The 'Psych' Movie Isn't All Sunshine For Shawn & Jules

Fans of Psych have reason to be, well, psyched that Psych: The Movie will revive the storylines from that cliffhanger series finale. But, since the movie doesn't pick up right after the final episode, rather three years later, it's helpful to recap what happened between Shawn and Juliet in Psych Season 8. After all, their relationship and all its moving parts will be important to keep in mind while watching the new installment.

As a refresher, Juliet O’Hara (played by Maggie Lawson) originally met Shawn Spencer (played by James Roday) through work — she was a detective and Shawn was a "psychic" consultant on cases. The two immediately clicked, but would go on to have a bit of an up-and-down kind of relationship over the course of the series. Juliet initially asked Shawn out in Season 3, but he picked Abby over her. Fortunately for Shules fans, by Season 5, the two had gotten together. And, although there were several rough patches between Season 5 and Season 8, the two ultimately remained together until the end. In the series' final episode, “The Break Up,” Shawn ended up proposing to Juliet and she said yes. But her engagement ring was snatched by a passing thief and the final moments of the show have her, Shawn, and forever-third-wheel Gus chasing the thief by car.

Psych: The Movie doesn’t pick up with Juliet, Shawn, and Gus having caught the guy who stole the engagement ring, though. That’s basically ancient history. The movie starts off three years after the events of the television series’ finale and it would appear that there’s some trouble in paradise for Juliet and Shawn.

In an interview with Bustle at New York Comic Con, the creator of the series, Steve Franks, talked about how desperately fans wanted Juliet and Shawn to get together over the show’s run of the eight seasons — but also why that push and pull was necessary. “You don't want to give everybody what they want,” he says. “For years it was like, 'Shules! We need them together right now!' You know, you don't need them together right now. There's much more to do before that happens.”

But, although they ended the series engaged, in the three years since their engagement, things haven't necessarily all gone well for the pair. “Big spoiler that there’s trouble going on there,” Franks says about how the pair isn't married when the movie starts despite the passage of time. “But it's consistent with Shawn and that, yeah, OK, he's got to get another ring — that's a reason to maybe delay a little bit.”

Franks isn't the only one to hint at some potential conflict between the two. Maggie Lawson also spoke with Bustle about her character's relationship to Shawn, and, when asked whether or not Shules fans will be happy with things, she had this to say: “The only thing I can really say is that … our relationship has progressed. I'll say that. We're working through a lot.”

As for how the duo will end the movie, well, there could be another cliffhanger. Producer Chris Henze tells Bustle that Shules fans will always be left wanting more, and the movie is no exception — but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

"I feel like that's a fan thing ... If [Shawn and Juliet] are broken up and they get back together in the movie, then it still won't be enough because [fans will] want more," he says. "If they are together, but not living together, and they move in together at the end of the movie, [fans will] still want a wedding. If there's a wedding, then [fans will] want children — little baby psychs." He continues, "I feel like we're always going to have something that [fans] want, but I will say that Shawn and Juliet are doing well and are happy and are together in the movie. Their relationship does make a progression."

Hopefully for fans, that progression will be made down the aisle so these two can finally get married after all.

Additional reporting by Martha Sorren.