This episode of Ghost Whisperer pulls two main characters out of their comfort zones, and we meet three very different ghosts with very different reasons for sticking around this earthly realm. What's scarier than a ghost here for a reason? Why a ghost here for no reason, of course!

Spoilers ahead...

Steve (played by Alan Ruck, yes, Cameron from Ferris Bueller. Bueller? Bueller?) and his daughter Marlo move into a reputedly haunted house sold to them by Delia. At first, Melinda only sees a ghost in the garage outside. She returns to investigate, and finds a seriously spooky Steve. After a brief discussion with Marlo about her mom, Liz, Marlo's beloved cat runs out of the room, and Marlo chases it to make sure it doesn't get into Steve's room. The next moment Marlo's cat is dead, and spooky Steve is burying it in the yard. The next day, Delia the doubter also gets a does of the growing weirdness of Steve, and now Marlo too.

Melinda stops by Rick's, who explains about oppression, when a spirit controls a body without entering it, or as he puts it "a little more Jack Nicholson, a little less Linda Blair." He explains that this kind of spirit will take advantage of the people and the situation to gain power. Undaunted, Melinda returns to the house and lets herself in. She comes across Steve and Marlo playing backgammon, seemingly unaware of her even being there. What's even weirder is that their conversation is decidedly different, like equals, not father and daughter. Melinda then sees two ghosts, playing with Steve and Marlo like puppets. Marlo makes a drink for Steve, who after taking a sip, falls to the floor as Marlo laughs manically. As Steve gets carted off to the hospital, Melinda tries to confront the ghost couple, who laugh about their private game, and shoo her away. Yes, that's right, they shoo the Ghost Whisperer away! They don't need any of her help!

After some more sleuthing, Melinda and Delia find out that Matthew Sembrook and his stepmother Vivian are the ghost couple. Melinda returns to the house, and Vivian shows Melinda a vision of what happened the night of her husband's death, which wasn't accidental. As Vivian says, they aren't very nice people. When Steve and Marlo return from the hospital, and immediately fall under the control of Vivian and Matthew. Melinda retreats to the garage, where she finds the ghost of Liz, weakened by the strength of Matthew and Vivian. Liz explains that Steve accidentally caused her death, and that his guilt, along with Marlo's, is what is giving Vivian and Matthew control.

Melinda goes back into the house and breaks the ties between the ghosts and the living, and gets Steve and Marlo outside. There, they connect with Liz, who then crosses over. Forgiven by Liz, they are no longer the playthings of Vivian and Matthew… but they move out anyway. Melinda promises to come back to cross them over, but Steve blows the house up, eliciting a raised eyebrow and a "well played" from Vivian.

I don't remember another episode of this show where Melinda was as daunted by the situation. The usual formula is finding out why there's a ghost, explaining to the ghost that they're dead, getting the untroubled ghost to cross over. The Sembrooks were great foils to Melinda's comfort zone. Dead people who like being dead, and playing games with the living! Ghosts who giggle at her! Brilliant!

It was also a nice way to parallel Delia being dragged out of her comfort zone. Delia's skepticism was getting a little old, being faced with ghosts constantly. As she says, "there's always a damn ghost." Well, yeah, Delia, there is. Her admission that sometimes the most rational explanation may be that Melinda can indeed see ghosts is a good growth moment for her character.

I think I may have loved this episode more than any other so far this season. It was spooky yet quirky, and this show doesn't have a lot of this kind of quirky. And don't think I missed Marlo's cat on Matthew's lap in the last scene. Killer. Note to ABC: A spinoff with Vivian and Matthew would be like a 'Ghost and Mrs. Muir' meets 'Desperate Housewives.' Think about it.

What about you? Did you too have Cameron flashbacks throughout the episode? Did you recognize Vivian from The West Wing? Are you glad Delia was back for real? And did you gasp too when Vivian called Melinda "Andrea"?

Comments

I only started watching this show at the end of last season.

Who is Andrea?

Rosemarie | Nov 17, 2007 6:54:50 AM | #

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I only just started watching this show too, so I don't know who Andrea is either. But it was clear from Melinda's reaction that the ghost hit some painful nail on the head.

I thought the ghost in the garage was super scary and I loved that she turned out to be Liz. I also like that she was just one of many ghosts Melinda had to untangle and understand.

I too laughed when I saw that Alan Ruck was playing a dad. Cameron's all grown up and he's been allowed to mate and procreate!

Actually, he was very good and I liked his interactions with his daughter. I don't understand how his blowing up the house will stop anyone else from being haunted, though, but perhaps I'm just a novice when it comes to these kinds of things.

In my opinion, Delia was reasonable at the beginning when she seemed annoyed that Melinda had seen yet another ghost. She mostly seemed interested in protecting her friend from any other emotional disturbances. But later her skepticism was unbelievable and very frustrating. How pigheaded can anyone be?

I guess the best explanation is as Melinda's man said: what people don't believe in sometimes means just as much to them as what they do believe in. Too true. Delia's compass is being shifted and she needs some space to accept it. I'm interested to see where it will all go.

Berlin | Nov 17, 2007 11:20:50 AM | #

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To the two people who posted above me: Andrea was Melinda's best friend and original antique store co-worker who was killed off on the first season finale and was crossed over on the second season premiere.

This episode was very weird, but I did like it. Stand alone shows that have nothing to do with the overarching story are good too. As for Alan Ruck wasn't he in "Spin City" a few years ago. Forgive me for not knowing about Ferris Bueller I was a little kid in the eighties.

Delia's slow acceptance of Melinda's gift frustates me, but is understandable. I don't know if I would believe my boss if she told me she could talk to ghosts. Both Jim and Rick were very helpful which I liked.

Does anybody know how many episodes "Ghost Whisperer" has left?

Penny | Nov 17, 2007 12:57:14 PM | #

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Thanks, Penny!

Rosemarie | Nov 17, 2007 1:14:24 PM | #

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Your welcome Rosemarie. I'm glad I could help.

Penny | Nov 17, 2007 1:59:52 PM | #

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Ghost Whisperer this week is filming their last episode, which is Episode 12. So to answer your question Ghost Whisperer has 4 more eps left but next week is the last ep for November till who knows when CBS will air the remainder of the 3. Also Episode 10 "Holiday Spirits" is a X-Mas based ep so hopefully we'll get one in December. Then by the time the last 2 air the strike could possibly be resolved so we should be glad GW had the chance to film 12 eps rather then 9 or 11 eps.

As for "Bad Blood":

I enjoyed it. I defiantly liked the adding of Andrea into the episode cause she will always be someone close to Mel's heart that she'd lost.

Delia, I didn't mind her reaction cause it's hard getting used to being sucked into dangerous unsighted danger. She has a son she can't protect much less herself. I'm sure as time passes she'll be more accepting after all it's only been like 3/4 months since Mel first told her.

Jeffrey | Nov 17, 2007 2:55:18 PM | #

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This was not one of my favorite episodes,but I hope there are people out there who disagree with me. I want the series to continue. I can most certainly understand Delia's reaction to Melinda's gift.

Trupen | Nov 18, 2007 10:46:11 AM | #

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Berlin

The ghosts in this episode need people to live there in order to play their game. Unlike most of the ghosts in the series they seem tied to a location instead of a person. No house means no one living there. However, as the ghost pointed out at the end someone will buy and rebuild... the question is will they be too weak by that point to play another round.

I agree this could make an interesting spinoff. Perhaps Melinda will get to encounter these ghosts again since she was unable to cross them over.

Lisa | Nov 19, 2007 2:27:40 PM | #

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I'm thinking series 3 of Ghost Whisperer breaks with the somewhat stale formula of the previous two series. For a start, there's a melevolent presence from the start, and a hinting toward something which could hurt Melinda personally and ghosts which don't want to play things her way.

It's nice to see the previously self-assured Melinda being rejected by ghosts. You can see she's unable to deal with being contradicted by them and she's having a tough time dealing with this.

Season 3 is much less repetitive. Well played by the Ghost Whisperer team.

Gerard McGarry | Nov 29, 2007 3:04:43 AM | #

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AAAhhhh.... I Like Pie.

Bobby | Sep 8, 2008 1:33:50 PM | #

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