Another decent episode of Ghost Whisperer. We’ve got a potentially fake psychic, a potential missing girl, and a story involving the effects addiction can have on a person. So the content from this episode was slightly lighter than the rest of the episodes this season, but still fairly dark. I have to say, I’m pretty impressed with the way this show manages to keep coming up with new topics to address in relation to spirits.
The relationship they explore between Nikki and Sydney sort of reminds me of the season 2 episode with the model girl Jim went to high school with. They lead you to believe that there is some sibling foul play involved in the death, and then the spirits reveal that their siblings need to be protected from something. In this case, Sydney wants people to know that Nikki was trying to help her, and that Sydney’s death was not her fault. Sydney’s spirit in this episode has a really weird effect on Melinda, making her weirdly woozy. I’m guessing this is some transference of Sydney’s addicted state of mind during her “cold-turkey-rehab,” though I’m not 100% sure. Also, in order to find Sydney’s body, Melinda has to work with Casey the “fake” psychic. In the end though, it turns out he’s not such a bad guy. I kind of liked having him and Melinda work together on this spirit case. His redemption at the end of the episode made him a slightly more likable character as well. They kind of leave it ambiguous as to whether or not he will actually change his ways, as he does go back to signing autographs and such. I’d like to think that he will try to wean himself away from being a psychic after his experience with Melinda, but I don’t know. I guess we won’t ever find out. Along with discussing the fact that Casey isn’t a psychic, they also mention that he’s not a sensitive either. This is a gift which has been mentioned a couple times before in other episodes, though nothing ever really comes out of these characters or their storylines.
Delia and Melinda seem to have switched roles in this episode. Okay, not really. Delia still does not believe in what Melinda can do, but she trusts her. At least she trusts her more than she trusts Casey. I still can’t get a good read on Delia’s feelings about the spirit world. I mean, she has now experienced some ghostly interactions, but I still think she tries her best to rationalize it as having some earthly, logical explanation. I loved the scene when Melinda is giving her a hard time for being at the psychic’s “show”, so she volunteers Melinda as his next reading. Good to know she’s developed a sense of humor about all of this. Jim also has a little bit of a sense of humor regarding the situation of this episode, as he finds the pairing off of Casey and Melinda to be a fun little competition. One which he is sure Melinda will come out ahead in seeing as she is actually able to communicate with the dead.
Overall, even though this was a decent episode, it was not necessarily on my favorites list. While I think it was interesting, I was not particularly engaged with the stories. It was definitely a one-off episode, as there was no connection whatsoever to the main story. It did have its good moments, and I loved the Sarah McLachlan song that closed the episode….not that that really has any impact on the rest of the episode, but hey. Never underestimate the power of a good song in a scene. Anyway, that’s all I really have to say for this episode, so until next time, happy ghost whispering.
Best Moment:
-Casey’s redemption at the end of the episode.
Best Quote:
Casey: Let's free associate. When you think of frogs, you think of...
Melinda: Gross.
Casey: ...alright, that's a start.