Most episodes of Psych began with a flashback to Shawn's youth, usually twenty years prior to the episode's air date. The flashbacks often show Henry teaching Shawn some lesson that relates to the episode. Nearly every episode of the first four seasons had a flashback. They began to appear more sporadically in Seasons 5 and 6. The final two seasons only had a few flashbacks, none of which featured Young Shawn.
| Season | Episode | Title | Flashback Year | Summary | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Pilot | 1986 | Henry tests Shawn on his observational and memory skills while the two are having a meal at a diner. | Beginning of episode |
| 1 | 2 | Spellingg Bee | 1989 | Gus is at the Regional Spelling Bee and it is his turn. Shawn is in the audience and is telling him the answers. Unfortunately for Gus, Shawn mouths the wrong letter and Gus gets eliminated from the Bee. | After title sequence |
| 1 | 2 | Spellingg Bee | 1989 | Shawn wants a dog and Henry makes him build a doghouse to show he is ready for the responsibility. Later, Henry points out the many mistakes Shawn has made with his build and tells him he wants it done right. | Mid-episode. Split into two separate flashbacks. |
| 1 | 3 | Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Piece | 1985 | Shawn is frantically searching for something. He hurries around the house until he finally gets to the kitchen, where Henry asks him what he is doing. Shawn tells him that he and Gus are playing hide-and-seek, and Henry says that he's doing it wrong – his flip-flops are making noise, he's not sneaking on the balls of his feet, and he's walking around at eye level, not going low. Shawn takes Henry's advice, removes his flip-flops and begins searching the house more quietly. (First episode featuring Liam James as Young Shawn) | Beginning of episode |
| 1 | 4 | Woman Seeking Dead Husband - Smokers Okay, No Pets | 1989 | Henry teaches Shawn how to properly perform a stake-out while they are in the midst of one right outside the house. They don't have to wait long before someone approaches the house and they sneak up behind him. Their bad guy is the neighbor who's been stealing Henry's paper, and now they've caught him red-handed. | Beginning of episode |
| 1 | 5 | 9 Lives | 1985 | Shawn and Henry are sitting outside on a picnic table. Henry is reading the paper, while Shawn is busy looking for the prize in the bottom of the cereal box. His dad explains that it is a waste of time worrying about what's not in the box. His dad tells him that the cereal people messed up, so he grabs another box and asks Shawn where the prize is. He tells him that it is at the bottom of the box. He then complains that he has to eat the whole box to get to it. His dad flips it over and now that it is at the top Shawn opens the box to get his mood ring. | Beginning of episode |
| 1 | 6 | Weekend Warriors | 1986 | Henry is outside of the woods talking to Shawn and Gus, teaching them about the laws of physics. He is setting a rocket on a stand and tells them that the first person to get the rocket gets an ice cream sundae and the loser gets to look on as they eat it. As the rocket launches they both run off into the wood, looking. Shawn notices Gus has found it and they both run back to Henry. However, Gus has only found the rocket's parachute. Henry then reveals that he is holding the rocket. It turns out he found it by taking a shortcut. Henry tells them that if he finds it first again, he gets the ice cream sundae, and launches the rocket again. Later, the boys talk about Henry and Gus assures Shawn that Henry loves him, but Shawn isn't sure because Henry has never told him. | Split into two flashbacks, one at the beginning and one at the end of the episode |
| 1 | 7 | Who Ya Gonna Call? | 1986 | Shawn hops over his fence and runs into his house. Henry asks him what is wrong and Shawn replies that he is running from Ryan Brickhouse, a classmate. Ryan is pacing around outside waiting to face off against Shawn. Shawn admits to Henry that he threw a rock at Ryan and almost hit him. Henry tells Shawn that he needs to come up with a better solution than running and hiding and makes him come out of the house. Shawn reaches a compromise with Ryan, letting him know he can help him ace the math test, as the teacher has an answer system that Shawn has memorized. Henry hears this and calls Shawn's teacher. | Beginning of episode |
| 1 | 8 | Shawn vs. The Red Phantom | 1986 | Shawn is running around using a towel as his cape and pretending to be Superman. Henry is waiting for him holding comic books and asks Shawn where he got them. Henry explains that comic books make police officers look incompetent while the superheroes do all the work. He reaffirms to Shawn that good old-fashioned police work is always the best, and that superheroes - aren't. | Beginning of episode |
| 1 | 9 | Forget Me Not | 1986 | Shawn is on a field trip visiting the zoo with his class. He is seen taunting a classmate, Trish Connors, while bouncing a tennis ball. Moments later, he comes up to his teacher and explains that an ostrich may be choking. Henry brings Shawn back on the bus, mad at him for throwing the tennis ball, but Henry's captain (and Trish's father) then says that he believes him when he says that he did not throw it. Shawn says it might have been aimed at him as he looks on at Trish. | Beginning of episode |
| 1 | 10 | From the Earth to the Starbucks | 1987 | Shawn is in line at a grocery store with Gus and his dad. He is arguing with his dad about candy. He tries to get Gus to go ahead of him, but Gus doesn't budge. When it is his turn to go, the cash register starts ringing. He is the one millionth customer, meaning he has won a slew of prizes including a bike and gift certificates. Shawn asks if he can use the gift certificates at that moment and starts putting all of the candy on to the belt with Gus not far behind him. | Beginning of episode |
| 1 | 11 | He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not, He Loves Me, Oops He's Dead! | 1985 | Shawn comes running home with a baseball cap over his eyes. He almost makes it inside when his dad notices him, and asks him to come over. Henry asks him if he got into a fight again at school. He asks him who did it, and is shocked when Shawn says a girl hit him. He explains that the girl asked him to sit with her at lunch. She told a story that Shawn didn't listen to and she punched him for ignoring her. Henry explains to Shawn that he just experienced a date and that listening to a woman is incredibly important – just don't ask her about her age or her weight. | Beginning of episode |
| 1 | 12 | Cloudy... With a Chance of Murder | 1985 | Shawn is sitting with his father in court during a trial. He starts asking Henry about who the jury is, with Henry replying that they are the most important people in the room - they decide guilt or innocence. Henry then makes Shawn read one of the jurors who is shoddily dressed and constantly looking down at his hands. | Beginning of episode |
| 1 | 13 | Game, Set... Muuurder? | 1985 | Shawn and Gus are playing a game of Battleship. Shawn is easily winning, having hit one of Gus' ships on every turn. Henry walks by and hears the two boys fighting with Gus accusing Shawn of cheating. Henry says that best friends should always trust each other, the way a cop does his partner. However, he soon discovers Shawn never put any ships up on his side of the board and is subsequently punished for cheating. | Beginning of episode |
| 1 | 14 | Poker? I Barely Know Her | 1985 | Shawn is playing poker against three officers, and he's winning easily by figuring out each player's tell. Henry interrupts the game and pulls Shawn aside, yelling at him for being too young to play cards. Shawn explains that he hasn't lost yet, but Henry tells him that doesn't make it right. Henry explains that, in gambling, the house eventually always wins. | Beginning of episode |
| 1 | 15 | Scary Sherry: Bianca's Toast | Halloween night 1987 | Shawn and Gus are trick-or-treating with Henry. Afterwards, Henry is driving them to the police station to get their candy X-rayed, when someone stops the police car and tells them someone is jumping from a window at the Wispy Sunny Pines mental institution. At the scene, Henry rushes in and leaves Shawn and Gus in the car with instructions for them to keep their eyes closed. Shawn, of course, opens his eyes to see the woman fall out of the window, presumably to her death. It is later revealed in a brief flashback that Henry saved the girl at the last moment and she didn't actually fall. | Beginning of episode |
| 2 | 1 | American Duos | 1987 | Shawn and Gus are getting ready to perform in the school's talent show. Gus, who was supposed to dress up as Billy Ocean, comes dressed as Michael Jackson instead. Shawn says they're going to have to make it work as they prepare to hit the stage. (First episode featuring Carlos McCullers II as Young Gus) | Beginning of episode |
| 2 | 2 | 65 Million Years Off | 1987 | Gus shows up to school for Stone Age Day wearing a life-sized Tyrannosaurus Rex head it took him three months to make, wowing all of his fellow students. Shawn, meanwhile, shows his project - a T-rex toy taped to the top of a remote-controlled car. It took Shawn an hour to do his project; nonetheless, the teacher is impressed with Shawn's project, much to Gus's dismay. | Beginning of episode |
| 2 | 3 | Psy vs. Psy | Not given (presumably 1987) | Shawn and Henry are called into the office of Vice Principal Petlic. Henry claims that he did not allow his son to go on the field trip. Petlic says that he did in fact sign the permission slip that allowed him to. Henry then says that it is a forgery and Shawn tells them that they all look the same to him. | Beginning of episode |
| 2 | 4 | Zero to Murder in Sixty Seconds | 1987 | Shawn and Gus have a bike race to see who is the fastest. Henry, being the timer, tells them to start - at first it looks like Shawn is in the lead, but then Gus catches up and wins. Henry tells Shawn that Gus focused on what's important, which is hard work, instead of decorating his bike. Shawn completely misses the point, however. | Beginning of episode |
| 2 | 5 | And Down the Stretch Comes Murder | 1987 | Shawn and Gus are running down the street from a bunch of bullies. They run into their school and try to hide around the corner, but they are unsuccessful. Then, a big kid named Jimmy Nickels comes up and demands their lunch money. Shawn says they don't have any, but Gus is scared and gives up the money, forcing Shawn to do the same. Later, in a series of flashbacks during the episode, it is shown that their teacher was hit by a spitball in class and ended up falling and being injured. Jimmy was blamed for it and was expelled from school. Shawn is the one who ratted him out, but now he is not sure Jimmy did it. It is eventually revealed that Gus was the one who shot the spitball (in a unique twist, current Shawn and Gus appear in the flashbacks with their younger selves as they try to figure out the mystery in their heads). | Long Flashback at beginning of episode, then several more brief flashbacks throughout the episode. |
| 2 | 6 | Meat is Murder. But Murder is Also Murder. | 1987 | Henry comes down for breakfast only to find flour leading into the pantry where someone is hiding. Shawn then runs into the kitchen to grab muffins he made for his dad, as a way to butter him up. Henry sits down to eat them and guesses all of the ingredients carefully. Shawn tells him he is correct at all of them. Henry can tell from the flour on the floor that Gus is hiding in the pantry and he tells him to come out. Gus comes out of the pantry, revealing that it was he who made the muffins. Shawn is sent to his room. | Beginning of episode |
| 2 | 7 | If You're So Smart, Then Why Are You Dead? | 1987 | Shawn and Henry are playing chess. Henry tells him if he wants to play the game, he has to learn the pieces, how they move and what they are called. Shawn checkmates his father and walks away. | Beginning of episode |
| 2 | 8 | Rob-a-Bye Baby | 1987 | Shawn is asking Henry how babies are made, for which Henry has no child-friendly answer. After Shawn sees right through what his father tells him, Henry tells Shawn to ask his mother, but Shawn must tuck his shirt in first. | Beginning of episode |
| 2 | 9 | Bounty Hunters! | 1987 | Shawn and Gus are sitting outside of the police station waiting for Henry when they see a cool-looking guy in a leather vest bringing in a handcuffed perp. Henry comes out of the station and explains to Shawn that the guy is not a cop, but a bounty hunter – a "privately hired half-criminal operating outside of the law." Henry explains that bounty hunters are about money, not about justice or about arresting criminals the right way, with a badge. | Beginning of episode |
| 2 | 10 | Gus' Dad May Have Killed an Old Guy | 1987 | Shawn and Gus are playing kickball when the ball ends up in the yard of old man Fuller, a notoriously mean man. Shawn bribes Gus to hop the fence and retrieve the ball, but runs away when he hears Fuller come out of his house yelling at Gus. | Beginning of episode |
| 2 | 11 | There's Something About Mira | 1987 | Shawn and Gus are dining out at a fancy restaurant with Henry. Shawn is watching a couple at another table when the man puts something into the woman's champagne glass. Shawn thinks it's poison, but it turns out to be a ring, and the man proposes to the woman. Henry tells them they just witnessed one of the best things in life – a man deciding he wants to spend the rest of his life with one woman, much to Shawn's horror. Shawn catches the guy checking out another woman and quickly surmises that the marriage is not going to last. | Beginning of episode |
| 2 | 12 | The Old and the Restless | 1987 | Shawn is at the beach with his grandfather to feed the birds. However, his grandfather has a different reason for being there – girl watching. He has Shawn make up stories involving one of the girls instead of psychically reading them. Shawn is having fun until Henry shows up and tells Shawn he has chores to finish. Before Shawn leaves, his grandfather tells him to periodically tune his father out and enjoy life before he gets too old to do so. | Beginning of episode |
| 2 | 13 | Lights, Camera... Homicidio | 1987 | Shawn catches Henry watching one of Shawn's mother's soap operas. Henry points out the actress looking into the lights to make herself cry, and explains that actors are basically liars. Consequently Shawn is devastated to learn that the CHiPs aren't real cops. | Beginning of episode |
| 2 | 14 | Dis-Lodged | 1987 | Henry comes home from work to find Shawn and Gus performing an initiation ceremony for their new club. Henry points out that all clubs have to have rules, and when Shawn and Gus can't agree on the rules, Shawn quits the club. | Beginning of episode |
| 2 | 15 | Black and Tan: A Crime of Fashion | 1987 | It's school picture day and Shawn tries to sneak out of the house wearing his Knight Rider t-shirt, but Henry catches him and tells him to put on the sweater vest that his mom picked out. | Beginning of episode |
| 2 | 16 | Shawn (and Gus) of the Dead | 1987 | Henry and Madeleine are up late watching a horror film. Maddy then goes to get something to drink. Henry catches Shawn watching the film as well, and the boy says he is too scared to go back to sleep. Henry tells him that people don't come back from the dead and instructs him to go back to sleep. | Beginning of episode |
| 3 | 1 | Ghosts | 1995 | Henry and his partner Ray are about to arrest a young couple that have stolen a car. Henry knows Shawn is in there together with his girlfriend and takes both into custody to teach Shawn a lesson. All it does is create more tension between father and son, however. | Beginning of episode |
| 3 | 2 | Murder? ... Anyone? ... Anyone? ... Bueller? | - | - | No flashback |
| 3 | 3 | Daredevils! | 1987 | Shawn is about to do a stunt in front of his classmates when his dad crashes the event, telling him it is far too dangerous. | Beginning of episode |
| 3 | 4 | The Greatest Adventure in the History of Basic Cable | About 20 Years Ago | Shawn has his treasure hunting uncle pretend to be his dad for Career Day at school, but Henry shows up and puts a damper on his fantastical presentation. | Shawn recounts this story to Chief Vick, Lassiter, and Juliet during a sequence prior to the opening credits |
| 3 | 5 | Disco Didn't Die. It Was Murdered! | 1978 | Henry leads a team that arrests a bomb maker plotting to blow up the police station. At a press conference afterwards, Henry declines to give a speech, only saying that cops don't deserve extra thanks for just doing their jobs. | Beginning of episode |
| 3 | 6 | There Might Be Blood | 1987 | Shawn is prospecting for oil in his backyard and convinces Gus to help. When Henry arrives home he finds the boys in a huge hole in the backyard with water shooting out of it from a broken pipe. | Beginning of episode |
| 3 | 7 | Talk Derby to Me | 1987 | Henry calls Shawn to come down, but Gus appears saying he will be representing his friend. Shawn then comes out after his dad calls him again. Henry asks Shawn to tell him which of his belongings he has taken away from him. Shawn looks around the room and notices his BB gun is missing. Shawn wonders how Henry knows that he was playing with it in the backyard against his orders and Henry throws a telling look at Gus. | Beginning of episode |
| 3 | 8 | Gus Walks Into A Bank | - | - | No flashback |
| 3 | 9 | Christmas Joy | 1987 | On Christmas morning, Shawn comes downstairs to see his presents and finds Henry in the living room. Henry asks Shawn to reconstruct what happened last night, and from the footprints Shawn deduces that Santa was scared off before he was able to finish putting his new bike together. | Beginning of episode |
| 3 | 10 | Six Feet Under the Sea | 1987 | Shawn and Gus are on a school field trip to the aquarium. They hide on the bus so they are the last ones to get off. Their plan is to sneak into the back and ride a dolphin; however, their plan is ruined when Shawn's dad catches them. | Beginning of episode |
| 3 | 11 | Lassie Did a Bad, Bad Thing | 1987 | Shawn is writing something at the table. He's got a fully written paper next to the sheet he's writing on. Henry comes in with a tie and uses it to blindfold Shawn. Shawn asks if Henry bought him a pinata, if he's doing a Pepsi challenge, or if he's being executed; all of which Henry says no to. Henry tells him that when someone loses one of their senses that the other four are said to compensate. So instead of how he normally tests Shawn on what he sees, he's going to test him on what he hears. Henry goes to the refrigerator, opens it and closes it; then to the stove turning the burner on and off; then tiptoes to where Shawn is, grabs the fully written paper next to him, crumples it up and throws it away. He tests Shawn out on what he heard. Shawn tells Henry that he went to the fridge, then the stove, then threw something away. Henry tells him to take off the blindfold. The moment Shawn can see, he looks at the table and asks why Henry threw away his report. Henry tells him that it wasn't his report. He saw Shawn get the report from Gus and that Shawn has to write the report himself. He drops the book that he brought in with the tie next to Shawn and says the next thing he better hear is the pencil across the paper. Shawn pulls the tie back up over his eyes and says he'd rather be executed. | Beginning of episode |
| 3 | 12 | Earth, Wind and... Wait for It | 1987 | Henry is out back lighting a grill, Shawn comes running up wearing a fireman's helmet, telling his dad he knows what he want to be when he grows up. Henry tells him that being a cop is better and tells him to go run along and play. Before he goes Shawn pretends to extinguish the grill then him. | Beginning of episode |
| 3 | 13 | Any Given Friday Night at 10pm, 9pm Central | 1987 | Henry uses his connections as a cop to get Shawn in the tunnel at the football stadium to meet his favorite player, the star quarterback, after a game. Shawn points out to the player how he was making movements that gave away his throws to the defense and leading to interceptions. At first it seems the player is annoyed, but he returns and gives Shawn the game ball. | Beginning of episode |
| 3 | 14 | Truer Lies | 1987 | Henry comes into the house. He hears a noise and carefully peers around the corner to find Shawn sitting at the kitchen table eating cereal. He asks Shawn why he's home from school. Shawn tells Henry that there was a guy who hypnotized some students and one ended up thinking it was a kangaroo. That student punched the guy and the guy passed out before he could take the kids out of their trance. However, his teacher who was an ex-Navy Seal, put all the kids back before six kids had to go to the hospital. Henry, without missing a beat, tells Shawn he wants to see the suspension note he got from his teacher. Shawn asks Henry how he knew he was lying. Henry says that he has the nickname at work as "The Human Lie Detector" and he spends every day analyzing the people who tell lies. Henry explains that every lie starts with a tiny kernel of truth. The fact that Shawn pointed out that his teacher was an ex-Navy seal was the only part of his story that was the truth. Henry tells Shawn that if he continues to lie, nobody will believe him when he actually needs them to, and it could put his life in danger. Shawn questions on if Henry means when he's older and a cop and Henry specifies that he's not talking about the future, he means "Right now." | Beginning of episode |
| 3 | 15 | Tuesday the 17th | 1988 | Henry picks up Shawn and Gus from summer camp. Shawn is mad at Gus because he ditched him to work with Jason Cunningham in the pinata contest because Jason always wins. Shawn's pinata is shown at the bottom of the lake where he threw it after he didn't win the contest. | Beginning of episode |
| 3 | 16 | An Evening with Mr. Yang | - | - | No flashback |
| 4 | 1 | Extradition: British Columbia | 1989 | Shawn hasn't finished his art project for the school open house. He tells Henry he did finish it but someone stole it because it was the "perfect crime", but Henry tells him there is no such thing as a perfect crime. | Beginning of episode |
| 4 | 2 | He Dead | 1989 | Shawn comes downstairs with an ice bag on his head and a thermometer in his mouth. He is claiming that he is sick. Henry takes the thermometer out of his mouth and reads it; it's 150°. He tells Shawn that after he calls the neighbors, he's going to have to call a coroner because Shawn is a dead man walking, he's got maybe five to ten minutes left to live. Henry states that at least it'll give him another chance to have another kid with Shawn's mom, it might even be a girl. Shawn asks how Henry knew he was faking, and Henry tells him not to hold the thermometer under boiling water; he should have held it in a warm sandwich or a behind the TV. Henry asks Shawn why he doesn't want to go since the neighbors were so nice to invite them. Shawn tells Henry that family is weird. Henry says that all families are weird, that's what makes them so great. Shawn specifies that the family eats weird things because they don't even eat meat. Henry asks if they're vegetarian and Shawn clarifies that they actually are vegan (a family that does not consume any animal products, even honey). Shawn's mom calls down the stairs asking if they are ready for some barbecue tofu, and Henry starts pretending to cough, telling Shawn he thinks he has the same sickness as Shawn does. | Beginning of episode |
| 4 | 3 | High Noon-ish | 1989 | Shawn comes in to tell his dad not to be mad. He was playing cowboys because cowboys and Indians is offensive. He tells him that Gus forced him to dig his own grave. He says Gus later got hanged by the sheriff. Henry then tells him to go fill the hole back up. | Beginning of episode |
| 4 | 4 | The Devil Is in the Details... and the Upstairs Bedroom | 1989 | Henry comes rushing into a church to meet with Father Westley, who thanks him for coming in quickly. Shawn and Gus are sitting in the front pew, and turn around while Father Westley tells Henry that Shawn has been causing trouble in Sunday School. Father Westley states that Shawn has been disruptive, because every time he starts a lesson, Shawn questions every detail with extreme scrutiny. During the lesson that morning, Father Westley had tried to teach them about Noah's Ark. Shawn stands up and apologizes to his dad stating it doesn't make sense. Father Westley asks what it is that doesn't make sense and Shawn tells him it's a lot of things.
First, if the ark was built in the middle east, then how did animals like the koala bear get there? Gus jumps in and says that God helped them get there with His Almighty power. Shawn then asks why God didn't just create the ark for Noah, because it would've been much faster. Father Westley states that God wants people to accomplish those types of creations on their own. Shawn then points out that He didn't when it comes to the koala bear. Henry states to Shawn that he's getting too hung up on the details of the story and Shawn says that Henry always said that the details were the most important things. Henry starts to tell Shawn he's missing the point, but Shawn suddenly questions how they managed to keep all the lions from eating the zebras. Henry turns to Father Westley and says that Shawn's got a point because lions eat 5,000 lbs. of meat a year. Henry tells Shawn to break it down and asks Shawn what he thinks Gods M.O. (modus operandi) might be. Father Westley says to Henry that it's not a detective case and goes on to try to explain what it is further but stumbles over his words. Instead of arguing anymore, he turns and asks Henry if they've ever thought of visiting the Methodist church down the street because it's quite nice. |
Beginning of episode |
| 4 | 5 | Shawn Gets the Yips | 1989 | Henry is helping Shawn with his baseball throws. Shawn's first throw is perfect, but then Henry gives him a bunch of complicated instructions for his next throw, and the throw ends up missing the target and breaking the window of Henry's truck. | Beginning of episode |
| 4 | 6 | Bollywood Homicide | 1989 | Shawn is at the kitchen table making a Valentine's Day card. Henry comes home from work and helps Shawn with the card and encourages him to give it to the girl. When Henry asks Shawn who the girl is, he replies, "Mrs. Phillips". | Beginning of episode |
| 4 | 7 | High Top Fade-Out | 1989 | At the electronics store, Shawn asks Henry to buy him a home computer, but Henry dismisses it as a passing fad (along with several other things including, hilariously, LA Law), and instead buys Shawn a detective kit. | Beginning of episode |
| 4 | 8 | Let's Get Hairy | 1989 | It's night and Shawn and Gus have wandered away from their Boy Scout troop into the woods. They get scared and start running, but Henry finds them and tells them your mind can do crazy things when there's fear involved. The boys run off and after Henry hears a noise, he gets spooked, too, and follows them. | Beginning of episode |
| 4 | 9 | Shawn Takes a Shot in the Dark | 1989 | Henry teaches Shawn survival skills. First he teaches him how to escape from the trunk of a car. Later he teaches him how to evade his pursuer when being chased. | The trunk lesson flashback is interspersed through the beginning scene prior to the opening credits. The chase lesson flashback is later in the episode. |
| 4 | 10 | You Can't Handle This Episode | 1989 | Shawn has been laying on the couch watching TV all day and Henry tells him to get up and do something. Henry points to the Army recruiting commercial on TV and points out all the things the soldiers are accomplishing. He then asks Shawn what that makes him want to do, and he replies go into advertising. | Beginning of episode |
| 4 | 11 | Thrill Seekers and Hell Raisers | 1989 | Henry comes downstairs and glimpses a figure falling from the roof. He hurries outside full of concern, only to find Shawn and Gus standing by a stuffed doll. They explain they are practicing base jumping, but Henry angrily forbids them to pursue such dangerous endeavors. Shawn defiantly says that he will be able to take any risk he wants when he grows up, and Henry sarcastically agrees. | Beginning of episode |
| 4 | 12 | A Very Juliet Episode | Los Angeles 2003 | As she prepares to board a train heading to Miami, Juliet says goodbye to her boyfriend. Since long distance relationships never work, they agree to meet at that same spot in exactly seven years. | Beginning of episode |
| 4 | 13 | Death Is in the Air | 1989 | Shawn is embarrassed as Henry hoses him down and scrubs his hair in an attempt to get rid of the lice Shawn has picked up. Henry explains how an outbreak occurs when people come in contact with a sick person or something they have touched, and is then horrified when Shawn tells him he used his comb that morning. | Beginning of episode |
| 4 | 14 | Think Tank | 1989 | Henry finds Shawn finishing a book report on "Charlotte's Web" despite not having read the book and chides Shawn on making conclusions based on incomplete information (proven by Shawn thinking Charlotte is going to live). Amused at how certain Shawn is in his conclusions, he tells Shawn that if he gets an A on the report, he'll take him to Disney Land. Shawn gets happy and continues writing his report while Henry walks away. | Beginning of episode |
| 4 | 15 | The Head, the Tail, the Whole Damn Episode | 1989 | Shawn is scared to go in the water afer seeing Jaws 4, and Henry's attempts to reassure him don't go very well. | Beginning of episode |
| 4 | 16 | Mr. Yin Presents… | 1989 | Henry is surprised Shawn wants to see The Little Mermaid, but Shawn assures him that he does. As soon as Henry drops him off at the theater, Shawn instead goes to see a screening of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. | After previous season recap at beginning of episode |
| 5 | 1 | Romeo and Juliet and Juliet | 1990 | Shawn and Gus are being cornered by a bunch of bullies. Since Shawn's dad won't let him take Karate lessons, Shawn gets Gus to go up for him and defend them and fight the bullies off, despite Gus's protests that he has only had two karate lessons. | After previous season recap at beginning of episode |
| 5 | 2 | Feet Don't Kill Me Now | 1990 | When Shawn finds Gus in the back yard tap dancing, he tells him to grow up and move on from dancing. | Beginning of episode |
| 5 | 3 | Not Even Close... Encounters | 1990 | Shawn, Gus and their super nerdy friend Dennis are making a visit to SBPD to see Henry. They tell him they saw a weather balloon that could pass as a UFO. Henry does not believe them. | Beginning of episode |
| 5 | 4 | Chivalry Is Not Dead... But Someone Is | - | - | No flashback |
| 5 | 5 | Shawn and Gus in Drag (Racing) | 1990 | Shawn, with Gus in the passenger seat, is backing Henry's truck down to the end of the driveway but he is too short to reach the brake pedal. Luckily Henry shows up and stops the truck. (Last episode featuring Liam James as young Shawn) | Beginning of episode |
| 5 | 6 | Viagra Falls | 1990 | Herb Wilkins, the Chief of Police at the time, is giving then-detective Henry Spencer a lecture on his mistake on a case. Herb ends up taking Henry off the case and replaces him with SBPD's star detective team, Peters and Boone. | Beginning of episode |
| 5 | 7 | Ferry Tale | 1990 | Shawn and Gus practice for the three-legged race at the upcoming police picnic. (First episode featuring Skyler Gisondo as young Shawn) | Beginning of episode |
| 5 | 8 | Shawn 2.0 | 1990 | Shawn is playing basketball with Gus and beating him as usual. Henry says he wants to play, promptly rejects Shawn's first shot, and explains to him that he'll never get better if he keeps playing with people who stink. He says that he should always try to compete with the best in order to avoid complacency. | Beginning of episode |
| 5 | 9 | One, Maybe Two, Ways Out | - | - | No flashback |
| 5 | 10 | Extradition II: The Actual Extradition Part | - | - | No flashback |
| 5 | 11 | In Plain Fright | 1990 | Shawn and Gus are in line for a scary ride. Shawn wants to know why Gus is so scared if he's been on the ride a dozen times. Gus tells him that the ride doesn't seem structurally sound and it might break and throw them through the roof. Shawn points out that the ride is only 12 inches off the ground. Gus asks why Shawn doesn't want to go on the ride, and he explains that mechanical monsters can come alive in unusual circumstances. Gus points out that the chances of that happening are highly unlikely. Shawn and Gus start arguing about who needs to go first. After a moment of bickering, their eyes are drawn to all the creepy statues that surround them and they both scream grabbing onto one another. A second later they pull apart with Gus telling the people around them "That didn't happen." | Beginning of episode |
| 5 | 12 | Dual Spires | - | - | No flashback |
| 5 | 13 | We'd Like to Thank the Academy | - | - | No flashback |
| 5 | 14 | The Polarizing Express | - | There is no traditional flashback in this episode. A good portion of the episode takes place in Shawn's It's a Wonderful Life-type dream where he sees what Santa Barbara would be like if he never came back. At one point in the dream, young Shawn shows up and complains to adult Shawn that he is breaking their deal that they would never grow up. | Young Shawn appears about halfway through the episode. |
| 5 | 15 | Dead Bear Walking | - | - | No flashback |
| 5 | 16 | Yang 3 in 2D | 1990 | Shawn notices Yang in her driveway as he rides past on his bike. | After "previously on Psych" recap at beginning of episode |
| 6 | 1 | Shawn Rescues Darth Vader | 1991 | Henry has a polygraph in the basement and teaches Shawn how to "believe the lie." | End of episode |
| 6 | 2 | Last Night Gus | - | - | No flashback |
| 6 | 3 | This Episode Sucks | - | - | No flashback |
| 6 | 4 | The Amazing Psych-Man & Tap-Man, Issue 2 | 1991 | Shawn is dressed as a superhero to go to a comic book convention, but is embarrassed by Gus, who is dressed as Tap-Man, his own made up tap dancing superhero. (Last flashback to feature Young Gus) | Beginning of episode |
| 6 | 5 | Dead Man's Curve Ball | 1991 | Shawn is a bat boy for the local minor league baseball team and expresses his admiration for his favorite player, who proceeds to hit the game winning home run. | Beginning of episode |
| 6 | 6 | Shawn, Interrupted | 1991 | Shawn tries to get himself declared mentally insane at school because he didn't finish his quarterly project. Of course Henry doesn't buy it and tells him to finish the project. | Beginning of episode |
| 6 | 7 | In for a Penny… | Florida 1990 | Juliet is disappointed when her father doesn't show up for her birthday party. | Beginning of episode |
| 6 | 8 | The Tao of Gus | - | - | No flashback |
| 6 | 9 | Neil Simon's Lover's Retreat | - | - | No flashback |
| 6 | 10 | Indiana Shawn and the Temple of the Kinda Crappy, Rusty Old Dagger | 1991 | Shawn tries to say a few words about his dead pet lizard before Henry buries it, but he is too emotional and isn't able to. | Beginning of episode |
| 6 | 11 | Heeeeere's Lassie | - | - | No flashback |
| 6 | 12 | Shawn and the Real Girl | - | - | No flashback |
| 6 | 13 | Let's Doo-Wop It Again | - | - | No flashback |
| 6 | 14 | Autopsy Turvy | - | - | No flashback |
| 6 | 15 | True Grits | - | - | No flashback |
| 6 | 16 | Santabarbaratown | 1991 | Shawn convinces Henry's detective partner, Lou Gamble, to tell the story of the missing girl named Veronica Towne the SBPD is investigating. She was last seen by the place she used to work, a lounge called The Blue Derby. She was wearing a red dress and a gold necklace with her initials on it. They think her killer is her boss at The Blue Derby, Jordon Beaumont. Shawn is unsettled by the case and says he won't be able to sleep that night, as Henry had predicted. (Last flashback to feature Young Shawn) | Beginning of episode |
| 7 | 1 | Santabarbaratown 2 | - | - | No flashback |
| 7 | 2 | Juliet Takes a Luvvah | - | - | No flashback |
| 7 | 3 | Lassie Jerky | - | - | No flashback |
| 7 | 4 | No Country for Two Old Men | - | - | No flashback |
| 7 | 5 | 100 Clues | 2007 | Shawn and Gus are backstage at a "Billy Lipps & The Guys Behind Me" concert. The second Billy gets off stage, Lassiter is there to inform Billy that the SBPD is bringing him in for questioning regarding the murder of Melinda Lane - a woman who was suffocated by a pillow at his mansion years ago. Billy's biography just came out and apparently there is information that points to Billy being the murderer. In that moment, Shawn and Gus urge Billy to somehow exonerate himself, but Billy has no explanation or alibi. He doesn't even remember what really happened that night. Lassiter has no choice but to arrest him. | Beginning of episode |
| 7 | 6 | Cirque du Soul | - | - | No flashback |
| 7 | 7 | Deez Nups | - | - | No flashback |
| 7 | 8 | Right Turn or Left for Dead | - | - | No flashback |
| 7 | 9 | Juliet Wears the Pantsuit | - | - | No flashback |
| 7 | 10 | Santa Barbarian Candidate | - | - | No flashback |
| 7 | 11 | Office Space | - | - | No flashback |
| 7 | 12 | Dead Air | 2009 | Shawn and Gus appear on their favorite radio DJ Crock Daniels' show. | Beginning of episode |
| 7 | 13 | Nip and Suck It | - | - | No flashback |
| 7 | 14 | No Trout About It | - | - | No flashback |
| 7 | 15 | Psych: The Musical | 2005 | Prior to being institutionalized, playwright Z apparently murders a critic and burns down the theater. It is revealed in a later flashback that he was framed for these crimes by the producer and director of his play. | The events are shown as Z recounts them to a stranger in the park. The year 2005 comes from Lassie's dialogue earlier. |
| 8 | 1 | Lock, Stock, Some Smoking Barrels and Burton Guster's Goblet of Fire | - | - | No flashback |
| 8 | 2 | S.E.I.Z.E. the Day | - | - | No flashback |
| 8 | 3 | Remake A.K.A. Cloudy... With a Chance of Improvement | 1981 | Henry has been summoned by the court to testify in a case he was an officer on. Before he takes the stand, we see him talking to baby Shawn, telling him how important the jury is to a case and why. | Beginning of episode |
| 8 | 4 | Someone's Got a Woody | - | - | No flashback |
| 8 | 5 | Cog Blocked | - | - | No flashback |
| 8 | 6 | 1967: A Psych Odyssey | 1967 | As the group investigates a cold case from 1967, scenes of the events from the case are shown throughout the episode with the main characters each playing a part. | Several flashbacks throughout the episode |
| 8 | 7 | Shawn and Gus Truck Things Up | - | - | No flashback |
| 8 | 8 | A Touch of Sweevil | 2011, 2012, 2013 | Each year when Shawn is not invited to the Cutting Edge Consultants Convention hosted by Professor Bob Stein, he throws bologna at a picture of Stein's face, but Gus doesn't notice because he's busy talking about his latest future wife he has just met. | During the sequence prior to the opening credits |
| 8 | 9 | A Nightmare on State Street | - | - | No flashback |
| 8 | 10 | The Break-Up | - | - | No flashback |