Psych's Final Days... (and thoughts relating)

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( I hope you don't feel any burdensome obligation to respond to my inquiry, and by all means you can skip right down to the topic in which you came here to read about, however in the event that you want to stay connected to me and occasionally let me know what is indeed "up pup?" you can follow me on the tweeters @bloggerpup as well as follow me on Instagram @blogpup. Thanks!)

Psych is ending in a matter of weeks. Let that sink in for a second. I've been a fan for a good number of years now and I'm still digesting the information. Psych's become one of my favorite shows in the history of television. For the better part of the last ten years this show's been delivering television dramedy brilliance and constantly outdoing itself with the quirky plot-lines, the character chemistry, the dialogue, the guest stars, and the 80's references. For those of you who've seen the show, you know what a unique gem it truly is. I'm a fan, and I'll never be able to look at a pineapple the same way again. 

     It was confirmed today that Season Eight Finale (to air this March) would not only be the season finale, but the last episode of Psych ever. Let's do the math real quick... Depending on how you look at it, after tonight's episode, this gives us five episodes or just over 200 minutes of Psych before the show comes to a close. As bittersweet as these thoughts are, for those of us that are fans of delicious flavor, let's be thankful we got to experience this show while it was on the air. After Eight Seasons, Shawn, Gus, Lassie, Jules, Henry, and Chief Vick have been with us the whole ride. And whether Karen's specifically been the Chief the whole time is beside the point (*cough* we'll miss you Trout *cough* not really *cough*). The point is, all six of these actors have stayed on until the end, and that's truly a remarkable feat. 

     It's for this reason that the announcement of Season Eight being Psych's last was bitter sweet, as opposed to just being really bitter. We know they're going out with a bang. The gangs all here, they're in their prime, and they're ending the show on the best note possible. Gus and Shawn will ride into the sunset as we knew them in the beginning. Well, maybe not exactly the same. Older, a bit wiser maybe. Possibly just a tad heavier (I'm looking at you Roday). But what I'm driving at is, we've been with these characters during these changes. We've been privileged to watch these story-lines, personalities, and relationships develop over the course of what's to be 221 episodes of this beloved show. 

     So far, I couldn't be happier with the way they're going out. Coming off of a two-hour musical special, so far, this final season of Psych feels like a giant love-letter to all of us Psycho's.  It's everything we love about the show, and it's an emphasized version. The president of USA (I'm talking about Chris McCumber, not Obama) was recently interviewed about this and he stated similarly: "The final season celebrates the iconic characters that have made this show so beloved, and will be an exclamation point on the series' incredible run."

     He also went on to say: "while the series will wrap in March, somehow I don't believe we've heard the last of Shawn and Gus." This brings to mind an interview where Steve Franks brought up the possibility of some potential Psych specials coming into play after the show ended. USA's done a television movie for Burn Notice and the fan support for a Psych movie would certainly be there so this is also a possibility. Now I'm certain those of us who love the show now will still be rewatching these old episodes years from now, and as much as it excites me thinking about potential for things to come, for the time being, let's appreciate what the cast and crew have worked so hard to bring us, and soak in every moment of Psych's Final Season. 

     The timing of this post is right after the airing of Cog Blocked and as of now Psych's taking a two week hiatus to give the Olympics their time to shine, so the final five episodes will start gracing the television on February 26 (my birthday). Here's to Psych, the cast, the crew, and these final episodes! In the words of James Roday: "we'll always have Santa Barbara... and syndication". Happy Wednesday, Psycho's!

The Walking Dead's Return! (and thoughts relating)

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( I hope you don't feel any burdensome obligation to respond to my inquiry, and by all means you can skip right down to the topic in which you came here to read about, however in the event that you want to stay connected to me and occasionally let me know what is indeed "up pup?" you can follow me on the tweeters @bloggerpup as well as follow me on Instagram @blogpup. Thanks!)

"Don't Look Back!" This is the phrase Rick leaves echoing in our ears as we are, in fact, doing just the opposite. Can you really blame us for still reflecting on the mid-season finale, what could potentially follow the events that took place, and what's argued to be the best season of The Walking Dead thus far? 

     It's no stretch to say that a lot's happened since the premiere of this show, and in the last 43 episodes, we've been been on quite a ride. It feels as if we've been right by these characters as they've faced ups, downs, and a whole lot of zombies. We've had our "oh that poor horse" moments, our "you had it coming, Shane" moments, our "why the heck is Andrea getting so much screen time?" moments, and our "wow, Carl's actually growing on me" moments. We've watched Rick nail those inspiring speeches, and we've watched Daryl's cool factor continue to escalate (he blew up a tank, you guys). 

     Now that Phillip's (Brian's/The Governor's) story arc is over, Hershel's gone, the prison's really no longer a prison (that was a battle of internecine proportions), and everyone's scattered in different directions, the possibilities for the latter half of this season are beyond predictions. 

     Where's everyone at (both locationally, physically, and emotionally)? You can't just walk away from an episode like Too Far Gone the same as you were before. Will we run into familiar faces again (Carol, Morgan, etc.)? Will we meet new ones? Who will be fortunate enough to survive the next eight episodes? I have no idea. Will Beth die, even though she's got Daryl with her? Maybe. Will I shed a tear for her if she does die? Probably. Will our diversely dispersed group of characters ever completely reunite again? Hard to say.
     I recall one of my friends saying somewhere back in the third season when all was well at the prison that he was ready for the survival element of the show to come back into play. He explained that as invested as he was in these characters, the reason he'd gotten hooked on the show in the first place was due to it's survival themes (rather than society within). Now in the beginning of this season, when the virus broke out among the prison he said they were getting closer to what he's been itching for, but "they still gotta get outta that prison, bro!"

     I kept assuring him that they would eventually leave their residential shelter and face the wild. Now, a season and a half after the introduction of the prison, they have, and I have a feeling we'll all get some more of those raw survival elements my friend was craving. In the words of someone smart: "you need the nightmare to appreciate not being in it". So in the opposite sense of that phrase, now that they've all had a taste of life within safety of the prison walls, being thrown back into the unknown should only make things more interesting.  

     After thinking about all these things, it's pretty exciting to know that in less than a week The Walking Dead will be back! I wait in anticipation with all of you, but for now, go watch The Super Bowl or something. Happy Sunday!