And the blatant product placement continues. Last week an extended promotion of Dunkin Donuts, this week a minute long conversation about the shakes at Red Robin. This better not become a weekly thing.
I did love the framing device with Lassetter and O'Hara unsuccessfully trying to interrogate Shawn, Gus and Henry. I wish the grand scheme behind it had lived up. Weber in anything is pretty good, however.
As long as the writers can keep it humorous, I'll take product placement over a bug or snipe any day. (especially if the advertiser specifies that they can't share or cover the placement with other on-screen interruptions)
Monk had a character doing a deodorant commercial, and now I'm starting to wonder if it wasn't for an actual brand I'm just not familiar with.
Later Monk talked about the large number of people who might see the commercial and was immediately corrected by Natalie and Disher, who said that thanks to TiVo hardly anybody watches commercials anymore, they just zap right through them. It is a genuine problem for the industry.
Except a bug or snipe only lasts as long as the network run. The DVD syndicated run will be bug and snipe free. These advertisements will last with the show into perpetuity.
Much better this week. No obvious product placement! A real mystery that takes place in Santa Barbara proper! Great use of the fact that Shawn's dad picks up on everything that Shawn does!
On another note, I'm not sure if the extended and retooled theme song was an homage to 70's TV theme songs or something new they're trying for the season, but I loved it. It really reminded me of what I used to love about iconic themes.
And what a wonderful episode it was! I don't know who has and has not seen it, so I won't post any spoilers. But there was a lot to love about it. Those last two minutes were poignant. I've been wanting to see something like this for a few years now.
I loved Jules' role tonight. She played it well. It reminded me of watching Roller Derby some thirty-five years ago....
And it was another good one. It stuck to the season one formula and it worked it good. My favorite moment in the whole episode was Shawn and Jules rollerskating to the music. She won't let him hold her hand, but the backs of their hands touch as they roll around the rink. Those two are great at generating real tenderness and intimacy from barely anything. In a TV world that's all about sexual chemistry, their will-they-won't-they plot stands apart; it's sweet and tentative, and one of the few things Shawn seems earnest about.
I thought it looked like they were holding hands as the camera pulled back. Probably just a trick of the eye and distance. It was a very good episode, with ample usage of Lawson's bod as an added bonus.
Perhaps it's a generational thing. When I was in grade school and two people said the same thing at the same time, (see my post time compared to Scott's) one of the people would yell out "Psych!" Normally I wouldn't be so immature here, but considering the show's title, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity!
I'm familliar with "psyche" because we used to say that all the time when I was in school, it meant that you didn't mean what you just said which was why I was confused by Adam's use of it.