(Season 4, Episode 28 – “Portsmouth Lighthouse” – Season Finale)
Finally, the episode of Ghost Hunters that I got to see filmed back in October aired tonight. I was definitely curious to see how two nights of shooting would translate into an hour-long show. As it turns out, there’s a bit of stuff I was surprised they wound up having to cut.
As I said, this episode was shot throughout two nights, which I don’t believe was mentioned on the show. I honestly have a hard time recalling who was where on each night, but everyone got to investigate every part of the fort and lighthouse. So, for example, Steve and Tango did investigate the lighthouse at least once, but we never saw it.
One aspect of the show that might get fans or skeptics in a tizzy is how the whole approach and introduction scenes are carried out. Jay and Grant didn’t arrive in the van or SUV — they all arrived in their own cars at first, got a look around, met Jeremy, then did the van/SUV approach sequence and greeting scene. This is a TV show, so this is part of the entertainment value that packages it all together nicely, not something you would cry “fake!” at because, really, it doesn’t matter and you just need to chill.
For most of the investigations, I stood by where you see the cars parked in the overhead shots. I was able to walk over the entire fort and lighthouse, just not when an active investigation was going on. During those times, only two team members and one cameraman were present in each location. I could not see how anyone else could have been lurking around making noises or screwing around with the team. That’s also why I wasn’t able to tag along, otherwise you all would’ve seen me.
During the lights-out, you see them turn off these huge lights lighting up the front of the lighthouse. Those lights were put there by the production crew and aren’t there normally. But it did look very cool in-person.
Did you notice Grant with his iPhone walking up the stairs in the lighthouse? Yeah, he’s an iPhone junkie like me, and that got me thinking about the K2 meter. See, if Grant uses it to check email or even receive text messages (he was doing something with the phone in the lighthouse), then those things give off all kinds of interference. I know when my iPhone is checking email, I can sometimes hear it interfering with my car radio! So what that thing might do to a K2 meter, someone should check into.
I’m not sure what night Jason and Grant were in the lighthouse, but the first night was pretty windy. So if it was the first night, which I sort of think it was, then I’m not sure what they meant about it not being windy outside. Also it was cold as all hell.
Around the time Jason and Grant said they heard a woman laughing, I noted there were geese flying overhead and honking pretty loudly. I brought that up but, hey, I wasn’t there to hear what they heard. Still, I’d have called that into question.
One thing Jay and Grant did do, though, was radio to Kris and Amy to ask if they were laughing somewhere at the time. Kris and Amy were off about 100 yards away in the lighthouse at the time, though they did report back that they were laughing. Grant asked them to laugh the same way again, but Grant said they couldn’t hear it. (In case you’re wondering, I was listening in on another radio to hear all of this happening.)
Steve and Tango didn’t seem to experience anything those two nights. I listened in on their radio for a couple of hours or so, and they are definitely entertaining to listen to. The show’s producer kept apologizing for me having to listen to Steve and Tango go on and on about spiders and old bricks, but all I could say was: “Are you kidding? This is fucking great!”
Lastly, there was one big production that didn’t make it to air. During the time Amy and Kris were in the lighthouse, they asked someone to barricade the door so they knew for sure that nobody was sneaking in or the door wasn’t swinging in the wind. Someone put just a barrel against the door, but when the girls tried to get out, Jason (I believe) put a lock on the gate at the door and said that that’s what they did when she asked them to lock them in.
Kris then told them to open the door, but Jason told them that Jeremy (the guy we saw give the tour) had the only key and he was 45 minutes away at home. The girls started to have a panic attack because they all had to pee, and the cameraman had to take a dump. Jason told them they would have to use the barrel inside the lighthouse, and just as they seemed they might do it, Jason removed the lock and took off to where we were all standing. Needless to say, the girls were pissed. I guess you had to be there, which is why it didn’t make it to air.
Jeremy, whom I talked to a bit while I was there, did seem a bit disappointed during that reveal session we saw tonight. I’m not surprised, because I really think he was hoping for something a lot more conclusive or thrilling than what was ultimately captured.
I don’t think Sci Fi purposely puts stand-out episodes of this show as a season finale, as they decided the air date of this episode a long time ago. In any case, I was really happy to have been able to be there and then see it on TV, and I’d love to do it again sometime.
Clacked by Keith McDuffee 
on Dec 10, 2008 @ 23:39 EST5EDT
