When it comes to Christmas episodes ofPsych, “The Polarizing Express” (Season 5, Episode 14) is unique in its complexity and chaos. Compared to the previous Christmas specials (“Gus’s Dad May Have Killed an Old Guy” and “Christmas Joy”) and the following movie, this particular wintertime adventure with Shawn (James Roday-Rodriguez) and Gus (Dulé Hill) pulls from several Christmas classics, includingIt’s a Wonderful LifeandA Christmas Carol, to pay homage, as well asweaving its own life lessons into the story beneath the show’s unique brand of goofy humor.
When a novice sleuth convinces the police he has psychic powers, he and his reluctant best friend are hired on as consultants to help solve complicated cases.
What Happens in “The Polarizing Express”?
“The Polarizing Express” begins in a much different way than the typicalPsychepisode formula. A news story reports on one of Shawn’s cases ending in a mistrial, due to evidence being found of an unlawful search by Shawn. Although being careless and making embarrassing mistakes is all just part of the regular routine for Shawn,this time the slip-up has a negative effect on the people around him. Now, the suspect has the opportunity to get away with everything he’s done and go on to hurt more people; but more than that, the Santa Barbara Police Department looks incompetent for being unable to control their consultant, putting Jules (Maggie Lawson), Lassie (Timothy Omundson), and Chief Vick (Kirsten Nelson) in the hot seat, along with Shawn’s dad Henry (Corbin Bernsen) earning suspension along with Shawn.
Like always, however, Shawn approaches the problem with his typical goofy attitude and brushes off everyone’s concerns. Granted, these types of cases usually work out for them, and it’s rare that Shawn and Gus make it through an episode without being in the wrong at least once. But it’s clear that Shawn is also feeling the pressure of a job not well done, evidenced by the way he re-watches the news footage of him nosing through the suspect’s private property without permission. The situation gets even worse when Henry and Shawn exchange heated words, andHenry mentions that he wonders what life would be like if Shawn had never come back to Santa Barbaraat all. These words clearly hurt Shawn, and he falls asleep re-watching the news footage with Henry’s harsh words echoing in his head. When he “wakes,” he’s greeted by a snowman version of Gus, heralding thatwe’re now in a dreamworld.
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In true Christmas fashion, a laIt’s a Wonderful LifeandA Christmas Carol(both of which are referenced by the characters),Shawn is guided through scenarios based on the idea that he hadn’t returned to Santa Barbara and created a business with Gus. What follows is a fun exploration of Shawn’s character through the use of Christmas homages, references, and tropes. Following aBad Santareference, Shawn finds that his dream guide isTony Cox(played by himself), who takes him through each of his friends’ scenarios to teach him an important lesson. WithPsychbeing a comedy mystery series, character work is usually used as a framing device for that episode’s mystery (with the occasional exception), but in “The Polarizing Express,” Shawn’s Christmas lesson is given its spot at the forefront, with the dreams centering around the characters and the plot only intervening with blips in Shawn’s dream: the news footage he fell asleep to is making its way into his subconscious and giving him clues to solve the case.
In this episode,the mystery is the B plot, while a large chunk of screen time is dedicated to Shawn’s inner workings. This is cleverly foreshadowed in the very beginning of the episode, when Shawn tells Gus that he watched back to back episodes ofJake in Progressand says that the show has a misleading title because, “Jake always makes the same mistakes.” Every week, Shawn performs the same type of childish antics, and while he solves the case most of the time,he also repeats his own mistakes and has a problem with taking responsibility.
It’s a Wonderful Lifeis a major inspirationfor this episode, butPsychdoesn’t only include the surface-level lesson imparted by the scenarios in the dream sequences; because Shawn’s ego is so strong and stubborn, his subconscious takes the opportunity to make himself feel better about what Henry said to himby making sure each scenario makes his friends seem like they’re miserable without him. However, the point always finds a way to break through. First, Tony Cox takes Shawn to the dream version of Henry, who, without Shawn in town, has become a lazy, unhygienic couch potato who calls his ex-wife in a desperate attempt to win her back and then, when that fails, guzzles a comically large carton of milk. This first scenario shown to Shawn is indicative of the relationship that’s the hardest to mend. Shawn and Henry have been unable to see eye to eye ever since the pilot episode.The father-son relationshipis a big part of the show, and even by the end of this particular episode, when Shawn learns his lesson, they don’t get to have a conversation or a resolution, just a quiet moment of appreciation.
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No wonder their episodes were always season finales.
Each Scenario in “The Polarizing Express” Explores How Shawn Impacts Those Around Him
Tony Cox takes Shawn even deeper into his psyche with Gus’s scenario. Shawn’s subconscious has created a version of Gus’ life that’s basically a sitcom, complete with a live studio audience (even if that audience is just Shawn and Tony Cox). Gus has married a shallow woman who only uses him for his money without so much as bothering to spend quality time with him (even more hurtful, Gus’ stepson interacts with him disrespectfully in every conversation, refusing to say anything other than, “You ain’t my daddy,” as that season’s catchphrase). Shawn misses the opportunity to consciously learn something here, but even he mentions that in this scenario, Gus is underappreciated. Already,Shawn has begun to see the real purpose beneath these ego-driven scenarios. Even though Gus’s life has become humiliating to the point of ridicule that wouldn’t beout of place in mean-spirited sitcoms, he deserves to be appreciated for his hard work and not be shoved to the side on a whim (kind of like what Shawn does to him all the time, and especially with a case like this that could ruin both of their reputations).
The pattern continues with Lassie and Jules’s scenarios, each one relentlessly stroking Shawn’s ego and yet letting another lesson slip through under the radar. Without Shawn around, Lassie becomes police chief and runs the SBPD like a military tyrant, encouraging (and in some cases, threatening) his officers to use their firearms more, as well as lethal force. It’s pretty much Lassie’s paradise (and everyone else’s nightmare); Shawn takes the opportunity to take credit for saving the SBPD from Lassie’s rule, but mentions that in this world, “At least they respect him.” Despite having impressive discipline and beingan excellent detective(if a little intense),Lassie is often mocked and taunted by Shawn, and that type of embarrassment causes him to lose respect from others.
A similar revelation occurs during Jules’s scenario, which is much more chaotic. Because Shawn wasn’t there to tattle on Lassie and his coworker having a romantic relationship, Jules never transferred to Santa Barbara to replace her, so she became a hardened Miami street cop. She’s met with a stupidly dangerous car chase, a cowardly partner, and danger around every corner. Whereasin the real Psych timeline, she’s a detective in Santa Barbara, here she’s still got a long way to go in order to do what she really loves, so she has become cynical. Shawn takes credit for her becoming a detective, even thoughhe’s constantly putting her job integrity on the line by lying to her and not being careful with his investigations.
“The Polarizing Express” Gives ‘Psych’ an Opportunity To Acknowledge Shawn and Henry’s Complicated Relationship
It’s a rare thing to see all of Shawn’s faults being called out in one episode and from every angle. During a heart-to-heart with Tony Cox after all this,Shawn acknowledges that he’s aware of his childish behavior and that it’s not always acceptable. He must learn from the people around him if he’s going to be able to grow, so when he wakes up,he calls on Gus’s help,making sure to appreciate him, and uses Lassie’s dedication to track down more clues to the case. He begins making amends with people, for once acknowledging his mistake and being honest about it (a fact that surprises Lassieto the point of discomfort). The one person Shawn can’t get through to is Henry, but as Tony Cox says upon his return visit during a nap, sometimes there’s one relationship that takes a little extra time and care. Shawn realizes that Henry’s return to the police force was his way of keeping Shawn safe — and so, when the case is solved and the suspect is arrested again (properly this time), Shawn goes to Henry’s house and watches over him as he sleeps. The ending is quiet and bittersweet, as it’s obvious how much they care for each other, but it’s also obvious that neither of them fully understand the other. So, without talking it through, they sit in cozy silence.
“The Polarizing Express” includes an extra layer of heart beneath the fun homages and references. In giving Shawn a moment to overcome some of his most intense obstacles, the episode truly taps into the potential of Christmas specials and becomes unique even while following in the footsteps of classic Christmas stories. The episode explores Shawn’s character andgives him some much-needed development as he looks back on his attitude and is able to see past his self-protective ego so that he can grow. As Tony Cox said, he doesn’t have to “kill [his] inner child,” just take some responsibility and treat others better. Thanks to the important and hard-fought message, as well as the references to wintertime classics throughout, “The Polarizing Express” remains the best ChristmasthemedPsychepisodeof them all.
