Who Ya Gonna Call?

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“Who Ya Gonna Call?”
Psych episode

Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 7
Guest stars	Frank Whaley Tracy Trueman
Written by	John J. Sakmar & Kerry Lenhart
Directed by	Michael Lange
Production no.	1005
Original airdate	August 18, 2006
Episode chronology
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"Weekend Warriors"	"Shawn vs. the Red Phantom"

Who Ya Gonna Call? is the seventh episode of Season 1 of the USA network television dramedy Psych.

1 Plot Synopsis
2 Quotes
3 Trivia
4 Allusions
5 External links

[edit] Plot Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

In 1986, Shawn (Liam James) runs home from a bully (Nico McEown), and Henry sends him back out to find a new way to deal with the confrontation. Shawn realizes that the bully is failing math and offers to help him ace the next test, having memorized their teacher's answer pattern. Henry commends Shawn for his innovative strategy, then calls the math teacher to alert her.

In 2006, Gus arrives at the Psych office to find that Shawn has hired a receptionist, Dagmar (Katya Virshilas), from a modeling agency. He also informs Shawn that one of the doctor's on his route, psychologist Dr. J. Blinn (John Dadey), was murdered, and Shawn immediately insists they visit the scene to get "psychic vibrations." They arrive at Dr. Blinn's office and gain access to the scene, by way of a well-placed mention of Pete Rose, despite Detective Lassiter's insistence that Shawn leave the premises. Shawn picks up several details of the murder — including a chewed toothpick — in the few seconds before Lassiter sends him away.

When he and Gus return to the Psych office, they are visited by a frantic man named Robert Dunn (Frank Whaley) who thinks that he's being haunted by a ghost that wants to kill him. Shawn thinks that Dunn is crazy, but Gus believes that spirits may actually be haunting the man; Gus explains to Shawn that when he was 12, he heard a voice from his wall calling itself "Wilting Flower" that claimed that his house was built on an ancient burial ground. Shawn then confesses that he had hidden a walkie-talkie in the wall of Gus's bedroom when Gus's father had put in new insulation, and that he was Wilting Flower.

Lassiter places an order with Darling Figurines to be sent to his wife with a card reading "Happy Birthday: EX is the loneliest letter in the alphabet. From your not-yet-ex husband, Carlton," and Detective O'Hara informs Lassiter that the DA office has granted them access to Dr. Blinn's patient files. Shawn and Gus investigate Dunn's studio, where Shawn spots several loose red hairs and pictures of Robert and a woman with Robert's face scratched out. Shawn also fakes a dramatic "vision" with one of Dunn's photo albums, and Robert asks the detectives to stay the night so that they can witness the effects of the poltergeist. They agree, and Shawn explains to Gus that Robert is haunted by nothing more than a vindictive ex-girlfriend: the woman in the photos is a redhead. Shawn and Gus wake up in the middle of the night to find the apartment on fire.

Shawn assures Robert that the fire was not an attempt on his life, but rather a cry for help from a very lonely apparition; Gus tells Shawn that no one could have entered the apartment overnight, as all the windows and doors are locked from the inside, but Shawn notices a lipstick kiss-mark on Gus's forehead. O'Hara and Lassiter trade awkward and misunderstood complements as they visit the post-office box of Regina Kane, who had been Dr. Blinn's last appointment before his murder. Shawn and Gus cross paths with them, and Shawn notices the name Regina Kane on O'Hara's file-folder. Gus tells Shawn that he has to get back to work because he's already missed two days, but the next thing he knows, he's waking up with Shawn driving after having been knocked out with six allergy pills.

Shawn has driven them to Palo Alto, where Robert's ex-girlfriend Amy Kessler (Tracy Trueman) lives; when they arrive, however, Shawn immediately deduces that she is not their "ghost" because her lips don't match the kiss-mark from Gus's forehead. They proceed to interview Amy, however, on Gus's insistence, posing as art gallery curators interested in showcasing Robert’s work; they learn that Amy broke up with Robert after he cheated on her using the name Martin Brodie and lied about it. Shawn quickly eliminates Amy as a suspect, again, when he notices the engagement ring that her new fiancé gave her.

Lassiter receives a card from his wife reading only "Carlton; separation means APART,” and laments to O'Hara about his missing forensic report and lead suspect; O'Hara suggests that they bring Shawn into the investigation, and Lassiter suggests that O'Hara keep her ideas to herself. Shawn and Gus return to the Psych Agency, and are nearly T-boned by a hooded suspect who flees the scene after crashing the offending car; Gus detects the abundant scent of alcohol, and Shawn notices a chewed toothpick on the driver’s side floorboard.

Shawn and Gus visit Robert’s house to find Robert missing and the message "SAVE ME — I'M TRAPPED" scrawled on a mirror in red paint. They follow a trail of paint drops to the attic where they find a cache of women's clothing and wigs, and Shawn deduces that Robert is, in fact, a crossdresser with multiple personality disorder. Shawn theorizes that all of the occurrence that Robert has been attributing to a ghost are actually the actions of his female counterpart, and Gus concludes that they need to use a sensory trigger to bring out Robert’s female personality.

Shawn and Gus bring Robert to the attic, but fail to elicit his female persona; Shawn notices, however, a day planner with the name "Blinn" crossed out and replaced with the name "Drake" for a 10:00am appointment. Remembering O’Hara’s folder for "Regina Kane," Shawn makes the leap that Robert’s female personality is actually Regina and successfully draw out the latent personality. They learn that Regina had been going to Dr. Blinn, and that she is aware of the Robert personality; she has been trying unsuccessfully to make contact, and Shawn surmises that a third personality is likely intervening and committing the acts of violence — including the attempted strangulation of Robert, the living room fire, and the murder of Dr. Blinn. Gus draws Robert out again, and Shawn explains that Robert is haunting himself.

Lassiter takes out his frustration by using the figurines he bought for his wife as target practice. Shawn and Gus visit the police station to tell Lassiter about Regina Kane; while they wait, Shawn realizes that Robert’s third personality is "Martin Brodie," who is responsible for killing Dr. Blinn and trying to run down Gus and Shawn. They also find Regina’s patient file on Lassiter’s desk and learn that Regina had been seeing Dr. Blinn concerning gender reassignment surgery; Gus surmises that the Martin personality retaliated against Regina by killing Dr. Blinn in order to prevent the surgery, but Shawn realizes that Regina had found a new doctor, Drake, and made an appointment for 10am on Wednesday. When O’Hara returns with Lassiter, Shawn fakes a dramatic "vision" that leads the detectives to Dr. Drake.

Regina meets with Dr. Drake (Claire Riley), who tells her that she appears to be an excellent candidate for surgery immediately before Martin comes forward and attempts to bludgeon Drake. Lassiter bursts in and tackles Martin in time, and Robert comes forward, profoundly confused. Back at the Psych office, Gus tells Shawn that Robert is going to be admitted into the Ace T. Windsor psychiatric facility in Chicago, Illinois. Shawn doesn't pay much attention, however, when he realizes that the swimsuit model Leslie sent by the agency is actually male (Aaron Grain); Shawn begs Gus to fire Leslie, but Gus refuses, and Shawn resorts to firing the receptionist via text-message.

[edit] Quotes

Shawn: Collecting donations for the policeman's ball?
Lassiter: We don't have balls.

(young girl's high voice, reenacting his 19-year-old prank)
Shawn: "My name is Wilting Flower. I died without ever knowing love. Will you be my friend?"

[edit] Trivia

The title of the episode comes from the Ghostbusters tagline and theme song.

[edit] Allusions

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Shawn mentions Poltergeist, Poltergeist II, and Gremlins when he confesses his childhood prank to Gus.
Shawn mentions "Night Gallery" as a possible name for his and Gus's fictitious art gallery, referring to the 1970's Rod Serling anthology.
Shawn recognizes Robert's alias "Martin Brodie" from the 1975 Steven Spielberg film Jaws.
In a phenomenal stream of consciouness, Shawn compares Robert's psychological condition to the 1976 Daniel Petrie miniseries Sybil; he does so by first mentioning the 1960's ABC sitcom The Flying Nun, which starred Sally Field, who also starred in Sybil. Gus misunderstands the roundabout reference, and guesses first the 1977 Hal Needham movie Smokey and the Bandit, then the 1978 Needham movie Hooper, and finally the 1979 Martin Ritt film Norma Rae (all of which also starred Field).
Shawn refers to the male swimsuit model Leslie as an Adonis.