'Psych' Review: 100 Episodes Later

On Wednesday, Psych aired its 100th episode, a big milestone for any TV series. This special episode is an homage to the 1985 film Clue. For those who haven't seen the movie, it is based on the classic board game of the same name. The episode, titled "100 Clues", featured guest stars Christopher Lloyd, Martin Mull, and Lesley Ann Warren, all of whom starred in Clue. Naturally, the episode was riddled with subtle references to the film, including a title sequence similar to the closing credits of the film. It was a great episode, but that may be only because I am a fan of Clue and appreciated all of the references.

The episode's plot was almost identical to that of Clue: Somebody is murdered at a house party in a mysterious mansion, and Shawn (James Roday) must figure out whodunnit. As an episode of Psych, it was nothing special. The twists were predictable, and the non-Clue-related jokes were funny but not funnier than anything we're used to. What made this episode great was that it was Clue-themed. I found the movie on Netflix and watched it Wednesday morning, and I'm very glad I did. I hadn't seen it since sixth grade, so I probably wouldn't have caught most of the episode's references if I didn't watch it on Wednesday. Referencing 80s pop culture is what Psych does best, so designing a whole episode around a specific piece of that pop culture is always a welcome choice. The references were both clever and funny, making it a great episode, despite the predictable plot.

What is most interesting about "100 Clues" is that the ending was chosen by live votes from the viewers. This is not a new idea, but it is a first for Psych. It is a reference to Clue, which has multiple endings. I'm not usually a fan of live voting during shows, but in this case it worked. The way the episode was written allowed for multiple endings, so I look forward to seeing the other possible endings.

My biggest complaint is that Tim Curry, who plays the butler in Clue, wasn't able to make an appearance. He is the best thing about the movie, and he would have been a welcome addition to this episode. However, he did appear in the season 2 episode "American Duos," so he would have had to play the same character, which might have been odd. That being said, Curry's presence was felt whenever Roday impersonated him (for example, running through the house to explain how the killer pulled off the murders or saying "no" in Curry's accent).

Overall, I thought this episode was on par with "Dual Spires," Psych's homage to the TV show Twin Peaks, which is one of the best episodes of the series so far. Like "Dual Spires," "100 Clues" may not be appreciated by people who are unfamiliar with the source material. However, hopefully it will bring more attention to Clue. It's a wonderfully ridiculous movie, so if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend watching it and then re-watching this episode of Psych.

'House of Cards' Review: Political Intrigue At Its Finest

Once again I must apologize for my inactivity. I've been very busy, and it has become harder for me to keep up with current shows. Also, to be honest, nothing has stuck out as exceptionally blogworthy. Hopefully now that Psych has finally started and Game of Thrones and Revolution are about to come back, I will have more to write about.

Having said all that, since I am now on Spring Break, I had some time to finally sit down and watch Netflix's second original series House of Cards. I had been waiting for this show ever since it was announced over a year ago because it stars Kevin Spacey, my favorite actor. Netflix released all 13 episodes on February 1, but I was unable to watch it at the time. I finally started it on Monday and finished it last night. I figured I would write a review of the show as a whole instead of writing individual episode reviews since very little time was spent between episodes. I know that a lot of you probably haven't seen it, so I will avoid spoilers.

House of Cards follows Congressman Francis "Frank" Underwood (Spacey), whom, although he was promised the position by President-Elect Garrett Walker (Michael Gill), was passed over for Secretary of State. Not taking kindly to this broken promise, Frank declares his distrust in everyone and devises an elaborate plot to work his way up the ranks. He is assisted by his wife Claire (Robin Wright) and his chief of staff Doug Stamper (Michael Kelly). Frank's pawns in the plan include Zoe Barnes (Kate Mara), an ambitious young reporter, and Congressman Peter Russo (Corey Stoll), a drug-and-alcohol-abusing divorcé.

The acting all-around is phenomenal. Spacey excels at portraying Frank's conniving, smug nature. This comes at no surprise since Spacey is excellent in whatever role he takes on. Wright is also excellent as Claire, Frank's loyal and just-as-conniving wife. I was not expecting to like her character, but Wright makes Claire likable, even if she is a bit controlling. Spacey and Wright are both great in their scenes together, and Frank and Claire's relationship quickly became one of the most interesting aspects of the show.

The real surprise in the acting was Corey Stoll as Congressman Russo. When he was first introduced, I didn't expect to like Russo, but Stoll won me over within a few episodes. His portrayal of the troubled and helpless congressman is fantastic, and I found myself very invested in his character.

My favorite thing about this show is the odd choice of having Frank speak directly to the camera to provide his own commentary. Frank would be in the middle of a conversation with another character when all of a sudden he turns to the camera to provide a short aside. I don't know whether to attribute this to the writers or the directors, but it was an excellent choice. These side comments and glances at the camera are where Spacey shines, and they provide some of the funniest moments in the otherwise dramatic show.

Normally I would avoid political dramas like this one because politics bore me to no end, but with Kevin Spacey starring, I had to give it a try. Needless to say, I'm extremely glad I did. With impeccable acting and smart writing, House of Cards puts itself up there with Homeland and Breaking Bad as one of the best dramas on TV around. If you have Netflix, I highly recommend watching this show. If you've already seen it, leave a comment with your thoughts.