Ghost Whisperer“Ghost in the Machine”
Original Air Date: October 17th, 2008
Lynn – TwoCents Reviewer
lynn@thetwocentscorp.com
This week, Melinda discovers “Alt World – 2,” a virtual online world. She also discovers a ghost trapped in the game that she lets out into the real world. Melinda enters this alternate reality to find out the true intentions of this ghost—good or evil? Plus, she gets to wear some pretty spiffy wigs!
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[photo: ABC Studios]
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Ghost Whisperer
ReplyDelete“Ghost in the Machine”
Original Air Date: October 17th, 2008
Lynn – TwoCents Reviewer
lynn@thetwocentscorp.com
This week, Melinda discovers “Alt World – 2,” a virtual online world. She also discovers a ghost trapped in the game that she lets out into the real world. Melinda enters this alternate reality to find out the true intentions of this ghost—good or evil? Plus, she gets to wear some pretty spiffy wigs!
The episode begins with the whole gang in their little antique shop. Ned introduces Melinda and Eli to “Alt World – 2,” an online game where people create their own avatars and chat with other users online. Melinda notices one avatar, a nerdy-looking fellow called Phoenix, who seems to stare right at her from inside the game. He promptly appears in the antique shop, looks confused and stumbles around, breaking a few things before disappearing.
Ned says that Phoenix usually hangs out with the French girls, one whose name is Sedona. In real life, the girls are at a coffee shop, conveniently located right in Grandview. Ned introduces himself to Sedona, who is actually Alise Jones, a teenage girl also living in Grandview. While talking to her, the Phoenix ghost appears, yelling at Ned to leave Alise alone. Since Melinda isn’t there to see him, it’s up to Eli to talk to him. He looks insane to others in the coffee shop and doesn’t get any information from Phoenix.
Melinda is curious about the ghost. She suspects that maybe the person died while playing Alt World. She researches and discovers that several people died while playing games for days straight. She meets up with Eli and Ned again, telling them she’s been watching Phoenix’s avatar for the past 24 hours, and he hasn’t moved since she drew him out of the game the day before. Finally, he just disappears. Melinda touches the computer screen when pointing to where he was standing and is pulled into the game.
In the game, Melinda has this wild blond wig and black mask on. She sees Phoenix and tries to talk to him but he starts beating her up, throwing her into walls and such. She offers up her help, but Phoenix continues flinging cars and fire hydrants her way. Mel stops playing nice and throws in a couple kick flips. And then, my favorite line of the episode:
Ned: You were kickin’ some ass.
Melinda (ridiculously pleased with herself, might I add): I was, right?
Melinda once again confronts Phoenix, this time in the real world. She tells him to stay away from Alise, but he says he’s protecting her.
...From what?
Eli apparently has a police officer who owes him a favor. She help Eli find the real life Phoenix. Somehow, they trace his email and the new tag team of Melinda and Eli go to check out his house. They find Phoenix dead, sitting at his computer. There are pictures of Larry Jones (according to an ID on the table) and his daughter, Alise Jones. Melinda realizes that Phoenix really was trying to protect Alise. “Phoenix” comes through the window of the house and morphs into Larry Jones.
Larry says he befriended Alise online as Phoenix to be a part of her life. He had an affair and left Alise and her mother several years ago. He says that he’s trying to protect Alise from her online friend Cal, who he thinks is a stalker. Mr. Jones asks Melinda and Eli to tell Alise that she might be in danger. They confront Alise and her mother. Melinda explains that she can talk to spirits and, like so many times before, they don’t believe her and tell them to go away.
Melinda and Eli take matters into their own hands. Melinda reenters the game (sporting a new choppy ‘do) and finds Cal talking with Alise in a pretty cool looking online arcade. She sends him an email asking him for help in the game.
Meanwhile, Cal is talking to Alise, and he asks her to call him. They finally talk on the phone, and he says he was just at the same café as her. We see the Cal, an older guy sitting in his car, watching Alise. He invites her to come with some him to a dance at the Brookside Mall. He also knows where she lives—which would tip me off about this guy, but Alise is still oblivious at this point—and he offers to pick her up. She agrees.
Melinda gets an email back from Cal that asks what he can do to help. They trace the reply’s IP address to a nearby motel room. Melinda, Eli, and his police officer pal show up at the motel room to find it cluttered with provocative pictures of young girls.
Cal calls Alise from his car again to tell her that his brother still isn’t back with his mom’s car, but that his brother can come by and pick up Alise instead. Cal comes to Alise’s house and says he is Cal’s brother. Alise is hesitant, but she comes with him. The ghost of her dad stands outside of the car, screaming at her to get out, but he can’t stop them. He goes back to the motel and tells Eli that they’re driving a blue van and its liscense plate number so they can send the police.
Alise finally realizes what’s happening as she says, “This isn’t Brookside.” Cal just looks at her, effectively giving both her and me the creeps. Alise sees her phone ringing, and the caller ID reads “Dad.” Suddenly, the car goes out of control: lights flashing, alarms ringing, music blaring. The car swerves across the road and Alise makes her getaway as the police arrive.
Melinda finds Alise and tells her that her dad saved her in the car from Cal. Teary-eyed by now, Alise recalls the time when she was little and went with her dad hunting for treasure and coming back with rocks and feathers. Melinda tells her that her father was Phoenix and he apologizes for leaving. She forgives him and Larry Jones crosses over.
I liked writing about this episode, and the virtual world was a pretty neat aspect. So what about you? What’d you love/like/hate? Throw in your own two cents!