Quote of the day: TV's Psych pays tribute to family values, as Shawn's dad teaches young Shawn and Gus about "losers" vs. "the American way"

"What does the loser get, Shawn?"
"He gets to look on with envy."
"That is correct. He gets to look on with envy. Because that, gentlemen [crossing his heart], is the American way."

--Santa Barbara police detective Henry Spencer (Corbin Bernsen), to his young son Shawn and Shawn's friend Gus, in the opening "flashback" scene of this week's episode of USA Network's Psych

When I wrote previously about Psych--the show that I like to think of as advancing the proposition that it's easier to persuade people that you're psychic than that you're very, very observant--I explained that the shows generally begin with a 20-years-earlier scene in which we see future "psychic" Shawn Spencer, sometimes with his lifelong pal "Gus" Guster, being trained in observation and mauled in psyche by his detective father.

This week's episode began with Henry Spencer handling a small toy rocket out in a field, with young Shawn and Gus--and only young Shawn and Gus--in scout-type uniforms. We pick up partway in:

HENRY SPENCER: The name of the game is survival, sports fans. In order to survive, you've got to fight, and if you fight, you better damn well win, because if you don't win, and you don't use your head, then what happens? Gus?

YOUNG GUS: You lose?

HENRY: And with this troop, that is not an option. Comprende?

YOUNG SHAWN AND GUS: Sir, yes, sir!

HENRY: Because losing is for lowlifes. Losing is for quitters. Are you boys lowlifes? Are you quitters?

YOUNG SHAWN AND GUS: Sir, no, sir!

HENRY: Troop 101, ten-hut! Gentlemen, we are about to embark on the Junior Bobcat Manual's infamous exercise No. 32, the launching of a solid-fuel rocket. Now, one of you lucky grunts is going to nab this thing, and you're going to haul ass back to me. The prize? A hot-fudge sundae. But if you lose, what does the loser get, Shawn?

YOUNG SHAWN: He gets to look on with envy.

HENRY: That is correct. He gets to look on with envy. Because that, gentlemen [crossing his heart], is the American way.

In the end, Henry uses a shortcut to retrieve the rocket himself, which already-super-observant young Shawn figures out. ("Prove it," says Henry.) And so neither boy gets the hot-fudge sundae. "I tell you what," says Henry. "I beat you this time. I'm eating the sundae."

[Note: In addition to being sprinkled around the USA Network schedule after each episode's premiere airing Friday at 10pm EDT, Psych is now being shown on NBC Monday nights at 8pm EDT.]