killed Desiree
- Line-of-Sight Name: In the Cold Open, young Shawn asks what Gus is doing on a wooden board on his back lawn. Gus replies that he’s playing “Board-Grass”, but Shawn has already figured out that he was practicing tap-dancing.
- No, Except Yes: Lassiter initially insists that he's not quitting tap dancing class... he's simply choosing not to continue.
- Show Some Leg: Shawn and Juliet need to distract a lab assistant, so Shawn can look around a room for clues without arousing suspicion. When Juliet asks what she should do, Shawn replies that Gus would try and flirt with the (female) assistant. Juliet isn’t pleased with the idea… but Shawn seems to think Girl on Girl Is Hot. (She doesn’t go through with it.)
- Suddenly Always Knew That: Gus’s tap-dancing skills. They come out of nowhere, though they do at least get mentioned every so often from here on out.
- This Looks Like a Job for Aquaman: Gus’s knowledge of pharmaceuticals comes in very handy this episode, allowing him to keep up with Shawn despite lacking his detective skills.
- Yandere: Lillian the lab tech. Ben cheated on his girlfriend Desiree, but also brought the affair to an end out of guilt. Lillian was mad that he still wanted her, and murdered Desiree out of desperation. Needless to say, Ben was not touched.
- Yank the Dog's Chain: Shortly after Ben is found innocent and exonerated, he too is killed.
