The Peacock streaming service had been in trial runs in certain markets for a few months but the big rollout was meant to coincide with the premiere of Psych 2: Lassie Come Home. I had the release date for this movie penciled in for quite some time and it didn’t disappoint. Much like the first movie, based on the popular TV show, this effort aims for unabashed fan service and hits the bullseye. The Peacock streaming service, however, is another story for another time.
This movie was as much about James Roday Rodriguez and Dulé Hill, going through the familiarities we love, as it was about giving Timothy Omundson a space to help facilitate his comeback from a massive stroke. Thus the title, Lassie Come Home.
For those unfamiliar with the show, Rodriguez and Hill play a pair of eccentric and immature friends (Shawn and Gus respectively) who run a private psychic detective agency and occasionally aid the Santa Barbara Police Department with hard to solve cases. Omundson plays the often perturbed detective Carlton Lassiter, alongside his partner Juliette O’Hara (Maggie Lawson), who begrudgingly works alongside the private detectives. Despite their clash in styles, they develop an affinity for each other and that’s what comes through in this movie. Their love for one another and their fans is the engine that drives the project and that energy bursts off the screen.
This story finds Lassie recovering from an attack, while the rest of the gang tries to solve the mystery of who shot him and why. It’s much less procedural than the show used to be but that’s intentional. This movie isn’t being marketed to non-fans and the fans who’ve stuck with the show over the years just want to see our favorite characters be themselves. The plot is mostly a secondary consideration. Watching Shawn and Gus go to town on fruit-flavored, LSD-laced ice cubes and arguing about fuzzy ear-warmers in a Nordic ice bar is the kind of thing we expect to see.
Due to the circumstances surround Omundsun’s condition, this effort was more broadly focused on getting the gang back together rather than exploring a particular angle that has some greater connection to a story from the show’s 8-season run.
The movies are a different animal and they may never achieve the lofty “whodunnit” moments from when the series was at its best but they can exist successfully on their own. The cast is so good together, including Kirsten Nelson, Corbin Bernson, Kurt Fuller, and Sage Brocklebank, that watching them have fun together brings me enough joy to keep coming back for more. Let’s not forget the opportunity for guest stars that included Sarah Chalke, Richard Schiff, and Kristy Swanson this time around. And you never know, if the movies remain successful enough, there may be enough momentum to bring the show back. One can only hope.
Recommendation: While this is made specifically for fans of the show, it could work for newcomers in a sense that it gives you a very broad overview of what the show was and who the characters are without asking you to invest much up front.