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[personal profile] galathea

Two months of forced hiatus, but finally the break is over! As one would expect after heavy episodes like Jus In Bello and Mystery Spot, Ghostfacers took a more light-hearted stance, the show loves to counter the tragic with the funny. Another episode where Ben Edlund got the chance to play with his knack for the bizarre and ludicrous!



As soon as I heard that Harry and Ed will be back for this week’s episode, I was looking forward to it. I loved the geeky ghost-hunter duo from Hell House and I was always hoping they would be back one day! Thank you, Show! Hell House is my favourite comedy classic of Supernatural and therefore I had high expectations for this episode. I was pretty sure that they can’t screw up with this premise of a ghost-hunter reality tv show, especially after I saw the CW mock website for Ghostfacers, which already had me laughing so hard, that I further anticipated the episode. And it was funny, but what I didn’t expect, it was also seriously creepy! It definitely had some of the scariest Supernatural moments ever for me!

Granted, I have a soft spot for this kind of semi-documentary style, complete with shaky hand cameras, murky lighting and breathless voices from the off. I think it’s especially effective for the horror genre, because it creates a claustrophobic and creepy atmosphere through cinematography alone, basically it shows nothing and still gives the viewer the illusion to be right in the middle of events. Inevitably Blair Witch Project comes to mind as a reference here, which is one of my scariest horror movie experiences to date and Ghostfacers obviously took the same line, so I was kind of bound to love the episode.

I also adore outsider point of views on the boys, we don’t get that very often in the show for obvious reasons, so this was another factor that put the episode very high in my affection. An outsider’s point of view, apart from giving a different angle on the characters, is also the perfect vehicle to distance the episode from the ongoing plotlines, without betraying the viewers investment or reducing the character depth, justifying a more light-hearted approach. Hey, what can I say, I am still bitter about Hollywood Babylon! *g*

Ed: "And two lone wolves need … other wolves!"

I love how cleverly the concept of a ghost-hunter reality tv show is played here, as it provides a stark contrast between the harsh and bitter reality of the Winchesters' world as we know it and the artificially dramatized world of the Ghostfacers. Ed & Harry and their team obviously take their business very seriously, you know, in a geeky sort of way, but their utter lack of real understanding what they are dealing with and the dangers they expose themselves to, in combination with their self-important attitude reduces them to (loveable) caricatures for the viewer. When those two worlds suddenly collide though and the Ghostfacers need to face a real tragedy, born out of their own ignorance, they become three-dimensional characters. Corbett’s death shocks the group into a genuine reaction of fear, guilt and grief, and I am glad the episode allowed the characters to grow beyond their humorous surface here. Ed’s attempt to get Corbett out of his death loop gave his character an unexpected level of sincerity and compassion and Maggy’s and Harry’s grief was heartfelt.

Anyway, after the Ghostfacers manage to escape the immediate danger and return to the light of day, they deal just like most other people who faced the unimaginable, by repressing the more gruesome and disturbing aspects of their experience and re-telling the story in a form that makes it bearable for them. Sam just phrases it best, the video honours Corbett’s memory while it at the same time grossly exploits the manner of his death, it’s a testament to both, the ridiculous and the sympathetic in these characters. The little pre-hunt interview with Corbett that was attached at the end of the video, predictable and clichéd as it was, was actually pretty moving and in the end it makes me sad that Sam and Dean had to destroy the evidence, because the family and friends of Corbett will never have the chance to see it now.

As a sidenote: Interestingly enough it is the most 'invisible' character of the group, Spruce, who doesn’t react emotionally to the situation at all and keeps his distance, always observing, asking questions from the off. He reacts differently to Sam and Dean’s presence than the others, on a more professional, analytic level. While the others panic and are pretty much absorbed by the whole situation, he processes the little snippets he overhears here and there and approaches Dean in a moment of quiet with pretty intimate questions. I perceived that as obtrusive from his side and his lack of reaction to the general situation a tad disturbing.

Sam: "Well, it's 12:04, Dean. You good? You happy? 'Let's go hunt the Morton house,' you said. 'It's our Grand Canyon.'"
Dean: "Sam, I don't want to hear it."
Sam: "You've got two months left, Dean. But instead, we're going to die tonight."


Naturally there is no in depth character work going on in this episode, but as viewers we know the Winchesters so well, that a total sum of 3-5 lines over the course of 40 minutes gives us an exact picture of their frame of mind here. Dean’s time is nearly up, no solution to the deal in sight and Sam is freaking out, obviously having other concerns on his mind than hunting, but indulging his brother’s need for some (questionable) fun nonetheless! ♥

The little reference to Croatoan, where Dean stated that he wants to take some time out with Sam, visiting the Grand Canyon, which he never had the chance to see despite all their travels throughout the country, was a beautiful touch. The Grand Canyon is the American natural wonder, a national symbol if you so will, and I love how in the world of the Winchesters its equivalent is the most haunted house in America. Dean surely has his very own brand of tourist attraction, and it’s so telling that he wants to use the time he has left at least partly to fulfil some of his dreams, just in case. He knows Sam will try his best, and I am sure he trusts his brother’s efforts, but if Ruby is right and there is no way to save him, he has at least satisfied some of his curiosity and made the world a little bit safer in the process.

Dean’s initial reaction to Spruce’s questions about Sam's statement, that Dean only has two more months to live - which he overheard earlier - was noteworthy, as he starts to explain their situation and then stopps himself. It’s not unusual for Dean to share his feelings with strangers rather than with those close to him, because it's easier to keep his emotional distance and it's way less compromising, we’ve seen that on several occasions. I think what’s stopping Dean here is the realisation that Spruce uses the moment as part of his recording. It simply comes off as sensationalism and not as genuine concern about Dean’s situation, just like Spruce secretly filmed Harry’s and Maggy’s kiss, no concern for their privacy either. Additionally, there’s really no way to tell someone outside of their line of profession 'My brother died and I sold my soul for him and by the way I am going to hell in two months”' without coming off as completely nuts. As Dean so eloquently states at the end: "The truth only gets you a straight jacket or a punch in the face. Sometimes both!"

It’s of course also a dig against reality shows, where people expose their most private lives, losing any sense of dignity and self-censoring in the process. In the end the whole episode can be seen as a meta comment on reality tv and bit of fun poking at their own show. Ben Edlund surely likes to play with this kind of meta story-telling.

Ed: "We were here first, we’ve already set up base camp. We beat you!"

I love that when the boys arrive at the scene they pose as police officers, self-confidently asking for Corbett’s identity, although they don’t even wear uniforms, simply trusting their natural authority to work. It was realistic that Dean didn’t recognise Ed at once, after all they met two years ago, and Sam and Dean work a lot of cases. I thought it was funny that, once they figured out who Ed is, Sam rattles off the specifics of the Hell House case, such a stickler for details our Sammy! Also, Dean’s immediate and rather physical reaction to Ed staking their claim was just delightful. ♥

I love how Sam and Dean struggle to maintain some kind of order and discipline with the huge group of amateurs they suddenly have under their wing, making their job so much harder. Their exasperated reaction to the group running around in panic like headless chicken or their annoyance at the continuously running cameras was priceless. While Sam and Dean work very calmly after Corbett’s abduction, the situation changes drastically for Dean, when Sam vanishes. By the way, that was a brilliantly edited scene, the flickering lights showing Sam clearly standing in the middle of the room and with the next flicker he is just gone. Spooky!

Anyway, Dean instantly focuses on retrieving Sam, not really caring any longer if the group follows his lead or not. He actually has a moment of panic and runs through the house, desperately calling out for Sam, although it’s obvious that it is not likely to show any results, after all, there was no reaction from Corbett either. But then Dean gets his head together and, despite the enormous pressure, manages to work out the solution quickly, competently connecting the different information they gathered earlier and rescuing Sam just in time. Hmm, smart and protective big brother Dean is my favourite kind of Dean! ♥

I have to mention here that the scene where Sam and Corbett are held captive by the creepy ghost, seriously freaked me out, and Supernatural rarely scares me. The cinematographic format worked its full effect in this scene, with the tinny music in the background, the dim lights, the shaky camera and blurry filters, which only allowed for poor vision and highlighted the sounds instead. The close-up of Corbett’s death agonies built a stark contrast to those effects, giving it full impact. Nicely done, Show!

It’s great that although Sam and Dean do the brunt of the case work here, the Ghostfacers in the end don’t prove to be utterly useless, but have their part in vanquishing the spirit, by freeing Corbett out of his death loop and convincing him to go after his murderer. Corbett and Daggett’s spirits cancelling each other out was very reminiscent of Red Sky at Morning, nifty. By the way, it’s also nice that after three seasons of Supernatural they still find new variations of their standard haunting/spirits. The 'death echoes' were new and hence made a good tool for exposition without boring long-time viewers to death and still gave new viewers a comprehensible introduction.

What else was noteworthy:

(1) I guess this episode was easy on the budget because the ROCK was back! The use of Focus' 'Hocus Pocus' made me really giddy! I didn’t have that for a while with the music in Supernatural. ♥

(2) I loved that there were so many little things in the background that had absolutely no meaning for the Ghostfacers, but were telling for the viewer: the Impala's unmistakable rumble that announces the boys before we see them, the silent looks Sam and Dean throw each other, communicating, the constant flickering of Spruce’s camera, who is clueless about the tell-tale sign of a spirit close by. It’s fun for the viewer to be one-step ahead of the protagonists, and I love when the show adds these kind of layers for the audience.

In conclusion: Ghostfacers was a highly entertaining episode, wonderfully executed and with some really nifty writing and the return of some well beloved characters from S1. I, for one, am glad for this short reprieve before we delve into the abyss of angst that undoubtedly will be the last three episodes for this season. Roll on finale! *g*

* * *

Did you know? Ed's quip about Dean's 'chisel-chest' wasn't in the script, but improvised by A.J. When he delivered the line Jared had a laughing fit and walked off set, repeating the line to himself, unable to calm down for a while. *g*

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