Juliet O'Hara
Junior Detective Juliet "Jules" O'Hara is a character on the American comedy Psych played by Maggie Lawson.
Fictional biography
Juliet O'Hara first appears in the show's second episode, "Spellingg Bee", as a recently-transferred junior detective from Miami Beach where she attended the University of Miami, replacing Lucinda Barry as Head Detective Carlton Lassiter's partner. Born in 1981[1], she was raised in a family of brothers and is shown to be close with both her parents and her siblings.[2] Although she is initially frustrated by her coworkers not taking her seriously enough due to her relatively young age,[3] as the series progresses she is given more responsibility, being left in charge in the absence of Lassiter and then Interim Chief Karen Vick and getting her first undercover assignment.[4] She has grown more assertive with her partner, and actors Maggie Lawson and Timothy Omundson (who plays Lassiter) both suggest that a strange mutual respect has developed between them.[5]
Juliet seems to present a gentle counterpoint to Lassiter's gruff, rigid style. She reminds her partner repeatedly to "be sensitive" with the media, the victims, and the witnesses of their cases. Unlike Lassiter, she is friendly with Shawn Spencer and more willing to work with him and Gus. Lawson says that, although Juliet is bemused by Shawn at first, she has slowly gained respect for him and by the second season, Juliet reveals a "very friendly, comfortable relationship".[5] The actress says she thinks that, despite some skepticism, Juliet does believe that Shawn is psychic. By the end of the fifth season, Shawn and Juliet are romantically involved. Her older brother Ewan, played by John Cena, is an army soldier whom she had to arrest when he attempted to murder an actual killer to protect the army. Ewan was supposed to go to prison but his high level bosses made him vanish. Juliet claims Ewan was the reason she became a cop, that him joining the military gave her enough confidence to join the police force. Her estranged con artist father Frank O'Hara is played by William Shatner.[1] She seems to be Scots Irish.[6]
Relationship with Shawn Spencer
Season One
- "Spellingg Bee" (1.02) - Shawn and Juliet meet for the first time when Juliet unknowingly steals his seat in a diner. Shawn attempts to flirt with her, but Juliet's reception is cool. Shawn eventually figures out that Juliet is a cop and that she is staking out the diner.
- "Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Piece" (1.03) - When Shawn "reads" Juliet's palm, the two have a moment of mutual understanding. They agree to help each other out on the case, thus beginning their camaraderie.
- "From the Earth to the Starbucks" (1.10) - Shawn and Juliet team up to solve a case for Lassiter. Juliet admits that Shawn does makes her laugh... occasionally.
- "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not, He Loves Me, Oops He's Dead" (1.11) - When Shawn and Juliet go undercover at a speed dating event, the hostess informs them that their personality questionnaires were a 100% compatibility match, "a speed dating first." Shawn later claims to have copied hers verbatim.
Season Two
- "Rob-a-Bye Baby" (2.08) - While investigating a nanny agency, Shawn and Juliet go undercover as a married couple.
- "Bounty Hunters!" (2.09) - When Juliet makes a mistake that results in a suspected murderer escaping custody, Shawn saves the day by re-apprehending the prisoner. When Juliet thanks Shawn, he assures her that it was a mistake and "that's what friends are for." Shawn leans in to kiss Juliet, but she refuses to kiss him, saying it would be "a mistake." Shawn pulls away, respecting her wishes, but nevertheless walks away smiling. Once alone, Juliet disassembles and reassembles her gun, a stress-relieving exercise she learned in the police academy.
Season Three
- "Murder? ... Anyone? ... Anyone? ... Bueller?" (3.02) - While talking to his high school crush Abigail Lytar at their reunion, Shawn spots Juliet across the gymnasium and murmurs "Pretty much perfect."
- "The Greatest Adventure in the History of Basic Cable" (3.04) - When Shawn won't stop cracking jokes in the interrogation room, Juliet leans across the table and demands that he share what he knows. To which Shawn marvels, "My God that was so hot." Later, after Juliet leads the SBPD to Shawn and Gus' rescue, Shawn and Juliet share a meaningful glance.
- "Talk Derby to Me" (3.07) - Shawn sets up a romantic dinner for himself and Juliet, complete with music, candles, and flowers. She cannot stay, however, because she has to follow a lead. When that lead turns out to be a red herring, Shawn takes the blame for the mistake. After the case is closed, Shawn and Juliet go on a couples skate alone at the roller rink and brush hands several times and as the camera zooms out you can see their hands pressed together, though they're not actually holding hands.
- "Gus Walks Into a Bank" (3.08) - Shawn and Juliet have a minor squabble about her decision to date Cameron Luntz, the head of SWAT. Shawn eventually tells her it's okay, he just wants her to be happy. When Juliet's date with Luntz for that evening is canceled, she finds Shawn at the Psych office. The two take a stroll on the boardwalk with hot dogs.
- "Christmas Joy" (3.09) - Shawn, while discussing an old flame with Juliet, says "Don't worry, it was long before I knew you." Juliet insists that it's irrelevant, meaning that from her point of view there is no relationship between them. Shawn, however, does not seem convinced.
- "Six Feet Under the Sea" (3.10) - Juliet befriends a woman named April who expresses an interest in Shawn and asks for Juliet's opinion of him. Juliet's reaction implies that she has feelings for Shawn. Later, Shawn asks April out, but she turns him down because she doesn't want to "get in the way." She wishes Shawn good luck, leaving him confused.
- "Lassie Did a Bad, Bad Thing" (3.11) - Officer Drimmer asks Shawn if he and Juliet are an item. He then proceeds to tell Shawn that Juliet talks about him a lot, calling him "witty and urbane."
- "Any Given Friday Night at 10PM, 9PM Central" (3.13) - Juliet is checking out one of the football players as he runs out onto the field. When he turns around, Juliet is astonished to discover that it's Shawn! Later, Juliet smiles widely as she watches Shawn leading a football team out onto the field, but quickly hides it when Gus notices.
- "Tuesday the 17th" (3.15) - When Shawn is introducing Juliet, he calls her "one of Santa Barbara's finest, both literally and figuratively", and Juliet is flattered rather than annoyed. Also, after Juliet saves Shawn's life by shooting his assailant in the hand, Shawn tells her, "That level of markmanship is easily one of the sexiest things that I've ever-" Juliet cuts him off, but smiles softly nonetheless.
- "An Evening with Mr. Yang" (3.16) - Juliet finally asks out Shawn on a date, and owns up to the fact that she has been sending mixed signals. Unfortunately, Shawn tells her the timing is awful, as he's on a date with his old high school flame, Abigail. When Shawn explains the situation, Juliet understands. She kisses him on the cheek and leaves. Shawn is obviously affected by the kiss, but rejoins Abigail.
Season Four
- "Extradition: British Columbia" (4.01) - Shawn doesn't know how to act around Juliet, now that he's dating Abigail. He tells Juliet, "I refuse to feel uncomfortable around you. It's silly. You mean too much to me, and I am perfectly capable of keeping this [their friendship] platonic, as long as you are." Juliet replies, "I am too! Great!" As she walks away, Shawn questions, "But how?" They also take what feels like a romantic stroll, as pointed out by Juliet, on a suspension bridge overlooking a river.
- "High Noon-ish" (4.03) - Shawn tips his cowboy hat at Juliet and winks at her. Juliet smiles but quickly looks down as if embarrassed.
- "Bollywood Homicide" (4.06) - When Shawn asks if Juliet believes in love curses, she says whenever someone is looking for their soulmate, it can feel like outsides forces are conspiring against them. Shawn moves closer to Juliet, and she leans back, probably thinking that Shawn is going to kiss her. She asks, "Shawn, what are you doing?" Shawn does not answer the question, instead pointing out a clue that he had been looking at while they were moving toward each other. When Raj and Juliet go on their pretend date, Shawn, watching from a car, is clearly jealous when Raj starts to hold Juliet's hand, as noted by Gus and Lassiter. Later, Shawn rescues Juliet from an unstable suspect threatening her with a knife. Abigail tells Shawn that she was very impressed that he would risk his life for a random co-worker. Shawn glances over at Juliet and says, "She's not random." So Abigail wouldn't get the wrong impression, Shawn quickly corrects himself, saying he would do that for anyone.
- "Shawn Takes a Shot In the Dark" (4.09) - After Shawn's kidnapping, Juliet goes to his apartment with Gus to search for clues. When she sees Abigail's toothbrush and some items, she becomes very curious if Abigail moved in. Gus replies that they've reached the "he has a drawer, she has a toothbrush" stage to which Juliet seems affected. Shawn, who has been shot and kidnapped, tells one of his kidnappers that he has a girlfriend named Abigail and that he wants to call her to say goodbye before they kill him. Shawn then calls Juliet and proceeds to give her clues about his whereabouts. The kidnapper tells Shawn to tell "Abigail" that he loves her. Shawn does. Juliet, believing the profession of love to be real, responds by saying, "Shawn, I think I..." Shawn interrupts her by saying, "Goodbye, Abigail." He hangs up. Juliet is clearly confused, but is able to use his clues to track down his whereabouts and is saved. After the ordeal, Shawn discusses with Gus the possibility that Juliet was going to say "I love you" back. Although Gus states the possibility that she was just doing what she had to do, Shawn does not seem convinced.
- "You Can't Handle This Episode" (4.10) - Juliet's brother, Ewan O'Hara, reveals that Juliet has said a lot of good things about Shawn. Later, Ewan says explicitly that Juliet "likes [Shawn] a lot", and he puts his stamp of approval on Shawn as well. Meanwhile, Abigail leaves for Uganda.
- "A Very Juliet Episode" (4.12) - Juliet receives news that her college boyfriend Scott might be dead. After receiving the awful news, she and Shawn take a long walk together through the park, during which Shawn gives Juliet a friendly hug. Shawn then searches high and low for Scott, who turns out to be in witness protection. Once the couple is reunited, Shawn is clearly jealous. Shawn bargains with the criminal Scott put in jail to not have Scott harmed if Shawn will prove the criminal's innocence. Shawn holds up his end of the bargain, and even though Scott was no longer in danger, he and Juliet parted ways, agreeing to meet again in a year.
- "Death Is In the Air" (4.13) - At the beginning of the episode, Shawn and Gus are talking about all the things Shawn can do since he's single and doesn't need to impress anyone—but then Juliet walks up and he immediately throws away his stinky snack- obviously he wants to impress Juliet. More importantly, Juliet gets exposed to the Thornburg virus and Shawn rushes to find the antidote. Upon returning Shawn explains to Gus that the threat of Juliet's mortality made him realize he doesn't have as much time as he thought: he has to tell her how he feels. Gus informs them both that Juliet has not contracted the virus after all, but Shawn tries to go through with his admission anyway. He ultimately stumbles and fails to tell Juliet how he feels, which is immediately followed by Lassiter's entry into the room, effectively killing the moment.
- "Mr. Yin Presents" (4.16) - A serial killer named Mr. Yin kidnaps both Juliet and Abigail, who just returned from Uganda. Yin forces Shawn to choose one of them to save but only has Juliet read him the clue to save her life. Juliet tries to tell Shawn he can save Abigail but Yin cuts her off. Shawn gets the clue to save Abigail from Yang's book and sends Gus with Lassie to save Juliet saying the only way he would be able to not be there for Jules is if he knows that Gus is. Lassiter and Gus arrive and they are able to save Juliet in time while Shawn is able to save Abigail. At the end, Juliet breaks down sobbing as Lassiter hugs her. Abigail tells Shawn she can't handle the danger and breaks up with him.
Season Five
- "Romeo and Juliet and Juliet" (5.01) - Juliet was temporarily reassigned to City Hall sometime shortly after her ordeal with Mr. Yin to deal with the stress from it. Shawn seeks her help on a case his father has barred him from involving a kidnapping within 2 rival Chinese gangs. Juliet gives him information but does not return to the SBPD. Shawn calls her for back up before confronting kidnapper Teno Tan. He is easily outmatched but Teno surrenders when Juliet arrives before Shawn is killed. They thank each other and agree to hug but Lassiter interrupts. Shawn calls for a rain check.
- "Feet Don't Kill Me Now" (5.02) - Henry allows Shawn and Juliet to team up after Lassiter chooses Gus to help on the case. Their partnership doesn't hold up as Shawn realizes he works best with Gus as does Juliet with Lassiter. Shawn and Juliet attend a tap recital together to support their respective partners.
- "Shawn 2.0" (5.08) Shawn plans to invite Juliet to a friend's wedding but "criminal profiler" Declan Rand beats him to the punch. Juliet offers to reschedule but Shawn plays it off not wanting her to be forced. Shawn becomes increasingly jealous of Declan whom Gus dubs "Shawn 2.0" because of their similarities. Like Shawn, Declan is a fraud who acquired his profiling expertise from his father. Both threaten to expose each other if either one of them doesn't come clean himself. Like he has the entire episode, Declan beats Shawn making his confession to Juliet first. She forgives Declan and they go for coffee leaving Shawn unable to say anything.
- "One, Maybe Two, Ways Out" (5.09) Juliet is now in a serious relationship with Declan, of which Shawn is very jealous. Declan is even planning a vacation for himself and Juliet. After Shawn and Gus cause Nadia's capture, Juliet overhears Shawn telling Gus that he cannot be happy without her, even though he knows he should be glad that she is happily in a relationship. Juliet is visibly affected by his words. After Nadia is freed and Fong is taken into custody, Shawn and Gus again arrive at Declan's residence. Declan tells them to make their visit quick, as he is bidding thirty million euros on an item over the phone. Gus, intrigued by this, follows Declan upstairs. Shawn is left alone in the foyer, at which point Juliet enters the room, surprised to see him. She questions Shawn about how he solved such an intricate case and why there might be 3 creme brule dishes at Declan's computer, but he does not rat out Declan for helping. Shawn wishes her a great 4 days off but she corrects that it is 2 weeks, visibly upsetting him. He makes Juliet promise to enjoy her vacation, and tells her to take many mental photographs. As Shawn starts going off on a tangent, Juliet kisses him. Declan and Gus return, and Shawn, too stunned to make any witty remarks, simply wishes them a good vacation. Declan goes to pack as Shawn and Gus leave, and Shawn takes one more look at Juliet before he closes the door. Juliet is left standing in the foyer, alone.
- "Extradition II: The Actual Extradition Part" (5.10) Shawn and Gus are invited to visit Despereaux in Canada. Before Shawn leaves his father advises him to speak with Juliet as he overheard Shawn talk about her via butt dialing. Shawn asks after her at the station but Buzz tells him she already has her passport. Juliet and Lassiter arrive to take Despereaux to the United States, to Shawn's visible shock and he asks Juliet to talk. Later, Juliet comes to his hotel room and tells him that she had broken up with Declan, but Shawn cannot talk with her as Gus and Despereaux are inside, resulting in Jules walking away upset. At the end of the episode, Shawn asks Lassiter where Juliet is with the answer "Clearing her head". He finds her at a platform overlooking the ocean but she is still upset claiming they missed their moment. Shawn does not give up and explains to Juliet that since they met he's thought about replacing his motorcycle, a beloved symbol of freedom, with a car. They kiss passionately but are disrupted by the tourists at the overlook. Then they move to a gift shop where they are interrupted by a customer who calls Juliet a "slut". They then go to a car and are once more interrupted by a cop. Shawn then realizes that he had a room and the camera pans up and out.
- "Dual Spires" (5.12) Shawn and Gus are standing near the lake where their murder victim was found, and the only cell service zone in the town is. When Juliet shows up unexpectedly. Shawn distracts Gus by saying "Dude, labradoodle!" and Juliet and Shawn share a quick kiss.
- "Yang 3 in 2D" (5.16) Juliet seems uneasy as Shawn (now her boyfriend) sides with a supposed Yin Kidnap victim. When Shawn and Gus are trapped inside Yin's house, she is the first to get Yang out of confinement and when Yang tries to make a deal with the police, Jules agrees.( 1. Yang gets to take an updated picture with Shawn and 2. Juliet is the only person to accompany her into the house.) Juliet does not hesitate to agree to the conditions and the two enter the house. Shawn is saved and after Yang gets her picture she says to Shawn, "catch up with you later Mr. Spencer". After finishing his statement on the Yin case, Shawn goes looking for Jules and finds her in the interrogation room. She says she cannot finish her statement because it is like marking the time til the next crazy rolls in. To that Shawn replies that he is there for her and will "always protect her" and he kisses her hand. He then tells her he will see her tonight and kisses her on the lips. The camera pans to reveal that Lassiter has seen and heard their entire conversation and now knows about their secret romantic relationship.
Season Six
- "Shawn Rescues Darth Vader" (6.01) Lassiter hooks Juliet to a lie detector and tries to trick her into admitting she is in a relationship with Shawn. She later confesses to Lassiter outright but he feels their trust has been broken. Lassiter puts Shawn in the same lie detector when it seems the latter was at the crime scene. Shawn declares this has to do with his and Juliet's romantic involvement and he blurts out that he loves her. He also admits while under the lie detector that he is a psychic, which further deepens Juliet's trust in Shawn. Later, Lassiter warns Shawn if he hurts Juliet, he will discharge his weapon... repeatedly.
- "Last Night Gus" (6.02) Thanks to some drugged drinks, Shawn forgets his conversation with Juliet when she tells him they need to talk about it. She reveals that he had asked her to move in and is surprised he doesn't remember. They agree that it's probably too soon.
- "The Amazing Psych-Man & Tap Man, Issue #2" (6.04) Shawn quickly becomes jealous as Juliet shows admiration for the Mantis, a viligante who is competing with the SBPD to catch the Camino Drug Syndicate. When they are on a date, Shawn realizes that Juliet got a text from the SBPD that requires her to leave. Though relucant, she departs.
- "Shawn, Interrupted" (6.06) Juliet shows concern for Shawn when he goes undercover at a mental institution, admitting that her deepest fear was that Shawn wouldn't be able to come out.
- "In for a Penny..." (6.07) Shawn invites Juliet's estranged con artist dad, Frank to her birthday party then hires him to assist on a case. Juliet is furious with Shawn and has no intention of reconciling with her father. She changes her mind when Frank tells her he attended all her recitals and talent shows. At her birthday party, Juliet has made peace with her dad and forgiven Shawn since his heart was in the right place.
- "Neil Simons Lover's Retreat" (6.09) Shawn and Juliet go away on a romantic vacation but they are robbed by their new "friends". While tracking down the thieves, they come across a murder effectively spoiling their plans. Shawn apologizes since Juliet had "definite expectations" for their vacation. Juliet explains that she had not been expecting a proposal since it is too soon and Shawn agrees seemingly relieved. The clerk returns Shawn's stolen Nintendo DS to Gus who hears a rattle from inside. He opens the battery case and finds an engagement ring.
References
- ^ a b c d e episode "In For A Penny..."
- ^ Psych, Episode 1.02: "Spellingg Bee." Original airdate: July 14, 2006.
- ^ Psych, Episode 1.03: "Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Piece". Original airdate: July 21, 2006.
- ^ Psych, Episode 1.15: "Scary Sherry: Bianca's Toast". Original airdate: March 2, 2007.
- ^ a b Lawson, Maggie. Relationships. USA Network. Retrieved on January 1, 2008.
- ^ Psych, Episode 2.10: "Gus' Dad May Have Killed an Old Guy". Original airdate: December 7, 2007.