First though, was Amy and Kris’s provoking of any entities that might’ve been present in the ballroom. Nothing much happened here other than the two of them getting spooked after Kris was trying to get Amy to provoke by saying she might burn the place down. The resulting thump-bang echoed loudly throughout the entire room. We, the audience, heard that much. But, the noise could have been caused by anything. It spooked the girls so much, though, that they called in Jason and Grant.

Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson of Ghost Hunters

I was surprised when Grant actually volunteered to go up on the roof and walk around. That almost reminded me of something Brian might’ve done back when he was still on the show. Yet, it was to no avail, Jason didn’t hear anything in the ballroom below. The floor in that room was extremely loud anyway. It could’ve just been the groaning of expanding or retracting floorboards. And, besides, Grant discovered the room to be filled with high EMFs. He said, “This place is buzzing.” I guess it would be with those high tension lines running by outside. The question is twofold: Did the high EMF fields cause the girls to become overexcited? Did the high EMF fields cause Jay to become sick? It could all be related…

Next was probably one of the more intriguing bits I’ve seen on GH in a while. That was the EVP session Grant and Britt had with the entity in the canteena. The old flashlight trick was back, but this time it wasn’t with the push button kind. Grant had opted for the twist-on-switch type. It was amazing seeing the flashlight turn on and off to his questions. The only way for this crazy happening to occur, besides it being for real, would be post-production editing. However, I think that would have been a lot of work. I’ll go with that it really did happen. It was clear Britt was surprised by how cold the flashlight supposedly was by the look on his face.

Steve and Tango’s earlier attempts at making contact with the entity in the canteena hadn’t yielded anything, though. But, it did provide, again, some laughs. The only other bit of evidence that was caught at the Club that I think is worth mentioning is the audio of the footsteps that were caught on the stairs where it was said the lady in a white dress and red high heels would sometimes be seen walking. It definitely did sound like heels, too, even with all the background noise. Grant was quick to point out that nobody else there that night had worn hard-soled shoes like that.

While the Cuban Club had more ethereal happenings, TAPS’s next stop involved more worldly explanations. The Trelles Clinic was the perfect example of people letting their imaginations get the best of them. The place was a bit creepy but nothing over the top. In fact, two of the stories were debunked quite easily.

The supposed meat grinder in the morgue where the guy had supposedly lost his arm ended up being nothing more than some sort of sterilizing unit. Jason and Grant easily figured it out just by giving the thing the once over. I like how it even said on it what it was. That was great. Then, there were the windows that had supposedly slammed shut by themselves. Steve proved that it didn’t take much to make them to fall, even when you thought you had had them firmly secured.

So, it seemed as if everything were normal in the place…but, they did capture one EVP that changed things up. It was captured in the pharmacy where the woman had claimed her shirt tail had been tugged on. It was a child’s voice whispering, “Juan.” The significance of this came up during the interview with the client. Juan was apparently the last kid who had died in the clinic–in the nearby operating room. Granted, the EVP was very faint and you really had to strain to hear it.

For this episode it was mainly the interaction of the entity with the flashlight that made it stand out. We’ve seen that before, of course, just not like this–the possibility of vibrations setting off that type of flashlight are very slim. I just don’t see a way of debunking it, other than it being a trick of editing.

Rating: 8.0

So, Jason and Grant invited Britt from TAPS’s west coast team along. It was a good thing they did, too, because Britt brought with him two new experimental toys, one of which–the so-called geophone–ended up playing a profound role during this investigation, capturing some of the best evidence TAPS has, well, ever caught.

At first, the geophone just seemed more of a gimmick than anything else–not because it didn’t work, but maybe because it worked too well. The miniature seismograph, as Jason discovered, didn’t take much to be activated. It was extremely sensitive. The main problem with it was that it could too easily be deceived, meaning that the slightest movement–even made by the investigators themselves–could set it off. All Jason had to do was tap the floor and it’d go off. So, I’ll admit, at first, it really didn’t appear to be too useful a tool. It was only later during the investigation that it proved its true merit. But, I’ll get to that in a minute.

Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson of Ghost Hunters

The first bit of evidence was found by Jason and Grant as they headed to the mansion’s second floor after hearing scuffling from upstairs when they were in the dinning room. Jason states that footsteps are what they were hearing, but, honestly, I couldn’t hear anything, no matter how hard I listened. When they moved to the second floor there was a strange thump that happened from above. Jason says it sounded like a bowling ball being dropped. However, I think what they’re hearing is their own accidental contamination. Any movement they made seemed to cause other things to move and…make noise. It’s an old building after all, right? Moving on they came across something much more strange and unexplainable: a heat signature caught with the FLIR camera that was in the shape of a hand.

Jason had said the hand print was about 10 inches in size, though I think that might’ve been a bit over exaggeration. Disregarding that, the hand print was still an impressive sight. You could make out five distinct points that could match the pads of the fingers and two lower points that could be the palm’s heel. It was impressive to be sure. Yet, what if it had been left by one of the other team members during setup, barring, of course, the supposed unnatural size? The only catch here is that, according to Grant, it takes about ten minutes for a heat signature to begin dissipating. I guess this puts the nail in that theory, then.

The major bit of evidence, though, was caught in the stable. Jason and Grant had used the geophone earlier, but, to me, it was a half-baked effort. Here they were able to place the geophone in the perfect environment: alone, so that there could be no risk of cross-contamination. After having some hits on the K2 meter and hearing noises from above, Jason got Britt to put two of the geophones in the stable’s attic with a camera trained on them–to see if they might capture proof of the phantom sounds. This would later pay off big time when, during the analysis, it was learned that they had gotten exactly what they had hoped for: The camera had not only picked up the sounds of footsteps, but it had also caught the geophones reacting in response to those sounds. Of course, its impossible to prove the source of these sounds. But, this bit of evidence did have the hairs on my neck standing up.

The Mount was an awesome locale. And it yielded two really awesome bits of evidence. The rest of the investigation contained many personal experiences. What is it with all these footsteps lately? All in all, the Mount deserved its dedicated 45 minutes of airtime. Unfortunately, the claims in the cottage went unexplained. But, I think I can live with that.

Rating: 8.0

Star Island was a sizable locale to investigate. Luckily, the hot spots had been narrowed down to four buildings in particular: Cottage E, Vaughn Cottage, the Doctor’s Cottage, and the Oceanic Hotel. Each of these buildings seemed to have its own unique story, too, including its own possible resident spirit (or spirits).

The stories, of course, were your typical tales of tragedy. You had the doctor and his wife who were in ailing health and whom “had made a suicide pact with each other” to end each other’s suffering–too bad for her he died and she didn’t. Naturally, his spirit seems to be haunting the cottage. Then, there was the little boy from Cottage E who annoyed his momma so much she just sent him outside to play–too bad for her he died on the nearby rocks. Yep, lots of juicy tales of tragedy to go around, which meant plenty of possibilities for TAPS to catch something…paranormal.

Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson of Ghost Hunters

First up, as usual, were Jason and Grant whom had decided to see if they could make contact with Oscar, the first owner of the Oceanic Hotel. They were quick to debunk the mirror on the landing where it was said the image of Oscar would sometimes appear. Well, I guess it’s actually more accurate to say they couldn’t find a darn thing, such as tarnishing or scratches, that might cause people to think they had seen something that wasn’t there. Then, Grant mentioned the lady in white apparition that’s sometimes seen in the same area. I had to laugh when he said, “It’s always the lady in white.” Man, if that’s not an ironic truth. Because, there always seems to be a “lady in white” haunting some place somewhere.

The guys didn’t have any luck proving or disproving anything with either the mirror or the lady in white. In fact, they don’t have much more luck in the hotel. The thermal hit they got from one of the rooms on the floor where the doors supposedly liked to open and close on their own was a reflection of them–in fact, I  had called it before even they had reached that same conclusion. However, just before the oops-not-an-abnormal-thermal-hit Jay had made a comment about some child’s doodling on a nearby door that would end up yielding an interesting EVP. He had said, “Why is that the creepiest baby I’ve ever seen?” Well, he got a response back, “It’s not that creepy.” Now, here’s the thing, the tone of the voice sounded childlike. And it was caught right at that moment.

OK, onto the debunking. In Cottage E, where the boy whom had died on the rocks had once lived, there were claims of people being pushed down the stairs. Well, the gals thought that maybe people were becoming disoriented due to their balance being thrown off. They employed a level and, sure enough, they found that every step leaned in a different direction. Forward, backward, left, right. It could create a “fun house effect”, I think, if you weren’t ready for it. Then, there was Steve’s discovery in the Oceanic’s attic. After having dealt with mice in my walls and ceiling, I can say that they do tend to make a lot of racket. Furniture being moved? You betcha. They can make you think things like that. Lastly, Cottage E’s door was caught opening and closing by itself when nobody was around. Well, the wind did it was Jason’s conclusion, which I’ll go with. The door supposedly didn’t latch all that well and it was windy. Voila. Oh, and let’s not forget that optical illusion of the attic door opening by itself in Vaughn Cottage. And, what about those loose floorboards in the Doctor’s Cottage?

My point is that TAPS went for more logical, earthly explanations first in many of these cases. That’s what Ghost Hunters is all about. But, let’s not forget the truly unexplainable things that did happen during the Star Island investigation. Vaughn Cottage had Jay and Grant scratching their heads. There were the footsteps that the two of them heard. Each thought they were coming from the opposite floor. I’m just glad the television crew’s equipment had caught the sounds. Now, the thing was, if we are to believe Jay and Grant each had their own cameraman, it would be apparent that the footsteps did seem to come from upstairs when you were downstairs and downstairs when you were upstairs. That’s how it was cut in the episode. But, who can say for sure? One thing that did sort of irk me was Jay’s claims of hearing noises coming from the vault on the landing, which was in between the two floors. I couldn’t hear anything. How do we know what was going on? Of course, when the vault was opened there was nothing there. The footsteps, though, sounded genuine enough–but, again, who knows.

Then, it was Cottage E’s turn to wow and surprise us. Kris Williams and Kris Gartland were trying to make contact with the boy when they supposedly heard a distant scream. This isn’t the exciting bit, though, as we never heard the “scream.” No. It was when they went to rewind the voice recorder and it suddenly died. Then, Kris Williams camcorder shuts itself off. Both devices supposedly had full charges. It was slightly impressive, yes, but paranormal? Who knows. Amy did yield one possible explanation. The cold could have effected those batteries. Lithium-ion batteries, I know, can have problems with extreme cold or hot temperatures.

In the end, the Star Island case didn’t yield a ton of evidence, but TAPS was able to find an unexplained EVP and do some top notch debunking. I wish I could say the same for the second investigation in this episode.

Kimball Castle, while an impressive sight, ended up yielding squat. Try as they might, TAPS just couldn’t come up with any real evidence. The thermal hit in the entry area, while at first exciting, was discovered during the findings to be nothing more than a common field rodent. I could tell instantly that that’s what it had to be. Oh well. Grant tried to debunk the door in the caretaker’s cottage, and was mildly successful–that is if the property owners’ claims were true that the door had opened all the way on its own; the vacuum effect had only opened the door slightly. Nice try, though.

All in all, barring the second case, this was a fairly good episode. I just wish they would have utilized the entire forty-five minutes for the Star Island investigation. Also, I’d like to comment on the comic relief of Steve and Tango. Leave it to them to point out the ridiculous sign they found during the Kimball Castle investigation. I got a laugh with the, “I hope they don’t mean ghost hunting…” Anyway. Good episode.

Rating: 7.5

So, first up was the Hannum House. The structure itself had played host to many different functions over the years. It had once been everything from a church to a brothel. Yeah. There’s no irony there, right? Right…Anyway, Jason and Grant bumped the place up to the top of their priority list when they learned the case involved the paranormal harassment of a six-year-old girl. Chances were good, I thought, that this investigation might yield some exciting evidence. Did it? Well, that’s debatable as usual.

Most of what was caught were mysterious footsteps, bumps and thumps. However, they did end up capturing two EVPs–none of which were anywhere near the girl’s bedroom. They were discovered instead on the audio recorder Amy and Kris had with up in the attic. I guess I should talk about those later, though. It’s probably better to get to how exactly the experiences of TAPS seemed to verify the homeowners’ claims.

Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson of Ghost Hunters

In the master bedroom, where the husband claimed to have once seen a shadow-entity, Grant discovered that the clock-radio was putting out some rather high EMFs. But, the field was only localized about a foot in each direction. Then, that’s when the sound of footsteps were heard–and where the camera crew’s equipment had been able to pick them up. The footsteps, indeed, sounded genuine–having believable acoustics for the room. And, to me, they sounded like somebody walking around in old-fashioned boots. The guys decided to go for an EVP session. But, just as they went to start, Grant’s K2 meter lit up. Then, only moments later, interrupting the session, were the sounds of more footsteps. Could that have been the entity messing with them?

Next, Jay and Grant made their way into the girl’s room. Here, they once more encountered the footsteps–footsteps that I could definitely hear. Then, when Grant sat on the bed, the K2 meter lit up once more. Coincidence? He also reported the bed to be vibrating. Yet, I have to ask if Jay pushing on the bedpost could get the whole bed going…Well, that could mean any slight movement from either of them could have got the bed to vibrate. Jason had tried to see if the furnace, which was on at the time, was causing the vibrations, but I’d think that’d be pretty tough to sort out–unless the furnace was really grumbling. Of course, before Grant reports the bed vibrating, Jason says he hears footsteps. You could here one or two, then nothing, though he said he heard what sounded like thumps out in the hall. I don’t know. Again, you’d have to go on faith.

The attic was where two pieces of tangible–well, as tangible as it usually gets–evidence were caught: the two EVPs I mentioned. Amy and Kris decided to try the attic for an EVP session. But, before we could get to that, Jason had to remind us what an EVP was. Argghh! I get tired of that. I know why they do it–to inform first time viewers of the show what the various acronyms are, but it gets irritating to those of us who’ve been watching since day one. Now, during the gals’ EVP session, there were some odd occurrences, the first of which was what I’d describe as a squeak-thump noise. They had decided to try and provoke the entity. Kris had said, ”I dare you to scare us. Do to us what you do to the family.” Shortly after that is when Amy reported that it felt like a cobweb was being drug through her hair.

It was only later the two EVPs were discovered: ”Thousand” or “Thousands.” It’s really faint; you really have to listen to hear it, and even then it was debatable as to what was being said. However, it does sound feminine; I agree with that assessment. The second EVP: ”You’ll find it in this wall.” I couldn’t really decipher it until Jay gave his opinion as to what it was saying. During the reveal the wife had said many artifacts had been found in the walls already. Could there be something that’s keeping this supposed entity in the house? Some artifact? Who knows.

The experiences of TAPS at the Hannum House and the evidence they collected there did seem to support the claims. Though the guys found nothing in the basement, at least, two of the stories seemed to check out. Next, it was onto the Betsy Ross House. On the way there Steve had to get Tango going. It was hilarious as Tango was trying to wrench the walkie from his hand. Hey, Dave, who’s driving?

The Betsy Ross House was in what looked like a built up neighborhood. I have to imagine it looked very different when she lived there. The story as to why she was supposedly chosen to do the flag was simple: George Washington knew her from church. It was ironic this came up as a mini-history lesson for Tango–with Steve doing the teaching. Though I seriously doubt ol’ George had said, ”Yeah, I know this awesome upholsterer.”

Investigation-wise, there were two buildings for TAPS to cover–the house itself and nearby gift shop. The two main points of concern were the gift shop’s basement and the director’s office. The basement was where the security guard was shot dead, of course, and the office was where a former director had gotten so scared that she had actually climbed out onto the flagpole. Yeah, no mater how spooked I got, there’s no way I’d be going out there–that would be a three story drop to the pavement below.

To sum things up, the sound of unexplainable footsteps was caught by the camera crew’s equipment as Jason and Grant were in the basement of the Betsy Ross House. High EMFs were noted coming from the electrical equipment. Then, the guys heard what they thought was a disembodied moan. I’d say it was just electro-magnetic interference, though, with the TV crew’s equipment. That’s what it sounded like to me, anyway. Lastly, there was the EVP captured in the loft area: ”Don’t go…” Also, when in the director’s office, Jason had said he had heard movement coming from locked attic room behind the office. Could he have been hearing the sounds of mice playing?

While the Betsy Ross House investigation wasn’t terrible, it was clear why the show’s producers put it on last: The first case had a few more bells and whistles. Yet, it’s interesting how mysterious footsteps played a role during both investigations. Over all, this episode was enjoyable. One beef I have with it though was that there was little in the way of debunking efforts made by the TAPS team.

Rating: 7.0

Most of what the guys caught here were unexplainable sounds. In fact, no EVPs were caught, and it was likewise with the video–nothing. However, Jason and Grant both seemed determined that what they heard inside the lighthouse was, indeed, paranormal. Of course, not having been there in person, it’s impossible to dismiss their claims entirely. On our end, the sounds were very dim and muffled, and not at all clear. So, it was very difficult to differentiate between, say, their footsteps (and the TV crews’ footsteps) and what they heard, along with the general bangs and clangs they themselves probably caused just by moving around. And, as anybody who has ever been inside of one knows, a lighthouse tends to be like an echo chamber.

I think that’s what was going on, here. Think about it and you’ll see where I’m coming from. Any slight noise can be magnified into something more. And it can be impossible to place its origins. It’s all about acoustics. And a lighthouse, due to its conical shape, which creates almost a dome, is a perfect example of this. So, what I think the investigators heard was their very own noise-pollution–their own cross contamination, if you will.

That’s what I think the majority of it was. Now, I’m not saying there wasn’t anything paranormal at all. I think that’s the next thing to look at. At one point, when Jay and Grant were inside the lighthouse, heading up the spiral stairs, the sound of pipes (or something metallic) were heard crashing and banging, but when they went down to see what caused this, nothing was out of place. That I can’t explain. And throughout this entire time is when they kept getting the knocking sounds. In fact, a little later on from this point, Grant asks, “What is it with lighthouses?”

Obviously, he was referring to TAPS’ previous investigation of the St. Augustine Lighthouse, which, in my opinion, far overshadows this particular investigation. In Florida they had actually caught a possible shadow entity on video. I’d have to say that was one of my more fond moments on Ghost Hunters. But…let me get back to Portsmouth.

Another thing I can’t explain was when Jay did go down to investigate the sounds happening downstairs, Grant reported (and we saw) the K2 meter going off. Also, at about this point, the entry door downstairs supposedly slammed shut. All of this while the guys were asking about Joshua Card, one of the former lighthouse keepers. Still. We never actually SAW the door slam. Anything could have caused it. A few other things that supposedly happened: the swiveling chair moved, and vibrations going through the spiral staircase’s railing and treads–all of which we didn’t see (and, of course, the vibrations in the staircase could have simply been caused by their climbing).

Then, it was the girls’ turn. Kris and Amy sure got themselves all worked up. They even thought ol’ Joshua Card himself was coming up the stairs to visit them. I got a laugh out of that one. Now, the thump-bang (or whatever you to call it) that they heard was audible, and picked up on one of their digital voice recorders–so were the footsteps. But, in actuality, if you listen carefully, these noises sound like nothing more than the general creaks and groans of an aging steel structure. However, when Amy knocks a pattern on the wall, she supposedly gets an exact response back. This could, again, have something to do with the echo-effect of the lighthouse’s acoustics. Because, of course, when they go downstairs they find they’re completely alone. Oh, scary…

Speaking of scary…Steve and Tango witnessed a murder! Well, sort of. These two sometimes on their own make the show worth watching. Of course, the murder I’m talking about is that of a male blackwidow. Yeah, he must have just done “the big nasty” with the nearby female, because she ate him up real good. That reminds me. Fort Constitution…

The grounds of the fort yielded even less than the lighthouse. Jay and Grant walked around for a bit and heard what sounded to me like a bird of some sort, even though the grounds caretaker couldn’t quite place what it was. Then, Jason heard something he termed as possible ”male scream”. Not sure what to make of that; even he didn’t say too much about it later on.

Next up was the keeper’s quarters. In here, it was, again, more of the same. As they went, you could hear one of the other doors inside slam shut. Though, this could have been caused by a vacuum created by a pressure differential. That’s what I think. Heck, my bedroom door does that when the air kicks on, and I doubt my place is haunted. Oh, and I know I said there were no EVPs, but there WAS one, one that barely qualified. The guys termed it a laugh, and it was caught in the basement of the keeper’s quarters. Upstairs, they had some spikes on the K2 meter, again, as they receive responses to their knocking.

OK. So, was this investigation the best of the best from this season? Hardly.  It wasn’t terrible by any means, but it darn sure wasn’t the best. The production company did their best to promote this episode, but, in the end, the hype didn’t add up to anywhere near something impressive. And, again, it’s difficult to fully disprove anything that went on during the investigation (what the guys and gals of TAPS heard, saw, etc.). I’ll just say I wasn’t too impressed by the Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, nor Fort Constitution, in a paranormal sense. It looks to be an awesome historical site, though.

Rating: 6.0

But, as we learned, the 911 calls were kind of easy to debunk. Unfortunately, for this ghostly tale, it was found out that the lines going to each room, indeed, might’ve been cut, but not the main line coming into the Clovis, which was hooked up to an old phone system–which, in turn, was programmed to dial 911 automatically in the case of, say, a fire. Of course, we’re left wondering what was causing it to malfunction in the first place. Obviously, there was no sign of any fire damage anywhere to the building. I’m of the mind that there’s simply some faulty circuitry in the box. I seriously doubt spirits are trying to communicate with us by manipulating it, calling 911. I just don’t buy it.

However, it did seem from the start of the investigation, that the ghosties DID want to come out and play for TAPS. First up, the ladies (Kris Williams and Amy Bruni) had the experience of hearing something thrown, which was, indeed, faintly picked up by the soundman’s microphone. As we saw, it ended up being a piece of concrete. Now, the thing was they had found “the rock” at the top of the stairs. And, as it was pointed out, the rock (concrete or whatever you want to call it) wasn’t there when they were setting up. Of course, I take issue with this. How do we know a crew member (or a TAPS’ member) didn’t throw it? Or, for that matter, somebody else entirely? I mean, it’s impossible to say for sure whether this particular event was paranormal or not (as it wasn’t caught on camera), but I’m leaning toward more earthly explanations. Then, there was Steve and Tango’s contribution. Falling papers.

OK. Even Steve said it: The way those papers were stacked, probably the vibrations of them walking could have caused them to fall. Even though they tried to recreate the circumstances and were unsuccessful, I still think the papers simply fell from vibrations going through the floorboards. Though, coincidentally, the papers did fall when Steve asked if anybody was there. Ohhhh, that gave me shivers…Not really. In the end Steve and Tango debunked most of the possibilities of paranormal happenings in the attic. The lights from passing traffic really did cast odd shadows. I think if one wasn’t looking for them, or ready for them, they would seem sort of spooky–like you’d just seen something from the corner of your eye, something, well, ghostly. The Human mind can manufacture all sorts of sensations and illusions, as we know.

Up next were Jay and Grant in the basement and their disembodied voice experience. Here, I’ve got to be extremely honest, I feel what was caught on Grant’s digital recorder was…Well, not really caught. I feel that, with the tonal strength and clearity of the voice (not to mention it’s utter ridiculousness, “I like the one in the hat”), it had to be doctored up for our benefit. I hate to say that, but it didn’t really seem genuine to me. And that’s starting to become a theme, it seems, with some of these more high-powered EVPs of late. Because, for one thing, most EVPs caught in the past have never sounded quite this strong. Though, remembering back, there have been a few other instances on the show, and I’m not saying it’s NOT possible to have such a strong EVP or disembodied voice. Because, we’re already talking about the impossible–the what-should-not-be. OK. I’m glad I got that out. But, I just don’t feel this particular instance was the real deal. Perhaps, it’s just me. I don’t know. But, “I like the one in the hat” sounded too good to be true, and too, well, corny to be real. However, to TAPS’ defense, Jay and Grant did look for speakers in the Clovis’ basement, which should tell us it DID truly surprise them, too. Yet, could that not be an attempt at misdirection?

The Clovis Sanitarium yielded very little evidence if you really think about it. In fact, none of it was all that compelling. Again, high EMFs were detected, which the guys spun their usual spiel on. And, who’s to say, maybe the place really is more active than what we saw–or, maybe the high EMFs really are playing with people’s minds. Yet, in the end, Jay and Grant decided there was sufficient evidence enough to the contrary–that the Clovis really is haunted. And, not only that, but they actually deemed it an intelligent haunt. What did they base this on? Basically, from what I gathered, they based their conclusion on two points: The faulty phone system making 911 calls and the disembodied voice they both heard and picked up on their recorder. I remember them in the past being far less eager to simply stamp a place as haunted, let alone saying it was an intelligent haunting. Hmm…Are the producers behind this? Mike Rowe? OK. Joking. But, Pilgrims Films could be asking for more–how shall I put it?–action? More paranormal than can be authentically delivered? Well…

If so, you’d expect about the same at the next investigation, the Windward Grill, right? Wrong. Things at the Windward Grill went without anything–at all–odd happening really. Nothing. Except for an EVP, which I think was much more substantial than the one caught at Clovis Sanitarium. It had, to me, the right feel for an EVP. In fact, there was a lot more debunking done here than at the Clovis. The air vents: What Jay and Grant came up with, I think, is extremely plausible with them expanding and contracting and causing noises from the attic. However, I’ve got to say, the magnetized silverware was a strange deal, or was it? Who knows what was causing the pieces to become magnetized, but, I have a sneaky feeling, that silverware was more stainless-steel-ware. That would explain why the forks, spoons and knives COULD become magnetized. As to them shifting on their own due to polarity…The jury’s still out on that one for me.

Anyway, though the house housing the Windward Grill was built in the 1680s, I didn’t get the “haunted” vibe from it. Though, Jay and Grant weren’t too sure of it either, they did proclaim it possibly to be haunted, and residually at that, which I suppose does fit the criteria. Still. Recycled Souls failed to yield anything remotely impressive. TAPS tried, but, in the end, just didn’t deliver.

Rating: 6.5

The two ships, the Berkley and the Star of India, were both vessels with interesting histories behind them. It’s cool (like always) seeing pieces of history that have been saved–and not only that, but for people to still enjoy their presence. The Maritime Museum there in San Diego seems to have done a good job, and I hope (as is sometimes the case) that TAPS’ investigation brings to them some recognition (and funds) that they otherwise might not receive. That’s one plus (as we’ve seen) for any TAPS investigation. Anyway. Back to said investigation of these two historic vessels.

Like I said, I wasn’t too thrilled with what TAPS found, which basically amounted to nothing (at least, on the paddlewheeler Berkley). The first night at the Maritime Museum didn’t really seem to stir up the ghosties very much. I know, ghosts don’t come out on cue. I’m fine with that–but there really didn’t seem to be much investigating going on. Sure, Jay and Grant did an EMF sweep and there was an EVP session attempt made by the other investigators–oh, and Tango, we learned, is a master of the handbell and is even in the handbell choir at his church–but it all seemed to me half-hearted. Straws being grasped at, if you will.

Yes, there was the typical “fear cage” effect pointed out by Jay and Grant. Tango got a bit seasick. And Steve gave us a laugh–he just had to play with those bells. Other than that not much was found onboard ship number one: The Berkley just didn’t seem to be alive that night. However, I did want to point out that, as one story goes, a miner blew himself up in the bathroom with nitroglycerin by accident. And some of the claims did revolve around that. TAPS did their best to debunk some of the stuff said to happen in the bathroom–or, should I say “head”?–but, in the end, the debunking came up with little–at least, to me anyway. So, I guess that should tell us the ghosties were all over on the Star of India that night, and the night afterward, too.

Kris Williams investigates ladies bathroom

Though there wasn’t any hard evidence found onboard the Star of India, there did seem to be something more paranormal going on there. Of course, as pointed out by the guys, investigating a ship moored in an active and busy harbor, you have to be aware of any potential contamination of evidence. However, the night did seem to yield more personal experiences than onboard the Berkley. That was particularly in the case of the moving ship’s wheel.

Now, of course, we never saw it on camera, but Grant swore the ship’s wheel moved on its own in coordination to the sound of the footsteps–which were clearly audible. Brit also claimed to have felt the vibration of the footsteps through the ceiling above. I just can’t help but wonder if he felt vibrations just from the movement of the ship itself. Like Jason himself pointed out, the Star of India is not anchored to the harbor-floor, only to the dock. That has to account for something, right? Also, as far as the wheel moving, could that not have been caused by any moving currents in the area? I know, Grant said the wheel was hard to turn, but still…It might not have been (and probably wasn’t) paranormal.

Then, we’re left with the shadow figure seen by Grant. Again, it was a great story, but we (the audience) never got to witness it. It would’ve been cool to have seen that figure, though. I bet Grant’s hairs must have been standing up on end. However, the real question is: How can we prove Grant wasn’t just over-exaggerating? I’d hate to think he was just making it up–so I’ll forgo that. But, maybe he just thought he saw something that was really something else? Something explainable?

Lastly, the evidence found at the end…There was the swinging gate found on the mini-DV. Well, I’m not sure what to think about that. I’m still sticking with the motion of the ship. The Star of India, like any vessel, is going to sway from side to side. So it’s going to rise from left to right, which might cause something (like the gate) to move just from that motion. So, I think it’s safe to debunk that one right there. Then, there was the thermal footage of the blob. Heck, they couldn’t even tell what it was–or where it was caught. Therefore that bit of evidence should have been thrown out, in my opinion.

As far as the EVP, well, it was really the only bit of what I would think to be true paranormal evidence–and even that might be pushing it with all the background noise. “Get off my ship,” said the spectral voice. Indeed…Anyway. Besides this startling EVP and the footsteps, I’m not exactly ready to call the Star of India haunted. TAPS did their best to come up with evidence, but in the end did little to prove or disprove what was going on.

I really wish I hadn’t gotten my hopes up about this investigation. And the team the two nights didn’t really seem in peak performance, either. Maybe that was because of the two new west coast members that TAPS doesn’t usually roll with? There might have been some anxiety there, who’s to say?

Rating: 6.5

For one thing, they have fans (heck, even groupies) all across the country. Seeing those people (of all ages) lined out the door, waiting for autographs to be signed, was proof of that. So was the fan mail that TAPS receives on a weekly basis–everything from customized beer steins to plastic models of the TAPS office. Though, boy, did Stevo ever get the strangest request. Yeah, I think I’d have turned down receiving an urn of somebody’s ashes. That’s just freaking creepy!

Speaking of Steve… I thoroughly enjoyed the segment showing some of the antics he and Tango get up to. I was in stitches by the end of it. I remember the one where Steve bet Tango to go under that floor where there were all those cobwebs and nasty critters crawling about–that was classic. But, it was the one where Steve had him playing Marco Polo that had me laughing until my sides hurt and tears were flowing from my eyes. Man, I hope those two never leave Ghost Hunters–They provide such good comedy relief!

Grant Wilson, Jason Hawes

Seriously, though, TAPS has made it a long way. However, as we learned, Jason and Grant aren’t taking it for granted. No. They’re, at their core, still the same ol’ Roto-Rooter plumbers they’ve always been. And I think just knowing they’re regular guys (Joe six-packs, if you will), says something about them and somehow lends more creedance in the evidence that they dig up. You just want to believe (and take on faith) what they have to say. Maybe that’s just me, though. Anyhow, any way you look at it…Ghost Hunters has become a phenomena unto its own–but that doesn’t mean it won’t end someday. At least, for now, the guys are holding true to their roots.

The highlight of the roundtable discussion came at the end. In fact, I got tired of them teasing me with it. I should have known that they wouldn’t show the quote on quote never-before-seen Ghost Hunters pilot episode until the end. Ugh! Of course, I enjoyed the rest of the episode, too, but I was waiting to see what it was that had sold Sci-Fi on the idea of Ghost Hunters. It’s ironic, too, on how closely the pilot resembles the finalized format of the show we all know and love today. And, believe it or not, that was five years ago! Five! And here I’ve been watching Ghost Hunters from the very beginning.

I think the coolest bit about seeing the pilot, though, was that seeing Steve and Brian were there as well as Jason and Grant of course. So, even they’ve been around for a while. It goes to show the level of loyalty TAPS has garnered in its members–That should say something. Speaking of Brian… It’d still be nice to know what exactly happened there. It was interesting Josh Gates never asked any questions about that. Hmm… I guess that might have cut too deeply. Obviously, there’s some tension there.

Anyhow. The All Access part was just as good as the roundtable discussion. The highlighted video reels of infrared and FLIR camera footage was fun to watch. Man, did that bring back some memories, as I’m sure it did for the guys. Great stuff. Just like the side-effect of some former investigation sites actually turning a profit off their exposure on the show in that, like Jason pointed out, they might be able to use these funds to further maintain their property’s historic integrity. Like the St. Augustine Lighthouse for example. Good stuff.

And it’s also good to know that Ghost Hunters doesn’t seem like it’ll be canceled anytime soon. And there’s going to be all new episodes right up through the end of December. Then, we’ve got Ghost Hunters International to look forward to…

Rating: 9.0

The Live part was definitely, well, boring. I could only stand a few hours of it before I had to call it quits and go to bed. Apparently, there were some good parts that I simply missed. Like when Jason and Grant first went into the so-called dungeons and a louder than loud disembodied voice called out, “You’re not supposed to be here.” And that happened not just once but twice!

OK. OK. The skeptic part of me wants to say it was just a recording. But, the want-to-be-believer says it was the real deal, and I think TAPS is beyond deception tactics–I hope, anyway. But, the disembodied voice was just so clear and loud that I’m sure detractors of the paranormal field are already saying, “Oh come on! That had to be a recording!” Maybe. But, I’m going to say to the contrary until it can be proved otherwise.

Another bit of evidence that caught me off guard was Grant’s hood being tugged, and it being caught on camera in multiple different angles. That was pretty darned incredible. The FLIR, though, was definitely the clearest view. It was something seeing him reacting to it and then seeing what was going on: His hood was literally being ‘tugged’ by…what? Obviously something unseen. Again, the skeptic in me says, “It has to have been attached to a hook and some fishing line.”

Of course, I’m again going to give TAPS the benefit of doubt on that one; meaning, I believe things were on the up and up. Anyway. There were plenty of other pieces of paranormal evidence as well. Footsteps, knocks, etc. So, Fort Delaware was definitely worth the second visit for TAPS and the Ghost Hunters‘ crew.

Steve Gonsalves, Donna La Croix, Brian Harnois, Grant Wilson, Jason Hawes

Then, after the live show results we were presented with the winner of the Great American Ghost Hunt: the creepy private island. Though, I’ve got to say, I think all the properties that made it into the final selection process looked awesome. Like Jason said, they’ll probably end up investigating them all, but first is the haunted private isle. I’m definitely stoked about seeing that place.

If the results from the Live show weren’t enough, there was a bonus investigation of what has to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Wow! The McKeehan House was something else. I’d say we have an intelligent haunting going on here. Whatever was there was definitely interacting with the guys. I mean, as soon as Grant taunted, “You can’t scare us. You can do better than that.” Bam! The door slammed in the cameraman’s face. That was impressive.

Then, there was the coat hanger. And that happened after Jay asked, “Can you make a noise.” And it happened not just that one time, but twice! You can’t get anymore spooky than that. However…

The camera was not focused on the closet when the hanger went a-flying. Again, I don’t doubt things were anything but on the up and up, but it would have been a boon to have seen it take flight. I mean, evidence like that doesn’t come around everyday. I know I would have had the camera guy focused on that closet after the hanger had taken off the first time. That way it would have been less refutable evidence. Because, any skeptic worth their merit would have been all over this saying it’s just a hoax. If there was the visible evidence of it (the hanger) lifting up and flying on its own one could irrefutably say it wasn’t just thrown by somebody off-camera.

Anyhow. While not perfect, the results show more than made up for the Live show’s ho-humness. Is that a word? If it isn’t, it is now.

Rating: 8.5

From the parts that I saw, you would constantly get interrupted with Josh saying, “Let’s take a look now at” such and such program, which was related to whomever–from said program–was just on with the TAPS team, such as Amanda Tapping; I.E. “Let’s take a look at her new hit show Sanctuary.” Right. Once might’ve been OK, but I only watched Ghost Hunters’ Live for 3hrs, and they did this several times over. Every show involved I presume received its promo, at least, three times, maybe more.

This became frustrating because it kept interrupting the investigation for (me) the viewer. Just when you got comfortable watching whatever investigation area might be on–BAM! promo. Ugh. That was getting almost more irritating than the commercials. Speaking of which, there seemed to be an inordinate amount of good ol’ advertising goodness. More and more it was like: Is TAPS taking this investigation seriously? I mean, the commercials were understandable for the network–they can’t help that. And the promos were irritating, but I guess that’s the nature of the beast. However…

Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson

Several times over, there was just a lot of, to me, fooling about in a cool haunted fort: Fort Delaware. OK. As we all know TAPS, in order to stave off boredom, often does have some fun, and I suppose you need that when it’s freezing cold. But, like when Steve and Tango and Amanda were in the POW quarters, they didn’t have much to do, it seemed, but monkey around with the games that were in there. Sure, Steve tried to conduct an EVP session, but it quickly turned into horsing around. Even Jason and Grant didn’t seem to be taking themselves too seriously. Who knows, maybe they were just caught at those moments more than the serious investigation ones. It’s hard to say.

Then, we had the interaction (or, lack thereof) for the viewer. Yes, the panic button was in place and it got well used from what they kept saying, but sadly it was for not from what I saw. Not once did anybody come up with anything. The closest we got was a technically-glitched telephone call from a viewer who suggested they whistle dixie. While not a bad idea, I suppose, it didn’t really get taken too seriously.

I don’t know, I guess I could bash this year’s Ghost Hunter’s Live into the ground. However, there were a few bright spots from what I remember seeing. First of which was Rob’s investigation in the officer’s quarters. He did his darnest to illicit a response from anything that might’ve been there. In fact, he did a pretty good job, though he ended up catching nothing. At least, he seemed to be in the spirit of, well, “ghost hunting”. Also, it was just great seeing all the TAPS team members reunited. Though, Brian and Donna were still missing.

In the end, it should be interesting to see if TAPS DID catch anything last night. I mean, I’ve always been of the believe with the “live” stuff that the post-production Ghost Hunters episode is much more exciting with the oft dramatic background music and quick camera edits. It somehow feels more complete than watching an actual 6-hour investigation as it happens. I know, that probably sounds odd. But, the total silence, while great on perhaps picking up audio evidence, just makes the show feel flat and, hate to say it, boring. That’s just me, though, I’m sure. So, I’ll be eagerly awaiting the big reveal anyway, which I’m hoping will be worth it. Only time will tell.

Rating: 6.5