Before Boston Blue, Maggie Lawson Played A TV Cop For More Than 100 Episodes On Another Hit Show

Maggie Lawson was busting bad guys on "Psych" long before she stepped onto the "Boston Blue" scene as Sarah Silver. 

Almost two decades before she joined the cast of "Boston Blue," Maggie Lawson was cast on the USA Network dramedy "Psych" as Juliet O'Hara, the Santa Barbara Police Department's newest junior detective. "Psych" follows the adventures of Shawn Spencer (James Roday), the son of a former police sergeant who uses his keen observational skills to pose as a consulting psychic for the Santa Barbara PD. Although Shawn's deductions are often dismissed by the brusque Detective Carlton Lassiter (Timothy Omundson), Juliet's belief in Shawn's feigned psychic abilities makes her a crucial ally for Shawn and his friend Gus (Dulé Hill) as they help solve cases. 

Over the course of more than 100 episodes and eight seasons of "Psych," Juliet became an increasingly prominent part of the series. Her partnership with Detective Lassiter was a central part of the show's police dynamic, while her eventual slow-burn romance with Shawn fueled one of its longest-running plot lines. Juliet finished out "Psych" as the newly minted Head Detective at the San Francisco Police Department, and her relationship with Shawn had progressed to a new stage as well.

As a superintendent with the Boston Police Department, Sarah Silver of "Boston Blue" has considerably more authority than Juliet O'Hara did through most of "Psych." But Maggie Lawson sees a clear connection between the roles as she moves from "Psych" to the "Blue Bloods" spin-off. 

Lawson told "Pop Culture Unplugged" in a 2025 interview that there are "a lot of similarities" between Juliet and Sarah. She described Sarah as "goals for Juliet," pointing to her leadership role and status as "a woman in her power."

That progression is reflected in the characters' respective careers. Sarah starts "Boston Blue" as the youngest superintendent in Boston Police Department history, while Juliet's work throughout "Psych" eventually earns her the role of Head Detective.

Lawson also reflected on taking on Sarah at this stage of her own life and career. "Sarah is a bit more tough and definitely in the leadership role," she said. "Until the end of 'Psych' Juliet was a junior detective, and now I'm the boss!"