Comfort Food: you know how it's going to look, taste, and make you feel, but even the most adventurous person keeps coming back to it. That describes Ghost Whisperer to a tee, with its formulaic format; it seems to have the homey, comforting feeling that keeps people coming back for more. And last night's episode was no different. So sit back, put on your Snuggie, and prepare yourself for some comfort TV recap.
Remember when Ned was a precocious twelve-year-old boy and then the next episode he was seventeen and in high school? Well now he's now in college, apparently DJing for a radio station. He's multi-talented. The "shtick" of the radio show is prank calls, where a boyfriend calls his girlfriend to break up with her, and they both get a prize. I have to say my first reaction to this introduction was: can sweet Ned be dabbling in douchebaggery? Surely, not. And of course it all turns out to be a hoax. But just as his broadcast was ending, in storms angry listener, Maggie Stevens, who screams this was the exact same phone call that her husband, Jack, made to her. He dumped her on air, saying he found someone else. Shortly after she leaves the boards start sparking, Ned's co-host Noah's ear starts bleeding, and Killer is written on a laptop.
A key part of unraveling a ghost's story is Melinda's visions (which are sometimes so horrifying, why she's not in a padded room with many very nice opiates is beyond me). In this week’s "vision dream thing," she comes upon a cracked mirror with bits of hair and blood stuck in it. Her vision also includes her creepy kid Aiden who holds out a picture of daisies and says, “it was his undoing." Thanks, Damian. Cracks begin to form in the picture and blood pours down from them. Melinda also experiences how the ghost truly died, when her car starts filling up with water and playing a Coldplay song (which is haunting everyone involved in the incident. Chris Martin must be behind this!). I often wonder if she felt like screaming, "I get it! You died hitting your head on glass. P.S. could you skip the bloody bits and drowning episodes, perhaps?"
Fueled by her visions she visits Maggie, Jack, and his current wife Daisy (see how the daisies image comes back here?). Melinda accomplishes both alienating and discomforting each unwilling participant, as she does every episode. And really, if someone came to your house and said, "I see dead people," would you believe them? We learn from these visits that Maggie has been haunted by the Coldplay song, and her radio inexplicably turned on to the college radio station the previous day. Prior to Melinda’s visit, Jack and Daisy experience a haunting which includes the Coldplay song (do we really need to hear it again? Chris Martin!) and cracked glass which ends up spewing shards of glass in their face. Exciting. From this visit we learn the identity of the ghost, Bruce Adler, Daisy's missing ex-fiancé.
Even though Melinda alienates and makes hostile these people, they always come back. Preferably to her shop, please. Jack confesses that the radio phone call was all scripted and Maggie knew full well it was, but she took it too far. All he wanted was the free trip to the Bahamas. For her part, Maggie admits (after being nearly drowned to death by ghost Bruce, who blames her for his drowning) that she never trusted that Jack was faithful or that he loved her. She called the station to participate, hoping that he would confess to infidelity. She also suspected Daisy as being the other woman, as Jack and Daisy worked together and he named her as the other woman during the prank call. Stupid, Jack. Maggie apparently called Bruce (who was also plagued with jealousy) before the broadcast. Enraged by Daisy’s betrayal he raced down the road, getting into the car accident that would end his life.
The truth finally coming to the forefront, we get our Hallmark moment. Bruce finds peace and goes to the light, but not before telling Maggie that the love she wants isn’t a romantic love. The love she seeks is, “all around us." Cue Melinda tearing up, as she does every episode (I have no idea how Jennifer Love Hewitt has anymore tears left. I bow down to your tear ducts, Love) because truthfully the moment, although cheesy, is heartwarming. But that's this show's appeal, the unapologetic way it goes for the cheese and doesn't look back. And that in itself is comforting.
A Different World side note: Dwayne Wayne was on tonight! But where were his flip-up glasses?
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