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Wednesday Night TV Recap [03.03.10]
Ghost Hunters Episode 6.01 "Alcatraz Island"
So last Wednesday night I checked out the live Ghost Hunters season 6 premiere of their 100th episode on Syfy, and the series premiere of The Parenthood on NBC. This made for an interesting mix of entertainment, constituting a break from my regular Wednesday programming. Mainly because I attended the live taping of the Ghost Hunters event, hosted by Destination Truth's Josh Gates.
I've never really taken a look at the Ghost Hunters series, or any of the spin-offs (Ghost Hunters International, Ghost Hunters Academy). This was due to my lack of interest in, I dunno, 'ghost hunting' I guess, my complete skepticism in paranormal activity, and the fact that I consider reality shows based around this kind of thing nothing more than a bunch of drawn out set-up with no credible pay-off.
This episode was all about the infamous and legendary Alcatraz. Team TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) got together to either capture evidence of, or debunk the multiple tales of strange and terrifying encounters at the historic prison. The two-hour live premiere event featured segments in which the cast of all three editions of the Ghost Hunter series' answered questions from the audience, as well as those submitted via the internet.
TAPS founders Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson lead a team of seven -- including Britt Griffith and Barry FitzGerald (Ghost Hunters International), Steve Gonsalvez and Dave Tango (Ghost Hunters Academy), Kris Williams and Amy Bruni -- to investigate four major areas of alleged activity inside Alcatraz. Jim the tour guide explained, that in the area of the site of a two-day prison revolt known as the 'Battle of Alcatraz', people have reported hearing gunfire and weeping. He also told them about Cell Block D, or solitary confinement, where a visitor reportedly had startling physical contact with a spirit that had glaring red eyes. In the Citadel, or dungeon, people have heard screaming. And in the hospital area, the ghost of notorious prisoner Robert Straud, a.k.a. the Birdman of Alcatraz, is sometimes spotted roaming the area.
After taking in all this information, the team is left alone in the dark for hours trying to provoke spirits into showing themselves or rattling some prison bars or speaking. They use objects as simple as a bird feather found on the grounds, to state-of-the-art equipment like that laser grid thingy, EVP recorders and stuff to see what they can see. They placate and sweet talk, they try reverse psychology, they talk to themselves in the dark. Some of it's funny, most of it's a bit boring. You could tell they were bored, because at one point GHA team leaders Steve and Tango wind each other up by placing a bet on whether or not there's such a thing as the Willy Wonka schnozberry (hint: there is not). It's a genuine argument and an earnest bet on the part of the guy that's convinced the answer is yes.
What they end up with, eventually, are a few whispered words and phrases and some loud footsteps. Besides the sinister "NO" heard by Jason and Grant in the Citadel, another recorded voice whispered "Harry Brunette 3-7-4". Research later revealed that it could belong to prisoner #374, who was actually named Harry Brunette, a bank robber imprisoned at Alcatraz after a 45-minute shootout with the F.B.I. The team also came across a dark shadow or two and an interesting aroma by the Birdman's cell, which Steve is convinced has something to do with the guy's ritual of showering and shaving his entire body every single day.
Some of this was fascinating, but not as thrilling to me as it was apparently to the team. It just doesn't translate on the small screen. Sure, put me in the middle of a dark, quiet, scary prison on an island somewhere, yes, I will crap my pants. And hear voices. And see shadows. But watching it on television, especially when this show seems to be more about actual investigation as opposed to cheap scare tactics, then I'm snoozing and underwhelmed. The formula works well for them though, because the series is more popular than ever. People ... like it. A lot. This was evidenced by the turnout at Studio 8h in New York's Rockefeller Center, and by the more than thirty thousand questions that were submitted by fans for the team to answer. If you missed the live broadcast, Syfy.com will have the full episode up next week.
On the next Ghost Hunters: Episode 6.02 "Fort Ticonderoga"
TAPS battles paranormals in an 18th century fort.
Wednesday 03.10.10 9/8c
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