Psych was correct. When you're 100% sure of your conclusion, but it's based off of evidence that only you can see (because it's obscure, easily dismissed, or requires a lot of prior context), it's genuinely better to just say "I had a psychic vision" or something like that. People are more willing to believe you have mystical powers than that they just missed something you found obvious.
Yall remember that one Psych episode where that expensive ring was stolen and Shawn really wanted the case? And Chief told him to solve this case about stolen hs computers? And he literally opened the file and figured it out and started casually explaining using logical evidence and then Gus elbowed him and he was like "the vIbEs" and he was RIGHT?
If I had to describe psych to someone, I'd tell them that it's a show about a dude, who's just a guy, that happens to be scamming his local police department, meanwhile having sexual tension with everyone around him; namely, one Carlton Lassiter
the reason we know fandom wiki isn't accurate is because it straight up said that gus isn't just as weird as shawn, he just goes along with the antics. fuck right off. he's just as weird IF NOT WEIRDER than shawn. yes he's the "responsible one" but having a job isn't mutually exclusive with being batshit. gus is Weird and Strange and his idea of a good superhero is a guy who tap dances and throws sand in people's eyes
I do think it's funny that they thought they had to concoct Fake Reasons for Shawn to be put into a mental institution. First of all the Psychic thing alone would work, BUT aside from that there's
the complete and total disregard for personal safety that they can claim is passive suicidal tendencies (cough cough)
the obsessive lying that even people who don't know he's not psychic can see he engages in with enthusiasm
the Double Whammy Combo Daddy And Mommy Issues
the inability to comprehend what Boundaries are for both others and himself (seriously, is it possible to overstep with Shawn beyond literally actually being 1 second away from killing someone he loves? Clearly trying to kill him is not a disqualifier from friendship for him)
the inability to stop severely masking everything unpleasant/engage with his own strong emotions without something Severe forcing him to
The Manipulation and Puppermastering (how funny would it have been for Lassie to hear Shawn's "cover story" is that he's a genius manipulator and scoff about it because "Spencer just gets lucky," and then watch through the cameras and such as Shawn wraps the whole damn staff and patients around his finger but Lassie STILL CAN'T PROVE SHAWN DOES THAT TO FAKE HIS PSYCHICNESS BECAUSE IT MEANS ADMITTING HE'S A GENIUS)
The eidetic memory- imagine they put him in and don't tell him at first that there's cameras and such watching him and the staff hit Shawn with a "So we hear you can't forget anything and have witnessed multiple murders and are suffering from some PTSD because of it such as repression, dissociative episodes, disreguard for personal wellbeing..." and Lassie and Jules slowly realize watching "Oh shit wait... that's Real actually."
Anyway. We all know His Brain Is Fucked so I don't have to keep going on but I gotta say, I think a lot about how interesting it would've been for Shawn to be fighting to solve the case while avoiding being Actually Therapized For His Actual Issues as much as possible and Gus is kinda like "Shawn, maybe try to embrace this a little, they're not wrong."
"Gus, one of these people is working with a murderer to drug a witness!"
"But they're right about you hiding a lot of pain behind jokes-"