'Ghost Whisperer' jumps on the vampire fad bandwagon

This week on "Ghost Whisperer", one of Ned's high school friends has herself a serious sleepwalking problem, an absentee father, and a ghost who wants to be a vampire. Doesn't everyone lately though?

Ned's friend Serena is a teensy bit forgetful lately, and it might be because she's got a crazy sleepwalking problem that leaves her covered in clay. She's also being trailed by a ghost with strange bloodshot eyes and receiving gifts of plumeria flowers and sphinx moths in her locker at school, which supposedly means something spooky. When she confronts another guy, Jonathan, about the flowers and the sleepwalking, he's bolts, but is immediately enveloped by chalk dust. Ooo. Scary chalk dust!

Meanwhile, Melinda tries to help Serena by approaching her mom, played by the awesome Gail O'Grady. We're not even past the credits when she explains her ghost gift. That might be a new record. Melinda thinks the ghost might be protecting Serena from something or someone. Turns out Serena's dad is cheating.

That evening, Serena comes to see Melinda, and asks if the dead person is real - she knows she's being haunted by a guy - but she doesn't really want them to leave. But she doesn't seem to realize that it's a ghost, and when told that by Melinda, she flees. Melinda calls Eli, who recounts all of the weirdnesses about Serena, just as Zoe the voodoo expert professor walks by. She says the sleepwalking, clay, flowers, moths, and dust all add up to vampires.

That evening, Serena wakes up completely covered in wormy clay, and starts apologizing to the fluttering curtains for blabbing about him to Melinda.

So, a ghostly vampire! Vampires who live and love forever, unlike Serena's father. After a quick Internet search, they find Andrew, a high schooler who recently died of a blood disease. He's no Edward Cullen, but he's trying hard to be for Serena. Serena wasn't aware that he died, but they were close. Serena thought Jonathan was the vampire, but Melinda explains that Andrew is a ghost, and the one who has been stringing her along with the vampire lore clues.
 
That evening, Andrew shows up in Melinda's dreams, disguised as Jim. He tells Melinda that she cheated death once, and it doesn't mean that she will again. Not really sure that dream was about the Andrew situation; Melinda still has a price to pay for getting Jim back. When she wakes up, Andrew is there, and he says that he'll have Serena, one way or the other. The next day, Andrew lures Serena out of her house with the promise that she could see him again.

He leads her to his family's mausoleum, surrounded by red clay and sphinx moths. She says she's lonely, and doesn't want to be lonely anymore. He pushes the door open for her, explaining that they'll be together soon if she goes in. Before she runs out of air, Melinda arrives to confront Andrew and explains that what he's doing to Serena isn't love. He leads her to the mausoleum just in time, and after reuniting with her parents, who are going to give their own relationship a second chance, Andrew explains that Serena's loneliness must be addressed before he heads into the light. The wormy bed isn't mentioned, but boy, it should have been because that's no way to show affection either. And was the cemetery they used right out of a Buffy set or what?

This episode actually did some very nice psychotherapy on teenagers and the latest version of the pop culture fascination with vampires. Now only if all those vampire fans could start watching Ghost Whisperer, too, eh? Man, I really miss Buffy now.
 
On a happier and less wormy note, there's a wedding to plan and a big baby bump too. And now, technically, Melinda has two mother-in-laws to deal with since they're inviting Jim's mom. It looks as though the wedding is next week, on the season finale, along with some other good stuff.  Bring on the spooky.

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