Mr. Yin Presents
Encyclopedia
"Mr. Yin Presents" is the sixteenth and final episode of the fourth season
of Psych
, and the 63rd episode in the series overall. It premiered on March 10, 2010 on USA Network
in the United States
. The episode serves as the season 4 finale and is the sequel to the third season
's finale, "An Evening with Mr. Yang". It is an important installment in one of the series' few story arcs. A third and final installment of the Yin/Yang series, entitled "Yang 3 in 2D
", aired as the fifth season
finale.
and Gus
are attending a triple-feature of famous Alfred Hitchcock
films, including (according to a playbill) The Birds
, The Man Who Knew Too Much
, and Psycho
. After squeezing down a row of other patrons, Shawn finally is able to sit down, 20 minutes into Psycho. After finally finishing the films, they exit the theater and bump into Mary Lightly (Jimmi Simpson
), one of the key figures in capturing Mr. Yang a year earlier. He takes them to a diner, where they discuss a new book written by Yang. Mary insists that, according to Yang's account of the events leading up to her capture, it was impossible that she was working alone. There had to have been a Yin. Shawn and Gus are skeptical, and leave the diner. Shawn rereads Yang's book but falls asleep. The next morning he and Gus are called to a crime scene. The waitress who had served them their pie at the diner had been found dead. Shawn notices that her body was arranged into a Yin/Yang
symbol.
Shawn, Gus, Detective Lassiter
, Detective O'Hara
, and Mary arrive at the diner, where they find a pie marked with the Yin/Yang sign. Inside is a crossword clue, decoded by Officer McNab
(Sage Brocklebank
) to mean "Find Me." Mary insists that the events of the past day are the work of Yin. Shawn, Gus, and Mary visit Yang (Ally Sheedy
) in prison. She reveals that she did have a partner, and that her partner is even more psychopathic than she is.
Shawn leads the group back to the theater, using the crossword to find a specific seat. Shawn remembers that the person who had sat in that seat was one of the people he had been forced to squeeze by when trying to get to his seat during the showing of Psycho. After discovering a note, Mary concludes that Yin is working alone, and that, being the opposite of Yang, represents chaos. After realizing that Yin must be basing his devious activities off of Hitchcock films, Gus proposes that they each take several Hitchcock films and watch them all so as to get a better idea what Yin will do next. The others agree, and split up. While watching Vertigo, Shawn falls asleep. During a dream, he sees Juliet, Lassiter, Chief Vick
, and his father
in classic Hitchcock situations encouraging him to find something. Finally, he sees the person in the theater. He remembers that the person in theater was wearing ankle weights, leading him to believe that Mary is Yin. When he is awakened by Gus, Shawn discovers that, while he was sleeping, someone had vandalized the "Psych" logo on the window to read "Psycho." Shawn believes it was Yin.
Shawn reveals his theory to the police. He urges them to keep Mary on the case and allow him to incriminate himself. When Mary suspiciously arrives with a note from Yin that was left on his doorstep, Lassiter and Juliet trace the clue to a fountain in the park. Meanwhile, Shawn and Gus take a detour to Mary's house. They find a ticket stub proving he had been in the theater and a closet that appears to be a shrine to Yang. At the park, Lassiter and Juliet reach the 39th stair (a reference to Hitchcock's The 39 Steps
), but Mary stays behind, blaming his ankle weights. Lassiter notices Mary is gone, but Juliet sees Yin boarding a nearby bus. After failing to stop the bus, Mary appears, claiming to have tried to stop the bus. At Mary's house, Shawn and Gus discover a notebook with several rough drafts of what appears to be Yin's next clue. To Shawn, this confirms his suspicions.
When the police and the Psych duo stake out a location referenced in Yin's rough draft, they see Mary entering the building alone. It appears as if he is preparing for something. Lassiter and Juliet go around the building to catch him, ordering Shawn and Gus to stay in the car. However, they disobey, and enter the building. They find themselves in a studio with surveillance monitors, all covering a staircase. They watch as Mary enters and begins walking up the stairs. They realize that they were wrong about Mary: he is playing the part of Martin Balsam
in Psycho
. They realize that he is about to be killed. Shawn and Gus try hopelessly to escape the room and save Mary; by the time they find him, he has been stabbed by the real Yin. As he is dying, Mary reveals that he had come alone in an effort to be heroic. Gus notices Yin nearby but he escapes before the police catch him.
Shawn and Gus return to Yang. She tells them to look in her book. Gus protests that he had read the book cover-to-cover. Shawn realizes that the clue might actually be in the cover. He holds the book up to the light as sees a crude drawing of a girl standing near water. Vick calls, and tells them that Yin has left another clue. When they arrive, she tells them that Yin cast each of them as "archetypal characters from Hitchcock's canon." Not even Henry can escape from the deathly casting call, being cast as Sean Connery
in Marnie
. That night, they arrive at the designated location, where Yin has recreated various sets from Hitchcock films. The five "actors" split up: Henry with Lassiter, Gus with Juliet, and Shawn by himself. Juliet and Gus are lured to a bar, which contains a clue for Juliet. She follows the instructions, but falls through a trapdoor in the floor and is kidnapped.
At the police station, Shawn blames himself. Lassiter asks Shawn to account for all of his friends and family. Henry is safe, and Shawn's mother, Madeleine, is at a conference in New York, where she is safe. However, Abigail, Shawn's girlfriend, is waiting for him at the airport, arriving back temporarily from a six-month trip to Uganda. McNab is designated to pick her up, as Vick deems it is safest that way. As Abigail (Rachael Leigh Cook
) sits in his squad car, he turns his head sideways. He slumps forward, unconscious. Yin sprays her with knockout gas and kidnaps her. Shawn receives a phone call from Yin, who tells him that he must choose who he loves more (Juliet or Abigail), and that there is no way to save them both.
Juliet is bound, gagged and dangled from a clock tower. Mr. Yin is there and activates the trap and leaves. Gus and Lassiter deduce her location and go to save her with Vick. Shawn figures out that the picture in the book is a clue to Abigail's location. He goes with Henry to the pier to find Abigail. When Shawn arrives, he surprises Yin, who is just leaving. Yin darts away. Shawn finds Abigail tied up under the pier. He and Henry save her with moments to spare. Meanwhile, Gus and Lassiter make their way to the top of the tower to rescue Juliet. Realizing that the line that is holding Juliet up is about to be severed, Gus grabs the blade and holds it back long enough for Lassiter to jam the gears with his gun. Back at the pier, Henry talks to the police while Shawn speaks with Abigail. She tells him that she can no longer date him if that kind of danger follows him around. Meanwhile, Lassiter goes to talk to Juliet, who is getting frustrated with everyone asking if she's okay. Lassiter tells her that "it's okay to not be fine" and Juliet, overcome with the fear that she was very close to being killed, starts sobbing as Lassiter hugs her. Henry scrapes the painted "O" off of the Psych window. Shawn and Gus attend Mary's racquetball-themed funeral. Yang sits in her cell, staring at a wall. In closing, we see Yin, who takes off his hat and sighs. He looks at a picture of Yang, standing next to a young Shawn Spencer.
writer Jonah Krakow, who rated it 9.4 out of 10 and awarded it the IGN.com Editor's Choice Award. He particularly praised the red herrings of the episode, including the filmmakers making the audience momentarily believe that Mary and McNabb could be possible Yins. Krakow in particular made note that the episode managed to stay true to the series formula while offering up a nail-biter of an episode: "...at the same time, I love how they can completely switch gears and offer up a legitimately suspenseful episode and still remain true to the premise of the show."
Krakow also speculated on Juliet's breakdown in the epilogue and its ambiguous nature: "It makes sense that she was scared out of her mind, staring death in the eye and needed a shoulder to cry on (in this case, Det. Lassiter), but part of me thinks knowing that Shawn chose to save Abigail instead of her was another reason why she was so upset. Hopefully we'll get some closure to this relationship in the upcoming season." Krakow finished the review with the following:
Gerald So also praised the episode, but stated that the tone seemed a little too serious compared to the rest of the series. He particularly complimented how the characters worked together to save both Juliet and Abigail in the climax. However, viewership for the episode was down from previous weeks to only 2.95 million viewers.
The episode received an Emmy Award
nomination for Outstanding Music Composition For a Series (Original Dramatic Score). The music was composed by Adam Cohen and John Robert Wood.
's canon
.
Yin/Yang trilogy, entitled "Yang 3 in 2D
", aired on December 22, 2010 as the fifth season
finale. The episode follows Shawn and Gus as they, along with Yang (Ally Sheedy
) and the rest of the SBPD, attempt to track down and arrest Yin one final time.
Psych (season 4)
The fourth season of Psych originally aired in the United States on USA Network from August 7, 2009 to March 10, 2010. It consisted of 16 episodes. James Roday, Dulé Hill, Timothy Omundson, Maggie Lawson, Corbin Bernsen, and Kirsten Nelson reprised their roles as the main characters...
of Psych
Psych
Psych is an American detective comedy-drama television series created by Steve Franks and broadcast on USA Network. It stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer, a young crime consultant for the Santa Barbara Police Department whose "heightened observational skills" and impressive detective instincts...
, and the 63rd episode in the series overall. It premiered on March 10, 2010 on USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The episode serves as the season 4 finale and is the sequel to the third season
Psych (season 3)
The third season of Psych originally aired in the United States on USA Network from July 18, 2008 to February 20, 2009. It consisted of 16 episodes. James Roday, Dulé Hill, Timothy Omundson, Maggie Lawson, Corbin Bernsen, and Kirsten Nelson reprised their roles as the main characters...
's finale, "An Evening with Mr. Yang". It is an important installment in one of the series' few story arcs. A third and final installment of the Yin/Yang series, entitled "Yang 3 in 2D
Yang 3 in 2D
"Yang 3 in 2D" is the sixteenth and final episode of the fifth season of Psych, and the 79th episode in the series overall. It is the third and last in a trilogy, which began with "An Evening with Mr. Yang" and continued with "Mr. Yin Presents..." . The episode originally aired on December 22, 2010...
", aired as the fifth season
Psych (season 5)
The fifth season of Psych, consisting of 16 episodes, premiered on USA Network in the United States on July 14, 2010 and concluded on December 22, 2010. A DVD of the season was released on May 31, 2011. Production officially started in Vancouver, British Columbia on April 28, 2010...
finale.
Plot
ShawnShawn Spencer
Shawn Spencer is a fictional character on the American television dramedy Psych played by American actor James Roday. Taking advantage of his eidetic memory, he poses as a psychic and works as a private detective who often consults with the Santa Barbara Police Department...
and Gus
Burton Guster
Burton "Gus" Guster is a fictional character on the USA Network television comedy Psych played by American actor Dulé Hill. He functions as the straight man for Shawn Spencer's antics, and provides sobering advice, steady support, and friendship...
are attending a triple-feature of famous Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
films, including (according to a playbill) The Birds
The Birds (film)
The Birds is a 1963 horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock based on the 1952 short story "The Birds" by Daphne du Maurier. It depicts Bodega Bay, California which is, suddenly and for unexplained reasons, the subject of a series of widespread and violent bird attacks over the course of a few...
, The Man Who Knew Too Much
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956 film)
The Man Who Knew Too Much is a suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring James Stewart and Doris Day. The film is a remake in widescreen VistaVision and Technicolor of Hitchcock's 1934 film of the same name....
, and Psycho
Psycho (1960 film)
Psycho is a 1960 American suspense/psychological horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins. The film is based on the screenplay by Joseph Stefano, who adapted it from the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch...
. After squeezing down a row of other patrons, Shawn finally is able to sit down, 20 minutes into Psycho. After finally finishing the films, they exit the theater and bump into Mary Lightly (Jimmi Simpson
Jimmi Simpson
James Raymond "Jimmi" Simpson is an American actor. He has had recurring roles on the television shows 24, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Psych, My Name Is Earl, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and The Late Show with David Letterman...
), one of the key figures in capturing Mr. Yang a year earlier. He takes them to a diner, where they discuss a new book written by Yang. Mary insists that, according to Yang's account of the events leading up to her capture, it was impossible that she was working alone. There had to have been a Yin. Shawn and Gus are skeptical, and leave the diner. Shawn rereads Yang's book but falls asleep. The next morning he and Gus are called to a crime scene. The waitress who had served them their pie at the diner had been found dead. Shawn notices that her body was arranged into a Yin/Yang
Yin and yang
In Asian philosophy, the concept of yin yang , which is often referred to in the West as "yin and yang", is used to describe how polar opposites or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn. Opposites thus only...
symbol.
Shawn, Gus, Detective Lassiter
Carlton Lassiter
Head Detective Carlton Lassiter is a character in the American dramedy Psych played by Timothy Omundson.-Fictional biography:Carlton Lassiter is a ten-year veteran of the Santa Barbara Police Department, and the youngest Head Detective ever named to the force. He also has a Masters Degree in...
, Detective O'Hara
Juliet O'Hara
Junior Detective Juliet "Jules" O'Hara is a character on the American comedy Psych played by Maggie Lawson.-Fictional biography:Juliet O'Hara first appears in the show's second episode, "Spellingg Bee", as a recently-transferred junior detective from Miami Beach where she attended the University of...
, and Mary arrive at the diner, where they find a pie marked with the Yin/Yang sign. Inside is a crossword clue, decoded by Officer McNab
Buzz McNab
Officer Buzz McNab is a fictional character in the American criminal dramedy television series Psych, portrayed by Canadian actor Sage Brocklebank.-Fictional biography:McNab is an officer of the Santa Barbara Police Department...
(Sage Brocklebank
Sage Brocklebank
Sage Brocklebank is a Canadian actor.Brocklebank was born in Vancouver, B.C. He has played Brian in How I Married My High School Crush. Among other roles, he plays police officer Buzz McNab, a supporting role on the comedy-drama Psych. Brocklebank is 6' 5" tall and is also a professional poker...
) to mean "Find Me." Mary insists that the events of the past day are the work of Yin. Shawn, Gus, and Mary visit Yang (Ally Sheedy
Ally Sheedy
Alexandra Elizabeth "Ally" Sheedy is an American film and stage actress, as well as the author of two books. She is best known for her roles in the Brat Pack films The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire.-Early life:...
) in prison. She reveals that she did have a partner, and that her partner is even more psychopathic than she is.
Shawn leads the group back to the theater, using the crossword to find a specific seat. Shawn remembers that the person who had sat in that seat was one of the people he had been forced to squeeze by when trying to get to his seat during the showing of Psycho. After discovering a note, Mary concludes that Yin is working alone, and that, being the opposite of Yang, represents chaos. After realizing that Yin must be basing his devious activities off of Hitchcock films, Gus proposes that they each take several Hitchcock films and watch them all so as to get a better idea what Yin will do next. The others agree, and split up. While watching Vertigo, Shawn falls asleep. During a dream, he sees Juliet, Lassiter, Chief Vick
Karen Vick
Chief Karen C. Vick is a character on the American comedy detective drama Psych played by Kirsten Nelson.-Fictional biography:...
, and his father
Henry Spencer (Psych character)
Henry William Spencer is a fictional character on the American television dramedy Psych. He is played by American actor Corbin Bernsen.-Fictional biography:...
in classic Hitchcock situations encouraging him to find something. Finally, he sees the person in the theater. He remembers that the person in theater was wearing ankle weights, leading him to believe that Mary is Yin. When he is awakened by Gus, Shawn discovers that, while he was sleeping, someone had vandalized the "Psych" logo on the window to read "Psycho." Shawn believes it was Yin.
Shawn reveals his theory to the police. He urges them to keep Mary on the case and allow him to incriminate himself. When Mary suspiciously arrives with a note from Yin that was left on his doorstep, Lassiter and Juliet trace the clue to a fountain in the park. Meanwhile, Shawn and Gus take a detour to Mary's house. They find a ticket stub proving he had been in the theater and a closet that appears to be a shrine to Yang. At the park, Lassiter and Juliet reach the 39th stair (a reference to Hitchcock's The 39 Steps
The 39 Steps (1935 film)
The 39 Steps is a British thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, loosely based on the adventure novel The Thirty-nine Steps by John Buchan. The film stars Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll....
), but Mary stays behind, blaming his ankle weights. Lassiter notices Mary is gone, but Juliet sees Yin boarding a nearby bus. After failing to stop the bus, Mary appears, claiming to have tried to stop the bus. At Mary's house, Shawn and Gus discover a notebook with several rough drafts of what appears to be Yin's next clue. To Shawn, this confirms his suspicions.
When the police and the Psych duo stake out a location referenced in Yin's rough draft, they see Mary entering the building alone. It appears as if he is preparing for something. Lassiter and Juliet go around the building to catch him, ordering Shawn and Gus to stay in the car. However, they disobey, and enter the building. They find themselves in a studio with surveillance monitors, all covering a staircase. They watch as Mary enters and begins walking up the stairs. They realize that they were wrong about Mary: he is playing the part of Martin Balsam
Martin Balsam
Martin Henry Balsam was an American actor. He is known for his Oscar-winning role as "Arnold Burns" in A Thousand Clowns and his role as "Detective Milton Arbogast" in Psycho.- Early life :...
in Psycho
Psycho (1960 film)
Psycho is a 1960 American suspense/psychological horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins. The film is based on the screenplay by Joseph Stefano, who adapted it from the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch...
. They realize that he is about to be killed. Shawn and Gus try hopelessly to escape the room and save Mary; by the time they find him, he has been stabbed by the real Yin. As he is dying, Mary reveals that he had come alone in an effort to be heroic. Gus notices Yin nearby but he escapes before the police catch him.
Shawn and Gus return to Yang. She tells them to look in her book. Gus protests that he had read the book cover-to-cover. Shawn realizes that the clue might actually be in the cover. He holds the book up to the light as sees a crude drawing of a girl standing near water. Vick calls, and tells them that Yin has left another clue. When they arrive, she tells them that Yin cast each of them as "archetypal characters from Hitchcock's canon." Not even Henry can escape from the deathly casting call, being cast as Sean Connery
Sean Connery
Sir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
in Marnie
Marnie (film)
Marnie is a 1964 psychological thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock and based on the novel of the same name by Winston Graham. The film stars Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery. The original film score was composed by Bernard Herrmann.-Plot:...
. That night, they arrive at the designated location, where Yin has recreated various sets from Hitchcock films. The five "actors" split up: Henry with Lassiter, Gus with Juliet, and Shawn by himself. Juliet and Gus are lured to a bar, which contains a clue for Juliet. She follows the instructions, but falls through a trapdoor in the floor and is kidnapped.
At the police station, Shawn blames himself. Lassiter asks Shawn to account for all of his friends and family. Henry is safe, and Shawn's mother, Madeleine, is at a conference in New York, where she is safe. However, Abigail, Shawn's girlfriend, is waiting for him at the airport, arriving back temporarily from a six-month trip to Uganda. McNab is designated to pick her up, as Vick deems it is safest that way. As Abigail (Rachael Leigh Cook
Rachael Leigh Cook
Rachael Leigh Cook is an American actress, known for her role in the romantic comedy She's All That and her This is Your Brain on Drugs public service announcement.-Early life:...
) sits in his squad car, he turns his head sideways. He slumps forward, unconscious. Yin sprays her with knockout gas and kidnaps her. Shawn receives a phone call from Yin, who tells him that he must choose who he loves more (Juliet or Abigail), and that there is no way to save them both.
Juliet is bound, gagged and dangled from a clock tower. Mr. Yin is there and activates the trap and leaves. Gus and Lassiter deduce her location and go to save her with Vick. Shawn figures out that the picture in the book is a clue to Abigail's location. He goes with Henry to the pier to find Abigail. When Shawn arrives, he surprises Yin, who is just leaving. Yin darts away. Shawn finds Abigail tied up under the pier. He and Henry save her with moments to spare. Meanwhile, Gus and Lassiter make their way to the top of the tower to rescue Juliet. Realizing that the line that is holding Juliet up is about to be severed, Gus grabs the blade and holds it back long enough for Lassiter to jam the gears with his gun. Back at the pier, Henry talks to the police while Shawn speaks with Abigail. She tells him that she can no longer date him if that kind of danger follows him around. Meanwhile, Lassiter goes to talk to Juliet, who is getting frustrated with everyone asking if she's okay. Lassiter tells her that "it's okay to not be fine" and Juliet, overcome with the fear that she was very close to being killed, starts sobbing as Lassiter hugs her. Henry scrapes the painted "O" off of the Psych window. Shawn and Gus attend Mary's racquetball-themed funeral. Yang sits in her cell, staring at a wall. In closing, we see Yin, who takes off his hat and sighs. He looks at a picture of Yang, standing next to a young Shawn Spencer.
Reception
The episode was well liked by critics, including IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
writer Jonah Krakow, who rated it 9.4 out of 10 and awarded it the IGN.com Editor's Choice Award. He particularly praised the red herrings of the episode, including the filmmakers making the audience momentarily believe that Mary and McNabb could be possible Yins. Krakow in particular made note that the episode managed to stay true to the series formula while offering up a nail-biter of an episode: "...at the same time, I love how they can completely switch gears and offer up a legitimately suspenseful episode and still remain true to the premise of the show."
Krakow also speculated on Juliet's breakdown in the epilogue and its ambiguous nature: "It makes sense that she was scared out of her mind, staring death in the eye and needed a shoulder to cry on (in this case, Det. Lassiter), but part of me thinks knowing that Shawn chose to save Abigail instead of her was another reason why she was so upset. Hopefully we'll get some closure to this relationship in the upcoming season." Krakow finished the review with the following:
| I had high expectations going into this episode because of the bar they set one year ago with "An Evening with Mr. Yang." This episode of PSYCH exceeded my expectations due to an even more suspenseful story and an even creepier killer. I don't mind that Mr. Yin is still at large because after four seasons, we finally have a foe who's crafty enough to face off against Shawn. I'm a little bummed that the show will be off for a few months, but they couldn't have left on a better note. |
Gerald So also praised the episode, but stated that the tone seemed a little too serious compared to the rest of the series. He particularly complimented how the characters worked together to save both Juliet and Abigail in the climax. However, viewership for the episode was down from previous weeks to only 2.95 million viewers.
The episode received an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nomination for Outstanding Music Composition For a Series (Original Dramatic Score). The music was composed by Adam Cohen and John Robert Wood.
Hitchcock references
The entire episode was based upon several themes and iconic scenes from Alfred HitchcockAlfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
's canon
Alfred Hitchcock filmography
The filmography of Alfred Hitchcock encompasses the earliest silent films on which he worked as a title designer through to his last directorial effort in 1976. Hitchcock started his illustrious career in his native Britain, and after achieving success there, he moved to Hollywood, where he made...
.
- The title of the episode is a play on the title of the television series hosted by Hitchcock, Alfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
. - Shawn arrives 20 minutes late to the theater to watch PsychoPsycho (1960 film)Psycho is a 1960 American suspense/psychological horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins. The film is based on the screenplay by Joseph Stefano, who adapted it from the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch...
. This is a reference to the initial release of the film, in which Hitchcock instructed theater owners not to allow people into the theater after the film had begun. - When Shawn and Gus encounter Mary after the movies, it is raining and people are carrying umbrellas, and Mary appears wearing a white trenchcoat and carrying an umbrella, in reference to the famous umbrella scene in Foreign CorrespondentForeign correspondentForeign Correspondent may refer to:*Foreign correspondent *Foreign Correspondent , an Alfred Hitchcock film*Foreign Correspondent , an Australian current affairs programme...
. - During the opening of the initial diner sequence, an Alfred Hitchcock look alike can be spotted in the background. This is a reference to Hitchcock's cameo in every one of his films.
- The waitress at the diner brings Gus a glass of milk, a reference to SuspicionSuspicionSuspicion may refer to:*Suspicion , a feeling of distrust or perceived guilt for someone or something-Music:* "Suspicion" , recorded by Elvis Presley and Terry Stafford* "Suspicion" , a song by R.E.M....
. - When delivering the glass of milk to Gus, the waitress says, "here's your milk, Dollface", a reference to Dollface Cosmetics, a fictional company mentioned in The BirdsThe Birds (film)The Birds is a 1963 horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock based on the 1952 short story "The Birds" by Daphne du Maurier. It depicts Bodega Bay, California which is, suddenly and for unexplained reasons, the subject of a series of widespread and violent bird attacks over the course of a few...
. - When Shawn rises to leave the diner, refusing to help Mary catch Yin, Mary grabs Shawn's lower arm to prevent him leaving, and the arm-grab is then shown in close-up. This is a reference to the scene in To Catch a ThiefTo Catch a Thief (film)To Catch a Thief is a 1955 romantic thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jessie Royce Landis and John Williams. The movie is set on the French Riviera, and was based on the 1952 novel of the same name by David Dodge...
in which Francie (Grace KellyGrace KellyGrace Patricia Kelly was an American actress who, in April 1956, married Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, to become Princess consort of Monaco, styled as Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco, and commonly referred to as Princess Grace.After embarking on an acting career in 1950, at the age of...
) does the same in an attempt to prevent Robie (Cary GrantCary GrantArchibald Alexander Leach , better known by his stage name Cary Grant, was an English actor who later took U.S. citizenship...
) from leaving after refusing to help catch the real burglar. - When removing Mary's hand from his arm, Shawn says, "Good luck at the Creepy Arm-grab awards this year, Mary; I think you have a real shot at winning," which could refer to the fact that Hitchcock was frequently nominated but never won a contested Academy Award.
- After Shawn and Gus leave the diner, Mary elaborately cuts his pie with his fork and knife, a reference to the murder scene in SabotageSabotage (film)Sabotage, also released as The Woman Alone, is a 1936 British thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It is based on Joseph Conrad's novel The Secret Agent...
in which Mrs. Verloc kills her husband. - The necktie strangling of the waitress was a reference to FrenzyFrenzyFrenzy is a 1972 British thriller film produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and is the penultimate feature film of his extensive career. The film is based upon the novel Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Square by Arthur La Bern, and was adapted for the screen by Anthony Shaffer. La Bern...
. - Yang's book was "Edited by Dr. Anne Powers, PHD". Dr. Anne Powers, PhD. was a writing colleague of Robert BlochRobert BlochRobert Albert Bloch was a prolific American writer, primarily of crime, horror and science fiction. He is best known as the writer of Psycho, the basis for the film of the same name by Alfred Hitchcock...
(writer of PsychoPsycho (1960 film)Psycho is a 1960 American suspense/psychological horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins. The film is based on the screenplay by Joseph Stefano, who adapted it from the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch...
), who, along with him, wrote many episodes of Alfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
. Later in her career, Powers served on the faculty of Marquette UniversityMarquette UniversityMarquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
as a creative writing professor. - ShawnShawn SpencerShawn Spencer is a fictional character on the American television dramedy Psych played by American actor James Roday. Taking advantage of his eidetic memory, he poses as a psychic and works as a private detective who often consults with the Santa Barbara Police Department...
has a dream sequence in which each of the characters are shown in classic Hitchcock situations. Detective O'HaraJuliet O'HaraJunior Detective Juliet "Jules" O'Hara is a character on the American comedy Psych played by Maggie Lawson.-Fictional biography:Juliet O'Hara first appears in the show's second episode, "Spellingg Bee", as a recently-transferred junior detective from Miami Beach where she attended the University of...
is shown speaking to him in the famous shower scene from PsychoPsycho (1960 film)Psycho is a 1960 American suspense/psychological horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins. The film is based on the screenplay by Joseph Stefano, who adapted it from the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch...
, Detective Lassiter is dressed as a woman with a kitchen knife mimicking a woman's voice, just as Norman Bates was in the same film, and Shawn (dressed as a woman) is shown sitting in a theater seat with tongue hanging out and with blue lips, strangled with a necktie and posed exactly as the corpse from FrenzyFrenzyFrenzy is a 1972 British thriller film produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and is the penultimate feature film of his extensive career. The film is based upon the novel Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Square by Arthur La Bern, and was adapted for the screen by Anthony Shaffer. La Bern...
. - Lighting effects simulating a flashbulb, and the sound of flashbulbs going off are used during Shawn's dream sequence, and the sleeping Shawn flinches in reaction to the light effects in the same way that Raymond BurrRaymond BurrRaymond William Stacey Burr was a Canadian actor, primarily known for his title roles in the television dramas Perry Mason and Ironside. His early acting career included roles on Broadway, radio, television and in film, usually as the villain...
reacted to them in Rear WindowRear WindowRear Window is a 1954 American suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, written by John Michael Hayes and based on Cornell Woolrich's 1942 short story "It Had to Be Murder"...
. - While Shawn is reviewing Hitchcock films and falls asleep, Yin paints a red "O" on the Psych window, leaving it to read "Psycho," a reference to the film of the same namePsycho (1960 film)Psycho is a 1960 American suspense/psychological horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins. The film is based on the screenplay by Joseph Stefano, who adapted it from the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch...
. - In an out-take, the crossword puzzle providing the clue that gives the location of the seat in which Yin sat at the theater was found (from a phone call to the newspaper made by Lassiter) to have been written by Ben McKenna, a name Gus recognizes as being a character from The Man Who Knew Too MuchThe Man Who Knew Too Much (1956 film)The Man Who Knew Too Much is a suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring James Stewart and Doris Day. The film is a remake in widescreen VistaVision and Technicolor of Hitchcock's 1934 film of the same name....
. - When suspecting Mary of being Yin, Shawn's line "Cat and mouse, cat and mouse. But which is the cat and which is the mouse?" is a direct quote from RopeRope (film)Rope is a 1948 American thriller film based on the play Rope by Patrick Hamilton and adapted by Hume Cronyn and Arthur Laurents, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and produced by Sidney Bernstein and Hitchcock as the first of their Transatlantic Pictures productions...
. - When Shawn makes a realization about the case, a dolly zoomDolly zoomThe dolly zoom is an unsettling in-camera effect that appears to undermine normal visual perception. It is part of many cinematic techniques used in filmmaking and television production....
is used, in which the camera moves forwards while zooming out, creating distortion of the picture. This technique was famously used by Hitchcock in VertigoVertigo (film)Vertigo is a 1958 psychological thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring James Stewart, Kim Novak, and Barbara Bel Geddes. The screenplay was written by Alec Coppel and Samuel A...
. - While running towards Yin's clue, LassiterCarlton LassiterHead Detective Carlton Lassiter is a character in the American dramedy Psych played by Timothy Omundson.-Fictional biography:Carlton Lassiter is a ten-year veteran of the Santa Barbara Police Department, and the youngest Head Detective ever named to the force. He also has a Masters Degree in...
is forced to duck underneath a low-flying plane, as Cary GrantCary GrantArchibald Alexander Leach , better known by his stage name Cary Grant, was an English actor who later took U.S. citizenship...
's character Roger Thornhill must in North by NorthwestNorth by NorthwestNorth by Northwest is a 1959 American thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason, and featuring Leo G. Carroll and Martin Landau...
. - Yang's aversion to colors and Mary's lost shoe are references to events in MarnieMarnie (film)Marnie is a 1964 psychological thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock and based on the novel of the same name by Winston Graham. The film stars Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery. The original film score was composed by Bernard Herrmann.-Plot:...
- the main character fears red and loses a shoe whilst committing a robbery. - While looking for Yin, Lassiter and O'Hara must climb a staircase to the 39th step, a reference to The 39 StepsThe 39 Steps (1935 film)The 39 Steps is a British thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, loosely based on the adventure novel The Thirty-nine Steps by John Buchan. The film stars Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll....
. - Just before Mary is killed, he is shown walking up a staircase, as in PsychoPsycho (1960 film)Psycho is a 1960 American suspense/psychological horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins. The film is based on the screenplay by Joseph Stefano, who adapted it from the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch...
. - In her cell, Yang exercises with a ball, rolling it to the corner then saying, "Roll it back, Reginald." This could be a reference to silent film star Reginald GardinerReginald GardinerReginald Gardiner was an English-born actor in film and television and a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in Britain. His parents wanted him to be an architect and he studied at it but he wanted to be an actor and eventually got his way.He started as a super on stage and eventually...
whose first screen appearance was in Hitchcock's 1926 The Lodger: A Story of the London FogThe Lodger: A Story of the London FogThe Lodger: A Story of the London Fog is a silent film directed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1926 and released on 14 February 1927 in London and on 10 June 1928 in New York City. The film, based on a story by Marie Belloc Lowndes and a play Who Is He? co-written by Belloc Lowndes, concerns the hunt for a...
. - Yin's recreation of Hitchcock film sets included many props from Rear WindowRear WindowRear Window is a 1954 American suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, written by John Michael Hayes and based on Cornell Woolrich's 1942 short story "It Had to Be Murder"...
(overlooking window with wheelchair, in which Shawn sits and raises his left leg like Jimmy Stewart), VertigoVertigo (film)Vertigo is a 1958 psychological thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring James Stewart, Kim Novak, and Barbara Bel Geddes. The screenplay was written by Alec Coppel and Samuel A...
(Ernie's restaurant), The Man Who Knew Too MuchThe Man Who Knew Too Much (1956 film)The Man Who Knew Too Much is a suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring James Stewart and Doris Day. The film is a remake in widescreen VistaVision and Technicolor of Hitchcock's 1934 film of the same name....
(filmed scenes shown in rear window of the car in which Henry and Lassiter sit), LifeboatLifeboat (film)Lifeboat is an American war film directed by Alfred Hitchcock from a story written by John Steinbeck. The film stars Tallulah Bankhead, William Bendix, Walter Slezak, Mary Anderson, John Hodiak, Henry Hull, Heather Angel, Hume Cronyn and Canada Lee, and is set entirely on a lifeboat.The film is...
(a lifesaver), The BirdsThe Birds (film)The Birds is a 1963 horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock based on the 1952 short story "The Birds" by Daphne du Maurier. It depicts Bodega Bay, California which is, suddenly and for unexplained reasons, the subject of a series of widespread and violent bird attacks over the course of a few...
, and MarnieMarnie (film)Marnie is a 1964 psychological thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock and based on the novel of the same name by Winston Graham. The film stars Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery. The original film score was composed by Bernard Herrmann.-Plot:...
(the car). - When Gus and Lassiter run up a staircase to save Juliet, the camera view is rotated and descends the tower stairways to look like an iconic scene from VertigoVertigo (film)Vertigo is a 1958 psychological thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring James Stewart, Kim Novak, and Barbara Bel Geddes. The screenplay was written by Alec Coppel and Samuel A...
. - While Gus and Shawn are in Mary's house, they notice that the number π (piPi' is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of any circle's circumference to its diameter. is approximately equal to 3.14. Many formulae in mathematics, science, and engineering involve , which makes it one of the most important mathematical constants...
) is written out on Mary's walls. This is a reference to the film Torn CurtainTorn CurtainTorn Curtain is a 1966 American political thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Paul Newman and Julie Andrews.-Plot:On a cruise ship en route to Copenhagen, Michael Armstrong , an esteemed American physicist and rocket scientist, is to attend a scientific conference...
in which a character is named π. - The tower clock is stopped (thus saving Juliet) at 4:29, a reference to Hitchcock's death on April 29, 1980.
- Juliet's grey suit is reminiscent of Madeline's/Judy's in VertigoVertigo (film)Vertigo is a 1958 psychological thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring James Stewart, Kim Novak, and Barbara Bel Geddes. The screenplay was written by Alec Coppel and Samuel A...
s bell tower scene.
Sequel
The final installment of the PsychPsych
Psych is an American detective comedy-drama television series created by Steve Franks and broadcast on USA Network. It stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer, a young crime consultant for the Santa Barbara Police Department whose "heightened observational skills" and impressive detective instincts...
Yin/Yang trilogy, entitled "Yang 3 in 2D
Yang 3 in 2D
"Yang 3 in 2D" is the sixteenth and final episode of the fifth season of Psych, and the 79th episode in the series overall. It is the third and last in a trilogy, which began with "An Evening with Mr. Yang" and continued with "Mr. Yin Presents..." . The episode originally aired on December 22, 2010...
", aired on December 22, 2010 as the fifth season
Psych (season 5)
The fifth season of Psych, consisting of 16 episodes, premiered on USA Network in the United States on July 14, 2010 and concluded on December 22, 2010. A DVD of the season was released on May 31, 2011. Production officially started in Vancouver, British Columbia on April 28, 2010...
finale. The episode follows Shawn and Gus as they, along with Yang (Ally Sheedy
Ally Sheedy
Alexandra Elizabeth "Ally" Sheedy is an American film and stage actress, as well as the author of two books. She is best known for her roles in the Brat Pack films The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire.-Early life:...
) and the rest of the SBPD, attempt to track down and arrest Yin one final time.