Ghost Hunters is a show on SyFy that follows a paranormal group known as TAPS. The show premiered in October of 2004 and has enjoyed a great deal of success over the years.

Now the show may be at a crossroads as fans are all too familiar with the fact that one of TAPS cofounders Grant Wilson is no longer with the show and many feel the production will suffer because of it. Yes fans, Ghost Hunters could quite possibly be doing some shark jumping.

Now that they are embarking on a new season and without the person who is arguably the heart of the gig, it stands to reason Ghost Hunters would need to find a way to dull the pain of Grant withdraw.

In this season 8, second half premier episode, ‘A Serial Killers Revenge’, the team is investigating Old City Jail in Charleston. In this episode a “skeptical” cameraperson (Hagar) is allegedly being scratched by a ghost. Jason was also scratched, but Hagar got the worst of it and of course there is plenty of drama included to keep us on the edge of our seat. To further complicate things, Amy is pregnant and must decide if it’s safe to expose her unborn child to a profession where she risks spirit attachment.

Convenient sensationalism to let the fans know they won’t miss Grant? Or, is there really something paranormal happening here? We can’t deny that Ghost Hunters has had it’s share of controversy. Of course, it’s to be expected when you pick tracking down spirits as a theme. This new episode may trigger the skeptics to sound off as well.

Lets check in with SyFy as they provide an outline to ‘A Serial Killers Revenge’:

They’re baaacck!

The Ghost Hunters have returned, missing Grant, but still ready to face a night of terror. America’s first female serial killer? Evil haunts? The second half of Season 8 is going to be good!

Tonight the team investigates Old City Jail, a historic location in Charleston, South Carolina that’s one of the most haunted locations in the country. The jail dates back to the 1700s and imprisoned Lavinia Fisher, a violent female serial killer who was executed (reportedly wearing her wedding dress).

The claims at the prison are that women feel like they’re being choked by hands. And scratched. And bitten. And poked. And grabbed. Whoa. Meanwhile, the ghost of a child has been spotted, a woman’s voice was heard, doors kicked open and a woman in a white dress floats among the cells. Is it Lavinia?

And in other news… did Jason just say that Amy is pregnant? Great news! But be careful for the spirits that attack women and there are theories that an evil entity could attach to an unborn baby. It was a tough decision for her to continue investigating, but ultimately she believed she could protect herself and still do her job.

During the investigation all the team members are on separate floors but they hear the thuds and odd noises, like boots on the stairs. Then they all hear a huge bang, like a door, and all converge on the first floor where the noise came from. Steve and Jason had just latched it, so they know it was closed. So what opened it and what caused it to slam shut? A mystery.

Amy and Adam are on the 3rd floor when a camerawoman- Hagar, a non believer- stops the footage to verify that she was scratched by an unseen object! First it was only on her finger, but then it was all over her arms! She wants OUT of this job!!

Jason felt he should now visit the 3rd floor with Amy, so she can draw out the activity but he can protect her. Suddenly, his neck was hot and three scratches on his neck appeared.
The two follow a noise back to the place where the door slammed. They can’t find anything, but Amy has had enough investigating for one night! Can you blame her?

Hop on over to the Ghost Hunter page at SyFy for the rest of this episode 8 description.

Of course, let us not forget the video:

Here’s an interesting take on things from Huff Post:

For the first time since the show premiered, the ” Ghost Hunters “will Have to carry on the show without TAPS co-founder Grant Wilson as part of the team. Wilson left the show at the mid-season break back in May.

The Detroit News feels the show Suffers a bit in Wilson’s Absence , Particularly Because co-founder Jason Hawes Does not Have The Same With The easy rapport team. Plus, the exposition That Used to come from Hawes and Wilson chatting now comes from voiceover work by Hawes alone.

The team was in the Old City Jail in Charleston, where the MOST frequent reports of women are getting scratched. For the team, That Woman turned out to be Hagar, who is normally behind the cameras instead of on them. The site is where America’s first female serial killer, Lavinia Fisher, was executed.

Further Hagar ADMITTED she was a skeptic, and That this was like nothing she’d scratching ever experienced on the show before. That sent up warning flags for SheKnows, who Wondered how This Could Be Her First experience – and how she Could be a non-believer – if she’s been With The Show any length of time.

To be fair, Ghost Hunters has been an extremely popular show for 8 years and does have a following as long as your arm. It’s actually the show that all others are measured by and continues to be a mainstay at SyFy.

While I did say that it’s had controversy, I must also point out that Ghost Hunters is one of only a handful of reality shows where the cast is given a modicum of respect.

That being said, we still need to face facts, reality shows tend to have limited appeal and when you consider the subject matter, the fans are typically a “what have you done for me lately” crowd. Frankly, who can blame them? Most are already suspending their skepticism for the promise of hot ghosty action. If the show is not going to provide the entertainment value they are looking for, it’s adios muchachos!

You could say it’s easier to win the lottery than have a paranormal reality show taken seriously. However, Ghost Hunters has always had a recipe for success. If you are a paranormal enthusiast, you have to give them props for their staying power.

Can the show fight off the loss of Grant, or did the charisma leave with him?

Thanks to SyFy and Huff Post for content provided.

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