(S01E06) Secretary: There's a Lieutenant Crunch here to see you.

Gus: Lieutenant Crunch?

Shawn: Actually, I've been promoted. It's Captain Crunch now.

At first I thought this wasn't going to be a good episode of Psych. There was a big focus on Detective Lassiter at the beginning of the show and it looked like it was going to be one of those team-ups where Lassiter learns a little from Shawn and Gus, and vice-versa. But, that was not the case at all. Once again, it was pretty much Shawn and Gus the whole way. Not only that, but it was one of the best episodes of the series so far.

To briefly summarize: a murder occurs at a Civil War re-enactment where Lassiter portrays a colonel in the Union Army. While the police think it was an accident, Shawn knows better: the murdered man's tunic shows that a bullet went right through his heart. Shawn and Gus join the re-enactors to find the real killer.

This episode had it all. Shawn, while still zany, was a bit more subdued this week than in previous shows. Perhaps this was because he was upset that a former schoolmate and re-enactor was being blamed for the murder. He also got to really show off his observation skills. In one scene he was able to recreate, from memory, a display of the re-enactment battlefield from something he saw for only two minutes at the police station. It hearkened back to the first episode of the series.

Meanwhile, Gus was on his game as well. After last week's whine fest by Mr. Burton I was hoping for some more meat for the character. There was a lot less whining this week and more use of the intelligence that has been briefly been seen in other episodes. He even stood up for himself a few times. In one scene he gets into Shawn's face when he tries to figure out what role he will play in the re-enactment. In another scene he tells the murderer to be quiet. I hope we see more of this Gus in future episodes rather than the whining one of the past.

This week we also saw a bit more of the budding partnership (some would say friendship) between the Psych detectives and Juliet O'Hara. Early in the show we see her talking with Shawn and Gus while they watch Lassiter practice a Civil War battle. Later in the show we have a fairly lengthy scene between all three of them when Shawn finds out who the killer is and needs someone to be the bait. I don't think I'd like to see a romance between Shawn and Juliet (he's pretty much a skirt chaser anyway), but I'd certainly like to see more interaction between the two characters. Frankly, I think she's being a bit under-utilized.

Finally, we had the return of Henry Spencer to Shawn's present day activities. Most episodes have begun with little scenes between Henry and Shawn as a young boy. These scenes usually set up the theme for the episode. This week we saw more of the connection they have now. Henry is even more harsh on Shawn now then he was in the past. Shawn, while suave and witty with others, is a bit awkward and less sure of himself when around his Dad. I wish we could see more interaction between these two characters.

Okay, here's the nitpick of the week. In the scene where Gus asks what role he will play in the Civil War re-enactment, Shawn lays it down thick by saying 'Think Glory. Think Denzel.' He then goes on to say that Gus could even be a pilot. Gus responds 'The Air Force wasn't created until World War One.' Well, not quite. The United States Air Force wasn't formed as a separate branch of the military until 1947. Back in World War One they were part of the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF). They became part of the Army Air Corps in the 1920's, and eventually became the Army Air Forces during World War Two. And, before you say this has nothing to do with the plot, I agree. However, it does take away from the credibility of Gus' character, who is supposedly very smart.