Ghost Hunters International Recap Episode 1.8: Larnach Castle

Posted by Ron Martin on 07.10.2008

The International team starts the second leg of their season in the land down under. If they get EVPS, at least we will understand them. Will a dingo run off with Andy? Anything's possible.

It's almost midnight on a Wednesday night. I have to be at work at 7 AM. What the hell would keep me up so late on a work night?



Oh yeah. It's time for Ghost Hunters International again. I had to download a new picture since it's a different part of Season 1. I'm a hard worker, people!

Ghostly Gossip

Our buddy, Robb, at some point in the recent future was a guest on Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson's Beyond Reality radio show. For all the crap I gave Jason and Grant for half-assing the last batch of Ghost Hunters episodes, I got to admit their radio show is pretty good, complete with a segment on plumbing. The meat of the interview with Jay and Grant was Robb talking about some casting changes on various episodes coming up on GHI, hinting that they even borrowed from the TAPS family (Please don't let it be Kris Williams; Please let it be Joe Chin). Color me intrigued. I purposely didn't investigate further as I'd like to see how they play it out on TV.

For now, these are your returning Ghost Hunters International cast members:

Robb Demarest – Lead Investigator, conventional ghost hunter showing a little more personality in the last few episodes, sometimes has bad taste in shirts (or so I'm told by my readers)

Andy Andrews – Lead Investigator, debunker extraordinaire, former of Ghost Hunters, new daddy and can fit into girls' jeans

Barry Fitzgerald – Investigator, conventional ghost hunter, knows approximately 1,245 languages and can hold his liquor

Brian Harnois – Tech Manager, anything but conventional ghost hunter, was starting to be portrayed as an untamable Indiana Jones type of loner ghost hunter at the end of the last season. I hope they keep this storyline up. He sees lots of shadows. Formerly of Ghost Hunters

Donna La Croix – Case Manager, spiritual ghost hunter, shares a love for Salem, MA with me, tends to rely more on instinct, formerly of Ghost Hunters, is not afraid o kick some ghost butt if need to

Shannon Sylvia – Investigator, ghost victim, most of the last part of the season, Shannon was either crying are trying to get the ghosts to go away, she needs to prove this set of episodes that she belongs here and not on one of the other shows where they scream and run from the ghosts.

I think all of you should know that in honor of a GHI episode that aired near my birthday in February, I created a shot called the SLOVAKIAN MUDBEAR served in my bar only. And Universal Studios. Long story.

TONIGHT ON GHOST HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL…

The team heads to New Zealand to investigate a castle and watch the toilet flush backwards. Watch out for those dingoes, man they are vicious! Whoa! Is that Dustin? Hmm…I think Dustin is "the team's newest member." That's a good thing. We are promised new tactics. Let's see what happens.

This show actually shows us the cast members unlike Ghost Hunters. Uhm, could this be true? Have they replaced Shannon with Dustin? Other than Joe Chin, I can not think of a better choice. If this is permanent, this is an excellent change.



Lots of pictures of what you think New Zealand would look like. Robb decides this is the best place they have been to yet and since he is team leader, there will be no backtalk. Robb talks about following the protocol set by Jason and Grant. I hope Robb like to sit. Oh, he means he'll try to disprove a haunting before declaring it haunted.

Robb would like to take this opportunity to stroke his fellow Ghost Hunters International teammates. Take it away, Robb.

Robb: Everyone is great.

Thank you, Robb.

Dustin, I love you man, I really do but the upside down visor thing has got to go. You got to love it when the ghost hunting team is snapping digital photos from the car because they've never been here before.

Case #1: Lanarch Castle, Dunedin, New Zealand

The Investigation
Imagine that, GHI is investigating a castle. Who would have ever guessed? Deborah is out tour guide and has to be subtitled even though they speak English in Australia. Hmmm. The dude who built this place lost two wives and his third wife cheated on him with his son. The guy then shot himself in the castle. Deborah was shoved down the front steps by the ghosts of the house. They don't like you, Deborah!
I guess the ghosts like pushing people down the steps. If I were a ghost, I would to. Phantom smells in the library and apparitions are in the ballroom. Deborah is ready to be a believer, she just doesn't know it.

NOOOOOOOOO!!!! The gay segment where the tech guy tells everyone what the cameras are looking at has found its way to GHI. Damnit, man! Hmmm…Barry is subtitled as well. Barry has a new camera he has been working on, but honestly, I was too busy wondering whether Pilgrim Films actually took surveys to decide more foreigners were undecipherable since the last set of episodes or if they came to that conclusion on their own, to understand what was going on with the camera. I guess we'll find out.

LIGHTS OUT!

Robb and Andy are headed to the second floor. Robb, while Andy is trying to debunk, you should see if the ghost will throw you down the stares! Yes! Our first explanation of what an EVP is. It's been four weeks since Ghost Hunters, I almost forgot. Robb is somehow listening to me so he tries to get the ghost to shove him. Well, he says tap – good enough. It's almost commercial time so we have to cut to the duo hearing something. They both heard someone say "hello." It's not Donna – she's in the ballroom. Robb tries to goad the ghost out while flashes light up the thermal camera. I think a ghost may have just spit on Robb's face. Robb explains to us what a cold spot is. Uhm…is that necessary? It's a spot…that's cold. There's a cold spot around Robb and Andy and Robb tells us what the cold spot theory is. That's more like it, kids.

Donna and Dustin are in the ballroom. We knew Donna was in there from before, but Dustin…now that's a surprise. Since both of these people are formerly of Ghost Hunters, they sit and watch. Dustin sees shadows, then a flash of light so they chase. Donna says thinks got really, really dark. I wonder if she knew the lights were off when she went into the room? Dustin tells the ghost he ain't gonna hurt it, so the ghost makes a noise.

Donna's documenting Dustin with a camera. Apparently, plates rattled. Dustin has to be initiated into the GHI team by wearing the token Ghost Hunters International T-shirt. Donna is dressed like she is still in Slovakia. I thought it was warm there. I hope the Aussies don't judge all Americans by Dustin's upside down visor.

Now onto the mini-show.

Welcome to
DEBUNKING WITH ANDY ANDREWS
Tonight's Special Guest: Dustin

Tonight, Andy is after the phantom smells in the library/study. He compares the table in the room to scratch n' sniff stickers. The phantom smells are captured in the table and friction releases them. They take a hair dryer and run it over the table seducing smells from it. Not satisfied, Andy starts drying the chairs. Does he know these things don't have hair?

Dustin hit the catchphrase.

"Chalk another one up to the The Debunker."

See you next week!

Barry wants to use the Singapore Theory in the ballroom. Apparently, according to our tour guide, Robb, the Singapore Theory is when a team recreated an atmosphere the ghost is used to in hope of persuading the ghost into activity. I know the technique, never heard it called the Singapore Theory. Sounds dangerous. Me likey. Today, the Singapore Theory requires the playing of 19th century classical music and Barry to make some crazy-ass eyes. Barry and Donna hear lots of stuff, but I don't hear anything. Donna says things started light hearted with the noises but then got dark. Now Barry wants to hear 1940s Big Band music. Barry has some weird taste in music. I don't think now is the time to make sure that you've heard everything on your ipod, buddy. Oooh, the big band music when juxtaposed with Barry's crazy eyes are spooky. They get no response to this music. Barry – try early 90s toxic metal! They play the first one again as a ‘spermint. The evil stuff happens again allowing Donna to use a big word like stimulus.

Brian and Dustin are on the front steps looking at a huge spider….but strangely not running from it and peeing on themselves. What gives? They're debunking the lady getting pushed down the steps. They find the sixth step is rounded off a bit and would be easy to slip off of if you're not paying attention. Ooooh, Andy is going to be pissed.

Going into the ballroom, Brian sees a person standing against a wall when Barry's flashlight swings over the area. Then Barry sees someone. Good to have you back, Brian.

Barry and Brian make it into the ballroom to try to capture the apparition. They have three different cameras and hear the same plates rattling that Dustin heard before. The equipment Dustin left there is going nuts. The ballroom seems to be a hub of activity. Brian brings in Andy, the big dog and the two theorize that there is some kind of conduit under the floor causing the EMF reader to go nuts. Andy somehow gets underneath the floor and says the wiring underneath the floor is probably the cause for the high EMF reading. While Andy was busy debunking, Barry caught a ghost.

COMMERCIALS.

Andy stands in the area that the ghost picture was taken to have something to relate to and tries to use Debunking Excuse #4: Reflection but Barry and Brian say no way to that.

Everyone is headed for the elusive Command Central when Robb sees a light come on in the basement. Apparently, Robb just hired himself to work at the castle because he just blew through the "STAFF ONLY" chain and headed for the basement with Dustin and Donna. As Dustin walks into a room, a light comes on. They find motion sensors for both lights, thus drawing us into an anticlimactic ending for the evening.

Dustin talks about how great everything is. He is very excited that Andy got to use a hairdryer and denies using one himself. Really, Dustin? Really?

The Analysis
I am very dismayed to see that Dustin has a matching visor for every outfit he owns. Three investigators…three different kinds of hats. Dustin finds an EVP, though not a very audible one. Barry is on photos and we get crazy close-ups of him, so he must find something. And find something he does with his new camera. We don't get to see because we have to learn about the upcoming episode of Scare Tactics.

The Findings
Andy immediately wants to see the thermal images from the stairs. Dustin declares that the flashing came from Robb moving around and warming the air around him. Way to go, Robb! You got Andy all excited. They got audio of the dishes rattling in the ballroom. Even Andy admits that that's impressive. The camera they left on the dishes catches other things in the area moving around when no one was in the room. Barry wants to get back to his photo. We still don't get to see it because Pilgrim Films hates us.

The Reveal
Robb explains to Deborah what debunking is. Andy can't talk enough about his hairdryer. Why is he carrying around a hairdryer all the time, anyways? Deborah decides she could have tripped down the stairs instead of being pushed. Nothing is said about the feeling of being pushed. Robb is about to explain the findings to Deborah, but the ghost isn't having any of it. He doesn't want to be found out. What does any quick thinking ghost do? Pull the fire alarm.

Evacuate! Evacuate!



Why they evacuate, we'll go to commercial.

Apparently, the fire alarm goes off all the time on its own. Maybe this is something we should have discussed with the ghost hunters during the tour, Deborah, don't you think? Ooooh, fire trucks and everything. Deborah says this happened on the anniversary of when the guy who built the castle killed himself. The fireman clears the building for them to return saying there was no reason the fire alarm should have went off. Andy is frothing at the mouth he wants to debunk this thing so bad. They play the plates rattle for Deborah, who seems a bit anxious about the whole thing.

For the record Barry's camera catches a full spectrum including UV light in hopes of getting spirit photographs. Andy shows Deborah the video still of where everyone in the room was at during the photo. Then he shows Deborah the photo explaining away the flare before she sees (and we see for the first time) the images of two people sitting in the room. Instead of showing her what she should be looking for (as TAPS has been doing this past season) Andy and Robb ask her to point out to them what she sees, thus making her observation more valid because she was not front loaded. Robb does what I am expecting was a voiceover added in post production of a picture taken just before the anomalous picture side by side with the photo in question. I'm guessing due to the difference in voice and the tiny big of post work setting the pics side by side that Deborah didn't see it the same way we did. Deborah, who has been riding the fence when it comes to paranormal activity, is leaning towards the believer side now. Robb reassures Deborah that though the place may be haunted, it's not a malicious haunted and not to be worried. I'm guessing Dustin's EVP got the gong somewhere along the line.

Status: Haunted.

Cartalk. Not in a van, but in a car. Those crazy aussies. They got the steering wheel on the wrong side! Like always, my DVR ends a minute too soon, so I don't know if they high-fived, fistbumped or talking about how they hunted that ghost!

Overall: This was the best episode of Ghost Hunters International, yet. It is promising that the two best episodes of the show have been the last two. Needless to say that Dustin is a welcome addition to the team. When he was on Ghost Hunters, Dustin was always a cool, steady hand. You need that guy on your ghost hunting team. They tried new equipment with great results, debunked and experimented. This is what a ghost hunting team is and is reminiscent of the first season and a half of Ghost Hunters. They didn't just walk in and ask the same questions over and over while sitting on their ass and asking the ghost to knock half a dozen times. I feel like this team has a good mix of talent and are starting to gel. Hell, even the usually terrible producing seemed better. Good season opener, great evidence. We needed this episode.