Psych: Why Anne Dudek’s Character Was Replaced After The Pilot
Anne Dudek played Lassiter's partner, Lucinda Barry, in the pilot episode of Psych, but she was quickly replaced by Juliet (Maggie Lawson). Starting with Psych season 1, episode 2, Juliet was the main love interest of Shawn Spencer (James Roday), one of the show's two main protagonists, and was also partnered with Carlton Lassiter (Timothy Omundson) at the Santa Barbara police department. Juliet worked alongside Lassiter in solving homicide cases, with Shawn and Gus (Dulé Hill) always getting in the way and coming to their own conclusions about each death.
Before Juliet was on Psych, Lassiter had a completely different character as his partner. Played by Covert Affairs actress Anne Dudek, Junior Detective Lucinda Barry was the one working with Lassiter when Shawn and Gus first came onto the scene. Shawn was quick to deduce through his natural gift of observance that Lassiter — who was currently separated from his wife — was having an affair with Lucinda. Following this discovery, Anne Dudek's character was never seen again after Psych's pilot. At the beginning of episode 2, Shawn met Juliet in a diner, and learned that she was transferred to Santa Barbara to become Lassiter's new partner.
Related: Why Rachael Left Psych After Season 7
Lucinda Barry would be referenced a few times after Psych's pilot, but the show largely left her behind once Jules stepped in. Considering Juliet O'Hara's Psych introduction made her Shawn's series-long romantic interest, it's curious as to what the plan for Shawn's love life would have been had Anne Dudek stuck around. While the firing range scene between Shawn and Anne Dudek's character in Psych's pilot hinted at a possible flirtation, it paled in comparison to the spark between James
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