Kyle Kress
Professor McGettigan
April 8, 2013
Psych
From the famous Sherlock Holmes to the infamous Sam Spade, private detectives have always had a set spot on the screen due to their unique techniques and intriguing tactics. In the past, the private detective has been depicted in many ways. Sherlock Holmes used a keen sense of observing and deductive reasoning within a society where the upper-class solved the crimes caused by less sophisticated, lower-class criminals. Sam Spade had a darker and much more corrupt society to work with. His criminals were highly sophisticated leading him to use innovative tactics which were morally questionable. However, Spade always put justice first even if he had to deal with the criminals behind closed doors. Private detectives have had a spot in America’s heart for quite some time; however one of the most recent detectives has added some new twists that has secured his spot in the detective timeline. Shawn Spencer, from the series Psych is different than any other detective before his time. He is an unprofessional and sarcastic outcast who relies on basic intuition, charm, and quite a bit of trickery to solve case after case. Even though he is arguably one of the most unorthodox detectives in television history, he represents a modern day working man who relies on natural ability to fulfill his purpose of discovery and truth. He does all this within a society that rejects his techniques, ranging from the police agency he bumps heads with to his own father. Even though he is one of the most original detectives, he has similarities to Holmes and Spade and the societies they lived within.
Shawn Spencer relies mainly on one talent to solve all of his cases. His powerful eidetic memory and extreme observation skills set him apart from all other detectives within his world. Throughout the entire series, he pretends to be a psychic who receives supernatural visions that help him solve the crime at hand. He is truly not a...