Paranormal State

This show is cool.... whenever I see a show with Chip, then I know it is legit

This show was rushed, and relied heavily on surprise cuts to commercials (When it came back from commercial, the noise or "surprise" was something simple like a mouse) This is a pure rip-off of Ghost Hunters and it attempts to go "beyond" them, and fails miserably. Also, what is with the Directors log thing? Is this star trek? It just ruins the novelty of this show, which wore off quick. The only reason it's been watched is that people want to laugh at the pure anti-climatic nature of it. They never find anything, and most likely never will. Funnily enough, they always point out something that is the thing they are "hunting" and guess what?! It's the local radio station's tower light that is blinking red!

I suppose I should be fair and point out that I don't believe in ghosts. That said, I'm very interested in the subject and I enjoy a scary story as much as the next guy. I am a fan of Ghost Hunters because they at least try to give their investigations a scientific angle. Even early episodes of Most Haunted had a camp entertainment factor to them. Paranormal State has neither of these qualities. The cases themselves have the potential to be interesting, but as with so much "reality TV" these days, it suffers from overproduction, poor acting and silly scripts. The makers of the show freely admit that writers "guide" the stories. I hear they are even going to shoehorn in a romance subplot to appeal to the young female demographic. The show has many other flaws too. As others have stated, the narration quickly becomes like nails down a chalkboard. Over the top visual and audio effects quickly become just as irritating. I'm willing to suspend some disbelief for the sake of entertainment, but this whole "demon with a vendetta" story arc is just ridiculous. Given that the producers of this show are also responsible for brain dead fodder like MTV's Laguna Beach and Newport Harbor I suppose this is really no surprise. If you are a die hard fan of Ed & Lorraine Warren or a big "reality" show junkie I guess you'll find much to like in Paranormal State. For the rest of us....I recommend you avoid.

I actually enjoy the characters but the show is so rushed that you don't get a chance to get engaged. It leaves you high and dry. It barely starts to get interesting and then it's over. I find that frustrating!! The team seems a bit non cohesive but I like the fact that they are so kind to their clients. It is appealing to watch the "Dead Time" segments and it would be nice if there was time enough to explore the back story in more detail. Some of the trainees need more personality development. The experts that are brought in are very fascinating and I'd love to see extended scenes with them. The leader seems to be a caring individual and it would be nice to hear more details about his childhood paranormal experiences.

So, I'm writing this after the completion of season one. I must say I enjoy it. I've tried to watch "Ghost Hunters", and a few other shows on hauntings, and have been turned off by all the scientific mumbo-jumbo. There's more to this show than a desire to debunk an occurrence. There's a very human aspect that is left out of those shows, but is found in "Paranormal State", and that is what keeps me watching.

As for the population that wonders if it's real, or feel as though the "evidence" or "facts" are being thrust at them, well, what do you expect with a show that is 3 days worth of investigation crammed into 22 minutes of air time? The show is more about the people that are being haunted rather than the events themselves, or proving something does not exist. Where Chip is concerned as a psychic, he's a lot more real than some others I've seen on similar shows.

To the Penn State PRS crew: Keep on keepin' on.