First things first: a disclaimer is in order.  I admit to knowing a number of the people involved with Ghost Stalkers  rather well.  David Rountree is my co-director in SPIRIT Lab, a research-driven organization that centers on applicable of scientific theory and principles in the investigation of alleged paranormal activity.  John Tenney has been a longtime friend and moderator of the SPIRIT Facebook page.  It would not be overstating the case to say that a good deal of the technical instrumentation and concepts David used on the show were the result of discussions and brainstorming we’ve indulged in over the years.  After all, I wrote the afterword to his book “Paranormal Technology”.

 

On the other hand, this may be one of those instances where familiarity is not a problem.  Before the old Critical Myth website went down, there were extensive sections devoted to breakdowns and criticisms of prominent paranormal shows like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures.  This continued even after I came to forge strong, positive relationships with a number of cast members.  I would think that David, John, and the rest of the gang would expect nothing less of me now.

 

All that said, the goal of Ghost Stalkers was primarily to take the whole subgenre and progress it forward to something better.  In this case, that meant two things: 1) adding some technical elements with an actual scientific backing, and 2) immediately framing the investigations themselves as a personal journey vs. a determination of whether or not a location was “haunted”.

 

I’ll start with the scientific side of the equation.  David Rountree’s approach to “paranormal” is to state that such a thing does not exist.  That’s not to say that he takes the Skeptical mindset to heart, but rather, that those reporting “paranormal activity” are reacting to perfectly natural conditions that may or may not be understood, yet align with the predicted results of cutting edge theory.  Appropriately enough, the film Interstellar touches on a great many elements of the very scientific theories that David has used in developing his arsenal.

 

In essence, David’s pet theory is that the majority of the reported perceptions and experiences during a “paranormal event” are very similar to the predictions of environmental changes that would accompany the emergence of a “wormhole”, or Einstein-Rosen Bridge.  Through years of research, David has been able to demonstrate that locations with high numbers of anecdotal “paranormal” experiences tend to have instances of “emerging EMF”.  Some of his equipment is designed to monitor a given area in a location to pinpoint and “map” a sudden spike of EMF, specifically excluding man-made sources.  Any review of the potential ramifications of such wormholes (for example, books by Kip Thorne) bear out many of these conclusions.  The central notion is: are people reacting to these natural emergences and what they may or may not be “fueling” when they have these “paranormal” experiences?

 

Thus the other side of the equation: John Tenney and Chad Lindberg, two individuals who have had near-death experiences and have subsequently formed an interest in what are commonly called “portals”.  In paranormal parlance, “portals” are doorways to other places, dimensions, realms, times, or whatever; typical for the paranormal community, the definition changes depending on the bias of the storyteller.  Yet there is an obvious overlap: if there are locations that have tales of extreme paranormal activity, supposedly fueled by a “portal”, is that actually the result of conditions that drive a “wormhole” to exist?

 

Since the show focuses on the investigations of John and Chad, much of the discussion is framed by how each of the two men view their experiences and the possibilities that “portals” might present.  Any technical instrumentation or experimentation is a support function; it is designed largely to monitor environmental conditions and determine, objectively, if there are changes that are theoretically associated with wormholes.

 

The premise takes the usual thrust of the subgenre and turns it on its head: instead of trying to capture evidence to prove a location is “haunted”, the locations are chosen specifically because of their existing reputations and the nature of the stories told about them.  Any conclusions drawn are clearly those of the individuals involved, and only speak to their point of view.

 

It’s up to the audience, for the most part, to decide the value of the observations, perceptions, and experiences.  It’s even the audience’s decision whether or not the technical data trending actually means anything in relation to those experiences.  Opinions are given, but that’s about it, so each episode is more about the personal journeys of the cast than anything else.


WHAT WORKED

John Tenney is one of the best elements of the show, largely because he spends the majority of the time in a trenchcoat and business casual clothes.  He’s generally the calmer influence on the team, which makes it all the more remarkable when he starts to lose his cool.  Add to that David Rountree’s calm and collected presence, and I think that would be a potent duo for any production.  Chad’s energy is a bit different, and while there were issues with that at times (see the next section), on the balance it was a good thing.

 

There is a difference between the use of handheld cameras between a group trying to frame shots to avoid showing the audience certain things vs. giving a true representation of what is happening.  Ghost Stalkers fits into the latter category.  It gives a sense of immediacy and takes the audience along for the ride.

 

As a result of a proper blend of scientific and personal agendas, some of the findings are surprising.  While the lion’s share of the attention will no doubt be on the unusual figure captured on camera in Old Taylor Memorial Hospital (episode 1.3), I found the moments in Springfield State Hospital (episode 1.2) where John and Chad completely missed half of what was happening around them to be a lot more telling.

 

I must also point to the use of actual scientific, calibrated instrumentation during the investigations.  Unlike most shows, I can be entirely sure that the instruments were calibrated, because those were instruments I literally held in my hand and used over the past several years.  And as such, even when the editors cut out some of the explanations for what was and wasn’t “normal” in terms of data output, I could easily fill in the blanks and recognize that it was all kosher, subjective interpretations notwithstanding.



WHAT DIDN'T WORK

The biggest downside to the series is that the paranormal community doesn’t like change or anything that threatens their self-validating worldview overly much.  As a result, while there was a strong desire to focus more on science and less on the wild speculation and histrionics, the show had to conform to certain tropes of the subgenre.  Quite frankly, it’s there to draw in the target audience, but that in and of itself is an issue.  It’s hard to tell where the genuine speculation ends and the material intended to entice the target audience begins.

 

A related problem is one that is true of the entire “reality TV” genre: a lot is left on the cutting room floor to accommodate a single hour.  Knowing David as I do, I could tell how often his longer, more nuanced explanations and reactions were cut down to the bare essentials (and sometimes less).  Favor was certainly given to the moments when John or Chad reacted in fear or anxiety, rather than the far more prevalent footage where they were cool and collected.  It’s hard not to get irritated, even knowing that it’s inevitable.

 

One thing that will annoy a number of viewers, and sometimes threatens to undermine the credibility of the series itself, is Chad’s screaming and general freak-outs.  It really doesn’t matter if it’s genuine or some kind of intentional self-characterization; it often goes way over the top to the point of detracting from some segments of episodes.  Which is unfortunate, because the personal spin on the adventure paints Chad as someone both drawn to and terrified by that which he seeks.

 

One last issue is the decision by the network to air the six episodes out of order.  While on one level it shouldn’t matter, since each location is specific to an episode, the intent of the series is to chronicle John and Chad’s journey over the course of these six investigations.  What they might think and conjecture in the first investigation shifts over time, and the energy present in the first investigation is utterly gone by the last, replaced by exhaustion-induced paranoia.  That sense of progression is lost with the decision to air out of order, and considering that it was a total of six episodes, that seems unnecessary.




THE BEST EPISODES

1.2: “Springfield State Hospital”

 

It takes a lot to get under my skin, so the fact that this investigation creeped me out says a lot.  I think it was most evident during a segment where Chad was so busy trying to figure out what was being said on an audio recording that he completely missed the eerie laughter in the background.

 

1.4: “Holmesberg Prison”

 

A location notable as much for the ridiculous amount of strangeness taking place as for how strongly the experience was taking its toll on John and Chad.  Ever want to see what happens to people when they are exposed to a super-strong magnetic field for a few hours?  This is the episode for you.



THE WORST EPISODE

1.5: “Wheatlands Plantation”

 

Actually the very first investigation filmed, this is wildly out of order.  It’s also one of the least active investigations of the bunch, which thankfully goes against the “everyplace is uber-active!” stance of most other shows, but also feels a bit weaker after a run of three more involving hours.



THE BOTTOM LINE

The mission of Ghost Stalkers was to take the paranormal investigative reality show genre to the next level, and to a degree, the show met that goal.  Framing the show as more about the personal journeys of the investigators, as opposed to judging the merits of claims about a given location, made it a more involving tale.  Additionally, the more grounded scientific elements were a nice change from the “any result is paranormal” mindset that permeates the community.  All that said, the need to adhere to certain tropes of the subgenre, and the network’s decision to scramble the episode order, makes this feel less revolutionary and more incremental.  On the other hand, as a reflection of the community resistance to change for the better (and more credible), that may be the most fitting observation to be made.  Hopefully there will be a second season, so the next iteration of advances can be more substantial!