Dr. Madeleine Spencer is Shawn Spencer's mother and Henry Spencer's ex-wife. She has an eidetic tonal memory, which she passed on to her son. She is portrayed by Cybill Shepherd throughout the entire series, save for a single faceless appearance from Sharon Brown during the flashback in "Shawn (and Gus) of the Dead" (which is credited as "Henry's Wife").
Appearances[]
Shawn (and Gus) of the Dead[]
She first appears in a flashback to 1987 in "Shawn (and Gus) of the Dead" as she and Henry are watching Creature from the Black Lagoon (portrayed by Sharon Brown, with only her back visible). Madeleine's presence is then implied at the very end of the episode when Shawn opens the door and bemusedly utters "Mom?". Henry tried to tell Shawn that she was coming into town, but he refused to listen.
Ghosts[]
In "Ghosts", her first main appearance (now portrayed by Cybill Shepherd), she returns to Santa Barbara as a police psychologist. Shawn is excited to see her but angry at his father for trying to catch her attention. She explains to Shawn that she left his father in 1992 to pursue a job opportunity, not the other way around.
Murder? ... Anyone? ... Anyone? ... Bueller?[]
By her second appearance in "Murder? ... Anyone? ... Anyone? ... Bueller?" she had begun to spend more time with Henry, now even attending their son's high school reunion together. She and Henry bring over a box of Shawn's high school memorabilia by request.
An Evening with Mr. Yang[]
In the Season Three finale, "An Evening with Mr. Yang", she is kidnapped by Mr. Yang and almost killed by a car bomb. However, she is saved when Shawn identifies Yang and has her arrested. After the ordeal, she shares a brief kiss with Henry.
Yang 3 in 2D[]
She appears in the Season Five finale, "Yang 3 in 2D", where she arrives in Santa Barbara to help with the Yin/Yang investigation. It's revealed that Yang lived three blocks down from the Spencers and that she had taken a picture of Shawn with Yang, which helps Shawn figure out where Yin lives and where Allison Cowley is being held captive.
Juliet Takes a Luvvah[]
In the Season Seven episode "Juliet Takes a Luvvah", Madeleine comes back to Santa Barbara to help care for Henry. Due to her pushing for Shawn to get to know Henry on a different level, Shawn moves back in with him. Madeleine moves back in as well and begins to do things for Shawn such as his laundry and buying him clothes. She begins to fall in love with Henry again and Shawn is traumatized when he catches them in bed, prompting him to move out and in with Juliet.
Relationships[]
With Henry Spencer[]
Henry and Madeleine do not have a strained relationship, despite their past. She and Henry were married for many years, but their relationship began to fall apart and they were divorced, with Madeleine moving away from Santa Barbara for a higher-paying job.
With Shawn Spencer[]
Shawn appeared to be closer to Madeleine than he was with Henry for many years. He was bitter towards his father for allegedly abandoning his mother, but in "Ghosts", she explains to him that it was the other way around; this opened a new door for a better relationship between Henry and Shawn.
Madeleine is very supportive of Shawn in his career as a psychic, but it is unknown whether or not she knows the truth. She also tends to address him using the personal nickname "Goose".
Trivia[]
- The name "Madeleine" is a reference to another Maddie played by Cybill Shepherd, Madolyn Hayes of the offbeat 1980s detective-romance series Moonlighting.
- Although she does not appear in the Season Four finale "Mr. Yin Presents...", she is revealed to be at a conference in New York and therefore safe from Mr. Yin's murderous rampage.
- During a conversation with Gus in "Cirque du Soul", Henry reveals that it was on October 15, presumably round about 1994, that Madeleine moved out of their house.
- In "The Polarizing Express", Madeleine appears in a picture during Shawn's dream.
Gallery[]
The gallery page for Madeleine Spencer can be found here.