Gus (Psych)

Burton "Gus" Guster
'Psych' character
Dulé Hill as Burton Guster
First appearance	Pilot
Created by	Steve Franks and Andy Berman
Portrayed by	Dulé Hill Isaah Brown (Young Gus, season 1) Carlos McCullers II (Young Gus, season 2)
In-universe information
Nickname	Gus, Magic Head, Gus T.T. Showbiz, Ovaltine Jenkins
Gender	Male
Occupation	Pharmaceutical Rep, Detective
Family	Bill Guster (father) Winnie Guster (mother) Burton Guster (uncle) Brother (mentioned in blog)
Relatives	Mira (Wife)

Burton "Gus" Guster is a character on the USA Network television dramedy Psych played by American actor Dulé Hill.

Fictional biography

Gus has been Shawn Spencer's best friend since childhood, and co-owns the detective agency "Psych" with him, after Shawn was able to forge Gus' name on the lease. Gus tends to be straight-laced and more cautious, although he has been friends with Shawn for long enough that he understands that Shawn cannot be stopped once his mind has been made. He functions as the straight man for Shawn's antics, and provides sobering advice and steady support.

Gus is often shown to be academically advanced. As a child, he applied for and was accepted into the Meitner School for gifted students; however, his parents turned down the placement, later telling Gus that it was too far to drive. In high school, he was involved in spelling bees until 1989, when he lost a competition by accepting covert advice from Shawn on the spelling of "aggiornamento." He continues to follow the American Spelling Bee meticulously, and tapes the yearly championship.

Gus' parents, Bill and Winnie Guster, are shown to be overly protective of their son and still regard him as a child who needs looking after. They long disapproved of his friendship with Shawn, whom they regarded as a bad influence. After Shawn and Gus solve a murder for which Bill and Winnie had been wrongfully arrested, they mellow towards Shawn and admit that perhaps they need not baby Gus so much. (However, immediately after Gus leaves, they offer Shawn cash with a stern order to look after their son.) A brother has been referenced in Gus' blog on the official USA Network website, but has received no mention in the show to date.

Although early in the series Gus seems reluctant about being dragged along on Shawn's adventures, James Roday (who portrays Shawn Spencer) says he feels the partnership has developed into a much more equal one, with Gus taking a larger role in their cases as opposed to constantly being "[dragged] around by the collar against his will". Actor Dulé Hill says that Gus has become more relaxed as the show has progressed, and more capable of standing his ground against Shawn: "I think in the pilot he was more of a receiver, and he gives it back a little bit more now." The change in his clothing is reflective of his more relaxed approach. Whereas early in the series, Gus is often seen wearing a suit and tie, by the second season he is dressing more casually.

Gus has a very refined sense of smell, and nicknames his nose "the Super Smeller". He is able to recognize the base component of perfume by smelling it, and can to perform the same trick with food. The talent seems to be hereditary, as it has been displayed by both of his parents, and has led to the uncovering of crucial evidence in several cases.