Anne Dudek played Lassiter's partner 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 to one of the show's two main protagonists, Shawn Spencer (James Roday), 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 the show, 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. She was never seen again after the pilot. In 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.
So what happened to Anne Dudek's character? The reason the show gave was her affair with Lassiter, which was, of course, against department protocol. Since Shawn had exposed them, she had to be transferred. Juliet made a comment about this early in Psych season 1 by letting Lassiter know that their relationship would be different. As for why the writers and producers decided not to keep Lucinda Barry around, this is related to the reaction from test audiences. Psych creator Steve Franks has explained that Lucinda Barry's affair with Lassiter made a negative impact on their opinion of Lassiter's character.
It was mentioned briefly in the Psych pilot that Lassiter was separated, but not everyone in the test audience caught on to this, and some took it that Lassiter was cheating on his wife. Though Franks wanted Lassiter to be an "antagonist" to Shawn, at the same time they wanted viewers to like him. Franks has said that after moving on, they cast Maggie Lawson, and that was "the magic of what made everything work" (via EW).
In hindsight, it's easy to see why replacing Lucinda Barry with Juliet O'Hara was the best direction for the show to take, as she brought a lot to the table in terms of her chemistry with Shawn, and the dynamic she developed with Lassiter. Juliet's friendly, sensitive, and approachable personality made her the perfect contrast to Lassiter, who could be harsh, unfeeling, and aloof. The character of Juliet created a number of memorable moments through her interactions with many of the characters - particularly Shawn and Lassiter - and none of them would have been possible if Psych hadn't given her the role of Lassiter's partner after the pilot.
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