TV-Reviewed

As any long time viewer of Ghost Hunters knows, TAPS places particular priority on cases involving children. And that’s what was going on at the Taylor’s House (the first investigation). The family’s 1-year-old (Aden, I believe) seemed as if he were being attacked by some sort of paranormal phenomena or entity–a shadow figure. In fact, supposedly, several times the boy would wake in the morning with scratch marks on his body. Also, the mother had stated that he was afraid to go into his room (and would put up a fit), but was perfectly OK elsewhere.

Now, of course, children always have healthy imaginations. And it’s hard to prove anything there. Like Jason and Grant pointed out during the reveal, really the only way of knowing what’s causing Aden’s scratches for sure is to film him while he sleeps, because, as they said, babies have the tendency to scratch themselves. And I’m fairly certain that’s what was going on here. However, the Taylor residence did have a number of things take place during TAPS’ investigation that did seem highly paranormal. So, there might be something to Aden’s apparent fear of his room, and the family’s (as well as visitor’s) claims of something haunting the house.

Is this baby crib haunted?

The investigation, to me, wasn’t too exciting until all heck broke loose in the kitchen when Jay and Grant had the honor of experiencing (an entity’s?) paranormal playfulness. The cabinets opening and closing by themselves was pretty impressive. And not only happened once, but several times, and even with different cabinets. Of course, the guys tried to figure out a “logical explanation”, but in the end couldn’t find one. And it would seem to me something like a can hitting against the cabinet door because it fell would be highly unlikely.

I do take issue, though, with the fact that the camera was never on the cabinets when they supposedly opened and closed. Sure, we heard it happen, but we didn’t SEE it happen. Even with Grant saying it was caught on camera–It was the thermal FLIR that had caught it, which made it very hard to see. To be honest, when they showed the footage, I couldn’t really make it out. Maybe I’m blind, but I just didn’t see it. Like always, I’m putting my trust in TAPS that everything is on the up and up.

Then, there was the experience that Jason had when he and Grant were trying to debunk the bathroom door that allegedly opens and closes on its own. Spirits, it seem, really enjoy manipulating doors. So there was the noise, his flashlight turned off, but, unfortunately, the camera couldn’t catch the child-height, shadow apparition that he claimed had run between his legs. All fine. It was a personal experience that couldn’t be backed up by any evidence, though.

At the reveal, there were a few EVPs, but nothing too telling, except for “I’m not here to hurt anyone?” Or, at least that’s what Jason and Grant thought it might be. There were thumps, footsteps, even a low growl. But, really nothing that was too startling. In the end, TAPS found some paranormal evidence, yes, but nothing that, to me, would set the family at easy too much other than Grant’s theory of Aden simply scratching himself while he sleeps.

Next was the investigation for which the episode is titled. I thought the Winery was, again, a beautiful old historic building. TAPS seems to get all the cool places, now that Ghost Hunters has become a definite hit. The Winery’s activities mainly involved noises, shadows, and the apparition of a boy named Lewis, who was supposedly murdered on the property by his father. Of course, a story with such magnitude probably does have some truth to it.

And there were a few times that even Jason and Grant got a little startled. Like in the basement where they heard something fall from one of the shelves, though they couldn’t find what it was that had actually fallen. But, probably the thing that got them most (at least, Grant) was a sudden disembodied voice that was loud enough for the camera’s mic to pick up. Yet, 10ft away were Steve and Tango and they heard nothing. That was definitely interesting. And they looked serious when they said that they hadn’t heard the voice.

However, it was in the chapel where things, as we saw, got a little crazy. TAPS ended up chasing around a black shadow entity. Jason and Grant seemed convinced in what they saw, I think. And with the storm, and the lightning clashing, outside, maybe the spirits were more active because of the electrically-charged air. Yet, like with most of the paranormal theories out there, it’s just another theory.

Grant delivers the news to the client

In the end, TAPS did pick up some notable EVPs, besides the other personal experiences and the sounds caught on camera.  “Who’s there in the house?” I believe was what the disembodied voice had said. And there was also the high-pitched (and hard to hear) “hello” they had picked up. It makes you wonder if the first was the father, and the second was Lewis, the son.

Bottled Spirits had some interesting things happen during both investigations, but I’m not quite sure I’d say both locations were truly haunted. I think one of the best parts was at the end when Jay and Grant were presented (at the Winery) with wine bottles that had their faces on the labels. That was kind of neat. Overall, there were enough interesting happenings that abstained the boredom I found overwhelm during last week’s episode.

Rating: 6.5